First things first, STOP LOOKING EXTERNALLY. :)

If blogs, websites, instagram, twitter, whatever is/are dragging you through the mud of comparison—there is simply no place for those things in your life.

As an artist, you have to fight to preserve your sense of "artistic self." That is so vitally important as it relates to finding your own voice (and is true of any industry. . . life in general, too).

If you are seeking inspiration, look in publications (print and/or online) that make you feel infused and uplifted. . . NEVER, EVER inadequate.

Remember, inspiration doesn't have to come from photography alone. . . look at other art mediums, read books and poetry that inspire you, get out into nature, exercise, serve others. . . etc etc etc, and watch what happens to your sense of inspiration and voice. It will surprise and excite you. Promise.

Above all, get out there and shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.

***THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO FIND YOUR VOICE THAN BY EXERCISING IT!***

xoxoxoxoxoxo!

Nat

PS- I totally believe in you!

Hi! Thanks, you are the sweetest!

I love Blogstomp. It has changed my life. I've never noticed any trouble with sharpness. I do notice a slight shift in color, but it's so minor, it's probably imperceptible to anyone but me.

Hopefully something below will be helpful to you:

I sharpen in photoshop before importing to Blogstomp (using a high pass filter or the "slice like a ninja" action from Totally Rad Actions on approximately 30% opacity).

I export at 80% quality from Blogstomp.

Another thing to consider: are your dimensions set correctly? If your dimensions are set incorrectly, you may be having what appears to be a sharpness issue but is actually a sizing and/or resolution problem. . .

Hope this helps.

Best! xoxo!

No, I really don't! I know that seems absurd, but I didn't do much local wedding collaboration on Oahu when I lived there. Most of my weddings were shot off island, so the majority of my wedding connections are off island as well. And the few people I did collaborate with on Oahu no longer live there!

Agh! Wish I could help!

He died in his sleep of "natural causes." He was 21.

It's such a difficult question to answer, because there are so many variables at play. . . The idea of what it would take to "survive" is also really relative. . . one person's opinion of "surviving" may differ significantly from another person's, you know?

My advice is to break down your current necessities by cost and usage and then google to find the comparable costs for the same necessities in Hawaii. Do some math and see what it would take for YOU to "survive" in Hawaii.

I wish I could be of more help! I just don't feel comfortable (or qualified) offering this kind of advice. It wouldn't be in your best interest.

But I will say that God has a way of making things work out just the way they're meant to. If Laie is in your future, God will help you make that happen! No doubt about it!

xoxo!

First things first, I LOVE the bible. Some of my most profound experiences with God have come while studying and praying over it's pages!

Because I can't say this any better myself, here is a direct quote from Mormon.org that perfectly explains my feelings as it relates to the Bible and the Book of Mormon:

"Mormons believe, revere and love the Holy Bible. We see it as a powerful, important, and sacred holy record which serves as the bedrock of all Christianity. The Bible is rich in history, doctrine, stories, sermons and testimonies, all of which witness that Jesus Christ is the Divine Son of our Heavenly Father. The Bible is the word of God and came from the writings of holy men of God as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost (see 2 Peter 1:20-21). Through the same process we have additional Holy Scripture, including the Book of Mormon, which supports and exalts the Bible."

This is a great question, and it's actually not unique to those curious about Mormonism. . . it's a common question to investigators of Christianity as a whole.

Many wonder if this warning found in the book of Proverbs negates the remainder of biblical text (aka the entirety of the New Testament for example).

**While we're on the subject, it's important to note that same warning is found again in the books of Deuteronomy (4:2) and Revelation (22:18).**

Biblical scholars (Mormon and otherwise) seem to agree on the subject: these warnings, when read in context, speak directly in relation to the book in which they are included, and are not inclusive of the scriptoral canon as a whole (aka the canon that includes only the Old AND New Testaments OR a canon that is inclusive not only of the Old and New Testaments, but of the Book of Mormon as well).

Here is something to help shed light on the general subject (using the warning found in the book of Revelation as the general context):

"A careful reading of the words makes it clear that the warning against adding to or taking away does not refer to the whole Bible or even to the New Testament, but to use John’s words, only to the words of “the book of this prophecy.” That is, the prophecy contained in the book of Revelation. This is substantiated by the fact that some of the books of the New Testament had not yet been written when John wrote the book of Revelation, and even those that had been written and were in existence at that time had not yet been gathered into one compilation.

The collection of writings consisting of the sixty-six books we know as the Bible were brought together and compiled into one volume long after John wrote the prophetic book that has been placed at the end of the collection. It is clear, therefore, that the terrible judgments pronounced upon those who add to the book could not possibly apply to the whole of the Bible or even to the New Testament, but only to the book of Revelation."

