Mother's Day is a beautiful time of year for us at pictureline. We had the opportunity to reflect on all the talented women who support us as they raise families and lead successful careers. Though we couldn't possibly name them all, here are a few that shine every day as they collaborate with us to spread a passion for photography in their communities. We approached these mothers with the question, "How has choosing a career in photography impacted your lifestyle?"
Suzanne Plant
www.lookieloophotography.com
"The whole reason I got into photography in the first place was to capture my own every day life and children the way I see it and want to remember it. The business part of it is just a bonus. I get to meet amazing people and capture the beauty I see in the world and the people in it. My goal with every photo shoot I do is to create a piece of art. My favorite thing to photograph are the storybooks and themed photo shoots I make of my girls. They love it just as much as I do."
Erin Summerill
http://summerillphotography.com
"My kids were in the baby/toddler stage when I quit my full time high school teaching job in order to be home with them. I loved the extra hours we got to spend together. But when I wasn't feeding-cleaning-entertaining-teaching, I found myself needing time for myself. To relax. To regain my sanity, because in all honesty, being a mom is hard. I'd taken a photography class in high school, so I naturally drifted back into the hobby. At first, my images were of my kids and friends. When friends of those friends started calling me to shoot their family photos, I invested time in learning the mechanics of photography and editing, which eventually led me to start a photography business. I love the freedom my photography business has given me. Besides financial freedom, I have the flexibility to schedule photo shoots around my family's schedule. Sure, there are some Saturdays when I'm jetting from a football game to a wedding. But I get the best of both worlds: time with my family and time running a photography business that makes me happy."
Pepper Nix
http://www.peppernix.com/
I'm a Canon girl, I have been ever since I got the Canon 1D from Pictureline during the Olympics. I'm currently shooting with the Canon 5D Mark III bodies, and although I'm perfectly happy with it, I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the 5D Mark IV this fall! I've got 9 different lenses that I use, but my current favorite is the Sigma 50mm 1.4 that I would never have given a thought for if not for the staff at Pictureline. I thought I was above an off brand lens, but once again, it turns out that the Pictureline staff knows more than I do about the latest and greatest gear. As for lighting, I shoot with 3 of the 600EX Canon Speedlights, a Profoto B1 lighting kit, and a set of the Westcott Flex panel LED lights.
I shoot about 85% photojournalistic style wedding photography, and about 15% corporate headshots.
Photography has been a part of my life since I was 14 when a family friend gave me their old camera. It was a Canon AE-1 and I took it everywhere. Imagine my delight when in college, someone said that if I kept working hard and training, that I could be a professional. You mean, I'd get PAID to take pictures??? LOL, it was like someone had told me that I could get paid for eating ice cream! So, choosing to be a photographer as my career wasn't a difficult decision. Deciding which type of photography to specialize in though was harder. I kept thinking that I wanted to be a National Geographic photographer and travel the globe, but one day I read an article that said they were all divorced and spent months and months at a time away from their children. Photographing joyful events made much more sense for my personality, so wedding was a perfect fit!
