Photo Tips for Beginners

We like to shop around here but what we really enjoy doing is sharing our most loved items with our favorite people – YOU!

Today we have Sandra Coan, Click Pro and an inspiring film photographer, joining us to share just a few of her favorite things.

I’m obsessed with babies. Like, can’t get enough.

I love the way they smell. I love their little fingers and toes. I love how they stretch and yawn. Basically, I just love all things babies, and this is even more true now that my own children are growing up.

My obsession with babies is one of the things that makes my job so fun! I get to work with babies of all ages every single day! How lucky am I?!!

My boys and I go on road trips every chance we get. Good music, snacks, and my family on an adventure… what could be better?!

There is something so magical about a simple, well done portrait. To me, an image of a person looking into a camera can be so powerful.

The best portraits allow viewers to look, not only at the subject, but into the SOUL of the subject. Good portraits tell us something about who that person is and that is what I aspire to do in every photo I take.

Maybe it seems funny to have a backdrop on my favorite things list, but an Oliphant backdrop isn’t just any ole backdrop.

Oliphant backdrops truly are works of art. Each one is hand painted by Sarah Oliphant herself and no two are alike. I’ve wanted one for years and finally decided this year that it was time.

I commissioned mine in early February and can easily say it is my most prized possession. If for some crazy reason I ever close my studio, I will still display my Oliphant in my home… it’s just that beautiful!

My family and I live smack-dab in the middle of Seattle and we have 6 chickens! #urbanfarmer

One thing I’ve learned about chickens is that they are incredibly social animals! They know us. They come when we call them and one of them, Esther, likes to sit on my son’s lap whenever she can!

They are so cute! And they give us eggs! Win/win!!

I’m not sure I could be a photographer if I couldn’t shoot film. It is such a HUGE part of what I do.

I love the look, the grain and tones, but I also love the process of shooting it. Each stock has a unique “personality” that it brings to the table. It’s own way of reading light. It’s own color profile and texture.

Shooting film helps me connect to my art in a way that I just can’t get with a digital camera. It inspires me and brings joy to my work.

I love fresh flowers! There is just something about having a big bouquet on the table that make everything better. They are an instant mood lifter for me!

What can I say, they are my favorite people on the planet.

We all truly enjoy spending time together. They make me happy and I love them more than words can say!

Learning how to create my own light with Profoto strobes changed everything for me.

I now know that I can shoot how I want, whenever I want and not have to worry about the weather or available light. This is a huge deal, especially for a film photographer. My work wouldn’t be the same without them!

We have a magnet on our refrigerator that says “Coffee is my one true friend”.

Both my husband and I are huge coffee drinkers as well as (I hate to say it) coffee snobs. We are very particular about our coffee and living in Seattle makes that very easy. We have at least five amazing coffee shops within walking distance of our home!

Read all of Our Favorite Things series here.