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.
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No.01Tell 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.
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No.02What is the best advice you received so far on your photography journey?
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No.03Where 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.
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No.04What 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.
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No.05Are 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.
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No.06If 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.
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No.07Share 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.
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No.08What 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.
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No.09What type of camera and lenses do you shoot with?
A Nikon D7000 and a 50mm. And my iphone.
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No.10Let’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.
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No.11What is your biggest challenge when it comes to photography?
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No.12How do you display your photos?
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No.13What is the strangest thing you carry in your camera bag?
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No.14What 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.
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No.15If 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.
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