Kacy Mehlem Photography had the pleasure of being featured  on WYFF News Channel 4 this past Sunday morning as their featured blog of the week.  They have a site called “Sound Off South” that highlights blogs in the Upstate.  It was such a great experience!  Thank you so much to Kelly Coakley, the news anchor who coordinated everything, for making me feel so comfortable and welcome.  I had a fantastic time.  I wish I had taken my camera to take some “behind the scenes” photos of the morning.

As part of the interview preparation Kelly asked me to answer some questions to learn more about the blog and me.  Since the interview is a quick summary, I thought I would include the written interview since I often get asked many of the same questions by clients.  Thank you Kelly for giving me a reason to sit down and put these thoughts in writing!

1.  Why did you decide to start your blog and how long have you been keeping it?
I was not updating my website as often as I wanted to since it was a more involved process, so I started the blog to be able to have immediate updates and text to go along with it.  I also wanted a way to keep people informed about what was going on with the business other than sending mass emails.  I began the blog in May 2008 to promote a gallery show I did at art & light gallery on Pendleton St.  I like the idea of having a blogsite rather than a separate blog and website.
2.  Tell me how you got into photography.
I was a chemistry teacher for five years before moving here in 2001.  I was a drug rep for about three years until I had my first child in 2004.  I always liked taking pictures, but when he was about a year old I was given a digital camera and a film SLR camera.  I was hooked and started taking pictures all the time. I took pictures for friends for fun and then it started to turn into friends of friends asking me to take pictures.  That is when I decided I needed to make it official and start a business.  I never anticipated the business turning me into a “working Mom”, which is why I try very hard to keep the balance between work and home.
3.  What kinds of pictures do you take?
Contemporary lifestyle portraits, meaning photos that capture the interactions between people in more of an casual, non-traditional style.  l feel like it is different than photojournalism in that the clients are conscious of the camera and I still have them move around sometimes to be sure to capture them the best way possible, but I try to find ways to get their personalities to come forth in the photo, not just their face.  The one area I tend to be a bit more traditional with is newborns.  I have tried all sorts of settings and props, but still come back to the simple basic approach to really capture the delicate features of the newborn.
I have photographed everything from maternity portraits to families to commercial sessions, but want to concentrate now on newborns and high school seniors.
4.  What do you write about on your blog?
I generally highlight recent sessions.  Since I am still not fully back from maternity leave and doing many sessions I want to write some entries about photography topics and tips for how people can take better photos themselves.
5.  What kind of feedback do you get from your blog?
Most people tend to send me emails rather than post comments on the blog.  Most of the feedback I get is from people commenting on the sessions or asking questions about my rates, business details, etc.  Sometimes other photographers will ask questions about the photos they see posted.
6.  How has your blog helped your business?
It is an up-to-date porfolio of whatever projects I am involved in.  I think people like the immediate sneak preview of their session and the ability to share it with people.  It is a great way to spread awareness of my business through word-of-mouth since a blog address can be quickly sent through emails.
7.  What do you enjoy about taking pictures?
Freezing a moment in time forever.  I don’t collect anything or have a bunch of knick knacks around my house, but I do have a ton of photographs waiting to be put in albums.  They are the legacy of my family that will hopefully carry through the generations.  I want my clients to feel that way as well.  That is one big reason why I do sessions the way I do, capturing all sorts of things, not just smiling at the camera and saying “cheese”.  I like session albums because they show the big picture.
8.  Your have a baby and two other children — what has it been like getting back into the swing of work?
It is definitely tougher this time around.  I have always done my business part time, taking photos on the weekend when my husband can be with the kids and doing all the rest at night for the most part.  I am definitely being challenged to find a way to do my work at reasonable hours of the day (other than between 9pm and 1am) and do all the things for my family the way I want them to be done.  I have to be more diligent about setting boundaries and not crossing the lines between work and home as much.
9.  What tips can you give for getting good pictures of babies and toddlers?
  • My biggest tip is to find some good natural light and turn off the flash.  Of course fancy cameras are nice, but simple point and shoot cameras can take great pictures if they are used under ideal circumstances.  Try to keep the subject facing the light without being in direct harsh sunlight.
  • Try to get genuine expressions, find real ways to get smiles rather than just telling the subject to say “cheese”.  Even if you don’t get smiles, realize that all those other expressions are part of the subject too and value them as picture-worthy.
  • Babies and toddlers are not predictable, so be prepared for anything to happen.  Naked newborns will wet all over things, crawlers might not sit or look at the camera, toddlers tend to run everywhere, so be prepared to chase them.
  • If you really want to get kids to look at the camera, give them a reason to.  Have something for them to look at next to the camera, bubbles, toys, someone being silly, whatever it is that they like to see.  If that excitement is across the room that is where they will be focusing their eyes.
  • Consider taking portraits in your home rather than at the park, or some other location.  When children are at home in their comfort zone the photographer is the new and exciting thing for them to focus on.  When you are out somewhere the child will most likely be looking all over the place checking out their new environment and not paying much attention to the photographer.
10.  What tips for taking great Senior portraits?
  • Be sure the subject is comfortable with you, the environment and how they look/what they are wearing.  If one of those things is not right, they won’t be comfortable in the situation.
  • Keep the conversation going.  Teens generally like to talk.  If you can capture the subject when they are engaged, you are likely to get natural looking photos.  Of course, everyone needs that senior headshot too, so they will need to stop talking occasionally to get those.
  • One thing about most teens is that they want to look good and are generally very cooperative to make that happen in their photos.
11.  Is there anything else you’d like to add?
There are tons of great cameras out there and lots of photographers.  If you are hiring a photographer talk to them first and check out their portfolio to see if your styles mesh to be sure that you both have the same expectations.  If you want to take photos yourself learn everything you can about how to use your camera to its fullest potential.  A fancy camera put on auto might not give you much of a different result than a simple camera used under ideal circumstances.  The more you know about how to use your camera the less you will have to think about what you are doing when you are trying to capture that important moment.
Thanks again Kelly Coakley and WYFF News Channel 4!