Meet This Week's Judge - Carrie Peterson

This week, we have Carrie of Sunlit Moments Photography judging the "Hope" theme, in honor of childhood cancer awareness month. Please enjoy the beautiful photos and words she shared with us.

1.     1. Tell us about yourself...

I am Carri Peterson, wife of an EMS Helicopter Pilot, and homeschooling  Mom of 10, ranging in ages from 22 – 6.  Currently I have eight children living at home, one in college, and the rest are being taught by me.  I love watching their individual likes and personalities emerge, and seeing them grow into their own people.  We also have two cats, two (old, outside) dogs, and  a puppy.  Because I was not busy enough.

2. What ignited your passion for photography, and what fuels it now?

As with most mothers, I got my first camera to capture the fleeting days of my children’s time with us.  I had been a mom long enough to know how true the saying is that the days take a lifetime, but the years fly by in the blink of an eye.

As my children started graduating from our homeschool, I realized also that although I may try to do everything right, they will leave someday, and make decisions I may or may not agree with.  I started my business when I realized that it was healthy for me to have something I am doing for myself that has nothing to do with my children.

3. What’s in your camera bag right now, what do use the most? the least?

I am a Nikon girl… shooting equally with a Nikon d750 and d610.  Due to the ergonomics being different, my smaller hands like the 750 a little more, but I usually keep my 70-200 on one camera, and the sigma 35 1.8 on the other, and use them on a case by case basis. 

For my landscapes I have a Tokina 12-24 f4, and for macro I love my 105.  I also have an 85 but do not use it as much as my 70-200.  I am addicted to the compression, bokeh, and long length of the 200, and really could just live with that lens alone if push comes to shove.

I have tried the 24-70, and a 50 mm, but really never have loved the middle lengths, and as such have given them to the children to use with my old d7000.

4. What’s your dream project or shoot?

I love traveling.  I would love to do something like Tamara Lackey just did, where she went to an orphanage, helped repair it, and then took and printed photos of the children for the walls.  I would love to do something that brings joy and laughter to someone who rarely has excuse to laugh.

5. What is the biggest challenge you face as a photographer?

Time.  I do my best to never ignore the kids when they need me.  So I do school with them from 8-1, and work on photo stuff from 1-whenever.  Evenings are usually spent with soccer, swimming, karate, etc.  I limit the number of sessions I take, and always take a teenager with me as an assistant.  I also use my crockpot every. Single. Day.  There are only a finite number of golden hours in a lifetime, and I certainly don’t want to miss a single one because I am cooking.

6. If you had $500 to spend on photography...

How should you spend it?  I probably should NOT spend it, but save it for a rainy day.  ;)
How do you wish you could spend it?  I wish that Clickaway was not in the middle of busy season, and I could use it for a ticket.

 
How would you really spend it?  If I did not have to be responsible, I might look at getting a longer lens (something in the 300mm range) for shooting wildlife and wild children playing sports.  J

7. Is there any one thing you wish someone had told you at the very beginning of your photography journey? 

I wish I had known at the beginning of my parenting that I could do it all in time.  That it is not healthy for me to lose myself in the midst of raising all these little people.  That I can be their mom, and be great at it, while still pursuing my interests and needs.  That it is healthy for everyone to sacrifice a little for each other and our interests.