Artist of the Month - Kate Whyte

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - KATE WHYTE

It’s time to present you the amazing work of our Artist of the Month in May 2018 – Kate Whyte from Vancouver, Canada. If you ever have been searching for inspiration when it comes to portrait, commercial and fashion photography – you will simply love the stunning images from Kate. Her artistic and powerful work is unique and outstanding. Lean back and get inspired by Kate.

How old are you and where are you from?

I am 33 years old and I currently live in Vancouver, Canada.

Tell us a little bit about your life in the moment?

I live in a lovely little loft in the city that doubles as my studio – although my husband and two dogs would probably prefer not to be tripping over strobe cables on the regular! I work as a commercial photographer for various different brands and I also still do some graphic design work. I love adventures and travel as much as I can – in fact, I’m writing in this in between packing for a trip to Italy tomorrow!

How did you end up being a photographer?

I took a few cheesy goth cemetery photos in high school, but it wasn’t until after I graduated from university that I was gifted a DSLR. I learned how to retouch as part of my education and initially, I started taking my own photos to practice on. I gradually realized that it was my favorite creative outlet and watched just about every online tutorial I could find. I got some steady gigs as a nightclub photographer and photographed drag queens and various other nightlife personalities for a local magazine.

As much as I loved the work, it was really challenging to make a living so I went back to design work for a few years. In 2015, I decided I was ready to take the plunge again and scored some pretty great commercial gigs and I’ve been back to freelancing as a photographer ever since. It will always have its highs and lows but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Photography feeds my soul.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Hahaha, how big am I allowed to dream? Can I be living in a villa in the tuscan countryside shooting the occasional stylish elopement in between flying to Milan to meet with the creative director of Vogue Italia to talk about an upcoming shoot we have planned? Is that too much to ask?! :-)

What gear are you currently using?

I shoot with a Canon 5DIV and my fav lens is the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II

What advice could you give out to a new starting photographer?

I really wish that I’d made friends with other photographers sooner. I’m honestly not sure why – but when I started out (10 years ago), I naively viewed other photographers only as my competition. I realized how silly this was and have since developed friendships with many talented photographers (in part thanks to groups like LLF) and I feel like those relationships have really helped me grow professionally and as a person.

Did the LLF community changed the way you see or shoot fashion/commercial/portraits etc.?

I feel so inspired by the talented people that contribute to LLF. I only started shooting people again last summer after about a seven year hiatus and the LLF community has definitely helped me develop my voice as an artist.

What plans do you have for 2018?

I would really like to master some technical aspects of photography that I struggle with and I just want to keep pushing my own boundaries and create art with people who inspire me.

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SEE MORE OF HER WORK

Artist of the Month - Yaky Di Roma O'Reilly

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - YAKY DI ROMA O'REILLY

2018 is running so fast, so today you'll already get the third feature of our LOOKSLIKEFILM Artist of the Month. Please stand up for Yaky Di Roma O'Reilly! It was definitely time to feature her work here on our blog. Her beautiful images are not only blowing our minds constantly away but also the ones of our LLF community. Yaky's images are full of love & tension and we simply love her creativity. You can be sure to see more of her work throughout the year in our Daily Updates and the #LLF1000CLUB... 

How old are you and where are you from?

My name is Yaky Di Roma O’Reilly, I’m 30 years old and originally from a small island called Margarita in Venezuela. 
I've been based out of Orlando/Miami for the past 3 years after leaving my home country, for University, where I would gain my masters in arts. Currently in the process of settling in the UK.

Tell us a little bit about your life in the moment?

Recently got married to a fellow LLF photographer, currently in Madrid, Spain. When I’m not being a full time mom to my son, I’m either doing self portraits or trying to photograph my clients. 

How did you end up being a photographer?

My passion for photography began to blossom when I was 19 by “mistake”, I was in second/third semester in college and had 3 extra credits and decided to take photography just to get it out of the way, little did I know that my future would depend on that class I just wanted to pass.

I’d had past experience in Fashion Photography, and actually made a pretty good name in Venezuela. It didn’t take me long to realise fashion wouldn’t become my niche... It was the Wedding and Portrait game that consumed me. I couldn’t get enough. Especially Self portraits... Breastfeeding Self Portraits, where my heart is.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

In 20 years I see myself shooting weddings and portraits all over the world, with my husband and our three children being part of the team.

What gear are you currently using?

Currently me and my husband are in a battle about switching brands. I shoot both Canon and Nikon, but mainly I use a Canon 6d with 35mm 1.8 and a 90mm Tamron 2.8 along with a Nikon D810 with the 35mm 1.4 art and the 135mm 1.8 art… I also have a Mavic Air which recently switched from the Phantom 4 pro mainly for portability. Very rarely will I use flash. Only if absolutely necessary or I’m shooting in home studio portraits.

