Today is Valentine’s Day. It’s really quite interesting how the meaning of this day has changed over time for me.
When I was younger, it made me happy to receive expensive gifts, like extra-long special order roses and fancy dinners, because that meant I was loved. Over the years, it meant less how much someone spent and became more about the meaning behind the gifts.
Today, I got a pair of fuzzy slippers that look like I stuck my feet inside large teddy bear stuffed animals (it makes me laugh walking around in them), lots of drooly kisses, and hand-drawn “I love you” cards on construction paper. To top it off, I found out I got accepted as a volunteer photographer in an amazing non-profit organization, Inspiration Through Art!
The mission at Inspiration Through Art is to help provide and capture memories for families who have a child who is suffering from a serious illness or life-altering disability.
My heart is happy. I really couldn’t ask for anything better.
For the past couple years, I have been searching for the perfect volunteer opportunity that combines my 2 favorite things: art/photography and helping children. Though I am already busy throughout the year photographing children and families, this work is different.
It pains me to think there are families who ooze love out of their pores for their kids, but have enormous medical bills because of their child’s illness or disability, so they cannot afford to have custom photography. Or maybe professional photography never came to mind because they needed to face heavy emotions and extra duties each day. To provide these families with artwork that show the love in their family and their child’s unique personality would be such a privilege…for me.
I am so humbled to be accepted as a photographer with this organization. What a great Valentine’s day gift.
I’ve learned that it is important to love freely and be open to receiving love. That is the best gift of all.
xo,
annie
Yay! I have another article published on Digital Photography School this morning.
If you haven’t checked out DPS yet and you love photography (whether you’re a beginner to a pro), then you’re missing out! There are such great tips and teaching tools here. And you may also find inspiration to keep your creative juices flowing! (I read DPS every week.)
To read my full article, click here: Don’t Wait For A Smile.
BOOYAH!!!!!
My latest article on Digital Photography School (DPS) was published today: How To Be a Gracious Guest at a Wedding AND Take Great Photos!
This topic was completely inspired by one of my blog/Facebook readers who not only asked if I could answer his questions, but also to have it published on DPS! (Thanks for writing in, R.A.!)
Thanks for the web love, YouSendIt!
And I love the lil’ slideshow. It’s so sweet!
Click here to see the actual article with the slideshow!
I use YouSendIt because it saves me time and makes sense for my workflow. If you want to try it out, it’s FREE for light users!
(FYI: I do not get paid for recommending this company or any other company on my blog/website. I endorse the products that I love…period.)
The buzz this time is literally a “buzz” because it was a feature on the BlackRapid Buzz! Ha!
I see hundreds of product reviews for BlackRapid straps, but not many make it onto The Buzz. Thanks for the feature, BR!
Just from this snapshot of the homepage, you can see that BlackRapid has no shortage of awards for its products.
Holy smokes!!!
I don’t think I can ever get used to seeing a profile pic of my head at THAT size! I almost fell outta my chair when I first saw the page.
And check out the size of that Facebook button… love it! It’s like I took the blue pill (or whatever color it was in Alice in Wonderland) where I shrunk and everything became huge! 
It was such an privilege and honor to be Kodak Gallery‘s featured photographer for September 2011!
They wanted to interview me about my photography career and how I balance that with parenthood.
I have to say, I am a “work-in-progress” on that front! I have never — and will never — claim to be an expert in the field of juggling life and career! I know there is always something I can learn and something I can do better. So I try to avoid complacency and strive to be better in all that I do. In this article, I am honest about it all.
Here was the cover of the newsletter that went out today…
[FYI: For the cover, they chose a photo of a baby whom I photographed in 2009. Coincidentally, I photographed that little boy (and his family) again last weekend!]
Out of all the questions, I found the most difficult question to answer was probably supposed to be the simplest: how I got started in my business!
Maybe this was going too deep and that some readers would prefer to hear that I just love photography and hence, I started my business… but it was a much bigger decision than that, and I wanted to share that with everyone. If it can encourage or inspire just ONE person to follow their passion, then opening myself up was all worth it!
Here is a cut and paste of that first question…
Click here to read the rest of the article on Kodak Gallery!
I got this last week from Design Aglow. Woweeeee!!!
It is such an honor!
I hope to continue creating images that inspire other photographers!
Thank you, Design Aglow!
I am thrilled to announce that I am one of the photographers featured in Design Aglow’s 2011 Newborn Posing Guide! Design Aglow!!!
To be named as one of “today’s renowned baby photographers” and be listed along with LENA HYDE… I mean, can it get any better than this?!!
Okay, I may need to shrink my head back down to a normal size to fit through the doorway…
Ahhhh…my latest article was published today on one of my favorite photography sites, Digital Photography School (DPS)! Somehow, on DPS, a Spacing Thief went around and stole a bunch of spaces in my article, so it may read a little funny. I promise that I know a space comes between words and after periods, unless I’m too tired or rushed or distracted or… Okay. Most of the time. But this time, it was a thief!
Enjoy the article & hope it brings you some mojo, baby!
xo,
Annie
[Click here to read the article on DPS.]
