As you may know, our family spent the past two years living in the Boise, Idaho area. We’ve moved around a bit but have never lived among a group of people that are more loyal to their home team than Boise fans are of their beloved Boise State Broncos! No matter where we went, there was no avoiding blue and orange, whether it was someone wearing a Boise State t-shirt, or sporting a Boise State license plate frame, or driving in their custom painted Boise Blue and orange pick-up truck with the Bronco logo bedazzling the hood. Boise State fans are fiercely loyal to their home team. But nobody that I know can even come close to their love for Boise State than my friend, Crissie Potter Fields. (Doesn’t she have the BEST name?!!)
I got to know Crissie when I first spotted an amazing photograph she took of her kids on the beach, on i heart faces. We became virtual friends and fellow fledglings in the world of photography and discovered that we were actually neighbors in real life. We finally met when she organized a meet-up for several local photographers in Boise and I was instantly smitten. Crissie is the kind of person that makes you feel like you’re her best friend. She is instantly warm and charming, complimentary and hilariously funny. She has a way about her that draws you in and makes you want to go home with her and become part of her family because you can only imagine how much fun her family must have together.
I have had so much fun watching her this year as she’s worked to accomplish her dream of photographing her beloved Boise State Broncos out on their famous blue turf. She’s an amazing photographer, a genuine friend, and an example of what you can do when you set your heart and mind to it.
Hi Crissie!
Where are you from?
Covina, California. My family moved to Idaho just after I graduated from high school.
Where is home now?
Just outside of Boise, Idaho.
Are you formally educated or self-taught in photography?
I am slowly but surely pursuing a photography degree, although at the “one class a semester” rate I’m going I’ll be an old woman before I graduate, so I would definitely say that a lot of what I would consider educational has been trial and error and experimentation. I think a college education is an important example to set for your children though, so I continue to plug away at it. Another reason that a degree is a goal for me is because having that education really opens up doors for editorial photographers. I really encourage every photographer to at least take a black and white film class at their local university. When you are working only in black and white, you are forced to concentrate on perfect exposure, tonality, light and composition. There’s no gorgeous color to mask any flaws and that ultimately makes you a better photographer.
What led you to pursuing photography?
By nature, I consider myself a very sentimental person, so that demands that I record the things that are important to me. I think the other thing that led me to photography was an elective class that I took in high school – it was a black and white film class and there was something so magical about the process of creating prints. I’ve found that I truly need to create in order to feel fulfilled and since I can’t draw or paint (seriously – stick men), photography allows me to create with people and things that are important to me.
You’ve had huge growth in the past year as you’ve focused on sports photography. What does it mean to you to be out on the field during a game?
This is going to sound weird, but I am absolutely compelled to photograph sports. I really am. It doesn’t matter if it’s my little boys at basketball, a swim meet or my beloved Boise State Broncos during a football game. Being a sports photographer continues that same sense of magic that I referenced about doing black and white prints. As a sports photographer, I can take a very fluid motion on the field and isolate it into a series of movement, power and emotion. It makes my heart skip a beat.
What has your experience been being a woman in the male dominated arena of sports photography?
It’s been incredibly positive! By and large I’ve had a really nice reception from my male counterparts and I’ve been very fortunate to call a few of them friends. When you have genuine enthusiasm for something, I think it’s difficult for people not to respond to that.
Talk to me about personal projects. Are they important and what have you done lately?
Personal projects are crazy important!!!! I think that the images that you endeavor to create for yourself are some of the most important you can do. These are the images that stretch you and inspire you to learn new things. I haven’t done enough of them personally but I’m trying to narrow down my options for next year. I’d like to maybe undertake either a 365 project or a 52 week project for each of my five children. I’m leaning towards the latter because I’d also really love to try to do something just for me, like a 52 weeks of light or emotion or something similar. Something that will really force me to look beyond the obvious in order to complete.
How do you stay motivated and your photography current?
