Right before I moved away, my friend Grace gifted me Elizabeth Messina's book The Luminous Portrait and although I've taken my time reading through it, I have finally finished! Mid-hair appointment last week I read the last page and haven't stopped pondering it since. Elizabeth's writing was so calm and gentle to read. I felt as if she was taking me by the hand and graciously gifting me all of the knowledge she has acquired throughout her career. Here are just five of the many lessons that she imparted to me.
1. Take your camera with you everywhere - A lot of the images in the book are images that Elizabeth captured spontaneously of her children or other people she encountered while just living her every day life. Those images were some of the most raw and incredible I had ever seen. Every time I say that I am going to bring my camera with me to go to the park, to go hiking, or to attend a baseball game, I end up not. I view it as a hassle that is not worth it. Elizabeth views it as an opportunity to capture life as it. I am so inspired by that mindset! Next time we head to the park for a casual walk or even run to the grocery store, I'll be sure to have my camera in my purse, ready for any opportunity.
2. Always have a personal project on the side - When your creative passion becomes your job, it is so easy to start to only take on projects that you are going to be monetarily compensated for. Elizabeth challenged readers to always have a project that is personal and not for business. She argues that it keeps us creative. I would argue that it keeps us from hating our craft. I am going to really try to challenge myself with that this year. Josiah and I have started a weekly thing where we go to an area of the city and just do a fun photoshoot. We switch on and off, taking turns to let the other practice their modeling skills (which are nonexistent) while the one behind the lens is challenging themselves to think outside the box. It's so far been rewarding. I have a few upcoming styled shoots that also allow me to expand and grow in a safer environment.
3. Always take a picture of the sky - I absolutely love the sky, like I am obsessed with it. If you stalk back a bit further into my instagram feed you'll likely find ALOT of sky pictures. There's something magical about how the sky can take on some many different looks, but still maintain it's identity as the sky. Before reading Elizabeth's book I had never thought of ensuring that I captured a picture of the sky during each session that I took. It's a part of the day that is often forgotten and deserves to be remembered.
4. {Wedding} details deserve their own portrait - The only thing I love to capture more than bride and groom portraits are detail shots. Flowers, cake, invitations, and rings always have me gawking in awe. These items are a huge part of what makes the wedding day unique and it is so important that they have their own portrait. Plus, publications absolutely love details so it is super important not to quickly skip over them without much though (or worse, to not capture them at all!). The more shot of them, the better!
5. Think outside the box - It's so easy to find your "groove", while doing a shoot, and stay there. It's far more comfortable to take the shots you know have worked for you over and over again, but another challenge that Elizabeth presented in her book, was to always think outside the box. She specifically was referring to wedding pictures, because bride and grooms really want images that are unique to them and by thinking outside of the box we are more likely to achieve that.
What are some photography/creative books that you've been reading? What are some things you have learned?