Captured by Carrie Photography
What made you decide you wanted to be a photographer?
The photo of an autumn tree branch that I had snapped in the front yard with my father’s professional camera was the picture that set my photography career and lifelong passion into motion. On a Fall afternoon after returning home from a full day of classes as a High School Sophomore, I noticed the sun filtering through the golden and red leaves on a branch in the tree. Never using my father’s camera before, I picked it up, figured out the few dials and buttons, and took only one picture. When the developed roll of film returned from the lab the following week I was amazed at how the colors and my vision of the branch was captured forever to look at over and over. By now, the same leaves were on the ground, but that perfect moment was frozen in time on film. I realized this was an amazing medium where I could take a breathtaking moment that others might not have been able to see, or, to make an ordinary moment be seen in an entirely new way. I knew without a doubt that my “gift” from God was photography.
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What do you find is the best way to promote your photography business?
Word of mouth, recommendations, and people seeing my photography on Facebook, Pinterest, or hanging in the home of my clients is the absolute best way. In fact, I have never once paid to advertise, such as placing an ad in the local newspaper or sending out mailers. And, I have so many things booked/scheduled in 2012, that I never would! There is only one of me and owning a photography business is a lot of work and dedication… from the behind-the-scenes business aspect (paperwork for my taxes, marketing, ordering props, keeping up-to-date on photography equipment, products and computer software, setting up appointments, business meetings etc.) to the actual photo session, and then the editing, processing and burning photo CD’s of the images afterwards
I also end up with “repeat clients”, so they return year after year for milestone moments or other events they want
captured!
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How would you describe your photography style?
My style is more timeless, vintage-inspired and composed of candid moments, custom portraits, and filled with trying to capture the emotion of the person, the mood of the place, the beauty of the things… my style is one that is about photographing with my heart after my eye catches the potential image. I offer on-location photography with portable studio lighting, backdrops & props, for both indoor and outdoor shoots. I absolutely love natural light when I can utilize it. I also feel that my style is diversity… because of 14 years as a full-time Staff Photojournalist at a Daily Newspaper, I know how to cover anything and everything and enjoy the various topics, which keep me on my toes and keeps the photography fresh and different every day. I specialize in Maternity, Newborn, Babies, Toddlers, Children, Family Portraits, Pets, High School Seniors, Sports, Weddings & special events serving my community. I also love nature, landscape and wildlife photography, and those images are available for sale, and I enjoy knowing a captured moment of a scene or animal is decorating the walls of my customers!
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How do you get your clients to relax and feel natural around you?
When I am approached by a new client, whether via phone call or email, that is where the “bonding” begins… I get to know them over the phone or through messages, and sometimes we even become Facebook friends beforehand so we can see what the other one looks like and get a ”vibe” for personality, similar likes, etc., that way when we finally meet in person we feel more comfortable around each other. For big events such as a wedding, I offer free engagement sessions if I am hired so that we can have the opportunity to meet each other and work together in the photography environment before the big day, and so they understand my shooting style and I learn more about their personality as a couple! With little children, I often bring a small toy for them to have before the shoot or put a cute squeaky pig on the end of my camera lens to make them smile. I am also very outgoing, silly and have a fun sense of humor and personality and the lack of shyness is also a great way to help my clients relax and feel themselves around me, because I try to turn the attention away from taking their photos, and also try to “fade away” so they just do their thing without noticing me and my camera!
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Are you Canon or Nikon?
At the newspaper, where I started out in 1997, I was using professional Nikon film cameras and my favorite was my own Nikon F4. Then we graduated to digital and I used a Nikon D1H, supplied by the
company. When I was laid off in November 2010, I decided to switch gears and go the route of many fellow photojournalists… they were all shooting with Canon gear, so I went and invested in the best of the best and it has definitely paid off in quality and speed and ease of use. My camera bag contains:
1) Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR Camera Body
2) Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR Camera Body
3) Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens
4) Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens
5) Canon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
6) Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash
7) Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash
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What’s your favorite lens?
My favorite lens is my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens,but I am interested in some sort of Fisheye lens down the road.
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What tip would you give aspiring photographers?
Research, research, research… look at the work of others, soak in pictures, learn about ways to market yourself, and familiarize yourself with every single aspect of photography that you possibly can. Practice, practice, practice… really does make perfect, helps you learn your shooting manner, and know your camera equipment inside and out, as well as your computer editing software. Ask questions of others. Attend seminars and workshops. Know who you are, and what you like. Own your style. Make each photo you take better than the one you took before. Have confidence. Have FUN!!!
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Where do you see your career in 5 years?
I hope to be doing exactly what I am now, but perhaps photographing my own children in the mix! My hubby and I recently got married in October 2011, and would like to start a family! He will soon be retiring from his job as a full-time member of the Army National Guard, and will be able to assist me even more with my business… he is such a big help when he comes along on sessions: carrying in my props and setting them up, offering another set of eyes and making all the babies and children laugh… he offers me moral support and my favorite part is showing him the edited, treated photos… I love watching him see what I did with the pictures and the transformation from the actual shot to the finished product. I would also like, in the next 5 years, to travel more so I can document places I have never been to, and also work on setting up an Etsy Shoppe to sell my images as well as making a coffee table book, calendar and note cards of my photography to sell, per numerous requests from fans! Another part of my photo business I would like to expand on in the future is offering photo workshops, classes, online video tutoring and the like, with people who have requested help in editing photos, taking pictures and the general day-to-day business operations (which includes lots of paperwork!)
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Where can we find you (Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, etc)?
My Facebook fan page is: http://www.facebook.com/CapturedByCarriePhotography
My Facebook personal page is (and you can Subscribe to me!):
http://facebook.com/carrieann.grippo
Follow Captured By Carrie Photography on Pinterest at: http://pinterest.com/cameragirl22/ca…photos-i-took/
Follow me on Instagram at: cameragirl22
Email me at: capturedbycarrieann@gmail.com
*I hope to get a blog and website created in my spare time (spare
time… what is that?!)
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