This weekend I attended a fantastic photography workshop.
It was extremely well planned out.
There was no detail that was overlooked.
Lisa from the Long Road to China
has recently began to expand her photography passion.
Lisa loved her point and shoot.
This picture is a picture that was taken with her
Kodak Point and Shoot.
Lisa went from taking pictures like this
to shooting images like this in a matter of months.
Can you recall the first photo you took
that made you go WOW!?
Yes. I took this at the first workshop I attended.
I had only been using a DSLR for about 7 months and was shooting in the automatic mode. When I got to that workshop I was taught how to really use the features of my camera and I moved out of the “auto zone” into Aperture and Manual. I was blown away at the difference in my photos just by taking control of my settings. That is definitely when and where the photography addiction took full force.
How did you go from a point and shoot
to a DSLR?
Were you happy about transitioning?
One year I sent my husband to do some Christmas shopping and when he returned he had everything on the list, plus a little something extra. When I opened the bag and saw this big camera, I closed the bag and handed it back to him and said,
“Take it back, I am NEVER going to use it”. 
He said that we needed to get better about taking pictures of the kids instead of just taking them to portrait studios for the holidays and milestones. 
At that time I was using a Kodak Point and Shoot that we bought only hours before we had to leave on our honeymoon. I was not much of a camera person. No matter where we went, I was always the person that left the camera at home. For many years I just bought disposable cameras because I could never remember to bring it along with me.
Well, he never took the camera back, but it sat in the box untouched for quite a few months. In April of 2008, I decided to start a blog and after about 4 weeks of cruising the blog circuit and looking at so many amazing photographs, I decided it might be time to take that camera out of the box and give it a try.
If you could live anywhere in the world and work as a photographer
what location would you pick?
This is a tough question for me because there are so many beautiful places around the world, but if I had to pick just one, I would say Sicily. We still have family there and I would love to go, even if it was just for a visit. My Aunt and Uncle went last year and it was just beautiful. The water, the buildings, the people, it is all so picturesque.
Define the word "beauty".
While this is not really a definition of beauty, a quote immediately came to mind….. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” That is the one thing that really intrigues me about photography. There is beauty in everything, but we all see it from different points of view. It can be an absolutely gorgeous child, it can be an interchange between two people, it can be anything. Beauty does not always have to be what is on the outside…… it is about emotion and feeling and things that are within.
Does your personality change when you look through the camera lens?
I think I am somewhat the same when I am behind the camera, but I do find that it gives me a sense of peace and calmness. When I am looking through that lens, all the worries seem to slip away. It is a place where I feel artistic….it is my getaway from the real world and sometimes hectic everyday life.
Do Nick and Sarah ever show any interest
in the camera?
Nick has shown a great deal of interest in the camera and often helps me when I do client sessions where I might need an extra set of hands. At times I have wondered if he is really interested, or if it is a tactic to keep him behind the lens instead of in front of it
How do you feel about missed shots which cannot be recreated?
I do hate to miss a shot, but most of the time it happens when I don’t have my camera with me. I tend to look at life as if I was looking at it through a lens, so pretty much every day there are missed moments that could have been captured that could never be recreated. I try to keep my camera within easy reach, but sometimes you only have a matter of seconds.
Who are your influences in regards to photography?
I love to look at other photographer’s work. Right now I would have to say that two of my favorites are Kamee June and Jasmine Star. I also enjoy looking through flickr and blogs at work done by other aspiring photographers like myself. 
The one other thing that is a big influence on my photography
(don’t laugh)
is the Food Network. Anyone that follows my blog knows that I have a passion for food and for cooking. I just LOVE to photograph food……..(maybe because it does not run away when it sees the camera) 
My family is actually thinking about doing a small cookbook of our recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation and my uncle wants me to do all the photos. 
I thought it was a great idea so every time I make one of our family favorites, I whip out the camera.
What is your favorite action or pre set?
If someone is just starting out in Photoshop,
what actions would you recommend?
I have a lot of actions and presets, but I have to say that my very favorites are Shana Rae’s Florabella Actions and Textures. She is a brilliant and extremely talented woman. Her textures give your photos that extra WOW factor!
How long did it take you to learn photoshop?
It took me a good 2-3 months to master the basics of photoshop cs3/cs4. I took a 4 week online course that really helped me learn the ins and outs of the program. I was one of those people that needed someone to show me exactly what to do instead of reading it in a book. Once I started enhancing my pictures, people started asking me what I was doing, because they noticed a big change in my photography.
After a year of practicing and continuing to learn more and more about the program, I was approached by a few people to see if I would teach them how to use Photoshop. One thing led to another and I started teaching my own online Photoshop Classes. 
It has been more successful than I anticipated and I really enjoy teaching others and at the same time, it pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and continue to increase my knowledge of the software program.
What is the lens you could not live without?
Right now my favorite lens is my 50mm 1.4. I absolutely love it and could not live without it, but that being said I have a long wish list of lenses I would like to try, so this could change over time.
What is your favorite image you have taken so far this year?
My favorite photo right now is one I took of Nick and Sarah sitting in a local vineyard. I love the natural feel of the photo and the sweet interchange between them. They are like any other sister and brother…….they have their moments and can bicker like the best of them, but they do truly love each other and this picture is just proof of that love.
Have you met many new bloggers thru black and white Wednesday.
I cannot believe how many new and wonderful bloggers I have met since I started hosting Black and White Wednesday. It has been so much fun for me, but it has also connected so many of my faithful readers to new blogs as well. 
Wednesdays have quickly become my favorite day of the week and I look forward to each and every photo that is linked.
What are you most looking forward to shooting this year?
Well, it only takes a quick glance at my blog to figure out that I get great joy out of photographing my two children. Of course I will continue to photograph them, but in just a few short weeks we are going to have a new addition to our family.
We have been waiting to adopt from China for over 4 years and our referral is due to arrive sometime in August, which means we will be traveling to China to meet her for the very first time in either September or October. 
Excited doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings. We have been dreaming about this little girl for a long time and throughout our wait there were many moments that I doubted it was going to happen for us. It is REALLY happening and we are over the moon about it. I am already stocking up on the 16GB Memory Cards for my camera because I know I am going to want to capture every waking moment……..maybe some sleeping ones too.
Lisa’s pictures are beautiful.
Her children are beautiful.
Her life is beautiful.
It is beautiful because she sees beauty all around her
wherever she goes.
If you get a chance to read her story, take a moment.
It will make you cry and it will definitely inspire you.
Lisa’s blog: The Long Road to China
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