Posts Tagged ‘boise idaho portrait photographer’

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20 on Tuesday {California style}: Jules Trandem

August 10, 2010

Spending the week in California as a “last hurrah” to Summer 2010.  Oh how I’ve missed it here!

In the spirit of our visit, my 20 on Tuesday interview this week is with an extremely talented San Diego area photographer.  I first “met” Jules on a workshop forum we both call home.  Her use of natural light and real lifestyle images inspire me every time I see her work.  I’m not sure what impressed me most about Jules, her amazing photography skills, or the fact that not only is she a successful photographer, but she does it as a single mom and a full-time first grade teacher!  Talk about having it all together!  Prepare to be inspired…

Hi Jules,

Where are you from?

I spent my early childhood in Bakersfield CA before moving to San Luis Obispo CA and ultimately San Diego for college.

Where is home now?

I have been in San Diego now for 16 years.  I LOVE it here!  It’s a photographer’s dream location … year round sun, beautiful beaches, the city, and gorgeous fields.  My family now lives in Santa Barbara CA so I spend lots of vacation time there.  Santa Barbara is also a beautiful place to photograph.

Are you formally educated or self-taught in photography?

I’m a self-taught photographer with the help of some amazing workshops that I’ve had the privilege of attending over the past year.  Like so many, my love for photography grew when my son was born.  The poor guy had a camera on him 24/7.  A couple of years ago I made it my mission to learn to shoot in manual.  I spent that summer reading and practicing and reading and practicing!  My camera manual was my best friend.  At that point, I knew I wanted more.  Over the last year, I worked on my style, creativity, business, and marketing through many invaluable workshops.  I wanted to grow and I found some of the best to teach me.  I’ve participated in Bloom Workshops (http://www.bloomworkshops.com/), The Light Workshop (http://thelightworkshop.wordpress.com/), Jay Reilly’s ‘Shoot the Kids’ (http://www.jayreillyworkshops.com/), Marta Locklear Workshop (http://www.martalocklear.com/site2/index2.php), Francypants Academy (http://www.francypantsacademy.com/), and I will wrap it up with a Jinky Workshop in September (http://jinkyart.com.au/blog/).  I’ve LOVED each and every one.  These amazing photographers have helped guide me to where I am today.

What words would you use to describe your style of photography?

I think my style is about light, story telling and connections.

Talk to me about personal projects.  Are they important and what have you done lately?

My personal projects have been about my growth as a photographer.  They are very important to help me become better at what I do.  I’m not yet brave enough to commit to a year long project … I may try out a weekly one or even a monthly one.  Tara Whitney has inspired me to try to be ‘in’ the photos, too.  I would love to start a monthly project that includes a photo of my son and I.

What is your favorite kind of session to shoot and why?

I LOVE all types of sessions … newborn, seniors, children, families!  I think my favorite kind of session would be a location filled with gorgeous light, a beautifully styled client  and lots of fun and laughter.

How do you stay motivated and your photography current?

I am always motivated by my son, my photog friends, as well as the beautiful light and locations in San Diego.  When I’m ready to try something new, he’s always up for a session.  He’s a cheap model … it usually only costs me a ‘star wars’ toy.

If you could be invisible for one day with your camera…

I’d love to spend a day with Tara Whitney and just soak up her beauty and brilliance.

Name a photographer you would like to take a portrait of?

I would love to do a portrait with Marta Locklear and her family.  They are beautiful inside and out!

What’s your best advice for balancing work and family?

I have a lot to balance and don’t always do it gracefully.  I’m a single mom (my son Brooks is 5), a first grade teacher, and a photographer.  Trying to find a balance for those three jobs is tough and takes a LOT of Coffee Bean vanilla soy lattes!  My photography business officially started last fall and took off faster than I was prepared to handle.  Starting last January, I have only been scheduling 2-3 clients a month.  I have loved a better balance by having fewer client sessions each month and putting everything I have into them.  I am much better prepared for this fall, but I also don’t plan on taking on as many clients so I will have more time to enjoy my son and friends.  Life’s too short and I don’t want my son to think all I did was work.
What’s in your camera bag?

I’m a Canon girl!  I shoot with the 5D Mark II and I love my 50mm 1.2 and 85mm 1.2 primes.  I think it would be a toss up which lens is my favorite … right now the 85mm is in the lead.  Sad to say, I don’t even have a camera bag, however my new Kelly Moore mustard hobo bag is ordered and I can’t wait for it to arrive.  (Thanks Maureen!)

When you’re not photographing, where can we find you?

When we’re not busy with school and sports, my son and I love going on all kinds of adventures at the beach, creek, or park… any place that he can climb, dig in dirt and find sticks.
If not a photographer what would you have been?

