Erin Wallis Photography Blog

I’ve been getting an increase in emails/messages lately asking me all sorts of questions. It is truly flattering to be getting these questions, as I feel like it was only recently that I was the one that had all the questions! I figured doing a Q&A post (or a few) might be a nice way to share the love. These questions all came from a post on my FACEBOOK PAGE. (ps. My facebook page recently reached 3000 ‘likes’ AMAZING. Thank you all for following along).
If any of this has been helpful to you, or you have more questions please let me know!

Kim W asks…
What kind of camera do you use? I currently use Nikon D700′s
What is your favorite lens? my 85mm 1.4 It’s dreamy.
Do you shoot in raw? No.
What post production program do you use? Adobe Photoshop CS4 (I need to upgrade just haven’t gotten around to it yet) and Lightroom (mainly photoshop)

Suzi asks…
What is your favorite type of photo: studio, outdoors, wedding, engagement, babies…..all? I can get jazzed up about all of the mentioned shoots. Lately I have been really excited about newborn shoots. I mean… come on. I love babies. I am the self proclaimed baby whisperer (of other peoples babies) and there is nothing more beautiful than brand new life. I love that weddings allow me to be more journalistic, however, I find that my approach is similar with family shoots as well.
Do you do any rituals when you edit (ie: cup of tea, certain music, comfy jammies…what gets you in the “mood”)??? I can edit anytime, anyplace. No joke. I’ll edit on my laptop anywhere. I instantly zone out everything around and I’m like a ravished animal. I’ll ignore everyone and anyone around me (Bryce hates it). Ideally however, I’m at my best if I’m tucked away in my studio surrounded by my favorite old fashioned images of my family (I’ll do a post soon of my studio office), and listening to a few songs on repeat. Yup. Repeat. Generally one or two songs repeated. I can be found listening to the same song for 5 or more hours. No joke. Drinking Genmaicha Green Tea or red wine. Depending on the time of day.

Katie asks…
Do you have a favorite picture? Many. If we were asking if I could only save ONE image…. I’m not sure I could come up with an answer. I have favorites for sure. Too hard. Can’t answer…

Kim asks…
How did you learn to shoot? My parents bought me a camera for my grad present. I took photos of everything. I was excited to shoot anything, fairy wings in the graveyard with Heather I photographed my friends, my sister (a lot) and a lot of native art work too. I then ventured to Vancouver to gain a diploma in photojournalism from Ampro Photo Workshops. It was pretty run down at the time, but I spent hours tucked away in a dark room and gained a lot of insight to photography from the program. (I’m pretty sure the school is no longer running). After completing the Photojournalism program I was hired by Princess Cruises as an onboard photographer. The actual photography that you are hired for on ships isn’t terribly inspiring… however, I met some of the most talented, inspired and incredible photographers from all over the world. I believe they made me a MUCH better photographer.
Take a look at a few of the inspired friends I met at sea…
Dave, Stan, Kobi, Kimmie, Kim I, Abri, Irene, Lucy, Caro, Kerry and Paul.

How did you learn photo shop? Courses at school as well as experience on board ships, and self teaching.
How did you start your business? Slowly. Almost painfully slowly. I would shoot one or two weddings between contracts at sea. I would shoot friends and family members. When I finally made the choice to say farewell to my days at sea, I contacted a good friend Jeremy. We got my website, logo and business cards rolling and then I started the real work. I photographed a lot for free, to generate some word of mouth, then I charged a bit more. Then I got to work on marketing myself (pre-facebook days) a lot of talking, a lot of business cards dropped off at local businesses where photography would make sense. I dropped off framed prints at the local midwife office, coffee shops, I went out and sold myself. I was always working.

Kacy asks…
Do you use the auto focus on the lens or do you shut it off and use the manual focus? I mainly use auto focus, but there are certainly instances where I turn it off and use manual (low light, tricky lighting etc)

Rebecca asks…
‎1. When you’re taking photos do you know this is going to be a special moment and a must edit? Usually yes. I tend to get a little excited during the shoot and if I wind up in tears, or close… I know I’ve got something special.
2. Any photo shoots have some funny moments that stand out or special moments that you have been fortunate to share in? Many funny moments!!! YOU BLOWING YOUR FLIP FLOP in the weeds was pretty hilarious !!!! I was fortunate to share Landon’s birth. I feel incredibly fortunate to share pretty much every session I shoot. Cherished moments at weddings, family moments, personal moments, people that I’ve photographed who have since passed away remind me how important photography is, and push me to treat every session as a true honor.
3. Do you edit right after a shoot or wait to go through the photos at another time. I download and back up the files right away and then usually start editing right away. I am impatient and excited and always need to see results immediately. It’s the best part of the shoot. I love editing photos.

Suzi asks…
How do you store your photos? Back them up? Do you store backups at a different locations? I’m curious on how to save my digital files incase something happens and my computer dies, etc.??
I use external hard drives. (nothing is saved on my computer) I have one that I work off of “Main”, and a back up hard drive in the house, and one backed up in the studio. Ultimately I also like to have a back up at another location as well (because I’m paranoid and stuff happens).

