Portrait Photography, Isle of Wight
You are amazeballs!
Yes, you.
Forget that you’re super scared of leaping into a photo shoot, going after your dream of modelling.
Dismiss those negative thoughts wishing you’d fail, describing all the things that can go wrong:
Fear keeps you stuck. Traps you in a zone of comfort. Holding you back.
Is this you?
I wrote this blog post just for Kriszta.
Yes, Kriszta because she’s fast becoming a wonderful muse and radically superhuman creative that has a wonderful life mapped out ahead of her.
The key reason I support young adults is because I understand the damage self-sabotaging can do. Empowering others is my way of preventing others thwarting their own progress in life.
We’ve all been there, right. Do you remember all the times you’ve blocked your own happiness and success, getting in the way of your own ambitions?
Life’s a beach. The sun always shines. Our jobs are easy. And we have plenty of spare time to spend with family and friends.
The key difference between Pinterest and life? It’s just not true. Life is a helter-skelter of frazzled demands on our time and with it, our creativity falls. Spiralling down along with doubt, self-judgement and an inner critic nestling comfortably on our shoulder, whispering toxic messages.
“Mandy’s approach to photography is pure class. She aims to create stunning photographs and her work reflects this. I loved the lighting setups, mood board and wardrobe suggestions by Mandy- she has all of the ingredients of a talented photographer and I loved the results!”
If you’re like most models, photographers or simply someone who likes pretty pictures, you’ll be curious how I create the below photographs whilst juggling a full-time job.
Planning for my photoshoots involves a lot of head-scratching whilst I figure out the right model for my mood board, struggle with how I’m going to style my model and use a storyboard to plan how I’ll direct the poses and expression to create fabulous photographs.
I know when I’m close to success when I start to find the right person because they bring so much value to the session.
Getting the right person is electrifying. But does it happen naturally? Never. So I work hard to connect with aspiring models that are eager to work with me.
And when I want to produce beautiful imagery I get quietly determined. I turn up the heat. The thing I really like is nattering about a plan that combines colour, style, textures and luminous lighting.
The portraits in this blog present a fabulous, internationally published model Helen Diaz LINK. Working with someone at her calibre enabled me to finish the summer holidays on a high.
I’m always flattered when I read my reviews and Helen and Jessica from last week LINK summed me up perfectly: a bit quirky, full of energy and determined to produce the very best that I can.
To understand the true value of my photography, you need to recall why I picked up my first camera. I knew in my heart I wanted to reach out and connect with people upon my return from Asia (a short story about how I started photography). I just didn’t’ realise just how rewarding this hobby would become.
Although I’m always super scared of setting new goals and going after my dreams. Taking a big leap is exhilarating, especially when my plans come to fruition.
Summer is coming to a close. If you’ve enjoyed these photographs, tell me why. I’ll be planning my next mood board in the non-too distant future. I’d like to get a revolution going – natural, beautiful portrait for everyday people.
Join my vision – Luxurious photography for everyone.
Amanda Herbert | Isle of Wight
Email: info@amandaherbert.com
When I invited Happy Natural Women LINK to pop over to my home studio to be caked in clay, I had a sneaking suspicious her response would be a resounding ‘YES!’
I needed a pal that could guide my creative vision and help me achieve the next goal on my 2016 wishlist see my posts here and here about my previous hopes and wishes.
Fear of failure (and success) exposes our insecurities – fear of critique, exposing your soul to strangers, our ability to overcome challenges and putting your heart and soul into something that might be rejected.
When you start looking at yourself. I mean really looking at who you are. It can be very emotional.
But you can’t give up. You have a voice. You have a right to be creative. You can make a difference. If you put so much of yourself into your work, viewers can feel your passion.
People can be quick to judge, yes. But people are even quicker to support you and when they do, it feels good.
Which is why I’ve stayed to true to myself and let my passion take me into new creative journeys.
We all know laughter lifts our spirits. Like catching up with an old friend, working with Happy Natural Women felt spontaneous and giggly, covered in clay we started to create straight away. Smiling at each photograph, sharing a joke or exchanging stories about our dreams and hopes. I want to thank HNW for her support and look forward to working with her again.
Want to join in? Check out the helpful posts below:
Amanda Herbert | Isle of Wight
Email: info@amandaherbert.com
If you’re a photographer …. then this post is for you.
I believe all creative souls are built of the same stuff: grit, determination, empathy and a passion to create. And I believe that the only way to develop as an artist is work with other photographers. See last week’s post on working with Skye who reached out for a work experience placement.
Working with other photographers in a supportive way really helps to push us through tough times and serves to generate zingy, bouncy problem-solving skillsss, especially when we’re stuck and unsure of where to go next with our photography.
I’ve made friends in every city I’ve lived, all over Asia and Europe, and whenever I admire other photographer’s work, I can guarantee they reach out and connect to ask questions or share ideas. And that feels good.
Connecting with others is never really about the photographs we create, although Holly has enjoyed some lovely comments from friends and family, it’s about the joyous synergy that arises when working with passion. That’s what makes working with Holly so special (see last year’s creations and on Holly’s website). Together we feel inspired. We make friendships that are based on mutual respect and support; I can’t wait to see what we’ll create next year.
P.S. Holly recently received a glorious review for her wedding photography which is filled with emotion, spontaneity and people (not poses ;)).
Want to join in? Check out the helpful posts below:
Amanda Herbert | Isle of Wight
Email: info@amandaherbert.com
