DC 101 Group Session [March 20] | Washington, DC Photography Mentor

Happy Mentor Monday!

I hope everyone had a pleasant weekend and is ready for a new month this week :)

I just realized this weekend that I have enough mentor session recaps to have Mentor Monday every Monday for the next few weeks so I shall try to make that happen!

Today I have a fun recap from one of my last DC sessions this past March! It was actually rescheduled because it snowed on the first day we were scheduled to get together, and as it would happen it snowed on the rescheduled date as well :/ 

Fortunately we didn’t end up with nearly as many inches as we did previously and we had a beautiful indoor space so we were able to have a cozy lifestyle session with our gorgeous model Denise!

I had such a great day with everyone, but I’ll stop yapping and let the photos speak for themselves :)

Thanks for this BTS shot Troy!

Love love love these next series of shots styled by Adina!

http://40.media.tumblr.com/55621c11e0c770c39dfd8b73b38d8fb2/tumblr_nqcpunQidv1u563kvo2_1280.jpg

Hear directly from the mentees on their experience:

“My mentoring session was absolutely wonderful. I learned so many things. Danielle simplified so much that I was just overdoing. My shooting and workflow times will definitely be more efficient. I feel way more confident in getting the shot right every time in camera instead of relying so much on overextensive editing.”

-Adina B.

“Several words come to mind when I think of Danni- light, color, vibrant, bubbly, gifted, but the one that sums it all up for me is Amazing! Not only is Danni down to earth, but she is an excellent teacher and that easy going spirit translates into her teaching. I was wowed at the simplicity of her teaching style. I mean how can something so simple produce such amazing results? Being a part of a DFinney mentoring session has truly changed my life and has already taken my photography to the next level. To see instant improvement in the quality of your work is an indescribable feeling. And not just a minor change, I’m talking marked improvement. It’s a high like no other! If you’re serious about investing in your craft, her mentoring sessions are a must! I would recommend DFinney’s mentoring session ten times over!”

-Melena D. 

Thank you soo much ladies! It has been an absolute pleasure to see your amazing work since our session together :)

If you would like to have the DFinney Experience yourself and participate in the next group mentor session, check out full details here, including upcoming cities and dates, and email me today if you’re interested in attending! 

Moremi | Houston, TX Lifestyle Photographer

Happy Monday loves! I’d planned to do another installment of Mentor Monday today, but I decided I wanted to share these photos of Moremi instead :)

This will forever be one of my favorite sessions simply for how it even came about in the first place- serendipity brought Moremi and I together 💛

I went to Target for a few things when I touched down in Houston this past March and this beautiful woman in the cosmetics section caught my eye. I was dead tired but I had to let her know how gorgeous she was! I did and we instantly clicked like old friends. I mentioned that I was in town for work and wished I lived there so we could shoot… But then we arranged an impromptu shoot for my only free day while I was there! This was sooo far out of my comfort zone (and hers too) but I am sooo happy with the results ^_^ 

Not only did I get to photograph this beautiful woman, but I have a new friend :)

If you’re interested in booking a session and would like to have the DFinney Experience yourself, email me and schedule yours today! Currently booking: limited sessions for July and August 2015.

June Models Needed + Summer Cancellations

Greetings beautiful people,

Just popping in to share a few quick updates-

Are you interested in being a model for one of my upcoming mentor sessions?

Dates needed are as follows:

Philadelphia, PA 
Thursday, June 25 

Washington, DC
Monday, June 29

Richmond, VA
Wednesday, July 1

Just two requirements: weekday availability & ability to pay $75 for professional makeup- your only cost.  That’s it!

Shoot me an email danielle@dfinneyphoto.com with at least one photo (you’re free to send more if you’d like) + indicate the city and date you’re interested in participating.

Note: Please don’t prevent yourself from being considered by not following these simple directions :)

You will receive a full set of high resolution images for compensation. Due to the high number of participants, I will not be able to respond to everyone individually- only those that will be chosen to work with will be contacted.

Due to scheduling adjustments, the August LA & SF dates have been cancelled. 

They will more than likely be rescheduled for next year or later this year, but those that have secured seats will receive refunds for the August dates. I will however be holding a second 102 date in Chicago early August for those who weren’t able to attend the first in May, so shoot me an email if you’re interested in attending!

No Summer Minis? Not this year :( Also due to scheduling adjustments, summer minis won’t be held this year. 2015 was front loaded with heavy travel and teaching… Over the past few weeks, I realized that I was doing too much, so I need to rest! So I’m looking forward to taking an ACTUAL vacation this summer instead of working :)

That’s all for today, 

I hope your Thursday ends on a pleasant note ❤️

-Danni

Andrea | Artist Spotlight

Happy Thursday beautiful people!

I’m a little later than I wanted to be with today’s post as I was traveling to Miami this morning for mentoring this weekend! Super excited about that, but even more excited at the moment to introduce you to super awesome designer and illustrator, Andrea!

I have been following Andrea’s work for YEARS, I believe I first stumbled across her blog while I was still doing admin work back in 2006/7 and I was hooked! Her use of colors, patterns, texture… I loved it all! We ended up connecting a couple years after when I photographed her blog’s 5 year anniversary party and have kept in touch since so I knew she’d be perfect for the Artist Spotlight feature.

I won’t spend the whole post rambling about how awesome she is though, you can see for yourself ;)

Meet Andrea!

