{Interview with Autumn Moore}

Working within the cyber world is really a unique experience.  I have met so many wonderful people; Autumn Moore is one of them.  Based out of Newcastle, Oklahoma – Autumn strives to capture the inner joy and bliss of each and every child she photographs.  She also approaches every client (or vendor) as a friend and really connects with people are a caring level.  I am so thrilled this week to have the opportunity to work with Autumn and share a little more about her!  Got your coffee?

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a wife, mommy of two beautiful little girls, and oldest sibling out of four girls.  Children have always been my passion!  I went to school for early Childhood Education and even owned a preschool for several years.  I have also always enjoyed being creative.  Refurbishing furniture, renovating houses, decorating my home, sewing (well trying to sew HAHA!) painting murals on my daughters walls…lets just say that HGTV is my best friend!  Photography definitely combines my love for children and creative side into such a perfect career for me!

How did you get your start in photography?

I have always been “the one with the camera.”  So much so, that I am pretty sure that I have annoyed some people in my family!  2 ½ years ago my husband surprised me on my birthday with my first SLR Canon camera…the rest is history!

Is this a full time job or a part time gig?

Definitely beyond full time! Haha!

What three words describe your style?

Fun ~ I think you can see that these kiddos are just having a good time in most of my images.  That is so important to me because those expressions are the ones that their parents probably love to see the most throughout a normal day at home!

Creative ~ I am constantly trying to mix up fabrics that may not look like they go together but something about them together just works…or come up with a cute idea for a session based on info supplied by the parent!  I try to customize something in every shoot!

Simplistic ~ While I do incorporate fun sets, props and some color into my sessions, I really do like to try to focus on the child or baby without all of that “stuff” distracting from them.  While fun and bright is pretty, I myself love to hang the images on my wall that are really focused on my children, not the props in the picture with my children.  While my mini sessions are fun and bright (because that’s when I let my creative side really take over) all of my regular sessions (children, family, newborn, etc.) do have quite a few more simplistic shots that are really just focused on the main subject!

How do you describe your approach to photography to your clients?

For children’s sessions, I always tell the parents to please just let their children know that they are coming to play.  I never like for parents to pressure their children to sit down and say cheese; it is meant to be a fun experience!  I really like to just play, sing songs, tell jokes and have a good time with them.  I think real interaction gets you real genuine expressions!

Do you always know when you get that perfect shot?  Any surprises during the editing process?

Yes, I definitely fall in love with images in camera, before I ever even get them onto my computer!  I think the best surprises are when you fall in love with an image that you didn’t think was too special in camera!

What are you inspired by?

Oh my goodness!  That’s a hard question…I think just about anything and everything!  Clothing, children’s books, magazines, home décor, patterns…I have found inspiration in so many different places!

Are you self taught?  Learn somewhere else?

I am pretty much self taught, however, after a year of owning my camera and shooting in AV mode I did take 2 classes (both a duration of 1 month with 1 class per week) to learn how to shoot in manual mode.  Definitely one of the best decisions that I ever made for my photography career!

Any special moments or funny bloopers you want to share with us that happened during a session?

Well, I do work mostly with children and babies so there are a ton of “moments” for sure!  I would say one of my most memorable though was during one of my first newborn shoots.  I had the baby posed naked, bottom up. She ended up going number 2 and it seriously came out in the shape of a rainbow…for like 30 seconds or so, it seemed…her mom and I were just cracking up over it!!!

I think some of my most special moments are when you have those children who just would never take a good picture for anyone else and they really respond to YOU.  That’s such a wonderful feeling!  Even better when mom starts crying and thanking you when she sees the final images…those are definitely the moments that make what I do SO worth every bit of my time that I put into it!

Do you have any special rituals that are apart of your editing process, music you like to listen to, etc?

Not really…I do edit almost every night though so I guess my ritual would be getting my 2 girls to bed! I guess I am kind of boring.  Haha!

Do you have a “glass” addiction?  What is your favorite lens? 

You know, I probably don’t have near as many lenses as some but the lenses I do have, I enjoy! My “go to” lens is my Canon 50mm 1.4. I often use that when shooting children and always with newborns!  For families, I typically use my Canon 24-70mm 2.8 lens. I also have a macro lens that I just recently purchased…I have only “played” with it once though, so we shall see….

 What advice would you give photographers who are just starting in this business?

I think the biggest thing is to NEVER compare yourself to other photographers!  Focus on YOU.  Your own work.  The people you are comparing yourself to have probably been doing it much longer than you too!  It is such a difficult thing to do but, when you stop focusing on what others are doing, that’s when you will really start to grow as a photographer.

I also recommend that you do your homework.  There are some great tips and advice out there that can really help you find things that work to get children to interact, or keep the baby asleep or make that couple feel comfortable in front of your lens.  Doing your homework, I feel is most important, when attempting poses with newborns or small children.  If a pose looks dangerous, it probably is!  Most photographers use photoshop to do composites; they make that baby appear that he was sleeping alone on the guitar or bookshelf but he obviously never was…that’s way too dangerous and never worth the risk just for an image!

 Where can we find you?

Website: www.autumnmoorephotography.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/autumnmoorephotography

Wow!  Another amazing photographer.  I hope you all enjoyed this and be sure to leave some love for Autumn and check her out on Facebook!