Yesterday I went out on a shoot with a young couple. The girl happens to be my neighbor, and her boyfriend is heading off to join the Coast Guard in just a few weeks. She wanted photos before he left and sent me a mood board filled with soft, dreamy images. A little backstory on my neighbor: she’s absolutely beautiful… but also incredibly shy, awkward, and easily embarrassed in front of a camera. This is where directing poses really matters. When someone is nervous, you have to pause and scroll through the images you’ve already taken so you can guide them. Sometimes directing means gently showing them what’s not working. In this case, she told me she didn’t know how to fix what she was doing. So I did something simple but effective: • I mimicked the exact head position she was doing when she got nervous • Showed her how to reposition her head • Pulled out her mood board and reminded her what she was asking for That visual connection helped. The funny part? I’ve known this girl since she was three years old, and she has never been embarrassed around me… until I pick up a camera 🤦🏻‍♀️ And remember how I typically say I don’t “spray and pray”? Well… there are exceptions. Some people get so nervous that you do need to take a few extra frames just to let them settle into the moment. That’s how you capture the magic after the nerves calm down. The last image I shared is the nervous shot—and it’s a perfect reminder that patience and guidance matter just as much as technical skill. 💡 Takeaway: Your job isn’t just to shoot—it’s to coach, reassure, and translate a vision into something your client can actually do.

Did you know that understanding your camera settings you can completely change the look of your photo? Here’s an example of a photo taking in broad daylight. I noticed the sun was behind a cloud and wanted to capture that. Because of the change in settings, it actually looks like a night photo, but it was definitely bright with sunglasses needed! In this particular case I did have an ND filter on my lens to help stop that light down.

Family photos are their own kind of thing. Your settings could vary greatly because of the number of people and the distance to your family. And if you have little, you may need to be willing to take several photos because you just can’t predict how the littles will respond to you. I personally like to just take some time and let the littles get associated with me before I even try to take a photo of them. You definitely need to know your gear for these as they can be so unpredictable! That said, I absolutely love the shots with major attitude or silly faces. Parents may not like it in the moment, but trust that when they look back, they will be transported to moments with their kids that remind them of those strong little personalities! Feel free to ask me any questions! And if you’re practicing, we can even set up a call or zoom!

Are you thinking about becoming a wedding photographer? Let’s break that down for a moment. I’ve been shooting weddings for quite a while, and there are times when I bring on second shooters to capture moments I physically can’t be in two places at once. Weddings are fast-paced, unpredictable, and truly run-and-gun environments. You cannot control the lighting, you often can’t use flash, and your lighting conditions can change dramatically from one direction to the next—sometimes in seconds. Unless you live somewhere that’s overcast 90% of the time, you’ll be adjusting your settings constantly throughout the day. I’m not a “spray and pray” photographer. There’s nothing wrong with that approach—it’s just not how I work. When I photograph a wedding, I typically deliver 75–85% of the images I shoot, and for smaller weddings, that percentage is often even higher. When reviewing images from many second shooters, I often find that only 15–20% are usable. The most common reason? A lack of understanding of camera settings and lighting. I frequently see auto ISO left on, which becomes a problem when moving from bright outdoor light to shaded areas or under canopies—resulting in entire sections of unusable images. In many cases, it’s clear the photographer doesn’t fully understand the exposure triangle, and that can be incredibly frustrating. That said, I do have a few photographers I trust and regularly work with because they do understand their gear—and I tend to stick with them. If weddings are something you truly want to pursue, knowing your equipment inside and out is non-negotiable. This is where I can help. Practice is the only way to truly learn, but I can offer guidance and exercises to help you practice run-and-gun shooting without the risk of ruining someone’s once-in-a-lifetime wedding day. If you’re serious about growing, learning, and doing this the right way—there is a path forward.

I am not the typical “spray and pray” photographer, however, I do contract with a larger wedding company and they actually require it. I started a long time ago, and you had to develop photos so I’m always cognizant of that. I also have in the back of my head what the camera body I have can do for the life of the camera. My current mirrorless is about 300k shutter releases guaranteed. So if you take photos for weddings and you average 5K clicks per wedding and 2 weddings per month, you’ll either need a new camera or at minimum to replace your shutter in less than 3 years. Those numbers always loom in my mind. Replacing the shutter can be anywhere from $600 to $1,200. Is it worth it? Because I shoot weddings and families I find it very interesting that per hour shooting I shoot far more images when I shoot toddlers! You really never know what you’re going to get. Will they be rested, will they be wild, will they listen, will the parents expect you to control their littles? All these struggles are real life struggles. And shooting littles is about the only time I come home from a 45 minute shoot with over 500 clicks and sometimes close to 1,000! And my model is to deliver 20 images. The culling process can be a nightmare. I still haven’t learned to trust the AI cullers just yet either. Every time I’ve tested them, they choose differently than I would. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Here are a few of the littles I’ve done recently. With littles, you need to be quick on your feet with those settings. Are they moving? Is it sunny? Overcast? Is flash an option? Feel free to ask about shooting littles or what my settings were for any of these shots!