March 1, 2014: Registration Now Open for Portland Creativity Workshop

I am thrilled to announce that I will be conducting a two day creativity workshop in Portland this Summer. Registration is now open for the workshop. Go to www.heatherevanssmith.com to register.

Portland, OR Creative Photography Workshop with Heather Evans Smith
Hosted by Artistic Cliques Photography

Tentative Schedule (Detailed information will be emailed closer to workshop date).

Friday, June 13, 2014
4 p.m. - Location TBA
Join Heather as she discusses her progression into conceptual photography and how shooting for yourself can benefit shooting for others. Heather will also discuss idea boosters to overcome creative blocks, concepting with clients and making time for you. The discussion will end with a creativity exercise. Dinner afterwards is optional where workshop attendees can continue this open conversation. Participants are encouraged to bring samples of their work so we can get to know each other and each other's photography styles.

Saturday, June 14, 2014
9 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.  - Location TBA
Today is a full day of shooting. Two to three models will be on hand with a professional makeup/hairstylist. Heather will set up unique shots in various locations, all the while discussing shooting on a budget, styling, storytelling and ways to incorporate these ideas into client work. Everyone will get a chance to direct the models to their vision. Lunch is provided. Shooting will end around 4 to leave plenty of time for a Q & A and wrap up of the weekend.

A limited space of 10 is available for this intimate engagement.

Workshop is appropriate for all levels of photographers. However, this workshop discusses creativity primarily so a basic knowledge of camera techniques is encouraged.

Tuition: $500 (includes lunch on Saturday)
See website for Terms and Conditions.

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December 30, 2013: The 2013 Year In Review

Last year my during my 2012 year-in-review blog post, I poured my heart out about the ups and downs of the year and what I learned going forward. I started an experiment called 52 Chances. Every week I put myself out there in some way: entering contests, teaching a workshop, sending out a packet or email. It was a great experiment that opened doors for me. Though many good things came out of that experiment, one of the things learned was that I was focusing more on promotion than work. I am not a fast worker. It takes time for me to plan my images and, for lack of a better term, the spirit to move me. Some months I can get 3 solid images in and some months I don't take my camera out of the bag. This year put myself out there, but made sure that I worked consistently to shoot and finish my series The Heart and The Heavy.

The year started out perfectly with a retreat in New Mexico with David Bram and Jennifer Schwartz's Flash Powder Projects. The retreat came at a perfect time for me.  I was spinning my wheels and needed solid direction. I left New Mexico with a 12 month plan and I am happy to say that 10 months later I have stuck with that plan. You can read in detail about the retreat here.

Shortly after the retreat I taught a wonderful group of women at my Savannah workshop. I was extremely impressed by the outcome of the photos from that day. I have shared this video before but I feel it is worth sharing again.

Of course one of the highlights of the year was the Project Imaginat10n experience. What a wild night that was! If you missed the blog post you can catch up here (celebrity photo bombs and all).

Throughout the year I took some of my favorite images to date and completed my series The Heart and The Heavy. The series was shown at two galleries, one in Durham, NC and one in Atlanta, GA.

Overall I would say that the year was a success, but it wasn't without its ups and downs. Many days came with elation, recognition, rejection, self-doubt, defeat and confusion. Despite this, I wouldn't change my occupation. Creating is a fight, a good fight. Completing an image that has been wrestling within me for months makes all those uncertainties worth it.

I spoke about these ups and downs recently to a creativity class at Wake Forest University. I have found through my short time in this profession that if you only look towards the end goal then you will be disappointed. There are so many small events and chance meetings that lead to bigger things. You may not see these at the time. When I woke up this morning I found this quote on the internet by Dr. Seuss:
  
"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."

This holds true for all aspects of life though particularly resonates for me regarding my work. Every small thing has the possibility to open the door to experiences one never dreamed.

So what does 2014 hold for me? I am moving forward with clear goals yet an open mind and space to allow events to unfold. I am starting a new project soon but will continue to put myself out there and await serendipity.

I sincerely wish all of you a Happy New Year and thank you for your support.

Heather

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April 13, 2013: Savannah, GA Workshop Wrapup

Almost a month has passed since my workshop in Savannah. I only conduct a few of these workshops a year and always come back inspired by the camaraderie and creativity of the participants.

The forecast was iffy. I was actually hoping for a little rain. A misty, cloudy day in Savannah is a perfect scenario. Savannah is a haunting city and I wanted to capture that spirit in the photos.

The first day of the workshop included a presentation, creativity exercise and a "getting to know you" session. Day two started with a planned shoot. Months before I was struck by the size and beauty of atlas moths online and was fortunate to locate a dozen from a humane dealer. (The moths live full life spans, dying of natural causes.)

Below are a few of the images:

Experimenting with real Asian atlas moths!
© 2013 Heather Evans Smith Photography

No photoshop other than color editing. Just the right placement of bodies.
© 2013 Heather Evans Smith Photography

The participants then split into two groups. Each participant had an allotted time to shoot their vision with other group members assisting. It became an informal morning that flowed organically. There were combinations of groups working together and single photographers shooting ideas planned in advance or inspired by the moment. The weather was perfectly cloudy. We could shoot anywhere without worry of patchy light.