I love being a first grade teacher.  I work at an amazing school with wonderful children and families.  First grade is such a special year.  I love being able to give the gift of reading to a child.  That light that glows on the face of a child when they learn to read is priceless.  I treasure my job as a teacher!

If you could live anywhere on this awesome planet where would you build your dream home?

My dream home would be built right on the beach in Del Mar CA.  I would love to go to sleep each night listening to the waves roll in.
What talent would you most like to have?

A dancer! If you ask my first graders, they would tell you that I’m already a fabulous dancer … another reason I love first graders.  After watching ‘So you think you can dance’ this summer, I would love to have an ounce of their talent.  It’s just beautiful how they can create so much emotion in a single performance.  (So sad Alex had to leave due to injury… I wanted him to win).

What are the three words your friends would use to describe you?

Funny, motivated, kind.
Something that is over rated…

Jealousy (and competition).  I’ve been so fortunate to be surrounded by amazing photographers who are open to learn, grow, inspire and help one another out!

Your favorite movie of all time?

This always changes, but this summer my favorite movie is ‘Remember Me’.  Watch it and let me know what you think!
Who would play you in a movie of your life?

I would love Cameron Diaz to play me.  I love that she’s a bit silly and doesn’t take herself too seriously.

Name one blog you stalk regularly

Are you kidding?!  How can it just be one?!  Jinky Art (http://jinkyart.com.au/blog/) might just be the most magical blog I stalk.  I can’t wait to meet her!

You can find Jules HERE.

Thank you, Jules!

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Posted in 20 on Tuesday | 21 Comments »

Fall Mini Sessions! | Boise Idaho photographer

July 23, 2010

Fall mini sessions are here!  Need pictures for your holiday cards?  Gifts to give grandparents and friends?  Updated pictures for your home?  Here’s your chance for a quick 20 minute session.  The location is fabulously rustic and country and perfect for fall pictures!  Come out and join us, but don’t wait long to reserve your spot.  Sessions are limited.  Email me at wendy@wendyvonsosen.com and be sure to include “mini sessions” in the subject line to reserve your spot.  Can’t wait!

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20 on Tuesday: Amii Wroblewski

July 12, 2010

When this crazy passion for photography first started, I joined a few forums.  Among these was a fabulous site called, Clickinmoms.  If you have even the slightest interest in photography and want to join up with other passionate camera fiends, you must check it out!  It has been some of the best money I’ve invested in photography so far.  Among learning a ton, I have met and befriended many other photographers from all over the world.

Among these was a photographer with a name even more difficult to spell than mine, if you can believe it.  Amii Wroblewski and I joined Clickinmoms at around the same time.  We’ve enjoyed bouncing business ideas off each other and well as sharing our latest sessions and favorite shots.  I admire her for her affinity for marketing as well as her amazing portrait work.  I’ve watched her photography grow and her business flourish.    Her passion for people and photography is obvious when you see the beauty and truth in her work with seniors.

Hi Amii,

Where are you from?

Kind of all over but I was born and raised in Arkansas until I was 7 or 8.

Where is home now?
About 30 minutes north of Dallas….I’ve been here for almost 20 years.

Are you formally educated or self-taught in photography?
Self-taught but I would LOVE to take some film classes.

What is your favorite kind of session to shoot and why?
Definitely seniors!  They are so full of life, want their pictures taken and they are just starting to come into their own skin and learning to be comfortable in it.  Their’s something really beautiful in watching them hover somewhere between adolescence and adulthood.

When shooting seniors, how do you form the kind of relationship them that results in such stunning images?
I spend a LOT of time getting to know my clients before the session.  I usually meet them in person before they book a session so they understand my style and what I’m about.  I ask them what their plans are for their future, how their family/friends would describe them, what their favorite music is, etc.  Asking both the senior and the parents what their expectations are from the shoot helps me create images that everyone will love too!

Talk to me about personal projects.  Are they important and what have you done lately?
Personal photography projects?  Um, I wish I had the time!  I have dabbled with film lately and working with film is so rewarding.  I’ve tried to work with a homemade pinhole camera but I have yet to get any decent results yet!

How do you stay motivated and your photography current?
I have a vision for what I want the outcome to be with a session way before I have the session and that alone is motivation enough.  I think the fun thing with senior photography is that you have to be ever-evolving and constantly pushing the limit because seniors love to see previous sessions and say “I want that”.  Of course, I don’t want each session to be the same and that’s both challenging and freeing at the same time.

If you could be invisible for one day with your camera…
Oh I would LOVE to hang out with my son at school…just to see how he interacts with others and to see how he works.

