so we are again here for another feature on {portrait photography}! as i explained on monday, i am trying my very best to develop all my skills in photography (and in a lot other fields of interest, but now let’s focus on photography only!), therefore i thought about asking a few photographers to ask them some questions, and along with me, you too could get behind the cameras with these photographers, exploring their equipment, challenges… so, last monday we had the lovely {arlyne vanhook} and today we shall have christine pobke, from {pobke photography}. i found out about christine in the very well-known wedding website {100 layer cake} and when i opened her website i instantly fell in love with her look and her {sleepover sessions}! but let’s get going with the interview, shall we?
hello, how are you? thank you so much for being here today… it is such an honor for me! so, i asked you to be a guest because you are quite a reference in photography, mainly for family + children and also wedding photography. can you describe your path until now?
i picked up a camera when my husband and i went on a road trip along the great ocean road in january, 2009. i was studying (working on my phd in international relations) at the time, and had no real understanding of photography or dslrs. but i did know that i wanted “nice” photos to send to my parents in the us (i’m from seattle originally) of australia, so bought a canon rebel 450d from a reseller on ebay. little did i know it would become an obsession! five months later i set up a website, and then i quit my phd and embraced photography full time in september of last year. best decision ever! (note from editor… me… i envy this woman so much right now! i want to be able to say this in 6 months!)
why do you choose to be a photographer and what made you focus on portraits?
i’ve always loved children, and being around children. i think i relate sometimes better with kids than i do with adults. so when i got my dslr, i naturally gravitated towards photographing kids and their expressions, their reactions, their joy, their spunk. it was only after a year or so that i started looking at photographing couples, and fell in love with shooting them as well!
what do you consider to be the secrets for a beautiful photo session?
connecting with your clients. you can get good looking clients, or well dressed clients, but the best thing (and the most important thing!) is the way you interact with them, and how you let them interact with each other. i say “let” because it’s really the photographer’s job to allow couples or children or families to really engage with each other as they would under normal circumstances. if the photographer is awkward, then their interactions with each other will be awkward.
what inspires you to make your work, what drives you to create the images you create?
sometimes i dream up images, other times i read a book and the scenes that i imagine end up being the grounds for certain shots. my clients inspire me beyond words, artists like alec soth and sally mann shake my core.
the most beautiful place to host a photo session is…
anywhere a client calls “home”.
now, talking about a more technical point of view, tell me… what equipment do you use?
i use a nikon d3s, a nikon d700, and all nikon lenses: 24 1.4, 35 1.4, 45 pse, 50 1.4, 85 1.4, sb-900 flash.
what do you carry in your bag for photo sessions?
all of the above, plus spare batteries, eight 8g CF cards, chapstick, a protein bar (in case i get hungry!), change for parking.
what do you consider to be a challenge on a photo session and how do you face that challenge?
usually the biggest challenge on a photo shoot is at the very beginning of the shoot, when i first meet the couple: will we get along? will we connect? will they like me? and then after a few moments of getting to know one another, all of those worries disappear.
what editing program do you use?
lightroom 3 and photoshop 5.
can you describe your services and what do they include?
i photograph children + families, and couples + weddings. i love this new series i began late last year, called “life story sleepover sessions”, where i go over the night before to a family’s home, and wake up with them and photograph them all day. i love being a part of the morning chaos and love, and a part of the everyday + mundane. these visual stories inspire me and the families that book me for them have all been so incredibly inspiring. i’ve got a few more booked throughout this year and can’t wait to share them with you! (note from editor again… this is like the most interesting photography project i have seen in these last months!)
so tips so far… i could use a second camera, at least another pair of lenses, an external flash, extra batteries… and asides from this i feel happy to realize that my most fearful thought is also the challenge for these photographers, which is what will the clients think about me? will they like my work? will they engage with me and themselves…? as a photographer, i particularly liked christine’s work, it is different from what we use to see… and i like the different approaches she has… compositions and the way she works with light. you can also read christine’s {blog}, follow her on {facebook} & {twitter}… and of course, if you are from australia, you can also book a photo session with her, or in case you are a photographer, you can also book a one-on-one session. thank you christine, it was amazing to explore a bit of your world!
images: christine pobke via pobke photography (click on each image for original source)
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