Hey guys, it’s Anna, and I love how photos are basically like a form of time travel. Seriously!
You’re able to capture a specific moment in time. Whether it’s the shot of your kids taking a break from fighting to play in a pile of leaves together or the first dance at your wedding. These moments have so much life and emotion in them. Those are the moments that matter. And when you really capture them, they should be celebrated and remembered.
We went to the Click Away 2018 photography retreat in Amelia Island earlier this year and asked some amazing women about powerful moments they captured. This is what they had to say.
Meet Amy Cyphers
My name is Amy Cyphers, and I’m a professional photographer and videographer from Holton, Kansas.
I began photographing on a film camera that my dad gave me. It was old, but I still have it and have even shot film on it in the last few years just for fun. But in college, I wanted to take a digital photography class. I studied graphic design, and photography was something that I discovered through taking extra art classes. I really wanted this new Canon Rebel that had just come out. It was brand new, nobody had it yet, and I think the max it shot was only about five or six megapixels.
I wanted it so badly that I ended up taking out a student loan specifically for that camera. I couldn’t afford it, but I knew I needed it. I was just so hungry for that creativity.
I would make few hundred bucks here and there with my photography, but I primarily worked as a graphic designer. After my daughter was born, I thought, “there’s nobody else in the world that can take care of her.” So I asked my husband if he thought photography was something I could actually do, and he said “go for it.”
So I upgraded my camera and started printing some business cards. I did a lot of weddings, and it was enough to supplement our income. So it grew from loving to take pictures of other people into loving to show other women how to take pictures of their families. I really wanted to share that joy of being able to take your own beautiful image.
My favorite photographs I’ve ever taken are definitely photos of my kids. I love my client images, but I have a couple of my daughter that stand out. She’s in the tween years, and it can be an awkward phase for some kids. I think being able to show her what I see and how beautiful she is, is such a confidence booster. I have some pictures of her that I love, where her hair’s blowing. She just looks beautiful.
Meet Kim Bear
I’m Kim Bear, and I work with The Wild Child photography. We’re located in Holton, Kansas, and we photograph families and children.
I got my first DSLR in 2010 when my daughter was born, but what actually drew me to photography was my wedding photographer. He was a film photographer in Atlanta, Georgia. If I were to do it again, I would hire him again. I love my images. They were natural, beautiful, and they captured a moment in time so stunningly. So that’s what made me want to invest in not just taking pictures but actually capturing the moments that matter. But my point-and-shoot wasn’t going to get the job done. I needed something where I could let my creative voice come out.
That’s what led to my first camera, then my second, and then all my lenses. So that’s where it began, that one wedding photographer.
I had my first big “ah-ha” photography moment when I was photographing this mom and her two twin girls. It was in her home, and we were getting ready to go out on the beautiful brick sidewalks. On their way out, one of the twins fell and started to cry, and the mom immediately brought her in. The other twin came in, I took the photo, and it was the first time that I was able to show this mom what she looked like authentically loving her children.
So many times in portraits we are posed. We’re guarded, and we want these beautiful moments. We don’t see ourselves in those everyday moments where we are comforting our kids. I think back to that portrait, and it really influenced me as I started shooting women. I wanted women to be seen in the way that the people who love them see them. I didn’t really care if they looked perfect. I wanted them to see those authentic moments that people aren’t around to capture.
Meet Leslie Fox
I’m Leslie Fox, and I am a hobbyist, planning on being a professional photographer next year.
I got my first camera when I was 10, and I fell in love with taking pictures. I’ve always loved photography. As a kid, I remember taking my camera to summer camp and taking pictures of all of my friends. It was on film in those days so I would take a lot of pictures and have my parents develop them. I just always loved taking pictures of other people.
So I’ve been a hobbyist for my entire life, and I love to take pictures of everything, but my passion is taking pictures of people’s faces.
My daughter, Samantha, is now an actress. She is getting into film, and because of her experience, I have had to take a lot of headshots. In my town, I’m known for being the headshot person. I love people, I love faces, and I love to see their eyes sparkle.
I have a lot of favorite photos, but one stands out in my head. I have a daughter, Abby, who’s 22 now, and a son, Noah, who’s 20. Last year, we took the kids on a family cruise, and we were on the beach. There’s this picture of Noah, and Abby jumped up on his back, and the two of them are laughing.
I just love that her little brother is actually supporting her on the beach. They were not even aware that I was taking their picture. They were both laughing, and it just warms your heart to see your kids getting along.
Man, it’s so inspiring to hear of these great moments being captured. Just makes me want to go take some photos right now!
Big thanks go out to the three wonderful women who were kind enough to share their stories with us. Please show them some love and follow them all on Instagram, and follow us, too!
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