Eldeen Annette - Denver Portrait Photographer

Denver Photo Betties Member Spotlight
Eldeen Annette Portraiture

Hi!  I am Eldeen from Eldeen Annette Portraiture and I have a passion for story and legacy.  After trying all sorts of genres in photography (wedding, engagement, newborn, family...), I was able to settle on what I love most (and honestly, what I felt best at!):  portraits of individuals.  I love being able to be with someone, get to know them, see them, and help them tell their story through photography. I photograph high school seniors, tweens, and professionals exclusively. ....well, and the occasional pet (hey, they're individuals too!).

This photo shoot was from a recent high school senior portrait session with the absolutely stunning Eva. I wanted to capture the different parts of Eva's personality, from the inner rock star model, to the joy that she brings to every room, to the natural grace and peaceful elegance that she carries. Eva is confident and compassionate, and about as sweet as you can get.  Variety in lighting, backdrop, location, and mood were definitely key to telling Eva's story.

Every photo shoot start with professional hair and make-up, followed by a few sets in the studio. 

We created a bold, bright look with studio lights, a white backdrop, and lots of well-placed reflectors.

Just after that, we moved to a natural light look in the studio for a soft, muted look that draws you right in.

We have colorful flowered bushes around the studio, so we did a quick set with bold color - she had the PERFECT outfit for our landscaping.

Then we headed out to an open field to show off her softer side. We have access to a beautiful old barn in a wide-open field with mountain views.  This was her favorite set from our day.

One of my goals in every shoot is to create a set of images that are timeless, captivating, and perfectly represent my client. Thank you for taking a moment to meet me and see what makes my heart sing.

Eldeen Annette 

http://eldeenannette.com

blog.eldeenannette.com

facebook.com/eldeenannette

instagram: @eldeenannetteportraiture

Eldeen is also the owner of Iron Wood Photo Studio, a shared space in Erie, Colorado.  Iron Wood Photo Studio hosts seminars, workshops, portfolio building events, and is available to rent for Colorado photographers.  Visit http://ironwoodphotostudio.com for more info.

Member Feature - Molly Seeling

Introducing our January Member Feature, Molly Odell Seeling of  Cedar House Photography.

Meet Molly!

Website and blog: http://www.cedarhousephotography.com/

Blog: http://www.cedarhousephotography.com/blog/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/cedarhousephoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CedarHousePhotography?pnref=lhc

Genre of Photography: Senior Girls

http://www.cedarhousephotography.com/

What's your 'photography story?

 I first started out shooting film, way back in the day.  Originally, I became interested in photography as a way to record my travels, and it was pretty common for me to be going through airport security with a Ziploc bag of 20, 30 rolls of film :)  I’ve always loved working with people, and I originally wanted to do photojournalistic / documentary / National Geographic people photography. I ended up regularly second shooting for a local portrait and wedding studio, and when the owners decided to move, they offered to let me buy the business, which at the time included several ongoing contracts for family portraits through a family camp, and newborn portraits through the local OB-GYN's office. So I started out shooting everything - babies, families in studio, seniors, weddings, corporate headshots, etc. As I got more comfortable, I gradually started to narrow down to what I really loved. For 4-5 years, that was pretty evenly split between seniors and weddings, and just last year I took weddings off my website and have been focusing almost 100% on high school senior girls.

http://www.cedarhousephotography.com/

Tell us about your very first shoot:  

Oh gosh, I don’t remember which exact one was my very first paying shoot.  When I was in college, I shot some of my little sister’s friends’ senior portraits, a wedding here and the for a cheap friend or acquaintance. I knew next to nothing about lighting, I had an okay grasp on composition, and I was still shooting in only aperture priority mode rather than manual.  I used my sister a lot as a model - she’s gorgeous!  Every so often I’d get lucky with a really stellar shot, but have no idea how to recreate it.

What three words best describe your style? 

Laid-back, offbeat, cinematic.

http://www.cedarhousephotography.com/

If you were stranded on a desert island with only one camera, lens, and accessory, what would you bring?

I use my 5DMkII for pretty much everything.  I rely pretty heavily on my 70-200 2.8 for portraits, although if I was on a desert island I might go with a nice wide angle for some landscape shots :)  

If you could go anywhere and photograph anything, where would you go and what would you shoot? 

Styled portraits with locally-designed clothing at the Taj Mahal or in Morocco- I love the colors, the architecture, that golden humid light, and beautiful fabrics!

If you could be photographed by any photographer, living or dead, who would it be? 

Annie Liebowitz - she’s magical!

What one tip would you give a photographer starting out in your field? 

Learn some solid business skills.  I focused a lot on the artistic elements in the beginning, the craft of it, which is definitely very important.  But I made a lot of mistakes and had to learn a lot of business lessons the hard way, and I feel like that held me back in the beginning.  I wish I had learned the basics earlier, like figuring out how to budget reasonably, how to determine your cost of goods and what you’re actually paying yourself per hour, etc.  I thought that being a good artist would, in and of itself, guarantee success.  If you’re creating beautiful work, how could you NOT make money?  Then I realized it doesn’t work quite like that :)

What websites/blogs do you visit often? 

Not much photography-related these days.  I love Pinterest and Etsy for sourcing props or compiling ideas.  I check the news kind of obsessively.  

http://www.cedarhousephotography.com/

What do you find most difficult about being a photographer? 

The seasonality of it.  I specialize in high school senior girls, and especially in Colorado, there’s a definite season for that, due to the combination of yearbook deadlines and the weather.  Every year, it’s hard for me to pace myself in the summer and say no to someone, because what if I really needed that money in February?  It’s really easy to overextend yourself.  

http://www.cedarhousephotography.com/

What do you find most rewarding? 

The relationships that I’ve developed with my girls.  Some of us keep in touch for years after their shoot - I’ve seen my past seniors graduate from college, get married, and start to have kids, which is crazy.  It’s so wonderful to think that you could help someone feel better about themselves, to see themselves in a beautiful light and a less self-critical way.  I want my girls to see themselves like the people who love them do - lovely, charming, authentic, and full of light.  I love it!

http://www.cedarhousephotography.com/

Member Feature - Julie Livermore

Introducing our January Member Feature, Julie Livermore of Julie Liveremore Photography.

Website and blog: www.julielivermorephotography.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/julesua

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julielivermorephotography.com

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/julielivermore/

Genre of Photography: Family Portraits

What's your 'photography story? In a short period of time, I quit my professional career to stay home with our children, my husband lost his job, and we ended up moving from Tucson, AZ to a small town in Wyoming.  I adored being home with the boys, but needed to be busy and challenged.  I became obsessed (and still am) with learning how to operate my camera, natural light, and post- processing. 

Tell us about your very first shoot: Being in a small town with no natural light photographers, I was quickly asked to take photos for family and friends.  Business started to grow and then my husband was transferred to Fort Collins, CO.  Two years later we moved again to Westminster, CO.  I feel like I have had a lot of “first shoots” and rebuilding, but new locations, families and experiences are what make this job so fun!

What do you specialize in?  Showing the beauty and love of family.

What three words best describe your style? Loving, joyful, and natural

If you were stranded on a desert island with only one camera, lens, and accessory, what would you hope they would be? My iPhone, Lifeproof case, and my family.  My phone is light and always with me (unlike my Canon Mark III and favorite prime lens, the 50mm 1.4).  I find so many moments I want to remember are captured spontaneously on my cell phone (although my 2015 goal is to bring my big camera everywhere).  I probably wouldn't be a photographer if it wasn't for the support and inspiration of my husband and children, so I am taking them too!

If you could go anywhere and photograph anything, where would you go and what would you shoot? I would love to photograph my husband and two sons at an old crumbly castle in Ireland!  They would love to pretend they are knights and I would love to capture something historic in a modern way.

If you could be photographed by any photographer, living or dead, who would it be? I do not like being photographed by myself, but I would love to have Maggie Fortson reshoot our wedding and Tara Whitney to capture the essence of our family.

What one tip would you give a photographer starting out in your field? Value your time and art.

What websites/blogs do you visit often? I typically use Facebook or Pinterest as a jumping point, and if I see a photo that makes me stop in my tracks, I will often click on the artist's website for more!

What do you find most difficult about being a photographer?  The business side—taxes, marketing, pricing, etc.

What do you find most rewarding?  The creative side—capturing genuine and usually joyful family moments with the goal that they will be displayed as art in their home now and treasured in the future.

Member Feature - Lisa O'Dwyer Photography

Its time for another member feature!  Introducing Fine Art Film Photographer, Lisa O'Dwyer!

Name: Lisa O'Dwyer

Website: http://www.lisaodwyer.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/lisaodwyerphoto

facebook: cebook.com/LisaODwyerPhotographer

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lisaodwyerphoto/

Google+ : https://plus.google.com/b/111027669733700044246/+LisaODwyerPhotographer/about?hl=en

Genre of Photography: weddings mainly, but love portrait commissions and landscapes too

What's your 'photography story'? (How you got into photography, how you decided to go pro, etc): It's a long story! I have always been interested in art and history, and very nostalgic. My aunt and uncle were artists and lived a bohemian life in Pittsburgh. I always enjoyed going to their parties and listening to jazz music, and watching their slideshows of the places they had visited around the world. When I was in college, I studied Art History & Fine Arts. I took a B&W photography course and used my mom's manual film camera from the 70s. I really loved the magic of creating the image, developing the film in the darkroom, and making the prints. I ended up studying abroad a year in Europe and bought a nice film camera to take with me (1998). I loved taking photographs of the people and places I saw. When I met my irish husband while teaching in Japan in 2002, i was still a film shooter. I ended up moving to Ireland with him in 2003 and couldn't find work in Art History. I started my own photography business in 2006 with a digital SLR. I shot about 50 weddings with the digital cameras and then realized it wasn't my style. I had always hated Photoshop and missed shooting film. I went back to film in 2011, and started using it professionally in 2012. I am so happy now with my photography! Film just fits my style and personality! I feel at home with it and feel it is the best tool for my vision. I moved to Fort Collins in July 2013 and am looking forward to shooting Colorado weddings!

