Rather than just dump off a bunch photos and call it a blog post, I’m going to be doing a fair amount of writing and sharing some insight into the back story of a photograph.

Hopefully this will help aspiring photographers, and also provide my clients insight into the thought that goes into making a photograph. My other goal in doing this is to show that it’s the thought that makes a photograph, and not necessarily the equipment or technical side of things.

This photograph, to me , is a perfect combination of a beautiful setting, amazing light, and a bit of luck. What made it possible was anticipating and discreetly directing the moment.

Having walked these steps a few times, the light really caught my eye. It was really soft and beautiful from the frosted glass directly in front of the stairs. I knew I had to shoot in it.

I put together a plan to get Rachel in this light without forcing or posing her. This was taken just moments before Rachel and Tim had their first look. I knew that if I put Tim somewhere that required us to walk these stairs I would get the photograph.

I waited nearly 10 minutes to get this photograph. While I anticipated the moment, I checked my settings a handful of times. I had to be certain that I got everything in focus while being able to get details in the highlights and shadows.

As I heard them walk down the hallway, I composed my frame and snapped a dozen or so photographs from this sequence. I knew that I got the shot, and then made my way outside to let Tim know that she was just around the corner.

I’m finally doing it guys!

I’m rebranding from Ericyerke.com to a studio based brand Studio-Y. Many of you already know how big of a struggle doing this has been, while I’ve been in limbo for the past few years. Striving to find just the perfect brand, while creating work that reflects my personal beliefs, has been a bit of a personal endeavor.

This is exactly why doing this has been difficult. I think I’ve truly figured out what this photography thing is all about, to me. Hesitation has persisted, because I feel like my work finally reflects who I am. Putting myself out there, and breaking down the barricade of vulnerability is something I have struggled with in all aspects of my life.

By nature, my work is personal to me because I put all of my heart into it. By emerging from these shadows of indecision, I will continually move forward while building meaningful relationships with my clients.

For that I am accepting responsibility, with all of my imperfections, while fighting the fear of putting myself out there with my work that is such a deep part of who I am.