That’s the beauty of finding something that you’re truly passionate about. There is zero issue with motivation! As far as staying current, I love to look for inspiration in places like my PPA magazine each month. Things like creative use of light and motion translate to every area of photography!
If you could be invisible for one day with your camera…
This one was tough for me! I’m almost as fascinated with politics as I am with sports, so I think that I’d really enjoy a chance to photograph the President as an invisible photographer. Maybe I’m just attracted to photographing power?
Name a photographer you would like to take a portrait of?
Peter Read Miller, Sports Illustrated
What is your ultimate goal as far as photography is concerned?
A Sports Illustrated cover, baby!!!! That would be the ULTIMATE ultimate. Short term goals are to be a bit more than only self sustaining as far as equipment and travel – I’m so not there yet.
What’s in your camera bag?
A Nikon D300, a Nikon 50mm 1.4G, a Tamron 70-200 2.8 and a Tamron 28-75 2.8. On the field I carry my D300 on a Manfrotto monopod and use a Nikon 300mm 2.8. My bag carries two water bottles, a microfiber towel, fingerless gloves, hand warmers to tape to my grip to keep the cold from zapping my batteries, a plastic trash bag and some rubber bands in case of rain or snow, hand sanitizer and Advil. Those endzones are LOUD and headaches are frequent.
What have been your three best photography investments so far?
Most bang for the buck:
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
Tamron 70-200 2.8. This lens started my sports photography journey (from the stands) and is great for photographing my own kiddos. It’s not the most expensive 70-200 on the market, but I really think it’s a good value.
Kylie Banks’ Phaunt photoshop class
Game changers:
I love my Apple products!!! My MacBook Pro has never failed me and transferring images as soon as a game is over is VERY important. You’ll miss sales if your photos aren’t up when the editors come shopping for an image to go along with the story that they’re writing. The iPad is going to be big for photography. I use it now as a portable portfolio but I can see a day when I’ll be able to actually use it to transmit from the sidelines during the time outs of a game instead of having to go back into the press area at half time and after the game to transmit from my laptop. Last but not least, I am loving my Apple TV for showing off my images on our flat screen. I can see how it would be very advantageous for portrait photographers who are wanting to move to in person sales. You can stream directly from your iPad to Apple TV or if you’re working on a more budget conscious scale, just purchase the year’s subscription to MobileMe and plug in the Apple TV box. Easy peasy! One little box, one simple connection and you’re showing your images in a very large format.
Upgrading to my D300.
Nikon 300mm 2.8
Have any of your sweet kidlets taken an interest in photography?
Austin uses my hand me down D70 and Corban has a Nikon point and shoot. They’re probably the two budding photographers. I think that the other kids have been too traumatized by my camera to ever want to pick it up themselves.
If you could live anywhere on this awesome planet where would you build your dream home?
I must have some gypsy blood in me because I really think that my dream home might be a motor coach. I couldn’t narrow this down to one place! I want to see it all and shoot it all!
What talent would you most like to have?
I wish that I had more focus – more self discipline. I’m pretty scattered.
What are the three words your spouse would use to describe you?
Nice, beautiful and caring. I really just asked him and that’s what he said… You can tell that I’m not making it up because if I was, I would have said something a little more exotic like gregarious, dynamic and passionate.
Something that is over rated…
Shooting in manual and the latest and greatest camera. As long as you know how to shoot in manual and can determine what is most important to you, consider this permission to use some of those expensive features on your camera. I frequently work with a field that is partially in shade and partially in sun and aperture priority does a great job of handling that for me. Things that are not overrated is being able to produce great images with what you have and learning the technical aspects of photography. Being a natural light photographer is great, but don’t use it as a cop out because the technicalities of light are overwhelming. Push yourself – you’ll be a better photographer for it.
Your favorite movie of all time?
Out of Africa
Which of your images are you most proud of and why?
Oh Wendy, I’m never satisfied. I think when you are finally satisfied, it’s time to move on.
Crissie’s work can be found HERE.
Thank you, Crissie!
