WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015
Good morning,
Today on the blog I want to share with you a sweet photographer and a very talented one at that!
So I had posted something on the Facebook page stating I was looking for 2 artists to feature on the blog. I had told them to tag someone who inspired them. And so it began. I was not expecting so much engagement on that one post! It reached 105 comments total! Wow. The fun part was choosing TWO photographers out of 65. How can I do that??? I went through all of them. I loved them all! How could I choose two??? So I got my handy random generator going. I told it to choose two out of 65. Janielle was one of them. *Other artist will be revealed this coming week ;)*
So I started going through her page. Guys. This woman! Her photos are extraordinary!
They are so rich, so full of emotion. ♥
Well I contacted her and here she is! The amazing Janielle of Lens & Beauty!!
She was getting all her answers and photos ready for the feature. When she sent them to me I was just as amazed about her words as her photos! This lady has wisdom. You can learn a lot from her. Her answers really touched me. And I hope to do so to you too! ♥
Enjoy!! Have a great week!
XOXO
~Rose
Janielle,
Thank you for taking the time to share with us your inspiring words and photos! I am honored to have you as a featured artist on the P&R blog! Also excited to see more of your work in the future!
-♦-
What does being a photographer mean to you?
To me, being a photographer is having the ability to see the beauty in the everyday, in
the simple. It is to have a special sensibility to all that is around us. A sensibility that lets us know
that this is all borrowed, and that compels us to immortalize it. It is also having the ability to
dream, to imagine, to really SEE, visualize, process and interpret in our own unique way.
When did you start pursuing photography and why?
I had a fascination with photographs ever since I was a kid. Since I got my very own
Polaroid as a gift from my mom. I realize now she was probably my biggest inspiration. I could not
get enough of her photo albums, of us. Not only looking back at moments, but being able to touch
them, physically AND emotionally feel them, was just enthralling to me. I carried a point and shoot
with me everywhere, all my life. But I never really thought of photography as art. I only discovered
that by accident I would say? After my first son was born, I needed a faster camera. One that
would allow me to shoot in burst mode, so I wouldn't end up with all these blurry pictures I was
getting that were driving me bananas ha! So I got my first DSLR in 2009, and in learning how to
use it and get better, well, I fell in love and never looked back. Nor do I intend to.
Why do you love what you do?
Well I never thought I had an artsy cell in my body. Not even an atom. No, I am a
veterinarian by profession. I am methodical, precise, calculated, and by the book. But. I am also
an introvert and an empath. I feel to the extremes, though I keep that all to myself. Like I said
earlier, I am hypnotized by memories that I can touch. After having my boys, once motherhood
changed me, I feel even deeper. I am painfully aware that life goes on, that the time is now, but
only for the blink of an eye. And at the risk of sounding depressing and overdramatic, I love what
I do because plain and simple, it stops time.
What is the most important thing that matters to you in your business?
I am not in business. This is purely for me. For my family. The most important thing that
matters to me in this journey is keeping a record of their life, for them. Not just for the fact of
record keeping. But hopefully through my photographs they will get a sense of what is truly
important in life. They will be able to look back and see and feel happiness, elation, connections
and yes, even sorrow (I am not above photographing my children when they're sad). The most
important thing to me is having them be able to, if ever going through the tough tribulations of
adulthood, look back and remember....ah...yes... love. Love is all that matters. Family is all that
matters. Our bond as brothers is all that matters. That peace is found in the little seemingly
unsignificant moments in life.
What is some of your favorite photographic equipment to use in your shoots?
Definitely my raggedy, secondhand, taped over, ugly, hacked 50mm 1.8 that I use for
freelensing. No questions asked. I love that thing.
What's your favorite time of day to shoot in?
Sunset. Because it comes in through my boys' bedroom creating a magical world that
soothes me. My favorite room in the house.
If you were to give another photographer a piece of advice, what would it be?
One I need to give myself time and again...do NOT compare yourself to others. Draw
inspiration from them, learn what it is that draws you to them. But remember you are YOU. And
nobody sees the way you do. And you should never give up. If you fail, if you're in a slump, that's
ok...just don't dwell there. Get back up and keep on trying.
Did you have a struggle that you overcame in the past that would help another photographer?
Geez, I have struggles every day. This thing we love can be hard on us! Every day I wish
I was better. And I am, I am better than I was 6 years ago, that's for sure. The main struggle was
to learn my camera, to learn the basics. I overcame by reading, researching, breathing and
digesting it. By practicing. And for the struggles of today, I am confident these tools will be my
friends once and forever again.
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