Name a photographer you would like to take a portrait of?
Chelsey Mach of MachC Photography….hands down.  She has been my business mentor even before I was officially in business and I believe that Chelsey has helped me learn to make smart business decisions that many seasoned professionals are just learning to do.  Plus she is a 4th generation Alaskan and there is something so mysterious and charming about that to me, especially since I’ve never met her and I’ve never been to Alaska!

What’s your best advice for balancing work and family?
Make sure to have the world’s most supportive and understanding spouse!  I seriously could not do what I do without my husband’s help.  I also get a ton of help and support from my parents who live down the street from us.

What’s in your camera bag?
I’m a “keep it simple” kind of girl and I have my 5D Mark II, a new 50mm 1.4, an 85mm 1.8 (LOVE) and a grey card.  That’s it!

When you’re not photographing, where can we find you?
Sad to say but usually at my computer.  I’m constantly trying to make things better for my business and my clients and that translates into lots of computer time.  Other than that, I love to be out by the pool with my family.

If not a photographer what would you have been?
I’ve always been involved with creative things.  I used to teach piano while I was in college, I had a catering business in my late teens/early 20′s and I do a lot of graphic design for my full-time job.  There is just no telling what I would be if I wasn’t a photographer!  A painter?  A circus juggler?  I was always told that the sky is the limit so I’ve always been pushed to follow my dreams…no matter how crazy they have been.

If you could live anywhere on this awesome planet where would you build your dream home?
Definitely not any more north than the Dallas area but I would say somewhere with land (where you can’t see your neighbors)…and near the beach would be pretty cool!

What talent would you most like to have?
Is “super mom” a talent?  If so, that’s the talent I want!  I would love to be fluent in a few languages.  I’ve been dreaming of the day where I get to visit France for the first time and I can carry on conversations with the locals in French.

What are the three words your spouse would use to describe you?
Polite, Classy, Confident

Something that is over rated…
Oh gosh…I don’t know.  Schedules?  I’m not a scheduled person at all and find it really restricting to have to be on a schedule, which is why I don’t limit how long my photography sessions run.  I’m so blessed to be able to work at my own pace/schedule.

Your favorite movie of all time?
I don’t know if I have a favorite (I don’t watch many movies or a lot of tv) but I usually love children’s movies.  Tim Burton’s version of Alice in Wonderland is pretty inspiring to me as a photographer….I would love to do a really theatrical session like that for a senior…over the top, glam/costume make-up, etc.

If you could correct one mistake you made while starting your photography business, what would it be?
You know, I don’t know if I have made any Earth-shattering mistakes.  I’ve definitely made small changes along the way based on things that weren’t working but having a business mentor, wonderful support with family/friends, and just taking some risks really made opening a business a no-brainer for me.

Name one blog you stalk regularly
Michelle Moore…I love her fashion editorial-style senior sessions.

Can you share with us some of your favorite images that best represent your work?
See, I told you she was amazing!
Amii’s work can be found HERE.

Thank you, Amii!

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Posted in 20 on Tuesday | 22 Comments »

July 7, 2010

As much as I adore shooting my clients, personal projects are incredibly important to me.  My creativity is challenged and the sky’s the limit as to what I choose to shoot.  This year I’ve taken on a 365 project.  A picture a day for an entire year.  I will admit that I’m not caught up at the moment and that I experience peaks and valleys when it comes to being productive on my 365.  But I am immensely enjoying it so far.  On top of this challenge I have committed to taking a self portrait once a week.  I started out posting these on Mondays but at this point they are pretty darn sporatic.

During this self portrait project of mine, I’ve discovered something.  I hate to have my own picture taken.

I know.  Weird, since I’m a photographer.

But actually not that uncommon among us photographers.  Many of us would rather be behind the camera than in front of it.  But not only do photographers find themselves behind the camera, but I think most of us moms are perennially missing from pictures.  We are usually too busy taking the pictures or we rarely feel “camera ready”. More often than not we’ve spent the day carpooling or chasing after kids or working on the never-ending laundry or organizing the linen closet.  (Well, that one might be a stretch, at least for me.)

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately.  As women, we often lose ourselves in our roles as mothers.  Each of us, at some point in our youth, felt beautiful and attractive.  Someone worthy of a catcall from the closest construction worker at least.  And we still are,  but our beauty and attractiveness are hiding behind spit-up and garden dirt,  sleepless nights and teenage worry,  Play-Doh and peanut butter.   I believe we owe it to our spouses, our families, but most especially to ourselves to take the time and the effort to unearth that inner and outer beauty again and SHINE.

