Today we are interviewing Michele Anderson from Pinkle Toes Photography in Austin, TX. In the interview, Michele shares with us how lenses can make all the difference in a photo. Amazingly, she uses 8 different lenses on her camera to achieve the best results. Let’s learn a little more about Pinkle Toes.

MBP: How and when did you get started in child photography?

MA: Like most children’s photogs, I loved photography all my life but when I had kids, I *really* wanted to be able to capture them growing up. I played around with it for about a year, but it wasn’t until I saw the work of Barb from Jinky Art that I really decided that I wanted to be able to do that. I became so hungry for knowledge…I joined several groups on flickr.com, asked a bazillion questions, bought my first digital SLR (a rebel XT), and played and played and played until I started getting results.

MBP: How would you describe your style?

MA: Hmmmm….that’s a tough one for me because my style seems to change with every session. I pretty much like to play around with the given conditions (the light, the mood of the subject, the colors surrounding the location) and we get what we get. If I had to narrow it down to a few words, I’d like to be able to say my work is vibrant, fun, bold, and colorful, but sometimes moody.

MBP: Do you prefer studio or “on location” photography and why?

MA: Location all the way…the nerves tend to help inspire me to think on my toes and get creative. Sometimes it backfires, but usually, I can come away with at least one image that I might never have imagined otherwise.

“I’ve shared many laughs with my clients, but the funniest thing was during a sunset maternity shoot. The light was so perfect, the mom-to-be was in a pool and I just couldn’t get the angle I needed standing outside, so I just charged right into a pool and totally forgot that I had my BRAND NEW cell phone in my pocket. The phone was toast. At least I didn’t drop my camera in the water.”

MBP: Can you share a story about your funniest photography shoot?

MA: Every session is memorable and every session has its own challenges and wins. I just love the relationship that you develop with people by sharing such an intimate experience. I’ve shared many laughs with my clients, but the funniest thing was during a sunset maternity shoot. The light was so perfect, the mom-to-be was in a pool and I just couldn’t get the angle I needed standing outside, so I just charged right into a pool and totally forgot that I had my BRAND NEW cell phone in my pocket. The phone was toast. At least I didn’t drop my camera in the water.

MBP: What about your most difficult photography shoot?

MA: As for difficult, any session that involves a toddler and a newborn intimidates me because as we all know, they have their own agenda and you can’t expect them to do what you want them to do. There was another session that comes to mind that required a boy to pose with a dog. I didn’t know until I arrived that the boy was deathly afraid of dogs. THAT was probably my biggest challenge to date.

MBP: How much time do you spend editing photos to make them production ready?

MA: Too much time ;-). It usually takes me at least a couple of hours to finish proofing a session from start to finish. I just want them to be perfect.

MBP: What types of photo editing do you do and using what software?

MA: I use Adobe Camera Raw and Adobe Photoshop CS4.

MBP: What type of camera equipment do you use and why?

MA: Currently, I shoot with a Canon 5D with the following lenses:

  • 50 mm 1.2
  • 85 mm 1.2
  • 24-70 mm 2.8
  • 16-35 mm 2.8
  • 100 mm macro 2.8
  • 15 mm fisheye
  • lensbaby 3G
  • 70-200 mm 2.8

I went with Canon because when I bought my first camera, it was a Canon. I have no particular loyalty to Canon or Nikon. I’ve tried to snatch up the fastest lenses I can find because I don’t use any flashes or supplemental light…just available lighting. That’s just my preference.

MBP: What advice do you have for parents who are looking for a professional child photographer?

Really find someone whose work matches your tastes and definitely chat on the phone with your potential photographer before deciding. In order to get wonderful images, you need to know if the photographer is going to be able to mesh well with your kiddos. Not all wonderful photographers are wonderful with children.

Thanks to Michele for a great interview. You can find out more about Michele’s photography at website and blog www.pinkletoes.com.


Similar Posts: