with Courtney Slazinik
Menu
Have You Met Jen Doolittle
Lifestyle
Have You Met Jen Doolittle

Excited about our Have You Met series where I showcase YOU, the photographers of our community. We had over 400 photographers apply for the series in less than a week. I can’t wait to showcase the talented photographers. There is a mix of hobbyist and business owners as well as full-frame and crop sensor users. This may be my new favorite part of the site.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks in advance for supporting Click it Up a Notch. I am no longer accepting applications for this series.

  • No.
    01
    Tell us a little about yourself and your photography journey.

    My name is Jen and I live in New Mexico with my husband and 2 daughters. I have always loved taking pictures and when my first daughter was born I ran out to get a ‘fancy’ camera. Sometimes I got good photos with it, most times I did not. Frustrated, I started using my camera less and less. When my second daughter was born, I dug the camera out again. Still frustrated that I couldn’t get the beautiful pictures I saw in mind, I signed up for an online class to learn how to use my dslr. That class started me on a journey to create more artistic images and helped me find my voice. With my camera I can find the beauty in our life and process the ups and downs of motherhood. I want to share that experience with other moms and began teaching this year. I have a local class called Everyday Snaps and I am working on my first online offering where we’ll be exploring motherhood through the lens of a camera.

  • No.
    02
    What is the best advice you received so far on your photography journey?

    To follow your heart and create work that means something to you.

    songbirdandbear1

  • No.
    03
    Where do you find your inspiration?

    Mostly I draw inspiration from my life. I truly believe that there is beauty in the ordinary, everyday and routine. My camera helps me to slow down and find it.

    For those times when I feel like I’m in a rut, I go to Instagram and find photographers whose work touches me emotionally. Catherine Just (@cjust on Instagram) is incredibly open and honest with her work. Through her I’ve found a community of photographers whose work tends to be much more conceptual than my own. I don’t always ‘get’ what they’re doing but it’s very intriguing.

    I also find the work of documentary photographers who travel to other countries inspiring as well. Getting that glimpse into a life that is so far removed from my own experience is incredibly eye opening and moving.

  • No.
    04
    What type of background do you have? Self taught? Formal training? Mentor?

    I’ve take classes online, mentored with Beryl Ayn Young and read various photography blogs, magazines and books.

    songbirdandbear3

  • No.
    05
    Are you currently doing any photography projects? If so, what?

    Yes! I am obsessed with photo projects and have started and stopped many. Currently, I’m doing a 365. I love that it provides a visual diary of my life and that I get to see the ebb and flow of my own creative journey. Looking back at my photos, I can tell where I was at emotionally and mentally.

    Another project I’m working on that is very close to my heart is a series I call, “Life from Our Table”. I started taking pictures of our dining room table for a class and fell so in love with it that I never stopped. Our table is the heart of our home. It’s where we eat, play, work and connect. I have pictures of it clean, cluttered, at the end of an evening with friends, all of it. Our life is lived on that table. My dream is to create a body of work from this series that will get displayed or published somewhere.

    songbirdandbear5

  • No.
    06
    If you could only use one lens for a year, which would you choose?

    My 50mm is the only lens I use so I have to go with that.

    I did get the chance to borrow a lensbaby recently and thought that was fun. It’d be interesting to see what I could create with it over the course of a year.

  • No.
    07
    Share links to 3 of your favorite photography tutorials and tell us why.

    A lot of my journey has been about building my confidence and embracing who I am so I tend to be drawn to tutorials that speak to that.

    I really like this post on Building Confidence as a Photographer from Click It Up A Notch and Beryl’s thoughts on Snapping with Intention.

    I also like all the the different Creativity Exercises on the Clickin’ Moms blog. They’re great for when I’m feeling uninspired.

  • No.
    08
    What is your favorite image right now?

    My current fave is one I took of my daughter a few weeks ago. We’ve been going through a lot lately and I’ve been on edge and distracted. But in this moment, she was working on her homework and I looked up and saw her. Really saw her. All the stress and worries fell away and all that remained was my heart and love for her.

    songbirdandbear2_fave

  • No.
    09
    What type of camera and lenses do you shoot with?

    A Nikon D7000 and a 50mm. And my iphone.

  • No.
    10
    Let’s light someone else’s candle, who is a photographer you think we should check out?

    Ian Ruhter. His process (he turned a truck into a camera!) and the way he talks about his work is so inspiring. He has 2 videos on his website that I watch at least once a month.

    Another one is Lauren Mitchell. I got the chance to learn from her at Click Away and really appreciate her documentary style and street photography.

  • No.
    11
    What is your biggest challenge when it comes to photography?

    Trusting my voice.

    songbirdandbear4

  • No.
    12
    How do you display your photos?

    To be honest, I don’t have much displayed and have made it a goal to be more intentional with printing. I make small square books for my iphone photos every 3 months and am working on larger books for different events and vacations. The girls love looking through them.

    songbirdandbear_photodisplay1

  • No.
    13
    What is the strangest thing you carry in your camera bag?

    I actually don’t even own a real camera bag. I have a padded insert so I can throw my camera into whatever purse I’m carrying that day. The weirdest thing I have in my purse with my camera right now is my daughters white sock. Just the one. I have no idea why it’s there.

    songbirdandbear6

  • No.
    14
    What is next on your list of things to learn this year in photography?

    Editing. I have put up a huge mental block when it comes to editing and just use picmonkey to make minor corrections. But I think I’ve finally reached a point where I am ready to learn more.

  • No.
    15
    If people want to follow more of your work where should they go?

    I have a website where I share my musings on motherhood and photography. I think it’s really important that we honor ourselves and embrace our lives as they are. You can learn more about me and why I take photos on my blog.

    Or you can follow me on instagram @jenhado where I share my photos daily-ish.

    songbirdandbear7

0 Comments

No comments yet.

Leave a Comment