your questions… answered!

good morning! thanks, everyone, who participated! It was fun seeing what you’re curious about. ; )  I think I’ll do this again in the future!

what kind of camera and lenses do you use? (hanna jorgensen)

 I currently shoot all my sessions and weddings with my Canon 5D Mark ii and I use a Canon 40D for just personal pictures and when we travel. I only use Canon L series lenses. My 85mm 1.2 is my favortie and never lets me down!

what editing program do you use? (ariel ahrens)

I use Aperture and Photoshop CS5 for mac.

 why aren’t we straining our smoothies before drinking them? (sheila dokulil)

 good freakin’ question! we totally need to! that’s why i hate raspberries. haha

your props always amaze me. how do you know what to bring and make your shoot tell a story? (jami schaffnitt)

When someone books a shoot with me, the first thing I do is ask them several unique questions to really get to know their personalities and little quirks. Usually inspiration sparks from that conversation. I love to be involved in every aspect of the process. I’ve even been known to go shopping with my clients! The more I know about you, the more help I can be in guiding you to your dream photo shoot. I want your images to be as awesome as you do! ; )

 how do you pronounce your last name exactly? (lindsay thomson)

It’s a German name that’s highly common in Southeast Nebraska. It’s pronounced “EYE-DEE-US”   : )

 do you miss your full time radiology gig? (karla nitsch)

I definately do not miss punching a time clock everyday or the co-worker drama that was starting to polute my brain. what i do miss is chatting with my patients and making old people smile.

 If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? (adam dolkulil)

probably potatoes. they are a very versatile.

 all of your photo shoots include the most amazing props I’ve ever seen! How do you come up with the ideas/themes and where do you find all these goodies? (rebecca ruhland)

…see also jami’s answer…  sometimes my clients have interesting props they would like to incorporate into their shoot, like a family heirloom or significant thing they use in everyday life… but most of the time shopping for and/or making my props is one of my favorite parts of any shoot. Thrift shops, flea markets, or garage sales and Omaha is so close to me (and thanks to my good friend, Mona!) I have a huge list of places to frequent. My favorites for vintage props…and stuff for my house, too!: Second Chance Antiques, The Humble Home, and Blue Rose Antiques. And my favorites for vintage clothing… a must for any vintage-inspired shoot!: SCOUT, The Giving Tree, The Flying Worm. And I have a great relationship with Jim at our local antique store Simon Says Antiques.

how many pictures do you take in a session and how many proofs do you present to your cients? (kristi shoemaker)

Over the years, I’ve learned that quality is better than quantity. I’d rather get a shot right the first time (with exposure factors, composition, etc..) than fiddle with it photoshop later. Depending on who I’m shooting (not including weddings), I typically end up with 75-150 images to narrow down to 30-75 final edited images.

what steps do you take to go from enthusiast to professional? (molly broekemeier)

to answer your question with my whole heart, I feel that the journey to success (whatever success means to you) should be a personal journey. many photographers have started out the same way: taking pics for fun, then of friends, then charging, etc…   i think it’s important to be strong in your business sense and develop your own style of photography before even THINKING about opening up to the public. best advice i can give. some things you just have to learn on your own. they are the best lessons.

 will i be dead before i get any grandkids?!  (my dad)

……..patience is a virtue, dad.