Lexie and Katie were two of my first portrait subjects back in the days when I used a sheet for a backdrop in my open carport. I wish I could show you a picture from our first session, but I was shooting film back then so I don’t have digital files. Working with Lexie and Katie helped me decide that I really wanted to be a photographer. I worked hard, studied hard, and practiced a lot so that I could make my portraits look the way I envision them. I also spent a fortune on the best equipment available even though I now know it’s the photographer, not the equipment, that makes the difference. But even though it’s the photographer that really counts – you have to have the right equipment to perform the task. I invested in camera bodies and lenses that would allow me to get the really great shots that I read about in books.

Last week we met to do pictures for Lexie and Katie’s family Christmas card. The problem with not owning a studio is that you are controlled by the weather and it’s sometimes difficult to find good places to shoot. At first we shot in the same spots that I’ve been using for a couple of years. They are really cool places and I get good pictures there, but those spots have become a bit too popular, so we set off to find somewhere new to shoot. We found one new place that we really liked, so I made the girls promise not to tell anyone where it is. Of course, anyone who looks hard enough will find it – but until then, it’s OUR spot.

Lexie and Katie are as different as night and day. Lexie would rather have a root canal than pose for pictures, and Katie would pose all day long without stopping if we’d let her. I learned something from working with the girls last week. I just let them pose themselves, and they naturally assume poses that show their individual personalities. We had a great time and even Lexie liked some of the pictures – so I count our session as a tremendous success!