I know as a photographer I shouldn't have a favorite model…
…but I do.
My favorite model's name is Kelly.
Nobody starts as a great photographer and I am no exception to that rule. I have always been interested in cameras, but for most of my life, my focus was on video. I still love video (check out this video I edited for City Surge), but I was looking to try something new. Enter my best friend Kelly.
Kelly is beautiful, she's unbelievably supportive, she and I were living in the same town, and she's not camera shy therefore making her the perfect choice for me to explore a new creative outlet. One day, in October of 2017, I brought up the idea of taking some photos of her and not only was she on board, but she was eager. We spent days combining both of our closets to make some awesome outfits, we scoured the area to find awesome locations, we talked about posing, and we gushed over hair and makeup. To this day I don't know who was more excited, me or Kelly.
This was the first time I took my camera out with the intent of taking photos and not video so while I understood the basics, and knew how to work my camera, I still had much to learn. Below are some of those pictures from that first outing.
Kelly and I had a blast on that shoot, but we had gone overboard with everything and still had many outfits we hadn't used so we decided we needed to take more pictures!
I started to realize this was something I enjoyed and started to educate myself more on how to take photos. Over the next year Kelly and I went out occasionally to take more photos which was always a positive experience for both of us. Gradually over time I got better and better. (See Gallery)
I am so grateful that I have a friend like Kelly. She helped me get comfortable behind the camera.
There was a time before I started my business where I had been taking photos for people. I wasn't charging these people and for whatever reason I thought that because I wasn’t charging them that I shouldn't direct them and I should just stand there with the camera and snap photos of whatever they wanted. Most people, unless they model for a living or are in front of mirror, don't know what looks good in front of the camera in that moment and need feedback from the photographer. More than that, many people need prompts or poses in front of the camera so they feel comfortable and not like they have no idea what to do with their body. Kelly helped me realize this and then gain back my confidence behind the camera, and to date that has been the biggest change in my style of photography. As a photographer it's my responsibility to make my clients as comfortable in front of the camera as I can so it is a positive experience.
Beyond her willingness to always be my model, Kelly has also been my biggest supporter of my business. My coming to the realization that I needed to be more vocal to make people comfortable and with Kelly's support is what inspired me to start Laura's Lenses. I wanted to show people what I saw behind my camera. I wanted to give a positive experience.
Unfortunately Kelly had moved states and thousands of miles away from me before I started my business. Even with her being a time-zone away she still was 110% there for me from late night calls about the business to me sending her edits asking her opinion on which one looked better. I can confidently say that Laura's Lenses would not exist without her. This is why Kelly is my favorite model!
Check out Kelly's Instagram and Blog
Also check out my gallery of photos of Kelly (and my improvement as a photographer lol)