What is your name?
Andrea Pippins

Where are you located?
Baltimore, MD

What do you do?
I am an artist with a background in graphic design. I currently teach courses in graphic design full-time at Maryland Institute College of Art.

How long have you been a designer/illustrator?
I’ve been designing for almost 13 years and doing illustration here and there for about 10 years.

How did you become interested in graphic design?
My interest in design was sparked by television and a movie. I was intrigued by Halle Berry’s character in Boomerang where she was an art director. In the film she was also an artist and an art teacher. When I saw “Angela” I was AMAZED (even though she wasn’t a real person). Before that character, I had never seen a person working in a career where they could be creative; let alone a woman of color! 

Around the same time I saw a Saturday morning segment (during cartoons) about a woman who was an art director at a magazine. Again, I was amazed because she was talking about drawing, and designing, and sharing how all that informed her work as an art director.  

Who/what are some of your creative influences?
Hand-painted barbershop signs from various countries throughout Africa. Photography from Malick Sidibé and Seydou Keïta, patterns, women of color, Brazil, 80s-90s hip hop styling, vintage black american ephemera, folk tales, black mythology, afrofuturism, the Black Arts Movement, and people who make things by hand. Libraries, museums, and markets always get my creative juices flowing.

What has been your favorite project that you’ve worked on so far?
Hmmm, that’s hard because there are so many that I loved. But there is one illustration project I worked on last summer that I loved because I learned a lot about the given topic and learned a lot about myself as an artist and business woman. It challenged me creatively and professionally. That assignment really changed my perspective on who I am as an artist, a professional, an entrepreneur, and as a working woman. I think about that experience all the time because what I learned continues to influence the work I do and my decisions regarding the projects I take on. Sadly, I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, so I can’t share any details. In addition, it was put on hold so I don’t know that it will ever see the light of day. 

A video posted by Andrea Pippins (@andreapippins) on Dec 29, 2014 at 5:50pm PST

What other types of creative work do you do?
I’ve been doing collage work and also experimenting with animating my artwork. I’ve also been wanting to do more writing lately — so looking to take a creative writing course. And of course teaching design is creative work I’m always doing.

What keeps you motivated? Lots of tea, and reading.

Any advice to fellow creatives (in your industry or otherwise)?
For budding artists, don’t be afraid to take risks with your ideas. Experiment and explore. Be excited, and immerse yourself in your work. For everyone, when you learn, teach. Whether it’s becoming a mentor, teaching a workshop, writing for a blog, or even just tweeting information, share what you know.

Any other fun tidbits we should know about you?
I really want to dance in the Brazilian carnival and I make a mean caipirinha (the national cocktail of Brazil). My mother is Brazilian, and I speak Portuguese. I’m addicted to Lemonheads candy and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. My middle name is Georgia, after Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind.” and I love to sing.

Where can we find you online?
website: andreapippins.com
blog: flygirlblog.com 
instagram: @andreapippins
twitter: @flygirlblog

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Andrea better! Please be sure to keep up with all of her awesomeness everywhere on social media and check out her etsy for any prints she may have for sale!

‘Till next time!

-Danni

What Kind of Camera Should I Get? | Photography FAQ

Two weeks in a row doing a Photography FAQ? Who am I?! Lol well I hope you enjoy today’s topic as it’s a question I find myself being asked more often these days so I figured I’d write about it so I can have some place to direct folks to who ask this question in the future :)

The assumption often is that since you’re a good photographer, you should know all things about cameras. This simply isn’t true- for me anyway lol. 

I’m often asked this question and I never exactly know how to answer because to be quite honest, I don’t keep up with the latest camera technology to even have the slightest idea of what’s the best out there currently.

I shoot Nikon because that’s what my brother had when I began shooting so I just stayed with the same brand because we shared lenses. Quite a few of my photographer friends also shoot Canon, and a few shoot Sony and Mamiya (I know there are other brands but those are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head lol). I don’t have brand allegiance so you won’t hear me suggesting you get a Nikon over Canon or any other brand because truly it’s about knowing how to use the camera, not the brand :)

Your camera search will begin when you get an idea of the kinds of things you want to use the camera for. If you find you’re not interested in becoming a photographer, you may not even need a professional DSLR camera. Digital technology has advanced tremendously in recent years and you’re able to get great quality photos with a regular digital camera, so this will save you loads of money. If you are looking to get a DSLR camera, my suggestion is always to google “best beginner DSLR camera” or things like that so that you can begin your search with more information in the area specific to what you’re looking for. That will help you narrow down your selection.

Once you’ve found a camera you’re going to move forward with, the greatest piece of advice I can offer here comes from what my brother told me when I was looking to purchase my first camera- buy the camera BODY ONLY and then use the money you would have put towards the full camera + kit lens towards the purchase of a quality lens. Kit lenses aren’t really that great (which is why they’re included for free), and once you progress in your photography, they will never be used… so skip that step and move forward with a lens that you will actually be able to use for years to come :)

Lenses… are another topic altogether, but some great (relatively inexpensive) portrait lenses are 50/1.8 and 35/1.8. Which lens(es) you choose to go with will ultimately depend on the types of things you plan to shoot and there are wonderful articles on the interwebs that have been written to take you much more in depth on that :)

Hopefully this helped get your search started!

-Danni