Behind the Pens-Professional Portraits of a Writer on WVWC Campus

  This post is extremely overdue, started out to be weeks, now it is months. I am determined to post before it turns a year old. Sharing this experience has been knocked further down the to-do list with every disaster our area has seen recently. Storm damage and financial concerns have taken precedence over doing the things I love for far too long. Time to settle back into routines, and get my nose to the grind.
  A few (now quite a few more) months ago, I had the honor of being commissioned by a writer friend of mine, the amazingly beautiful and ridiculously talented, Marjorie McAtee. She had decided she had reached a point in her career that commanded some new professional portraits. We decided to meet on campus at West Virginia Wesleyan College, right in our hometown, Buckhannon, WV. We nailed it right away.


Marjorie McAtee

                                   
 
  And we even managed to snap off some fun, quirky, and sexy shots as well!

 

                                                     

  She seemed pretty impressed with the post-processing, but she gives me too much credit. As a subject, she made my job very easy and so much fun! Her blog is amazing, and if you want a totally candid, to- the-point perspective on almost anything, check her out. http://www.dontcallmemarge.com/
And you can read more about her experience during our shoot on her post here:  http://www.dontcallmemarge.com/2012/08/photo-shoot-at-wvwc.html
  During the couple afternoons I spent with her, we were able to get some knockout shots, and spend time delving into the depths of memories of High School days gone by. The best part was a healthy corruption of my son's vocabulary (we have taught him worse!), and the gab-sessions on family and careers. It's nice to know that I am not alone in feeling my way through dealing with both. I think I will leave the writing to her, though, as it has taken me forever to figure out how to get a blog going, and adding links and photos...so not the game I started out to play! Slow and steady wins the race though, and here I am, still chugging away at a slow pace.
  If you are looking for ideas on what to do for a professional portrait, I would suggest that women go light and natural on makeup. Don't go overboard on accesories, keep it simple. The same goes for choosing what you will wear. People connect with people, and your future clients want to see you. Loud or flashy clothes can compete with you for their attention. And above all, show some personality. People want to know that you can be relatable. To check out more of Marjorie's photo shoot, or for information on booking one of your own, visit http://wvglitter.wix.com/ldimagery and check out the corporate gallery.

 
  

Hi, my name is...

  I am Leona Davis, and I am a photographer. I am trying to go pro. Today is my first official day as a blogger. I have decided to start a blog as a way to document and reference my beginnings as an artist. I am located in central West Virginia, so I hope to expand my destination shoots to include places like Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. I am trying to get my photography business off the ground, and it has already been such an experience! A long, hard road, for sure.
  I am very technically challenged in my craft, so I have also decided to go to school so I can learn the technical garble much faster. I have been self-teaching for a while, but let's face it...if I want to start making money, and I do, I have to be faster. And smarter. So, I am now college bound. It should prove to be interesting, anyway.
  Along the technical lines, my gear list is growing at about half the rate of my wish list. For every item that I can finally afford, I find two more things I HAVE to have. How does that happen? The biggest, or most important thing anyway, on my wish list right now is off-camera lighting. I would like to get some speed lights. At least two would be perfect. Until that happens, I am using reflectors most of the time.
  On the business end, I have met several goals recently that I am proud of, and such a load off my mind now! First, I have finally decided on a name. Very big deal. This has been holding me back for weeks, and after studying vocabulary, fonts, and sounds, I finally found one that works. I will be announcing this name as soon as it becomes official. Second, I have learned how to build a business model, and not a moment too soon! The hardest thing about this business has been figuring how how to sell it. Now, I know. Third, I have discovered branding. This one will be an ongoing part of my venture for some time, until I figure out who I want to serve, and how. I'm on it, but I have some things I need to put into practice. Fourth, I am looking for a mentor. You can't buy experience, wisdom, and generosity. And finally, again with constantly learning. There are many aspects outside my craft that I didn't realize I needed to hone some skills.
  To wrap things up, thanks for following my progress as I grow, and I will keep posting updates as I change things, add things, and learn new things.