Until next time!

There are many variables that will make up your family photographs. The season, time of day, weather, clothing and of course the uniqueness of the family. Every session takes on its own life, how? YOU. Your outfits, your family, YOUR personalities.

Need some help choosing your outfit(s) for family photos… look no further. I’m finally ready to post about this.

1. Think about where you’d like these images displayed in your home. Look at your living room’s color palette. If your family session is in the fall with glorious colors and rich reds and browns and oranges, but those colors don’t necessarily match the decor or look you are going for in a specific area of your home… maybe re-think the choices. Maybe something more airy and light suits that space better. Or, change the room and paint entirely, just to suit the photos. Just be aware that you will eventually be displaying your images in your home. Hopefully forever.

2. Choose a favorite piece of clothing. I often base our outfits off of one article of clothing, and lately it’s all based off of Maisie’s outfits. I’ll choose an outfit I adore and build our clothes around hers.

3. Avoid obsessing about it. Day dream, yes… stress NO. It’s easy to google “clothing choices for family photos” and instantly become overwhelmed with the super cool outfits the matchy match things and the crazy hype of it all. However, some of my favorite family images are just timeless in their simplicity as well.

4. Bring something else. Even if it’s just a bag with a few “maybe’s” Sometimes what you don’t think will look great in a photo, will end up being amazing in a photo. Bring it and we’ll work on it together! I always bring a bag of my favorite tops/pants etc. To be honest my whole house looks like a disaster after a family shoot because I have ripped out every piece of clothing I have and tried it all on, then thrown the rest onto my bed. Done the same with Maisie’s etc.

5. Think about your location. If you’ve chosen a beach setting.. heels might not be your first choice or whatever, they might be!!! We’re west coast girls around these parts and heels are generally low on the list… but think about location and what you might normally be wearing there. OR, break the rules and dress right up.

6. Get inspired. Look online. In magazines. See what colors you love and maybe you have something in your wardrobe that is perfect. I have a board {CLICK HERE} on Pinterest dedicated to family photo clothing choices. They aren’t all necessarily my choices, but you just might find something that inspires you in there.

7. Whenever possible. Avoid perfect matching. As temping as it may be to all dress the same (and easy) it really takes away each individual’s uniqueness and personality to dress exactly the same. Same color tones are great, but not necessarily the exact same color. But again, if that is totally your thing. You go for it.

8. Seek help… There are a ton of posts online aimed at helping you make good choices… Ever watch TLC’s What Not to Wear??? Here is also a great post about clothing choices by a Dallas photographer. Get your pal to come over (offering wine helps) and get her to give it to you straight. Bear in mind that it is also MY job to choose the most flattering angles and lighting to help out as much as possible.

9. Quit being so hard on yourself. 100% stop being so critical of yourself. You look in the mirror and see only flaws. I look at you and see your beauty. Promise.

10. Be comfortable, YOU and have fun. Stress looks like STRESS in photos. Love looks a whole lot like love. Once you arrive at your session and we get going… try as much as possible to let everything else go, and just “be” with your family. With your people. Your images will glow. Promise.

A few weeks ago I was honored with receiving the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Campbell River by the Campbell River Chamber of Commerce.
The Young Entrepreneur of the Year award:
“Honors a business owner or founder under the age of 35 who has excelled in business; exemplified leadership and entrepreneurial skills; and demonstrated exceptional vision that has contributed to business success.”

I was absolutely floored to receive this award as I was nominated along with many other talented and inspired business owners! Other nominees include
Scott Kilby, Campbell River Hyundai
Heather Larkam, Urban Dance Connections
Jonathan Kervin, Web Sense
Aum Song Troughton, Embody Wellness

In any case, I was completely unprepared for the receiving of the award. The tidemark theatre was full of people. I was sitting in the furthest darkest corner of the room (furthest from the stage) so internally there was only one thing happening on my very long walk to the stage… a mantra repeating itself… “Do not fall Erin”.
Upon arriving at the stage, I awkwardly accept my award, break out my best double chin for the photo of me receiving my award (no, I will not be showing you that particular photo) and then realize that someone is telling me to “say a few words”.

The whole world stops turning at this point. My instincts tell me to elbow anyone in my path, grab my award and head for the nearest exit. I am terrified.
With a camera in my hand, I am fearless. Honestly. Nearly fearless. I will yell at a group of 200 or more people, cracking jokes, orchestrating an entire field of people into the right spot for the right photo. I can make cranky kids laugh, or smile, I can become best friends with the most ornery old fella, or the craziest auntie around. Without my camera, I am just another person terrified of public speaking.

