Q&A ~ Southern CA Lifestyle Photographer ~ Rachel Clare

March 4, 2009 | Filed Under FAQ | 1 Comment 

I’ve gotten a number of emails lately that I’ve not had time to respond to, and a couple of the emails were multiples (same questions, different people). So, I decided to put it all out there and answer a few of the questions I’ve gotten.

*I’m curious how you got started in photography. Have you been at this for a long time? -Sarah
Sarah, I have been taking pictures for a long time. I loved photography in high school, but was limited in what I could do because I only had a simple point and shoot film camera. (This is going to date me, I’m afraid…) I have stacks of pictures from back in the day. I went on to study photography at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. I used an old Canon SLR film camera and focused on black and white landscape photography. (How could I NOT focus on landscapes and nature photography? I lived in Flagstaff!)
My interest in landscapes decreased when I had my first child and realized how profound and important portraiture was. And that’s when it occurred to me that I could actually make a living doing something I loved. (While I still love landscape photography, there’s not a lot of money to be made in that field, I’m afraid!) So, Rhien Tucker Photography was born. And not long after Rhien Tucker Photography was born, it changed to Rachel Clare Photography. I love what I do because I feel strongly about the importance of portraiture and remembering things about people that would otherwise be forgotten. There you have it- my story (the Reader’s Digest version!).

*Do you shoot RAW? -Kirsten
I don’t shoot RAW, actually. My biggest reason is that I’m happy with my process! I’m happy with the outcome of my pictures, and I’m happy with my workflow. This isn’t to say that there aren’t things to improve on. I could be the best photographer in the world, and there would still be room for improvement. I find that shooting JPG is more challenging for this reason: my techniques (exposure, focus, etc.) need to be “right on” in order to get a great photo. This challenges me, and I like that. And, like I said, it works well for me right now, so why fix something that isn’t broken?

*Do you do weddings? -Robyn
I don’t advertise for weddings or market myself as a wedding photographer, but I will be taking a very limited number of weddings this year. My wedding pricing isn’t included in my regular pricing guide, so please contact me for wedding information. (And, if you happen to be getting married in Tahiti, I would LOVE to shoot your wedding!)

*What’s in your camera bag? What’s your favorite gear? -Jesse
I’m a Nikon girl (I’m starting to find that Nikon shooters are in the minority…) and shoot with a D300. She serves me well! The two lenses I shoot with the most are the 50mm 1.4 and the 24-70 2.8. Both are fantastic lenses. I’m always a little shocked at how much I love prime lenses. My love is rekindled every time I use my 50. It’s fantastic!
I’ve got a couple of lenses I plan on purchasing in the coming months- the 85mm 1.4, the 14-24mm 2.8, and the 60mm 2.8. And a long wish list on top of those…

*I was just wondering if you could give me some advice on purchasing a camera for personal use. I would like to take great quality pictures of my kids, pets and gardens. -Taryn
I would recommend purchasing a SLR camera (single lens reflex) as it offers so many more options and will give you such better results. Both Nikon and Canon brands are fantastic and I would recommend either. If you’re just starting out and don’t want to spend a ton of cash, I’d go for the Nikon D40 or Canon Rebel. You can order the set on either, which would include a kit lens which would probably be fine for what you’re wanting to shoot. My biggest word of advice- read your camera manual cover to cover. It’s boring, but it will really help you to understand your camera and learn how to do different things. The beauty of a Single Lens Reflex camera is that you can play and practice and play some more, and you’re not wasting time or money on film. So I suggest you play with your settings and really practice. Enjoy your new toy!

*Hi. Love your photography. I also love the fonts you have used in the title of your site, both the ones used for “rachel clare” and the one used for “photography”. Do you mind sharing what fonts those are? -Nancy
Thanks Nancy! The fonts I use are Cicle and Honeyscript. I hope that helps!