Photography

I have a treat for you today!

Especially all of you who live in Arizona looking for a good photographer! No more need to look :)

Cortney is not only our friend, but she has been taking photos for our family since before Emrie was born.

And then Emrie came along and she took beautiful pictures of her...

And then just recently did our first photos of a family of 3

I met Cortney because our husbands work together and also mountain bike and hike and do all their fun boy things together.  We instantly became friends and after our first photoshoot instantly fell in love with her work and knew we were going no where else!

I did a fun little interview for you to get to know her more and a couple tips too!!

 When did your love for photography begin?

"I have always loved taking photos. My first camera was an old film camera that my dad found in the back of a car that he was doing work on back in high school. It was nothing fancy and I really didn't know much about it but had a lot of fun taking pictures of friends and nature as my surroundings in Oregon were breathtaking.  Since then has been a fun hobby and creative outlet for me but never considered it as a viable career path. My mother was always very creative and crafty as I grew up, so I was exposed to that a lot and picked up that trait from her."

 How long have been a photographer?

"I guess I started getting serious about shooting after my son, Easton, was born in 2008. I just fell in love with taking  photos of him and started taking pictures of my friends children at playdates and outings. I took a lot of classes and workshops to better my technical skills with my camera.  I had friends telling me I should consider doing it as a business but I'm my own worst critic and felt I wasn't good enough or didn't know enough to charge people money for it. I guess I would say I've done it professionally for the past year and have seen my business grow to something I never would have imagined."

 What are your favorite things to shoot?

"OH, that is so tough. I love certain things about everything I shoot.  I think I change my mind daily on that question.  I love the anticipation and adoration of maternity sessions, and the fact that they are really relaxing for me when it is first time parents because I'm used to photographing children 80% of the time.  Newborns just melt my heart and even though they are little, some can give me a major run for my money but I love the challenge of the newborn sessions to get that amazing shot.  Toddlers can be so much fun due to their fun-loving nature and energy that resonates naturally in photographs. And families I love to see the connections between children and their parents.  All ages and sessions have their challenges but that is what I love about what I do.  There is no given and I really have to work hard sometimes to get a great shot."

                  What is the best kind of outfit to wear for pictures?

 "I always tell parents to stay away from matchy matchy. Long gone are the days of jeans and white shirts for the whole family.  I LOVE color and patterns!  My best  piece of advice is to choose a piece that you absolutely love whether it be a striped sweater, floral skirt for a little girl and build from there.  Don't be afraid to mix and match prints with solids. Accessories are so fun too!  Headbands, scarves, bow ties, suspenders and hats.......I love a great hat on a little one."

If you had a word of advice to give someone thinking about becoming a photographer, what would it be?

"If you love it go for it but commit to it fully. There is a "photographer" on every corner these days so figure out what makes you stand out. Shoot a lot in the early stages to find out what you love to photograph and what your style is and educate yourself!  Don't be afraid to reach out for help and critiques as it will only make you and your work better.  There is a lot more to having a photography business than taking great photos. A lot of people I don't realize that majority of the time I spend working  is actually not behind my camera.  Okay that is more than one piece of advice :)"

So for everyone in Arizona looking for a photographer, this is your gal :)

You can go see more of Cortney's work HERE, HERE and HERE!