I’m working on a new kind of session to do just that.  A session all about YOU.  A chance to shed the mom uniform and let your true beauty shine through.  What woman doesn’t want to get together with friends, enjoy a little pampering and a chance to come away with images that represent the amazing and beautiful YOU?  I know I do!

Keep your eye out for my new Cover Girlz sessions coming soon.

Here’s a sneak peek at a few images from some recent sessions.

Call or email me if you’re interested in getting some girlfriends together for a day/evening of pampering and being your own Cover Girlz!  I promise, you’ve never looked better!

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Posted in Head Shots | 19 Comments »

20 on Tuesday: Jasmine Johnson

June 28, 2010

Have you ever flown to a strange city by yourself to share a hotel room with someone you have never actually met in real life?  Well, that happened to me this past March when I went to WPPI for the first time.  The invitation to save a little money on hotel expenses trumped my apprehension of  acquiring a roommate for the first time since college.  All sorts of unsavory scenarios ran through my head when I imagined how the weekend could end up.  Fortunately for me,  my roommate was awesome! She was quite normal and super helpful to a WPPI newbie.  We stuck together and endured a wacky party, lots of great classes, and maneuvering through the maze that is the Las Vegas MGM Grand.

Not only has she become my friend in real life, but Jasmine Johnson continues to inspire me with her family and child photography.  She has a knack for capturing families in their element doing the things together that they love.  Her pictures are real and modern and fun.  Take a look for yourself!

Hi Jasmine,

Where are you from? Ventura, California
Where is home now? A few hours north of my hometown in Arroyo Grande.  It’s halfway between L.A. and San Francisco on the coast.
Are you formally educated or self-taught in photography? Self-taught.  My grandpa was a portrait photographer and I grew up in photo labs watching my mom work, but I never listened to her tips about focus and exposure… so I’ve worked on it myself.
What words would you use to describe your style of photography? fun, personal, modern & clean
Talk to me about personal projects.  Are they important and what have you done lately? I absolutely think personal projects are important… but I sort of have a love/hate relationship with my camera.  I started a 52 week project this year and only made it about 8 weeks.  I don’t pick up my camera for weeks at a time.  So currently, personal projects are more about home improvements and spending time with my two daughters :)
What is your favorite kind of session to shoot and why? My most recent session is always my favorite.  I just photographed my first set of newborns and I’m just in love with them!  When my schedule gets busy, I have to force myself to edit sessions in chronological order, otherwise I’ll only focus on the most recent set.
How do you stay motivated and your photography current? My clients motivate me.  I didn’t previously consider myself a people person, but I love the interaction with my clients in a photo shoot.  I especially thrive on getting my ‘non-photogenic’ clients to look and feel fabulous.  Keeping my work current?  I do follow a lot of photography blogs, but have found that trying to copy another artist’s work never turns out to be an image I like or am proud of.  It’s all about people and their genuine reactions and emotions.
If you could be invisible for one day with your camera… I’d photograph births.  I know you don’t have to be invisible to do this, but it’s an area of photography I haven’t yet pursued but would love to.
Name a photographer you would like to take a portrait of Other photographers tend to intimidate me.  I’m not sure I’d be comfortable taking a portrait of someone I highly admire.  I’ll say YOU, Wendy… we’d have fun!  (Not that I don’t admire your work, but we’ve met and you aren’t scary!)
What’s your best advice for balancing work and family? Have an amazing husband who’s understanding and supportive of your artistic aspirations, and who is a great dad, cook and housekeeper!
What’s in your camera bag? Nikon D700, 50/1.4, 20-35/2.8, my iPhone, some chapstick, and gummy snacks for the kids I shoot.
When you’re not photographing, where can we find you? At the park, beach or children’s museum with my kiddos.
If not a photographer what would you have been? My first profession is teaching.  7th and 8th grade math… and I love it, but photography was a bigger pull at this point in my life.
If you could live anywhere on this awesome planet where would you build your dream home? I waver between being a small-town beach girl and craving big-city life.  So, either somewhere on the California coast, or New York City.
What talent would you most like to have? I wish I had better interior decorating skills.
What are the three words your spouse would use to describe you? (I asked… and wouldn’t have guessed these 3:) beautiful, intelligent and unselfish
Something that is over rated… Photoshop actions (maybe only because I don’t use any though!)
Your favorite movie of all time? Good Will Hunting
Who would play you in a movie of your life? Jennifer Garner
Name one blog you stalk regularly Smitten Kitchen… every recipe I’ve tried has been awesome!

Would you share some of your favorite images that best represent your work?

Jasmine’s work can be found HERE.

Thank you, Jasmine!

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Posted in 20 on Tuesday | 10 Comments »

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