We are thrilled to feature the beautiful work of Naomi Wittlin this week on Moms Who Click. Naomi and I run in the same online circles......we are both big Kim Klassen and Tracey Clark fans. As you will see below Naomi has an eye for noticing beauty in nature and for catching amazing details. She makes you want to grab your macro lens and go outside rain or shine.
Thank you Naomi for your interview today. I look forward to "seeing" you in our various online communities!
Your Name: Naomi Wittlin
Your studio/business name: Poetic Aperture
Location: Houston, Texas
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/nwittlin//
Your Style:
In 50 words or less, how
would your clients describe your photography? I hope they would say that they
end up with exactly what they’d hoped for but didn’t know how to ask for. I usually hear that they love the little
details that I capture… tiny toes or a natural expression that portrays exactly
who they are.
Are you self-taught or
classroom trained? Once I realized
that photography was a passion, I took an introductory course at a local
university. For the most part though, I am self-taught, but I am
an e-course junkie. I love Big Picture
Classes, Clickin Moms, and Shutter Sisters and have taken a total of ten (so
far!) specific photography-related courses, mostly through those groups. (See http://www.poeticaperture.com/e-course-history/)
How many years have you been
a professional photographer? That depends what you mean by “professional.” I
have been getting paid here and there to take portraits and design photo books
for about two years now.
Where do you want to take
your photography business in 5 years? I
would like to be the person my friends think of when they need headshots or
want to have portraits taken of their kids or of their family. I hope to be participating in local
photography exhibitions and I would love for my fine art shop to be well known.
Is there a photographer who
inspires your style? Who would that be? The person I think of first is
Tracey Clark because she shoots from the heart.
I absolutely love that she began a community of female photographers and
that it has been so successful (Shutter Sisters). Her new book about photography and motherhood
is awesome too. She separates much of
the technical aspect of photography and focuses instead on the artistry.
Favorite location to take
photos? Anywhere outdoors. I am inspired
by natural beauty, great lighting, and that dreamy bokeh effect.
Favorite vacation spot? Near a lake or any kind of natural beauty that
inspires me to pull out my camera. I
have a goal of visiting 10 national parks.
Your Business:
What was the pivotal moment
when you decided to become a photographer? I have loved
capturing little snippets of time or information as long as I can
remember. I was the one on family trips
who had a little camera and notebook (yes, nerd!). It is only recently that I
have called myself a photographer though.
When my daughter was born almost 4
years ago, I felt so rushed in all kinds of ways, like I couldn’t keep up with
life because all my attention was going to this one little person. My choices to do anything at all seemed to
also be choices not to do other things, if that makes sense. I was absolutely shocked that there was a
finite limit to what I could accomplish in one day because up until that point
I would just keep going until something was “done.” So I would have my little
point and shoot in my pocket all the time to record every little thing I felt I
was missing. My intent was to use the pictures as prompts to be able to go back
later and write in my journal about this crazy experience called
motherhood. I’m still waiting for that
“later” to happen!
I seem to notice photo opportunities that perhaps
most people don’t. Rather than posed
shots, I find that the natural, candid emotion that comes forth on a person’s
face makes much better photos. Capturing
these moments (often unawares) with a camera makes for photographs that people
are so grateful to have because they spark true memories. I see these little moments and expressions
all the time and it’s my pleasure to capture them for people. I honestly think that it’s the timing and
perspective, not the camera, that makes up 99% of a great photo. Nobody compliments a famous chef and asks
what kind of cookery he/she uses, right?
What’s the best marketing
tip that has worked for you? Probably being a part of such a wide community of
classes has helped the most, and that is pure joy. My online friends visit my blog and the rest
is history.
What’s the most surprising
thing a customer has asked you? I just
took a hilariously cute photo of a newborn girl in a cheerleading outfit (with
pom poms!), flanked on either side by the family’s golden retrievers in
football costumes. The amount of antics
involved in making that happen was beyond funny.
Favorite print lab? I use
Nations Photo Lab to fulfill print orders and then drop ship to customers. I also really like Costco… I have several
20x30 prints in my house that I printed there and they are only $8 each!
Your Gear:
Are you Canon or Nikon (or
–other): Canon
If you could only have one
lens on a photo shoot, what would it be? My 50mm compact macro. It’s unbelievable for portraits.
What brand bag do you carry
your camera in? Lowepro
What gear would we find in
your camera bag? Canon t2i, BlackRapid
strap, Canon 18-135mm, Tamron 90mm, Canon 50mm compact macro, extra battery,
battery charger, memory cards, business cards, camera manual.
Are you a natural light fan
or strobe fan? Natural light. I rarely use the built-in flash, though I am
planning to buy a Speedlight flash for indoor/low lighting shooting. The last wedding I shot was indoors and if
was quite dark… relying on my camera flash was painful!
Are you PC or Mac? Mac
Your Tips and Tricks:
What post processing tools
do you use? I use Picasa as a catalog organizer and basic edits. Photoshop Elements for layers, smoothing
skin, lighting, selective sharpening, etc.
Do you shoot in Raw or Jpeg?
JPEG 90% of the time
Best advice you would give
your 20-year old self? Lighten up, girl! Stop putting pressure on yourself to
decide who you “should” be and just go with it.
Best advice you would give a
new photographer? Play.
What site do you use for
your photography and why? I just began
using Fine Art America for my landscape work because it’s a wide
community. It makes it easy to upload
images and let the customer transform them into canvases, prints, or greeting
cards in a variety of sizes. It could be
someone staging a home or a hotel looking for artwork, but this site does all
the orders/printing/shipping.
What Else Should We Know? Honestly,
I yearn to be part of a community, and the more that I learn from magazines
like “Outdoor Photographer” or online resources tells me that I’ve found my
niche. I am happy that there’s such a
learning curve because that means there’s so much more to discover!
What was your worst
photography experience? I’ve been pretty lucky thus far. I still bristle at the fact that I lost some
of my Paris vacation photos. Ever since
then, I’ve been a stickler for backups, external hard drives, and cloud
storage.
What would surprise people
most about you, whether it is photography related or not? Maybe that I don’t
consider myself very creative.
And just because we want to
know you better, fill in the blanks
Three things I can’t live
without…. Reese’s peanut butter cups, my soft blanket, and books.
I wish I had more… TIME
alone. As the mom of a little girl, life
is busy.
The best thing about being a
photographer is.... being able to immerse myself wholly in the present moment,
focused only on what is in front of my lens.
Also, it’s a gift to be able to capture such special moments for people
and I value it as such… cake smash time at a first birthday party or the first
dance at a wedding.
The most important lesson I
ever learned was… to trust my intuition.
That still small voice within? It usually knows the right thing to do.
My favorite time of day is....early
morning, when the day’s activity hasn’t begun.
I enjoy a quiet cup of coffee and the peaceful calm of the house. I am at my most optimistic and energetic
then.
Oh thank you, Kristina! I love how it came out. Bless you for your encouragement. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat to read about you Naomi ....
ReplyDeleteNaomi, this is a great interview, and it really feels like "you" exactly.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview...great photographer! Great person as well. I've known her all her life.
ReplyDeleteLovely interview! I really admire Naomi & enjoy her beautiful photography.
ReplyDelete