This week the spotlight is on Beira Brown of Beira Brown Photography, from Reading, PA!

You can find her on the web at http://beirabrown.com

About the image…
1. Why do you love this image?
I love the simplicity. I love the calm feeling I get looking into baby’s eyes. It’s a moment that erases away the mundane tasks of caring for a baby. In between feedings, diaper changes, cleaning up spit-up, there’s this–just your sweet baby grabbing her feet staring back at you with such innocence. And of course, that milky smooth skin is just gorgeous. The light in this image is very soft and perfect for highlighting her delicate little features.

2. What were your settings with this image?
f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 500 taken with 50 mm 1.4G

About Photography…
3. What brought you to photography?
My dad. He gave me my first camera when I was eight or nine. When he saw my interest, he encouraged me to learn how to use his SLR but I was not motivated enough at that point. I did save the books he gave me and held onto them for years! Finally, my senior year in college I was able to devote time to study photography. I spent most of my free time that year in the darkroom. By that point, though, I was already set to go onto graduate school for counseling and with a full schedule I left photography to the side until my son was born…and from there you know how the story goes.

4. What type of Photography do you specialize in and why?
I love working with children and their families, from the newborn stage all the way through teens. I do have a special place in my heart for toddlers (I can hear other photographers gasp!). While they are the most challenging sessions, toddlers are so full of life that they have a special way of captivating me. Of course, I always schedule a nap after a toddler session because I give them my all.

About your life?
5. Outside of photography, what are your interests/hobbies?
I wish I had about 24 more hours in a week so I could devote more time to my hobbies. I enjoy reading, knitting, and sewing.

6. Who or what inspires you?
Pretty light. I find myself analyzing light in my surroundings. It’s something that I picked up when I studied black & white photography and I have not been able to turn it off in my brain since.

7. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, doing anything at all, where would you be, what would you be doing, and why?
I would be on a tropical island, living with an ocean view, with all my relatives nearby. I would most likely spend a lot of time swimming in the warm ocean water and sunbathing. I LOVE warm weather. I am a super happy woman when I can throw on a pair of shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops. I also love being with my family.

8. What song can you listen to over and over again?
Your Love Is a Song by Switchfoot

9. Can you tell me some quirky or little known fact about yourself?
It’s always hard to think of these things on the spot. Hmm. I don’t think I ever outgrew “don’t step on the cracks”. It’s not superstition, more like it’s not right. I’ve gotten to the point where I can step on them but my brain is shouting at me that I shouldn’t the whole time! LOL.

10. If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you pursue?
Family counseling: I actually went on to graduate school and completed my degree in counseling. I have a heart for families in general, and love to help people work through challenges.

Today’s photographer spotlight is on the ever talented CJ Nicolai of Cheryl Jacobs Portraits, out of Denver, CO.

About the image…
1. Why do you love this image?

This is my recent favorite image for a myriad of reasons. First, it’s from my newest project, called Snow White Drifted (from the Mae West quote, “I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.”) After years of primarily photographing children and families, I gradually switched to photographing performers backstage, and now, into photographing women in sort of a candid vintage-style boudoir project. Second, I love how peaceful she looks, despite the clutter and chaos that was the reality of the session. Third, the lighting. It just works really well to create a Vogue Italia ambience and mood, and it carves out her features nicely. Fourth, the subject did a phenomenal job on the styling of the image; the hair, makeup, and wardrobe were absolute perfection. I’m a very retro kind of girl, and this kind of image just makes me very happy.

2. What were your settings with this image?

I’m a film shooter, and used Tri-X 400, as I do at nearly every shoot. This was shot at box speed, developed in Tmax developer, and this is a neg scan.

The tech info was my usual combination of f/2.8 (wide open) at 1/60th, shot with my Bronica SQ-Ai and 80mm 2.8 lens.

About Photography…
3. What brought you to photography?

I was brought up on music and visual art. I started painting and drawing at a very early age (preschool or so) and gradually fell backward into photography about ten years ago.

4. What type of Photography do you specialize in and why?

I started out 100% children with the occasional family session thrown in there. Really, though, I describe myself as a B&W people photographer. Anything that is emotive, honest, raw, and allows me to work in my own way is just fine for me. That means children, adults, seniors, commercial work, retro boudoir, fine art, really anything that I can do MY way.

About your life?
5. Outside of photography, what are your interests/hobbies?

I’m also a professional musician, and I spend an awful lot of time singing. I have a band called Reckless Red, and also a jazz project, and a band in Arkansas. I love raw honesty, whether in music or in photography. I don’t like excessive slickness in either. Imperfection is full of character, and that’s what I’m after.

6. Who or what inspires you?

I’m inspired by emotion, both in music and photography. But emotion comes from a lot of different places; beautiful light, interesting texture, irony, luminosity. I love to tell a story, whether a big one or a small one.

7. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, doing anything at all, where would you be, what would you be doing, and why?

THAT is a very difficult question. I’m an adventurer, and I love people. That means I basically have a blast no matter where I go. I’ve run around London with strangers, jumped up on stages with bands in a lot of different cities, done lots of fun stuff. Really, I don’t care where I am as long as I’m either singing or surrounded by music. That is when I am the most raw and honest.

8. What song can you listen to over and over again?

Georgia On My Mind by Ray Charles. There are so many great songs out there and I’m constantly finding new ones that blow me away, but this one is just about as good as a song can ever be.

9. Can you tell me some quirky or little known fact about yourself?

Again, good question. I’m really an open book in most aspects of my life, so it’s tough to think of something people don’t already know. Reaching all the way back into my childhood, I won my very first art-related award when I was seven years old for a really, um…primitive pastel drawing of a swan.

10. If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you pursue?

Well, I’m a photographer / musician / writer / mentor / editor / mother at the moment, and all of those together make me pretty happy. I’ve got a pretty short attention span, and I really need this kind of variety in my life to stay inspired. If one thing starts to get boring or uninspiring, I can focus on something else. I can’t think of anything else I’d want to do.

My current websites:

Portraits: www.cheryljacobsportraits.com
Backstage project: www.cherylnicolai.com
Snow White Drifted: www.snowwhitedrifted.com
Workshops and critiques: www.cheryljacobsworkshops.com
Denver band Reckless Red: www.recklessred.com
Arkansas band Red Barn Ramblers: www.redbarnramblers.com

Today’s spotlight is on Erin of Erin Farrell Photography, a fantastic portrait and wedding photographer right around the corner in Delaware.

You can find her on the web at http://erinfarrellphotography.com , and you can check out her facebook page by clicking here.

1. Why do you love this image?
It captures something that truly can never be captured again. The moment you meet your child is such an amazing experience and I wish all mothers could have a shot of them at this precious time.

2. What were your settings with this image?
1/200, 4.0, ISO 1250

About Photography…
3. What brought you to photography?
I’ve always been interested in photography (my mom even had a darkroom in our basement), but never even considered it as a business until I was engaged and planning my own wedding and researching wedding photographers.

4. What type of Photography do you specialize in and why?
Probably more weddings, but I’ve been doing a lot more portraits over the last couple years.

About your life?
5. Outside of photography, what are your interests/hobbies?
I have two kids (with a third on the way) that keep me pretty busy, but when I do have some free time, I love to do DIY projects around the house.

6. Who or what inspires you?
Capturing my children’s personality at each stage of their life has been my driving force. This time goes by so quickly and this is the best way for me to remember who they were at each age.

7. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, doing anything at all, where would you be, what would you be doing, and why?
Anything at all? I would be relaxing at a warm (but not too hot) resort on the beach.

8. What song can you listen to over and over again?
Changes all the time — but right now it’s “Lead Me” by Sanctus Reel.

9. Can you tell me some quirky or little known fact about yourself?
I have an uncanny ability to find 4-leaf clovers. I have horrible eyesight. I like to hold M&M’s in my fist until they get all melted on the inside, then pop them in my mouth one at a time and crack them in half with my teeth.

10. If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you pursue?
A preschool teacher, no doubt. I taught for about 8 years before having my daughter and I really loved it.

Thanks Erin!

And come back next week to see who will be in the spotlight next!

Today’s photographer spotlight is on Beth Orey of Tip Toe Photography from San Antonio, TX.

Image by Kelley of k|d loftis photography.

Check out her work at http://www.tiptoephotography.net, and you can find her on facebook here.

1. Why do you love this image?
I love this image because I think photography is all about connections… Connections between the people in the picture, connections between the person in the picture and whoever is looking at it, and connections between our present and our past. This is a picture of my daughter, the whole reason I really started all of this photography stuff, and when I look at this picture of her, I see her beauty, her attitude, her energy, her voraciousness. I see her. I see myself in her. And I see a moment captured in time that I will look back on in 20 years and think to myself “Her fourth birthday pictures…I can’t believe she was ever so small, but I remember her.”

2. What were your settings with this image?
2, 1/160, 200

About Photography…
3. What brought you to photography?
I’ve always loved photography. Ever since I can remember, I dreamed of being a photographer. For some reason when it came to actually choosing a path to travel in life, I didn’t think this was one I ‘could’ take. But I’ve always felt that pictures moved people in a way that nothing else could. Pictures of your loved ones are frozen moments in time, they’re absolutely priceless and incredible.

4. What type of Photography do you specialize in and why?
I specialize in portraiture for children, babies, newborns and family. Again, it all boils down to those connections. Saving points in your history for you to reflect on in your future. From the tiny little toes of your newborn baby, to the laughter of your rambunctious toddler, to the love reflected in your eyes while you hug your growing-up-too-fast child, it’s all too precious not to capture.

About your life?
5. Outside of photography, what are your interests/hobbies?
I actually went to school and got my degree in Patisserie and Baking, so I’m definitely a foodie. I love to bake and cook (too much, in fact!). I love to spend time in the kitchen with my family, to cuddle on the couch with my two beautiful kids, to sit outside on the porch with my husband when it’s cool outside, and to just relax with a book.

6. Who or what inspires you?
It’s been said before, but it’s the same for me – my family. My family and the love I have for them, and the love I know they have for me, inspires me in everything I do. There’s not one thing in my life that I do without thinking of them.

7. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, doing anything at all, where would you be, what would you be doing, and why?
I would be strolling through the countryside in the place of my birth with my husband and kids. I was born in Scotland and they’ve never been there before – I’d love to be able to share those precious memories with them and make some more at the same time.

8. What song can you listen to over and over again?
I’m not a big radio person, actually! I hear a song and I memorize it fairly quickly, so I can sing along, but I really don’t have a favorite song. Now, I can listen to Harry Potter (any of them!) on CD over and over and over again. And I have!

9. Can you tell me some quirky or little known fact about yourself?
I’m so boring, lol… I’d say that something quirky about me is that I can’t sit still and do something like watch TV. I can watch TV but only if I’m reading at the same time or playing on my iPad (Angry Birds!) or some other mind thing. I hate driving because I feel like it’s wasted time and I could be doing something else instead. It’s rather aggravating, actually!

10. If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you pursue?
I would definitely be making wedding cakes. I’ve done them for a few friends and family members and it’s just a passion of mine. Birthday cakes are fun, too.

Today’s spotlight is on Kristy Franks, of Studio Six Photography.

You can find her on the web at http://www.photographystudiosix.com/ and on facebook here!

1. Why do you love this image?
I love the field that we put the piano in. It was a long time vision of mine to do a piano in a field so when I found this field of wildflowers and I had the perfect client for this session and we found a piano we could use it was just magic to me.

2. What were your settings with this image?
Taken with Canon 5d Mkii and a 50mm 1.2L, natural light, f/2.8, 1/320, ISO160.

About Photography…
3. What brought you to photography?
I feel in love with film photography in high school but had my heart set on medical school at that point so I went to college to pursue that. When I married my husband in 2006, I again fell in love with photography through the process of hiring our wedding photographer. It wasn’t until I had my first biological child though that I really started to see that capturing my child in pictures is a gift that I needed to give to them. When I turned 18 my parents handed me a stack of Polaroids, I wanted more for my kids. So I got passionate about documenting their childhood and it set me on this path.

4. What type of Photography do you specialize in and why?
I don’t have a specialty. Throughout the years I have thought I would specialize in various things (boudoir, weddings, newborns) but I keep coming back to the fact that the variety keeps me fresh and keeps me on my toes. I love that in the same week I can photograph a birth, wedding, and boudoir, that keeps me happy!

About your life…
5. Outside of photography, what are your interests/hobbies?
We have 4 kids all together. Outside of photography there isn’t much, haha! We have a great church though and I love the people there. I also like to spend time with my husband. He is a great man and he keep me on my toes too.

6. Who or what inspires you?
Light! I am so in love with light. Children, their wonder of the world inspires me.

7. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, doing anything at all, where would you be, what would you be doing, and why?
We need a vacation bad. I would love to go to Hawaii. Even if it was a working vacation (hint, hint universe, LOL).

8. What song can you listen to over and over again?
None. As I stated above I am not a fan of doing the same things over and over again. I get bored too quickly!

9. Can you tell me some quirky or little known fact about yourself?
I think I look cute in hats.

10. If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you pursue?
I love weddings so it might be fun to be a wedding planner. I also think that I could run a bed and breakfast someday.

Today’s spotlight is on Stacie Turner, of Stacie Turner Photography out of West Hartford, CT.

(Image of Stacie is copyright Rich Demanowski)

You can visit her on the web at www.stacieturnerphotography.com and check out her facebook here!

About the image…
1. Why do you love this image?
I love the beach and the ocean. I grew up on the water in Maine and whenever I am inland, and I do live inland, I miss the smell of the salt air and the sound of the water. I took this the last day of vacation on the water – in Florida, not Maine – one year and I see that sense of “I don’t want to leave this and go back inland” that I feel when I leave the water in this shot.

2. What were your settings?
This was shot using a holga and tri-x 400 film. A holga is a plastic toy camera known for its quirky focus, lens distortion and heavy vignetting. This image is almost wholly unedited other than some burning on the rocks – what you see is what came out of the camera. Best guess settings for holgas are a shutter speed of roughly 1/100 and an aperture of somewhere around f/8 or f/11.

About Photography…
3. What brought you to photography?
I grew up around photography. There was a darkroom in my house as a kid and bottles of chemicals on the kitchen counters. Of course, I mostly disdained photography as something parental type people did. I had started to shoot a 35mm film SLR before my children were born but really got back into photography when my daughter dropped my little digital point and shoot and I got a “good” DSLR so I could take “good” pictures. You can stop laughing now.

4. What type of Photography do you specialize in and why?
I specialize in medium format film photography, primarily of children. I do use digital, especially for my own kids, but I am phasing that out and plan to be fully film in 2012. I am in the midst of revamping my web site to better reflect that which is about as much fun as you can imagine. In 2012 I am planning to significantly reduce the number of clients I accept and focus instead on my fine art work.
Why. Hmm. Now that’s a harder question. Some of it is aesthetics. I simply consistently like the work I do on medium format better. Some of it is perversity; why use a nice modern camera that makes life reasonably easy when I can use a piece of plastic junk that has a very high failure rate or a lumbering beast older than I am? Why shoot a camera where there is no increased incidental shot cost – 100 shots, 500 shots, doesn’t matter – when you can shoot a camera and head a little voice in your head go “that was $1″ every time you take a shot. Some of it is market calculation. The children’s portrait market is very saturated and there aren’t a lot of people who shoot film and even fewer who shoot medium format. It takes you right out of the “but my sister’s friend’s cousin will give me 3,000 images on a disk for $50″ universe. Not a tremendously large number of people know or value the difference but those that do are a delight to work with. And then, of course, I’m back to the aesthetics.

And your life outside of photography…
5. Outside of photography, what are your interests/hobbies?
I have 5-year-old twins. Between that and photography who has time for hobbies?
OK. I read. A lot. And I make my own pickles and jams and jellies.

6. Who or what inspires you?
Photographically I flit from inspiration to inspiration but ever since I found her work I have been enchanted by Deborah Parkin.

7. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, doing anything at all, where would you be, what would you be doing, and why?
I’d be wandering about the coast of Maine with an un attractive pack around my waist with a holga or two, a bunch of film, and gourmet snacks. Photo walks should include good cheese, wine and cured meats, right?

9. Can you tell me some quirky or little known fact about yourself?
I have a sourdough starter named George in my refrigerator.

10. If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you pursue?
I was a Latin teacher before I had kids. Amo, amas amat.

Today’s photographer spotlight is on Holly Olsen, of Holly Olsen Photography in Highland UT.

You can find her on the web at HollyOlsenPhotography.com, and on facebook here!

10 Questions
About the image…
1. Why do you love this image? I love the stillness and the peace of this image. Life can get so busy and when babies are little it is easy to forget to take in the moment and enjoy it because too soon these moments will be gone.

2. What were your settings with this image? I shot this with my Canon 5D mark ii and my 50 mm lens. ISO 1000 SS 250 f/2.2

About Photography…
3. What do you love about Photography? I love having the ability to capture a moment that can be re-lived over and over through a photograph.

4. What type of Photography do you specialize in and why? I love newborns and children. Children seem to change in the blink of an eye and I love to capture that moment in time.

About your life?
5. What are your favorite hobbies and pastimes? I love gardening. I love flowers and I find nothing more beautiful than a garden filled with flowers. I look forward to spring every year so that I can start digging the dirt.

6. Who or what inspires you? There are so many wonderful photographers that I admire but what truly inspires me is the everyday beauty around me. I try to see the world in a different way… through my lens.

7. Who are some of your favorite singers/bands? I enjoy whatever is playing at the moment. In the car, we can listen to preschool sds or Taylor Swift (my six year old sings along which is so fun to watch!). In fact, my six year old probably knows the songs on the radio better than I do.

8. What is your favorite movie of all time? Don’t laugh but for some reason I love Sweet Home Alabama. I don’t know why but every time I am channel surfing and see that it is on I have to stop and watch it even though I have seen it a million times.

9. What would your ideal day be like? Playing with my family on a nice warm beach on an island in the Caribbean. The warm sand and sun always sounds like a perfect day.

10. If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you like to pursue? I have always wanted to be home with my children and photography allows me to do that. So I think that I have the best of both worlds!

Today’s spotlight is on Kara Layfield, of Kara Layfield Photography in Salisbury, Maryland.

You can find her on the web at www.karalayfieldphotography.com and on facebook here.

10 Questions
About the image…
1. Why do you love this image?
I love the color and his cute little smile! He was so excited to sit and just look at the flowers. He was such a happy little baby and I am so glad that I was able to capture this for his proud Mom.

2. What were your settings with this image?
f/2.0, SS 1/2000, ISO 200 on my 5DII.

About Photography…
3. What is in your camera bag?
Canon 5D Mark II, 50 1.2 L, 85 1.8

4. What is your favorite lens?
Most definately the 85 1.8. I’d LOVE to have the 85 1.2L, but for now this does the job and gives me such beautiful creamy bokeh.

About your life?
5. What one food could you eat every day?
Breads

6. Did you go to college? What was your major?
I majored in Communications.

7. What are you most proud of?
My kids! They bring me such joy!

8. If you could have one superpower what would it be?
I’d love to fly!

9. What would your ideal day be like?
It would have to definately be somewhere warm, I’d be with family and we would not watch any clocks or have any plans.
We would just take on whatever the day brings and enjoy being together.

10. If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you like to pursue?
I’m very intrigued by graphic design artists. I’d love to watch a pro in work to see how it all comes together. I’d also love to work at Disney World for a day.

Come back next week as I put the spotlight on Holly Olsen of Holly Olsen Photography in Highland UT!

Today’s spotlight is on Taryn Chrapkowski of Taryn Lisa Photography from Chicago, IL.

You can find her on the web at www.tarynlisaphotography.com, and view her recent work on her blog at www.tarynlisaphotography.com/blog/, and don’t forget to check out her facebook page here!

10 Questions
About the image…
1. Why do you love this image?
Little Miss E was one of my baby plan clients. This image brings so much emotion to me, as this was from her one year session, and I have had the pleasure of watching her grow from a newborn, to a 3 month old, to 6 months, 9 months, and now one year. Nothing is better than that!

2. What were your settings with this image?
ISO 400,Focal Length 35mm, Aperture 2.0, Shutter Speed 1/250

About Photography…
3. What do you love about Photography?
EVERYTHING! I love the emotion present behind a captured image. I love being included in that moment of my client’s life. I love being able to provide people with art that will last a lifetime. There is something so powerful and emotional behind photographs, and I love seeing that moment when people view images.

4. What type of Photography do you specialize in and why?
Mainly babies/children and families… that is where my passion lies and what got me started in photography to begin with.

About your life. . .
5. What are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
Anything crafty. I think I have tried just about everything!

6. Who or what inspires you?
My family… each and every day.

7. Who are some of your favorite singers/bands?
Hmmm… that one is tough… I currently like Katy Perry and Pink… most anything that is on the top 100.

8. What is your favorite movie of all time?
Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Audrey Hepburn had a classic beauty that is exemplified in that film.

9. What would your ideal day be like?
Anything spent with my kids and my camera.

10. If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you like to pursue?
I do have a second career as a special education teacher. I think working with children my entire adult life has helped me better relate to my clients during our sessions.

Come back next week as I put the spotlight on Kara Layfield of Kara Layfield Photography from Salisbury, Maryland!

Today’s spotlight is on Anelle Richardson of Anelle Richardson Photography, based out of Ottawa, ONT, Canada.

You can find her portfolio at www.anellerichardsonphotography.com, and her blog of current work at www.anellerichardsonphotography.com/blog. Don’t forget to check her out on facebook!

10 Questions
About the image…
1. Why do you love this image?
I love the interaction between these two sisters; I love their laughs and how their fun personalities totally shine through! To me, the opportunity to capture these precious moments, is what I love most about photography.

2. What were your settings with this image?
ISO 200; SS 1/400; AP f2.8

About Photography…
3. What do you love about Photography?
I love pretty much everything about it! I love getting to meet awesome families; I love playing with the kids and getting to know them; I love seeing the relationship between family members; I love being part of capturing the spirit of childhood.

4. What type of Photography do you specialize in and why?
I find it hard to say what I specialize in. Because in my mind, I would then have to choose only one or two areas of photography. The truth is that I love photographing children, families, babies and newborns (in no specific order)

About your life?
5. What are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
I love photography (obviously); reading (non-fiction and fiction); my husband and kids (obviously not a hobby, but they are really awesome people I enjoy spending time with); and traveling.

6. Who or what inspires you?
I had to really think about this, because there are so many people who inspire me. I think it would be an injustice to choose any one person. I believe that every single person has something about them that can inspire us, if we take the time to get to know them and learn from them! If I am forced to choose only one person from the past and the present, it has to be Jesus Christ!

7. Who are some of your favorite singers/bands? That is an incredibly difficult question to answer. I actually love a bit of everything. Well, if I’m honest, I’ll have to admit that I don’t like jazz! But I also don’t like music on all the time. Maybe because our home full of rambunctious boys is so busy and noisy that I don’t feel the need to add to it!

8. What is your favorite movie of all time?
Another one of those I can’t pick questions

9. What would your ideal day be like?
My ideal day would pretty much be the same way it is now, with the exception that it will start a little later!

10. If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you like to pursue?
I love my life as a photographer, mom and a homeschooler, so I don’t think I would change anything. I am really blessed that I have the opportunity to the things that I love! If I had to choose anything else, I think that I would have maybe liked to have pursued journalism (which is what I studied) as a foreign correspondent.

Come back next week as I put the spotlight on Taryn Lisa Photography, from Chicago, IL.