photography/creative director Tracy Yun
model/hmua Jocelyn Todd
words Nina Calloway
What kind of gear do you use?
Camera body – Canon 5d Mark III & Canon 70D.
Lens – 85mm 1.8, 50mm 1.4, 24 mm 2.8, 10-18mm 4.0, 28mm-105mm 3.5,35mm-80mm. 4.0, Tripod – None, Filters – UV Filter every so often depending on the weather. Flash – None, Camera bag – Brand: Connie & Co Backpack and Purse for Cameras & Co.
What is your favorite lens right now and why?
My go to Lenses would be the 24mm, 50mm & 85 mm. I like variety between Wide Angle Images and Images with beautiful Bokeh effects!
When you go in one of your travels, what all you take with you?
I literally take every single piece of Camera Gear I own as well as Laptops & external hard drives. Including Dresses, headdresses and co in case I can organize a model for TFD work!
Among the gadgets that you own, is there something that you wish you hadn’t bought?
I don’t regret buying anything but what I do regret doing in the beginning was not owning a second body. I learned very quickly on that a second body is a must to play it safe in case your main body fails.
In the field, what are your settings?
Aperture – Between 1.4 & 2.8; Shutter Speed – 1/500; ISO – 100; White Balance – 6400k; Focus –; Manual/Auto: Auto in Action Shots, Manual for micro shots and Image Format – RAW/JPEG
What kind of tools do you use for post processing?
I use Photoshop and Light room. Most of my Post Processing is done in Light room. Since I tend to shoot a tiny bit over exposed, I tend to go ahead and drop the Exposure, Highlights, Whites, Desaturate and depending on the images I adjust color hues. I like to then go ahead and sharpen my subject, Blur my background depending on the shot even more, after that I like to dehaze my images and sometimes even add Grain to them. Vignettes can be very beautiful for up close and personal portraits.
How do you educate yourself to take better pictures?
I take advice from everyone. I love networking with other people and getting their input on how they not only use their gear or post process but how they built their business and important things like Contracts and co. I joined fairly quickly on Forums to educate myself through other people’s Success and Failures. Workshops and Online courses from fellow Photographers is something I highly encourage as every artist views the world in their own unique ways.
The internet provides allot of great resources but I highly encourage people starting out to take a Course in their local Community college to learn at least the basics of not only your camera and the gear and how to use it, but also how to build and start your business or how to make a living off of your art correctly from the beginning. Many Artists sadly in this industry start out at non livable wages and tend to give up on their art and dreams fairly quickly into their journeys. This can be prevented if the artist takes the leap and receives educational basics of the industry.
Among your works, which one is your favorite?
My current favorite image would have to be from a recent shoot in Bordeaux WA in Olympic National Forrest. It features Model Sheila Daligdig in a 15 ft. Red and Black Tulle Skirt , topless and flipping her hair back , the scenery is in the middle of the woods where one can see that allot of trees had been cut down. So it was rather messy with Cut down Trees, Broken Branches in the middle of this incredibly thick overgrown Forrest. I kept the Post Processing in Dark and Moody tones to give it an overall more powerful feel. This image can be seen on my website on www.maryjanephotoart.com/start.
Whose work has influenced you most?
Sonja Saur of Sonja Saur Photography in Germany; Jan Schaefer of Ufocrash in Germany; Vic Vicious of Vic Vicious Photography in Germany; Karl Lagerfeld and Sarah Haimes of Shuttergram Portraits.
What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?
How difficult it would be as an Artistic Photographer to run a Business not knowing how difficult certain clients would be. Now don't get me wrong, I love my clients to the core, I have created allot of beautiful memories with my Cliental. The problem is that new Clients don’t always understand that an independent Photographer is not and doesn't operate like businesses such a JC Penny. I wish I would have known how effective in person consultations can be to explain not only yourself but how you work and why it is they pay the price they do for Independent Photographers. Allot of times we are met with rude individuals who demand the most of your business at the lowest possible cost. I like to educate new photographers on the 3 following important things:
1. Its’ okay to turn a Job down. Yes there will be times where you will be broke. You will be desperate for any session you can get. But that doesn't mean you will meet your ideal clients under such circumstances. Sometimes clients will inquire with the most bizarre inquiries whether it’s an intimate couples’ session or if the client could have the session and all RAW files at XYZ Cost. It’s okay to say no. Do not explain yourself. Do not be rude. Kindly Decline and even maybe point them in the right direction of other photographers or not. But don't feel bad saying no.
2. YOU DO NOT MAKE A LIVING TAKING PICTURES. YOU MAKE A LIVING SELLING THOSE PICTURES. What does this mean? The Baker does not make a living baking the bread. The baker makes a living selling the Bread. Very simple.
3. You are an Artist. You create Artistic Vision and Representation of your Client. Start seeing yourself as an Artist and the world will treat and see you as one. Don't be shy to charge Artist Pricing. - PQ
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