This week we have an interview with Amber Ulmer from Ulmer Studios. Amber and her husband Josh are child photographers who describe their photographic style as family-journalistic. This is one of my favorite ways to take photos of kids- in their natural setting. You can find them working with clients in the Nashville, Tennesse and surrounding areas.

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

AU: Josh’s love for photography started in high school, while mine developed later due to a love of scrapbooking. Josh purchased our first DSLR for a surprise Christmas present. Photography started out as a hobby for us both, until people started contacting us and asking us what are prices were for family sessions. So we decided why not take this passion further. It has been 2 years since we started doing photography as a business.

MBP: How would you describe your style?

AU: Carefree, fun, and family-journalistic…we want to capture the moments that really make a family who they are!

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

AU: We do only “on-location” photography at the moment and really enjoy it. We find that clients can find their comfort zone and really be themselves if they are not in a studio setting. The more fun we can have during a session, the better! We also ask our clients if they have a location that is special to them so that they are comfortable and so that the photos from the session will have a special meaning.

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

AU: Josh spent 45 minutes in a families car with their 9 month old just to keep her warm and happy…he got some great shots from inside a car…while I took photos of her parents.

MBP: What about your most difficult photography shoot?

AU: We had a family session that the people came in from out of town…the little boy had really bad asthma and had a pretty severe attack the night before…the little guy cried the entire time…we weren’t really sure if we would ever get anything good…it consisted of us just following him around and chasing him to see if we could get any little shot..the session turned out great in the end though.

MBP: How much time do you spend editing photos to make them production ready? What types of photo editing do you do and using what software?

AU: Editing time is really very dependent on the session length and what the client was looking for in the end product. There is no real set amount of time spent on editing. It is one thing you learn very early on that every shoot is different, because most of the time every location is different and lends a new challenge of some sort.

As far as what type of editing we do…that again depends on the client, whether they want black and white or a textured/grungy look…for the most part the thing is to learn your camera very well and study so that any editing is very light…and the only thing you may need to compensate for is, if there just wasn’t enough natural light.

MBP: What type of camera equipment do you use?

AU: Currently we use Canon cameras and have been very happy with their quality and durability. We use Canon lenses and flashes.

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

AU: Look for some one who gives you a session that you can have fun at. Ask what a typical session is like with them. You want this session to bring out who you are…you don’t want to look back at it and feel that it was just another family portrait…you want to look at it and say…wow that was fun that day! Realize that this is going to be an investment, but its a worthwhile investment!

You can follow Amber and Josh and discover what’s new at Ulmer Studios by visiting their blog www.ulmerstudios.typepad.com. Thanks for the interview Amber!

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