Tell us about your very first shoot: My first professional shoot was a wedding in Ireland. I had a friend who knew someone who was getting married. They hadn't planned on hiring a professional photographer. She mentioned I was going to start my own business and her friend hired me to shoot her wedding. So I jumped right into it! In hindsight, I should have assisted a professional photographer first so that I knew how the day would unfold and where I would need to be. I have some beautiful bridal portraits from that wedding as the bride was very elegant, modern, and a beautiful Japanese woman! Of course, I tried to make the photographs look like film (wedding was in 2006). So glad I did because the shots look timeless to me. Unlike some of the weddings I shot in 2009 when I played around with "digital filters"!. Those look very 2009 to me.

What 3 words best describe your style? Classic, timeless, artistic

What do you find most rewarding? I love that I can create art for my job! I love being able to give a gift of an heirloom…something that they will treasure for generations to come.

What do you find most difficult about being a photographer? Creating beautiful imagery in crappy light! Light IS photography. A photograph is only possible when the aperture of the lens is open and the shutter opens to expose light on film (or a digital sensor). Poor lighting is the enemy of photography! 

What websites/blogs do you visit often? I'm a nerd. I read books and love museums. I like social media though. I love Instagram!

If you could go anywhere and photograph anything, where would you go and what would you shoot? I would always choose to stay with my family and photograph my boys as they grow up. My dream was to photograph a wedding in Italy, and it came true! I get to photograph one in Rome in July 2014!

If you could be photographed by any photographer, living or dead, who would it be? Tough one! I love Julia Margaret Cameron. She photographed women in a subtle beautiful way. If I won the lottery, I would fly John Dolan here for a family session. He is a film photographer from Ireland, but based in NYC.

What one tip would you give a photographer starting out in your field? Assist a real pro whose style you love! And study about business! Taking photos is only about 40% of this job. You need to make a profit to continue to have this career if you want to last more than 5 years.

If you were stranded on a dessert island with only one camera, lens, and accessory, what would you hope they would be? My OM-1n camera which is totally manual and so I wouldn't be worried about batteries dying or getting it wet. I would have the 50mm 1.4 OM Zuiko lens. I love this length and I love the look of the old Zuiko lenses. They are very sharp, but atmospheric at wide apertures. I guess a lens cap for the accessory? Or lots of Fuji 400H, Portra 160, and Kodak Tri-X film!

Member Feature - Rhema Faith Photography

Introducing Rhema Peterson of Rhema Faith Photography!  This Month's featured Bettie!

Name: Rhema Peterson

Genre of Photography: Weddings, Engagements, Seniors

Website: www.rhemafaithphotography.com

Facebook Site: www.facebook.com/Rhemafaithphoto

Tell us about your very first shoot:

I actually didn’t even own a camera for most my first shoots. I borrowed my friends dads camera and took her Senior photos as well as a few photos of a group of friends. This was actually before I lived in Mexico. 

If you could go anywhere and photograph anything, where would you go and what would you shoot? 

I would love to go to India and photograph the people there. Really I would love to go EVERYWHERE and photograph people in their culture. I am extremely intrigued by Joey Lawrence who has some awesome documentaries about him photographing people groups. I don’t think you can honestly do the photography he does and not have your life changed by every person you photograph. Check him out! http://www.joeyl.com/ 

Also I am inspired by Steve McCurry and his portraits for national geographic.

What websites/blogs do you visit often?

Katelyn James blog! 

What do you find most difficult about being a photographer?

Comparing yourself to others work/skills. And trying to balance owning a business and having a life!

What do you find most rewarding?

Knowing that what I do makes a difference! I get to capture fleeting moments for my clients. Moments that mean the world to them! Its an incredible and amazing job!

What's your 'photography story'?

I have always loved photography but the moment I knew I wanted to do it for a living was when I was 18.

I lived in Mexico for a year after I graduated from high school. I was in the airport heading back to mexico after break waiting in a SUPER long line, The lady in front of me was editing wedding photos on her laptop while we were in line. We started talking and she said she was headed to Mexico to meet with her husband to photograph a wedding together. Something sparked in me! I knew that’s what I wanted to do! 

What 3 words best describe your style?

Real, Fun and Romantic! 

If you were stranded on a dessert island with only one camera, lens, and accessory, what would you hope they would be?

Canon Mark III, 50 mm 1.2 I try to be pretty low maintenance when I shoot, so I don’t even need the accessory! Ha!

If you could be photographed by any photographer, living or dead, who would it be? 

Oh man, this one is hard. Either Nate and Jaclyn from The Image Is Found mostly cause they are so fun and creative or Benj Haisch.

What one tip would you give a photographer starting out in your field?

Second shoot for someone before you shoot your own weddings and don’t worry about competition. Just be gracious and generous to other photographers!