Erin Wallis Photography Blog

Michelle and Andrew.
Close to my heart.
A little session in Cumberland, BC.
Can’t even wait until your Victoria wedding this spring.
ox

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!

It was pouring. They were only here for one day. It was the only time we could do it.
They live in Vancouver.
It was not only pouring, but windy and just plain crazy weather. We cancelled. I was sad, it was Danielle’s birthday present and it was going to have to be postponed until next year. I was driving home and the the sun burst out of the clouds and there were suddenly blue skies for miles around.
I called her back. “Can you come now?” They did and I’m so happy they did.
Thank you guys for inviting me into your loving little world.
I am so honored. Always.

When it comes to my business, my craft, my imagery… I am self proclaimed to be painfully inspired.
There is no other way to describe it. I obsess over details, ideas and how to bring them to life. Not in a planned out sort of way, but more of a late night bath thoughts sort of way. I’ve imagined the header of my blog changed to be more grey for a long time now. Which led me to need the perfect west coast fall grey day. Grey days generally equal a bit of rain, which isn’t the greatest for photographing artwork. I knew it couldn’t be forced but I wanted it to happen so badly! There were so many elements that needed to fall into place for this shoot to happen. I have wanted it to happen for about six months now. Bryce looked at me like I was crazy today when I said we were going for it today… “maybe you should schedule a day and do it then” he said staring out the window at the rain coming down sideways. “You’re really going to do this in the rain?” I wasn’t sure it would actually happen, but I had make up on and my hair was done and all you mommy’s out there know as well as I do, that if you’ve taken the time to do both of those things… and also put on a cute outfit… You’re certainly not going to just sit around the house. “I’m trying anyways” I said.

Shannon said to me today, “there is patience in creativity”. Patience up to a point. It was 11.11.11. It doesn’t happen often, in fact, only once every one hundred years. Today was that day. The weather way grey. There was a scheduled shoot that needed to have the time changed, there was our window. Of course, Shannon was up to it and off we went, armed with canvases and driftwood easels and a laundry basket full of clothes and cameras. It was pouring. We sat in the truck for an hour. Both somewhat resigned to the idea that the shoot wasn’t going to happen. I was discouraged, but it was ok.

She got out of the truck to take her dog out for a minute and the next thing I knew, my door was flung open and she was yelling at me “this is our window! Louise! Get out of the truck.” She was pulling canvases out of the truck and within minutes we were on the beach in the first dry 10 minutes out of hours of rain. These images were created in 15 minutes, and then… it started to pour again, and us… as always dragging sandy canvases and gear off the beach laughing trying to keep everything dry. I will treasure them always, for the memories and for the painfully inspired manor in which it always comes together.

A few days ago I was feeling disheartened. Uninspired. Just a tiny bit.. blahhh about photography. I shot two amazing sessions yesterday and two again today. My advice to anyone who feels this way, is to keep working. Keep creating. Push through the uninspired and reach through and be inspired again. Don’t sit around and wait for it. Just listen to your muse, and carry on. Keep shooting. Keep creating. Keep going. I choose painfully inspired any day.
Thank you Thelma for always being ready for anything.
Friends, I promise…. Anything is possible.

Dear Maisie,
You. Are. Joy.
You spread it, you are it… and I just stand back and watch your beautiful light shine.
Shine on girlfriend.
oxxo