What advice could you give out to a new starting photographer?

Try to find your style early, photograph what you love and don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t let cc offend you, take it and get better. Some people will tell you that your ideas suck, don’t listen to them, just prove them wrong. 

Did the LLF community changed the way you see or shoot ?

Definitely, 100%. Before LLF my work was a lot lighter and clean and I’ve found myself loving darker images and tons of grain. This is such an inspirational group, I joined in September 2017 and the talent I’ve seen in this short period of time has pushed me to create more art and less commercial work. I’m still in shocked I was asked to be Artist of the month, because the photographers in this group are in another league, really mind blowing and I feel extremely honoured. 

What plans do you have for 2018?

Survive… I plan to Survive 2018! My husband and I have many destination weddings along with even more local weddings… This is without caring for our 3 children, and building a home in South Wales, UK. Whatever else I achieve is a bonus.

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Artist of the Month - Molly Gilholm

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - MOLLY GILHOLM

It's the last week of July and we are proud to present you the amazing work of our latest Artist of the Month - Molly Gilholm. Beside the awesome weddings she is usually shooting, she is an absolutely mastermind in creating stunning and unique portraits. We are happy to show you her latest images and to welcome her in a few weeks back at this year's CHOO CHOO Camp in Seattle.

How old are you and where are you from?

I am 24 years old, and was born in Santa Cruz, California. I haven't left- I think it's the best place on earth! 

Tell us a little bit about your life in the moment?

I am currently shooting about 30 weddings per year, while also trying to focus on and build my beauty/portrait/fashion portfolio. I recently opened a community photo studio/creative space, Opal Creative, where we have been hosting craft classes, and renting it out to other photographers. It's been quite the ride so far, but having my own space to shoot studio work in has been incredible for my growth.

How did you end up being a photographer?

It sounds tacky, but as long as I can remember I have loved taking photos. My first paid portrait session and elopement were both in High School, and I haven't really considered doing anything else yet!

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I hope to be self employed in one way or another- while photography is a passion of mine, I don't think it's necessarily the thing I will be doing forever. I have lots of interests in the design and crafting worlds, and could very easily imagine delving a bit more into that. I think I would always want to incorporate photography into my life somehow though!

What gear are you currently using?

I use Nikon D750s. I love them so much, and will only upgrade when something insanely better pops up. For weddings, I use my 58mm 1.4 lens almost exclusively, and also use my Sigma 35mm 1.4 and Nikon 85mm 1.8 quite a bit on the wedding day as well.

For my studio/beauty work I tend to use my Sigma 105mm Macro lens. I use AlienBees for my studio strobes- they are a great value and super reliable! I love Cactus brand triggers. They are SUPER cheap, but well made, and the packaging is cute (always a plus!)

What advice could you give out to a new starting photographer?

I would advise trying to play around with as many different lenses as possible. Like many people, I got hung up on one focal length (35mm 1.4 of course) for a LONG time. It took lots of practice, review, and time to realize that this is not a flattering portrait lens, no matter what anyone says in facebook groups, it's just not. It has a place, of course, but my passion is photographing beautiful portraits- both on wedding days, and of models.

So now I switch around lenses like it's nobodies business. In the same vein, don't be afraid to try out different apertures/shutter speeds! I also thought wide open must be best (don't we all want bokeh!?) but then I realized not only was I shorting my clients of crisp photos, I was missing out on being able to shoot in so many different lighting conditions! Bring on the harsh sun! In my studio work I am usually at f/8ish!

Did the LLF community changed the way you see or shoot couples/portraits/weddings etc.?

The LLF community is both inspiring in a positive way, and sometimes in a bad way- because people are SO dang good. It's really made me realize that moments and emotion are more important than having super stoic, hipster, couples- because if you look through the #LLF1000CLUB- Guess what, the majority of photos are well received because they make you FEEL. I have tried to bring this to both weddings and portrait work!

What plans do you have for this year?

I am hoping to continue building my beauty portfolio. It's something I have found I REALLY love- the lighting, the retouching, everything. It took me awhile to get to the point of committing to going that direction, because to be totally honest, it's not the kind of work you see in your average social media feed. It's kind of a whole new world, new social media circles, which is kind of scary/exciting.

I love it because it's such a collaboration with your team, from the stylists, to the HMUA, to the model, to the retoucher. It's also another avenue other than weddings I could see myself actually making money at, (a rarity in the art world) and it combines my two favorite things: being able to be a control freak (which I lose on wedding days) and photographing women's faces. Win/win!

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