I thought I’d be a little different this month a feature one of our designers this month who also happens to be a photographer (with a kick butt new product too!)
Stats
Name: Heather Green
Site: www.heathergreenphoto.com
Blog: www.heathergreenblog.com
Location: southwest Florida (between Clewiston and Ft. Myers)
How long have you been a photographer? I’ve had a camera in my hand since I can remember, but I guess I’ve considered myself a photographer for at least the last five years.
What do you photograph? (ie babies, weddings, travel…) I do portraits (on location and in studio), and as a hobby I LOVE wildlife photography.
Describe your style: I started out all over the place and never really had a style, I’ve settled down now with clean, classic images without a lot of processing for portrait shoots.
Business
Your Camera and gear… Canon 50D, Canon 50mm 1.4, Canon 50mm 1.8, Canon 18-55mm, Canon 100-400mm f4/5.6 USM IS L and I have an Xti as a backup or for a second shooter.
If you could only use one lens what would it be? The 50mm 1.4 for sure! That lens is so versitile! From outdoor portraits to using it in the studio, I just love what I get when I use it.
What camera bag do you use? I have the Jill-e medium bag.
Do you use an assistant or 2nd shooter? Only when I do weddings. I don’t bill myself as a wedding photographer..but I do have special circumstances when I’ll shoot them.
If yes, what do you look for in an assistant or 2nd shooter? Someone with a good eye who knows when to get the right shots and knows their DSLR very well, someone who is friendly and outgoing who can get the job done but have FUN at the same time.
Which album company do you recommend? I really like WHCC and all of the products they offer.
What lab do you use? Usually Miller’s but occasionally I’ll use colorinc, whcc, etc.
Mac or PC? PC
Your go-to camera shop? B&H for sure!
Standby pose (the one everyone tends to want from you)? Honestly, I hear ‘make me look skinny’ quite a bit! Lol I try to have everyone pose as naturally as possible and as flattering as possible to their own unique figures.
What makes your job so much easier? Being able to have fun and enjoy working with people, it’s so much easier when you can laugh and joke and have fun with every single person you work with.
What is the most important thing you have learned since becoming a photographer? Don’t be afraid to ask other photographers questions. I’ve learned so much that way! Of course there’s some out there that won’t give you the time of day, but the ones that do are a goldmine and have really helped me out a lot.
If you could choose anyone to do a photoshoot of you/your family, who would your choose? I love Jasmine Star’s style…. classic and clean, I love her compositions and her posing!
Favorite Andie Smith Designs product? Probably the storyboards…love those. They’re so quick and easy to put together, clients love them!
Any funny stories from the trenches you would like to share? I was doing a shoot in the studio for a friend. She has three dogs and one of them is ill and she wanted to get photos done with them right away. She’s a vegetarian but brought along her dogs’ favorite liver treats to get their attention during the shoot. She wanted one of them to kiss her so she was putting the liver in her mouth…she’d gag when she’d do it, but she kept on doing it…it was pretty funny!
Fun
Music on iPod: oh gosh, I just loaded it up with the soundtrack from the movie Mama Mia!
Magazine Must Have (photo and non-photo): Rangefinder and Entertainment Weekly!
One of your top 100 to do: Visit Italy
Favorite homemade meal: Ropa Vieja (cuban meat stew)
My weakness is: food!
My strength is: my personality
My friends say: I’m creative
On my day off: I’m out photographing wildlife or hanging with my husband
What blogs do you stalk:
www.paperieboutique.com
www.thepioneerwoman.com
ASD!
www.jasminestarblog.com
One thing you may not know about me: I’m an actual Florida native! Born and raised in Hollywood, Florida and I’m married to a 6th generation Florida native.
Remember how I told you she has a cool product out?? BACKDROPS!!
The Drop Shoppe (thedropshoppe.com) sells thick, matte, high quality vinyl backdrops in large sizes that are affordable for photographers. You can use these with studio lighting or natural light. Each image is created in Photoshop or Illustrator to be the absolute sharpest possible when it’s printed in large format. Currently we sell two sizes; 5 feet by 8 feet and 10 feet by 8 feet. The 5′x8′ drops are $90.00 and the 10′x8′ drops are $150.00 All prices include free shipping to the continental United States. If you are out of the country you do have to pay shipping, but we work hard to find you the fastest and most affordable shipping solution. Each backdrop has an extra 1/2″ white border around the outside, which is perfect for you to clamp to your backdrop stand. This way you’re not clamping directly onto the backdrop image.
There’s a variety of ways to hang these backdrops. You can just clamp them to your horizontal pole on your backdrop stand (with large clamps you can purchase at a hardware store), or you can hang hooks on your wall with a pole and clamp to that. We used the hooks/wall method in our small office since we couldn’t fit my larger backdrop stand in there. A quick Google search will also turn up quite a few do it yourself backdrop stands that you’re able to make at home for very little cash.
We have all sorts of patterns and styles for you to choose from. There’s plenty of grunge, messy paint, realistic background photos, wallpaper, doors, floors and much more. The possibilities for these backdrops are endless. Use them in your studio, use one for the popular ‘photo booth’ set ups at weddings, even hang them outside for big parties or family get togethers. The backdrops arrive in a shipping tube, which we ask you to keep so that you can store your backdrop in it when not in use. The best ways to store these are either rolled up, hanging or laying flat. If you should wrinkle them, usually laying them flat in a hot room or outside in the shade will remove the wrinkles. These also wipe clean with mild soap and water. No worries about that baby or toddler making a mess, just wipe it up!
Everything we sell is designed for accuracy, and realistic sizing. Our clients boast about the realism and the clean designs – no overblown images that leave you seeing fuzzy! And, our backdrops are the thickest and most durable vinyl available. Backdrops that look as if you’re really there. For the best photos you can present to your clients.
Check out the facebook page
But wait there is more!
Heather is giving you $5 off if you use the code asd when you check out!!!
and last but not least…
Heather’s choice for the “We Can Help” section is the Frames:10×10 and the proceeds will go to The Humane Society of Broward County