HOW TO TAP INTO YOUR CREATIVE MOJO by Annie Tao
Whether you’re a newbie or you’ve been a pro for years, there may be a point when you need a little help tapping into your creative mojo! Hey, even us right-brainers need to refresh our creativity from time to time!
Here are a few ideas to help boost your creativity:
Your camera is your friend
So take him (or her) everywhere with you! I know you’ve heard this before, but here’s the thing: it is easy to remember to bring your camera to scenic places or special events. Try taking it to places that aren’t obviously photogenic. This will train your eye to look out for beautiful things – light, patterns, mood, expressions, compositions – no matter where you are. Finding the best way to photograph different kinds of scenes, light and people is a great experience.
A 365 Project (one photo a day) or weekly photo project may be a great way to do this. Here are some tips, if you want to get started. There are also many dedicated websites, such as http://365project.org, where you can share your photos, find inspiration and get encouragement from others.
Blog Stalk
It’s an awful term, but it gets the point across! Research photographers from around the World and check out their recent work on their blogs. Photographers seldomly update their websites, but most update their blogs regularly. Bookmark the blogs you like or sign up for the RSS feed, so you can go back to them from time-to-time.
Don’t blog stalk to copy someone else’s creative eye; blog stalk to gain inspiration and develop your own creative vision.
And remember, you don’t have to limit yourself to photography blogs. You can look at design blogs, food blogs or just about any site that has photos.
Photo Walk
A Photo Walk is just as it sounds: you walk around and shoot whatever you see. You can either join a Photo Walk group, start a group, or just do this with a friend. Challenge yourself by going to different types of locations and going at different times of the day to get different types of light. I prefer locations that make me have to search for art, like an abandoned construction site or a subway.
When you’re on a Photo Walk, you can see how someone else shoots – such as, what angles are they shooting from, how are they composing the shot, what settings do they use, and what are they shooting?
After the Photo Walk, share your best shots with each other to see how you interpreted the same location or subjects.
I like doing Photo Walks with friends, but there are organized Photo Walks just about anywhere. You can start with http://worldwidephotowalk.com/ or do an online search for one close to you.
Photography Clubs
Mingling with fellow photographers and “talking shop” helps you learn. Don’t think of them as competition. We all share the same interest, the same passion.
Some clubs offer discounted courses, monthly meetings, guest speakers, or publications. They are definitely worth the small membership fee!
If you’re anything like me – where your love of photography runs through your veins – you will enjoy these activities and learn a-plenty! So bring on the creative mojo, baby!
This portrait made it on Mad about Portraits (MaD), a site dedicated to exhibiting portrait work from Portrait Photographers around the World!
Here is my interview, given by Matabum:
M: Can you please tell us the story behind this portrait? How you took it and why you choose to shoot this person?
A: I love editorial images – images that tell a story. Many of my favorite images were taken when people weren’t expecting to be photographed.
I took this image at the end of a family photoshoot. We were saying our goodbyes in the parking lot, and my clients were putting their kids in the car. When I noticed Ian was being mischievous by climbing into the driver’s seat instead of his carseat, I knew this could be interesting, so I was ready to take the shot even while I was talking to Julie, Ian’s mom.
This image was taken the moment Ian realized his mom spotted him! In a matter of a couple seconds, I stepped back and composed the shot to capture Ian through the window and Julie in the reflection.
M: What photography gear you used here and why? What is usually in your photo bag?
A: I used a Nikon D90 and a Sigma 30mm/1.4. I choose the D90 for shooting families and children because of its light weight. I run around a lot during shoots with children, and I need to be able to carry 2 camera bodies and a bag of lenses, so weight is a large consideration for me.
For a typical lifestyle photoshoot, I will bring 2 Nikon bodies and several lenses, such as a 70-200/2.8, 24-70/2.8, 30mm/1.4, and 14mm ultra wide.
M: What do you love most about shooting portraits?
A: That it’s never dull or mundane. Every person has a different story, different experiences and different personalities. As an artist, I get to translate their uniqueness in my photographs.
M: Do you consider yourself mostly as a “portrait” photographer?
A: That’s a great question. Although 98% of my photographs are of people, I still don’t consider myself a Portrait Photographer. I define “portrait” as an image of a person. I capture moments and emotions.
M: Do you work with available light or do you use additional lighting often?
A: Available light! Even for evening and indoor shoots, I still prefer using available light. I find that photographing with available light creates a greater variety of moods and has a more organic feel in the images.
M: What/Who are your photography muses and influences?
A: I was a painter before picking up my first camera, so I’d say the Fine Arts influences a lot of my work. From how I compose a shot to my attraction to light, patterns and colors, it all stems from my years of watercolor and oil painting.
My recent influences are the production of movies. I love watching how the Directors of Photography shoot each scene – ie, how the camera pans into a room, how they set up the lighting, how they compose the scene to unravel a story.
M: Any tip for taking better portraits?
A: Be ready with your camera at all times.
[Want to see the interview on the MaD site or peruse other portrait work? Click here!]
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