Mentoring with Molly...

Yesterday I had the privilege of doing some one on one mentoring with a photographer in the Bay City area. It was so much fun! I heard about her through a friend a few months back and started following her on facebook. I quickly grew to love her photos and felt we were very similar when it comes to our photography. From shooting with the same camera and lens, to the way we casually pose our clients, and our editing styles - she just reminded me so much of myself as a photographer....but better and more experienced.

I've been wanting to do some one on one mentoring with a photographer for awhile now, and she just seemed like the perfect fit for me.

So, I saved up some $ for her mentoring fee and decided to do it! I headed to Essexville yesterday and our session began at 2pm. I started by asking her to tell me her story, and how she got started in photography. Her story was so similar to mine, it was so funny. We chatted for the next hour and 45 minutes and then we headed out to a local state park to do a family shoot together. It was great being able to watch her and just compare our settings, etc. Here's a sneak peek from a shot I took of the family we photographed together.

After they left, it was time for a mini session of ME! :) It's included in her mentor fee. It was fun to get dressed up cute, put on a little make up and curl my hair....seeing as most days I'm still in my pajamas and often don't get a shower until late afternoon, or some days have to skip it all together. That's just the season of life I'm in right now being a mom of 3 kids under 5....and soon to be 4 kids under 5 :) She posted a sneak peek last night and I absolutely adore it! Here it is, me and my beloved camera :)

The image looks sooooo much better when not uploaded to the blog or facebook. It just messes with the pixels and clarity - drives me crazy! I'll be sure and post more from the session when I get my hands on them. I'm anxiously waiting but know she has many sessions to edit before mine.

After we finished up my mini session, we chatted for another 30 minutes or so until it was time for me to go, because she still had another 2 sessions that evening! She's one busy girl!

I left feeling very encouraged because while I definitely learned some things that I think will help me improve, I didn't feel completely clueless and was already doing most things the right way. I was even able to teach her a thing or two - which felt great! We definitely hit it off so easily and started a friendship - which is so awesome! I hope to have her do a shoot of our family this spring, once our little one arrives. I'm saving up for it :) I may assist her in one of her weddings this summer. I told her I would do it for free, because to me I will gain more knowledge and more experience and we work so well together!

I'll leave you with a photo from a wedding I assisted with back in July. I absolutely love this shot! This stunning bride was just hanging out on the golf cart, not realizing that I was sneaking up behind her to capture this image. This is why I love candid shots - they turn out to be some of my favorites!

Much Love,
Momma Keri