Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone

I love photographing people. It's a love I've had for a long time. And because of that. I'm pretty comfortable doing it. Which is awesome!

But also, not.

Being in a position where we feel comfortable is nice.
We have confidence in our ability to do our jobs and we generally know what to expect, and that's great! but there's a catch... we can't reach our full potential by hanging out in our comfy zone.
We just can't.  

Stepping out of my photography box forces me to think in a different way, and almost always teaches me something new in the process. So it's important for me to change things up every once in a while. And although it's not always easy to get up and out of my comfort zone, it is vital in order to move forward. 

Photographing matcha isn't something I ever thought about doing until I was asked by Transcend Matcha to shoot their line. I have photographed products before, but it's definitely not in my (professional) comfort zone. Either way, I said yes. 

Since Transcend Matcha is based out of Austin, TX and I'm in Phoenix, AZ they mailed me a package of their amazing matcha teas, and I got down to business. Handling the green tea powder, and playing around with the style of the shots was definitely something new for me. I was doing little things that I would've never thought about, like having to whisk the matcha every 30 seconds to give it that "I just made matcha. I promise this is still hot." look. And trying not to get the green tea powder everywhere? umm... yea, about that... I have a whole lot of respect for food and photo stylists. Seriously. 

If you're feeling like you're not where you want to be, or you could use a change, or you're just in a creative rut.

Step out of your box!

Try something new, and embrace the uncomfortable. Because as we know, THAT is where the magic happens. 

So go talk to that cool stranger. Take the dance class. Write the book. Climb the freakin' mountain! 

What ever it is that intrigues you, but also gives you that slight "um, maybe one day" feeling because you're just the tiniest bit scared. Take what ever the next step is towards it and face it head on. 

You can do it if you choose to. Pinky promise. 

photography by: Alexandria Whitefeather
photography by: Alexandria Whitefeather

The Importance of a Portrait

+ THE STORY BEHIND THE IMAGE

I've always seen value in portraits, and started taking them of my sisters when I was really young. My mom always joked that she never had to take pictures because I was always already doing it. I loved seeing the progression of how my sisters would change, but I never TRULY understood how important photographs really are until about 4 and a half years ago when I lost my father. All of a sudden it was like I was in search for pictures of him, and pictures of us together.  It was like the few photos I had of my dad, the ones that were sitting in a box gathering dust were invaluable now that they were all I had left of him.

I again became aware of this importance when it came to having a baby of my own. At just a year and a half she has grown and changed so much already and I want to remember all of these beautiful little moments that could easily escape my long term memory.

I realized how important it was for me to have photographs of my loved ones. To remember the sparkle in their eyes, the smile lines, the freckles.... to capture who they are this very moment in time. To leave a legacy that can be held onto for generations to come. 

And really, it is not the photograph itself. It's what the photograph represents. A beautiful being that has lived a life to remember, a father, a mother, a best friend, someone who sings in the shower, or snorts when they laugh, or the little tot that refuses to eat vegetables, but knows how to make your heart skip a beat.
The people who make us who we are, and who we want to be.
The ones we'll never forget. 

This. This is the importance of a portrait.

And this is why I do what I do.  

The story behind the image:

This photo was taken of my (then, 5 year old) sister over 11 years ago in the back seat of my dads old '57 VW bug. The widows were down, the wind was blowing, and it's safe to say the sunshine state didn't disappoint that day. I was sitting in the front seat while my sisters were in the back. The light was good, so I turned around and snapped a couple shots of my littlest sister looking out the window. 

The quality of this photo is not the greatest, as it was shot with my first ever digital camera. It had a whopping 3.2 megapixels... yes, your iPhone has almost 4x that amount. I also had to scan it into my computer, because all I have of this picture is an old and slightly wrinkled 5x7 print. But, despite the low quality of this image, it's one of my favorites because it reminds me of a bright, happy summer day as a young teen. And also because it reminds me of how cute my baby sis was. A sweet, beautiful, quirky little girl who loved life.

If you see a beautiful moment happening in front of you, a moment that you want to remember, whip out a camera and capture it. And if you're a little hung up on "what kind of camera" you have. Try to remember this wonderful piece of advice that has stuck with me from the moment I had heard it...

"The Camera is the Least Important Element in Photography".
-Julius Shulman

Because the truth is, if you find the right light and the right composition you'll find a beautiful photograph.