You can read the above article in it's entirety here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1981/04/no-man-shall-add-to-or-take-away?lang=eng

Again, great question. I hope this offers some clarity.

Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.

Find your own unique voice.

Stop looking at other photographer's work and comparing yourself—you don't want to be a carbon copy of anyone else, you need to be YOU, because THAT is what will ultimately set you apart in a sea of "competition."

I think I would just tell myself to relax and enjoy life more. I was always REALLY stressed. . . stressed about friends, stressed about school, stressed about dance (and all the other extra curricular stuff I always had going on), stressed about boys. . . lots of anxiety in my life —and all of it unnecessary. I wish I would have just cut lose and enjoyed myself more (within the realm of my values, naturally. . . I' not saying I would have been a wild child. . . I just would have given myself more permission to be a kid. . . I'm pretty sure that by the time I was 9, I started acting and feeling like an adult).

I use blogstomp for all the images that are output for web. It's an AMAZING app and cheap as heck (for the value it provides). Check it out.

Most of my edits are done in Camera Raw. I use and LOVE the VSCO presets for Camera Raw.

Well, honestly I think that if people manage their "networking" with grace, tact and integrity, Network Marketing can be just fine. Unfortunately, many people approach the "system" without grace, tact or integrity, thus spoiling many an amazing product simply by their poor distribution. . . But good or bad? Neither. As with anything else, it depends on the product.

I consistently open shades, open doors, move around furniture etc to find the best light I possibly can. Don't be afraid to insist on the same. Your client wants good images, yes? They'll be thrilled by your commitment! :) Good luck!

PS. If you aren't comfortable using artificial light, now is not the time to experiment (meaning, at a paid shoot).

I don't know enough about Protestantism to answer this question effectively, so I will simply explain what I know of my own religion.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that our Church is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, just as he himself organized it when he walked the earth in the first century AD.

As far as my limited understanding is concerned, Protestants reformed Catholic doctrine to arrive at their various denominations—though I am willing to be corrected here. As I mentioned, I am not well versed in the history of Protestantism.

You asked if I believe that Protestants are missing something because they don't believe in the Book of Mormon. I'll answer by saying that I believe that the Book of Mormon is an essential key to the fullness of Christ's gospel. Hand in hand with the bible, I believe that therein lies the fullness of Christ's truth.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also believe in latter-day revelation (as in, ongoing revelation) through prophets and apostles that have been called and set apart in our day and age (now) to continue to administer to God's children here on the earth.

In short, we believe that Christ restored his ancient church through the Prophet Joseph Smith and that it exists today precisely as it did when he lived and established it himself upon the Earth.

Here is a historical description as to how (and why) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is set up the way that it is: http://mormon.org/restoration

Exactly the kind of work I'm doing every day as a wife and mother.

Use the shadows to your advantage. If you can't fight the harsh light, embrace it. You may end up going for a different kind of look than you had previously imagined, but that can be great. Harsh shadows can actually add dimension to a shot that would otherwise appear flat. Just play with angle until you find something that works.

(That said, a diffuser can be a real life saver when you're in a pickle and need a certain kind of shot that the present light just won't allow. . . )

I'm not sure I totally understand the question, so I'll answer the latter, which I do understand. Using the in camera light meter, assuming you are getting accurate results from it, is absolutely fine. That's what it exists for, as a tool to help you, the photographer, get the kind of image you're after. You could use a hand held meter, I own one and have used it on occasion, but I don't find the results to be any more consistent than what I get from my in camera meter.

For the sake of time, I'm going to give you a very basic description here (enough to help you feel armed well enough to then google the question and find more in-depth answers).

Not having an actual sample of what you're talking about, I'm thinking one of two things are happening:

1. Either your shutter speed is too slow
or
2. Your aperture is too wide

Without going into too much detail, a general (very general and not at all iron clad) rule of thumb: when you're trying to freeze motion (depending on how fast the subject is moving) keep your shutter speed around 1/200th of a second (or faster the faster your subject is moving).

In terms of aperture, you need a deeper depth of field if you're trying to get a large group in focus. Depending on the size of the group, f5.6-f8 should do the trick.

Play around with these tips. The best way to understand this stuff is to shoot and shoot and shoot. Over time, it will just click (no pun intended).

I just answered a very similar question, scroll through my responses and you'll find it there. :)

This is an important question overall, and it is especially an important question to ask yourself early on. (So good for you!)

It's simple: SHOW WHAT YOU WANT TO SHOOT! It's fine, in the beginning, to take jobs as they come (even if they aren't your precise style). But in your online portfolio, where you show your best images, only show the style of images that you hope to shoot more of. Over time, you'll find that clients are coming to you because they resonate with your style, not simply because you're an affordable photographer in their geographical area. Best of luck to you!