This week Lucy of Lucy Baber Photography is judging your anonymous self-portraits! Read about her below, and enjoy some of her vibrant photos!
1. Tell us about yourself...
I'm a full-time photographer and SAHM to two boys (ages 4.5 years and 16 months). We live in Philadelphia, and I am definitely a city girl at heart! Before I went full-time with photography, I was a child and family therapist. I'm still able to incorporate those counseling skills into my work through my latest online workshop, Creative Insight (hosted by the In Beauty and Chaos forum). Through the workshop, I'm able to help people learn more about themselves by teaching them how to express their feelings through photography. It's been such a wonderful way for me to connect with and give back to other talented photographers in this industry. I love being able to empower others through the gift of Art!
2. What ignited your passion for photography, and what fuels it now?
My love affair with photography has kind of been a "slow burn" since high school...I was always the one with the camera snapping away! But I finally purchased my first DSLR right before my first son was born and it quickly became an obsession to learn and grow. Of course I love being able to record my family memories, but photography is also a huge creative outlet for me. I'm an overthinker by nature, and photography helps get me out of my own head and reminds me to be more present with the people around me. I actually go more in-depth on this topic in my Creative Insight workshop. I love being able to witness all of the "lightbulb" moments for students as they start to learn how to use photography as a more mindful, emotional outlet. I love that photography helps me connect with others on a deeper level, and it challenges me to keep finding a fresh perspective.
My love affair with photography has kind of been a "slow burn" since high school...I was always the one with the camera snapping away! But I finally purchased my first DSLR right before my first son was born and it quickly became an obsession to learn and grow. Of course I love being able to record my family memories, but photography is also a huge creative outlet for me. I'm an overthinker by nature, and photography helps get me out of my own head and reminds me to be more present with the people around me. I actually go more in-depth on this topic in my Creative Insight workshop. I love being able to witness all of the "lightbulb" moments for students as they start to learn how to use photography as a more mindful, emotional outlet. I love that photography helps me connect with others on a deeper level, and it challenges me to keep finding a fresh perspective.
3. What's in your camera bag right now, what do use the most? the least?
I shoot with a Canon 6D and my primary lens is my 24-70 mm. I love the flexibilty and variety I can get with zoom lenses. My second go-to lens is my 85 mm...I love the bokeh! I also have a 100 mm and Lensbaby Edge 80, but I haven't picked these up as often lately.
4. What's your dream project or shoot?
I love fashion and editorial photography! As my newborn and family portrait business continues to grow, there is less time available to devote to this passion, but my dream project would be to fly to a beautiful European countryside location with a few models for a high fashion editorial shoot. I'm constantly tearing out pages from fashion magazines and dreaming up new concepts to try!
5. What is the biggest challenge you face as a photographer?
One of my biggest challenges is finding balance between the demands of being in business and my desire to keep shooting new things just for me. There is never enough time for me to pursue side projects, which is hard for a big dreamer like me! But I absolutely LOVE what I do, so the trade-off is the incredible job satisfaction. I can't imagine going back to a traditional office setting now that I've enjoyed being my own boss these past few years!
6. If you had $500 to spend on photography...
How should you spend it? Saving for taxes
How do you wish you could spend it? A new lens or photography workshop
How would you really spend it? Usually the workshop wins, lol! I am a total workshop junkie! But hey, it's also a tax write-off, so...win-win? ;)
7. Is there any one thing you wish someone had told you at the very beginning of your photography journey?
You know, I've been very blessed with an amazing group of local photographer friends, and very early on, someone actually DID tell me the thing that I most needed to hear. She complimented me for "always finding a unique perspective" with my photos, as we would all go out to group shooting meetups. And it definitely stuck with me...in so many aspects of my photography, my business, and my brand, I am constantly asking myself, "How can I do this differently from everyone else?" I also constantly have to remind myself to "work smarter, not harder". I think it's these two mantras that have really prevented me from feeling the burn out that I see so many other photographers struggle with. Since I started three years ago, I've never once questioned whether or not this is the business for me.
8. Can you tell us more about your new workshop?
I wrote Creative Insight with the intention of offering something completely different from all the other photography workshops out there right now. I've been told the content is completely unique. I bring a lot of my counseling background into the learning materials and feedback I provide, but ultimately I think that ANYONE can benefit from it. We talk about confidence and stress management, we do a lot of self-reflection, and I work really hard to provide feedback that is both empowering and creatively challenging for each student. As a teacher, I strive to really fully commit to my students during our time together (I actually logged in and wrote feedback for students in a prior run of another workshop from the hospital the day after my youngest was born!). It is truly a labor of love for me, and I am constantly blown away by the vulnerability, commitment to growing, and incredible talent each of my students bring with them.
*Lucy has been generous enough to offer our Snap Maven community an EXCLUSIVE discount code for the next run of Creative Insight! Registration is now open, and class starts on April 19! The first FIVE people to use the code MAVEN50 will receive $50 off their registration fee! Be sure to grab your seat before they're gone! To learn more and to sign up, please visit: http://www.inbeautyandchaos.
To keep up with Lucy, be sure to check her out at these links...
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