Brooklyn 102 Group Session [May 2] | Washington, DC Photography Mentor

Next up for today? Session 102!

The next day was all about business with Stacey and Lauren. On Stacey’s side, it was regarding beginning a business and on Lauren’s how to build/refine an existing business.

Each left with loads of helpful information and practical tips that they could implement- as well as brand new headshots!

I even stepped in front of Lauren’s camera at the end of our headshot session for a few shots :)

Hear directly from one of the attendees on her experience: 

“Danielle is so cool and makes me feel like I am family. She makes everyone feel comfortable, that’s for sure. And her work speaks for itself- definitely worth paying for a mentor session.

From the last time I did my 101 session with the lovely Danielle I walked away inspired and empowered as a photographer and individual. The great thing about doing the mentor sessions is that it’s more of a life changing empowerment workshop. You go in doubting yourself and leave knowing you can do it and that you have the tools to do it as well since Danielle has put together the greatest workshop booklets ever.”
-Lauren Marsh

Thank you so much Lauren! It is always a pleasure to work with you and I can’t wait to see how you grow even further in your awesomeness :) 

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! 

Brooklyn 101 Group Session [May 1] | Washington, DC Photography Mentor

Happy Mentor Monday!

I hope you had a beautiful weekend and are ready to tackle the new week with purpose! *strong arm emoji* lol. I have two fun recaps for you guys today- my Brooklyn group sessions from May!

First up is the 101 session where the mentees learned all about natural light! I used one of the same locations I did for Nicole’s session the day before because I couldn’t resist this beautiful bright building! And it would just so happen that both of our models for each day had on black and blue :)

Hear from our lovely model Latrice on her experience:

“I had such an amazing time with Danielle, Ty, Vera and Stacey. I felt so comfortable and completely forgot that the cameras were there. For someone who is camera shy, that was a huge relief! 5n Thank you so much to everyone!”

Thank YOU Latrice! You were such a joy to work with :)

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!

Emily | Artist Spotlight

Happy Thursday loves!

Bringing back the Artist Spotlight feature today with my friend Emily! I met Emily earlier this year via instagram when I was traveling to Chicago and found myself in need of a makeup artist. We hit it off almost instantly and she is now my go-to MUA when I’m in Chi-Town :)

She has such a warm and genuine spirit and I thought she’d be a perfect fit for my Artist Spotlight feature! So I hope you enjoy getting to know Emily better!

What is your name?
Emily

Where are you located?
Chi-Town

What do you do?
I am a freelance makeup artist at Emily Wolf Makeup Artistry.

How long have you been a makeup artist?
I have dabbled in makeup for as long as i can remember, but I started my own business about 3 years ago.

How did you become interested in makeup and when did you know you wanted to make a career out of your passion?  
At a young age I always loved to paint and draw. Once I was old enough to appreciate makeup, I would experiment with the latest trends in makeup, fashion, and beauty. After graduating from college, I wanted to combine my passion for the arts with my business degree. This lead me to Makeup First School in downtown Chicago, where I received a certification in makeup.  From there I started my own business. Today, I am lucky enough to make people feel like the most beautiful versions of themselves on a daily basis! I feel truly blessed to be able to do something I love, and call it work.  

Who are some of your artistic influences?  
Some people that have inspired me creatively are Gwen Stefani, Mary Phillips, Kevin Aucoin, Ciara, Sophia Loren, Twiggy, Kate Moss, and Marilyn Monroe.

What has been your favorite project that you’ve worked on so far?
My favorite project was a wedding where the bride had lost her mother very suddenly a few weeks prior to the wedding. She let me know with all the stress that she had been going through she didn’t think that anything would be able to lift her spirits on this special day. After I finished the brides makeup she looked in the mirror and began to tear up. A huge smile appeared on her face and she stated that she had never felt more beautiful in all her life, and gave me a huge hug. That moment is something I will never forget.  

What other types of creative work do you do?  
I am also an actress/model!  My biggest gig to date was a role on the first season of Chicago PD!  

What inspires you?  
I am inspired by strong, independent women. I am inspired by people who are not afraid to express themselves creatively. I am inspired by people who are not afraid to take chances in fashion and beauty. I am inspired by music!!!!!!!

What keeps you motivated?  
I am motivated by the people that I look up to. I strive to surround myself with people who have what I want.  

Any advice to fellow creatives (in your industry or otherwise)?  
Your work ethic is JUST as important as your skill level. If you want to succeed, be on time, be humble, be grateful, be nice, be reliable, be someone that makes others smile.

Any other fun tidbits we should know about you?  
I love to travel. In the past few months I’ve been to Vietnam. Cambodia, Thailand, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, New Orleans, and Saint Martin!

Where can we find you online?
website: www.emilywolfmua.com
instagram: @EmilyWolfMUA
facebook: Emily Wolf Makeup Artistry

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Emily a little better! Be sure to keep up with her on social media to check out more of her beautiful work! In the Chicago area? Definitely don’t hesitate to hit her up if you’re ever in need of an MUA!

-Danni

Alma | Houston, TX Family Photographer

Happy Wednesday beautiful people  ♥

I have a wonderfully sweet session to share with you today! When I was in Houston, I had the opportunity to link up with this lovely soul and her beautiful family- and what we captured? Absolute adorableness :) 

I truly love lifestyle photography- capturing people in their element, loving on each other, being happy… There’s nothing like it! And that’s just what we were able to do here. 

You know I love headwraps, happy faces, and all things color so these are definitely some of my favorite lifestyle family photos to date! I don’t want to say too much about them though, so I’ll let the images speak for themselves ;)

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: very limited sessions for July and August 2015.

Nicole 1:1 Mentor Session [April 30]| Brooklyn, NY Photography Mentor

Good evening loves!

Blogging a rare evening post because I’m committed to keeping up with Mentor Monday! So today it will be a late one :)

This evening I’m excited to share with you the recap from my one-on-one session with Nicole back in April! 

We linked up for her session in Brooklyn and had a great day! You can actually check out her awesome recap on her blog right here!

Included in the one-on-one sessions are headshots and a practice session with a model of your choice- single male or female, small family, maternity, or couple- and she chose a single female. Latoya was our model for the day and she couldn’t have been a better fit! She was wonderful and we were able to take some great photos while Nicole practiced her new skills!

How did Nicole feel about her session? Hear from her in her own words!

“What I loved the most about my mentoring session with Danni is that she has simple way of explaining her techniques. I learned several tips and techniques that I can incorporate into my style. Maintaining my own style is extremely important to me. As a photographer you want to grow and learn as much as possible. Being critiqued and having a mentor is part of that process. Sometimes mentors or veteran photogs give critiques that can change your style whether its editing or shooting.

Danni was super patient with me, answered all my questions and gave me pointers as I was shooting. We went over good and bad light, natural reflectors, and posing while we were shooting our model.

I noticed an instant improvement in my work shooting with Danni. I mean it was immediate. My one on one with Danni has done wonders for me. I value the time that I spent with her because she is a wealth of knowledge and information. She was transparent and willing to answer any questions I asked. After our shoot around session, we had lunch and discussed techniques. Danni went over her editing process and we laughed and had fun the entire time.

I enjoyed my day with Danni and was sad when it ended. The time we spent together flew by but it was meaningful and has changed me and my business for the better. If you are on the fence about booking a mentor session with her don’t hesitate it will change your life.”
-Nicole Mondestin

Thank you soo much Nicole! It was a true pleasure working with you and I can’t wait to see your awesomeness progress even further in the years to come  ♥ 

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!