I know the moment it all changed, yet I can’t seem to overcome it. I was 21 and asked to give a speech about my personal involvement with Cystic Fibrosis, and specifically about my Uncle Michael (moms brother) who had passed away from it at the age of 21. Even writing those words brings my heart rate to a panic and the lump in my throat is painful. I had a beautiful speech written, there were funny parts, sad parts a great ending and beginning but the delivering of the speech was something I wasn’t prepared for. Prior to this particular speech I was always the one to be the speaker. Grad fashion shows, MC’s no problem. NO problem! So I thought, I would be just fine at the Rod Brind’Amour Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournament. I was far from fine. I’m pretty sure I cried through the entire speech. I don’t know if anyone even heard one word of what I said, but I just remember the whole time looking at my moms face (who was squatting in the front taking photos of me). Her face said “you’re doing great, you’re ok”. But I knew, I was bombing. I was crying and spitting out words and trying to race through my speech. I’ve never been able to speak at a microphone since then. (without a camera).

So, forgive me for my one second “thank you everyone” speech at the Chamber Business Awards of Distinction event. While everyone else had amazing speeches prepared, saying eloquent things… I was fumbling and awkward and if we’re being honest here… that is just totally me.

What I might have said, and should have would have been more like this…

Thank you for seeing me. Thank you to this amazing community for opening your arms to my art, to my dreams to my visions. Thank you for humoring all of my wild ideas and for supporting us through my imagery. I am so grateful for my clients. Every single one of you. I am grateful that you believed in me 5 years ago, and still do today. I’m grateful you’ve grown with me, and brought my images into your homes time and time again. I am grateful to the Chamber for recognizing me, for picking me out of the crowd and acknowledging me for all of my hard work and efforts. My business hasn’t grown by itself. I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am today, and with the continued support of my beautiful family and friends and clients, we are able to stay in a city we love, have grown up in and want to raise our children in. I am so grateful.

Thanks to Lee from Island Life Photographics for the image above.

A good friend of mine recently told me that one simple ‘tip’ to photographing her kids has helped her get better photos of her children consistently. I thought. Wow! I did that?! That is awesome! So, I thought… why not share. Maybe a few of my tricks will help you capture better daily photos of your own kids too. Here are three SIMPLE tools that I think are important in photographing your own kids.

1. Get down on their level. Towering above them is one viewpoint yes. But getting down on their level, you begin to see them in a whole new light. Lay on the floor. Crouch, squat. You get the idea.

2. Connect with them. Let them forget that you have a camera in your hand (however have it on and in your hand). Don’t make a big deal out of ‘taking photos’. Make it fun. Sing songs, play games and connect first. Shoot next. Stop trying to make them stop what they are doing and smile. Do anything to get a laugh. Saying “SMILE” or “CHEESE” may work for some, but my favorite photos are the real laughs and the ones that are truly in the moment. Bryce always hated having his photo taken (poor guy ended up with a photographer) and I can recall a time while I was taking his photo with Maisie he admitted that he didn’t like it because he didn’t know what to do. I felt truly silly. I told him to ignore me, and just “be” with Maisie. Now, he gets it, and photos are rarely painful (anymore) for him… I think. Having a great expensive camera is awesome, but not if you can’t let everyone relax and have a good time and have fun taking photos of your life. Tickling, songs, counting… anything.

3. Keep your camera (your “good one” if you have one) somewhere that is easily accessible, with charged batteries and a memory card in it. You are FAR more likely to take photos if your camera isn’t tucked away in it’s safe little hiding spot. I keep a camera out all the time. I find it is easier when she is being super adorable to just grab the camera and take a few photos.

My last ‘tip’ is to photograph it all. Document your lives. But PLEASE back up all of your photos onto external hard drives or cds/dvds something! No one wants to loose precious photos, and believe me… it can happen to anyone, at any time.

Help? A bit? Hope so! Happy Easter Weekend!!!!
Here are a few favorites of my girl at the beach in her birthday tutu. xo

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Let’s face it… (not to discredit all the amazing work that you incredible Daddy’s do) but Moms… we work. Hard. We are on duty…. always.

As moms, we should be rewarded. Celebrated. Cherished. The love between a mom and her children… should be lovingly documented.

A hard working mom recently commented that she was always the one taking the photos and rarely IN her photos. She said, she wasn’t the only momma with this concern.
That was all I needed to be inspired to my first “Mama Mini” session. Generally, my mini sessions are a way to celebrate my clients, give them a little something extra and to celebrate their gorgeous kiddos without getting a full session. Well, “Mama Mini’s” are a way to celebrate the unique and profound connection between mother and child. Just of mom and her babes. (However old or young those babies are).

Want to celebrate YOUR mom? Have photos with her? Or want the perfect mothers day gift for yourself? Your friend? Your spouse?

Last year, I celebrated my first mothers day as a mom. Even when I write that, I choke up. It gets you. Having babies just changes you. I wrote about it last year HERE.
I can’t wait to celebrate mothers day with YOU fabulous moms.

These sessions usually (gratefully) fill up very quickly, so if you want in on it, please let me know via email asap.

The details.
When? May 7th.
What? Mom and babes ONLY. (babes can be newborn or 30, we’re all babies to someone)
Where? Location TBA
How many sessions will you do? 10.
How? email me erin@erinwallis.com for more details.
Why? Because being a mom, is freaking incredible.

***** UPDATE**** MAMA MINI’S ARE ALL BOOKED UP. THANKS SO MUCH!!!