alannarene: Miles and Miles of Miles' Smiles

This was my other shoot from last week. This adorable little guy was so photogenic! He has HUGE blue eyes. Maybe I'm biased (because I'm one of those blonde, blue eyed, see through people) but I LOVE blue eyes. They seriously suck me in...hypnotizing :)

After this shoot we went out to dinner with Jon and Julie. I had a really tasty chicken burger with cheesy fries. Yep. Talk about an amazing reward for successfully completing TWO photo shoots that day. Yum!

I would have had these pics done sooner but I have had the most amazing opportunity to start taking some photography classes. It's about time right? Actually, I seriously consider all the PDF and Kindle books plus the hundreds of YouTube and Vimeo videos all part of my education. There's nothing wrong with being home schooled and self taught!

I'm thinking that I need to share with you guys some of the things I'm learning in class. I'm not sure what or how, because I'm taking some of the more advanced classes. *Side Brag* So in a moment of shameless bragging, I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself for knowing 98% of what they are talking about in my classes! I'm sure that will change after the first week, but hey, I'll take it!

So to avoid anything technical today, I thought I would just mention what I think is so important about being a photographer: relationships and respect. To me, taking photos is about learning about a person and what makes them tick. Then taking that and applying it to the photos we create. Maybe in the form of telling a story, or maybe simply in using colors and styles that fit the personality.

If there is one thing I have to stress to anyone who wants to do photography, its that you really need to have respect for the people you work with. You need to be genuinely you and be honest in how you work with them. This was SO true as a nurse (and probably in a million other fields) and it carries into photography. Without that relationship and trust, you can't get good photos.

It's true. I don't care if you are an amazing technical photographer. If you don't have a good trusting relationship with your clients, they won't open up and your photos will not be successful. 'Nuff said. One of my instructors said that photography is "30% technical and 70% personality."

So go forth and capture personality :) I know those are my favorite pics!