One favorite spot among the participants was this horizontal tree. I couldn't resist taking a shot myself.

The famous tree everyone fell in love with.
© 2013 Heather Evans Smith Photography

We took a break for lunch when a downpour started. Lucky for us, the sun began shining through the mossy oaks during our second session of shooting. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing with headdresses and flowy dresses along the avenue of the oaks before parting ways.

Black and white hipstamatic images by Melissa Hall.

I am so impressed with the photographs that have come from the workshop. Below is a video featuring some of the participants images. Take a look!

Thank you all for sharing and creating with me. I look forward to following your photography adventures. Thank you Tracy Moore for hosting me in beautiful Savannah. Also a big thanks goes to models Morgan Marlowe and Heather Richards, makeup artist Amanda Joiner and hairstylist Samantha Fletcher.  

The next creativity workshop will be held in the UK in September. Stay tuned here and on my site for further information.

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March 3, 2013: New Mexico

I feel quite honored to have been invited to David Bram (Fraction Magazine) and Jennifer Schwartz's (Jennifer Schwartz Gallery) Roundtable Retreat in New Mexico a few weeks ago. I must admit, in the weeks leading up to the retreat I was extremely nervous. I felt good about my work, but knew as a whole it was all over the place and that my series was not near completion. I didn't feel fully comfortable explaining my work to others but that, after all, was the purpose of the retreat. After fretting for a bit I remembered a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, "Do one thing every day that scares you". I bought my plane ticket, packed up my prints and was on my way.

Corona New Mexico is a beautiful place and in the middle of nowhere! I believe the entire town consists of a gas station, a grill and cattle. The nearest grocery store was over an hour away. Cell phone service was non-existent (though I can't say this was necessarily a bad thing). My fellow retreat mates (Lisa Blair, Elizabeth Libert, and Marina Font) and I spent the majority of the retreat working at the ranch from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. We reviewed our work, wrote artists statements, developed 12 month plans, discussed social media, made dinner, checked out dance moves, laughed and ate way too many Oreos. We joked that it was the Real World without the hot tub. 

David was kind enough to take us to the "dump" so we could collect as many bones and antlers as we could fit in our suitcases. Our group name naturally became, "The Bone Collectors". 

Even though this was not a shooting retreat, I brought a couple of prop dresses in hopes of squeezing in a shoot or two. On Saturday at sunset, the ladies and I packed up the bones and headed to a different section of the ranch. I felt like I was on a fancy set with my many assistants. Often the majority of my shoots are me and a camera. The image that resulted from our excursion is below, The Collector. 

The Collector
© 2013 Heather Evans Smith Photography

Of course I couldn't resist taking a picture of this Charlie's Angelesque outtake. 

Marina Font, Jennifer Schwartz and Lisa Blair (aka The Bone Collectors)

Behind the scenes of me getting ready to shoot "The Collector". Photo by Jennifer Schwartz

Later on Saturday evening we had two special guests, Katherine Ware (curator of photography at the New Mexico Museum of Art) and photographer Daniel Coburn. Daniel had just received his MFA and brought work from his recent show Domestic Reliquary. We each had a chance to sit down with Kate and Daniel and show them our work, receiving feedback and advice. They were both open in their advice and experience of the photographer/museum relationship.

On Sunday we took a break from work and traveled to White Sands National Monument. We arrived there an hour before the sun started to set and immediately turned into six kids in wonderland. The landscape was vast, white, windy and beautiful. Of course I brought with me my two trusty prop dresses and persuaded my fellow bone collectors to model for me. This seemed all well and good until the sun started to set. The cold set in and my dear model Jennifer almost froze her toes off. Eventually she defrosted and I have this picture as a result.

© 2013 Heather Evans Smith Photography

After another day of work, I left the retreat with a 12 month to do list. I am working slowly on making the steps to take my work even further, with clarity and focus. David and Jennifer have already checked in on us, seeing what progress we have made in the past week. 

This retreat was invaluable. Not only do I have the knowledge to take my work to the next level but I have developed working relationships and friendships for years to come. Oh, and antlers too!

Thank you David and Jennifer!

iphone pics from the Corono, NM retreat.
Middle picture by Jennifer Schwartz. Middle right picture by David Bram.

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November 12, 2012: 2012/2013 Workshops and Events

Hello all! 2012 has not yet come to a close and I am already planning 2013. This year has been amazing! I have met wonderful people through my photography and look forward to meeting many more next year. My late 2012 / 2013 workshop/event schedule is below. Registration will start in December for the Savannah workshop location. Like me on Facebook to keep up with the latest news and events.

Late 2012 / 2013 Schedule

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
6 Days of November live photo shoot
Near intersection of 4th and Cherry
November 17th, 2012
3-4 p.m.  

Charlotte, North Carolina
MoNa Gallery Grand Opening
December 2012

Savannah, Georgia
Two-Day Creativity Workshop
March 22-23, 2013
Hosted by TS Moore Photography

London, England
Creativity Intensive Workshop
September 2013
Hosted by Pied Piper Photography

Paris, France
Group Exhibition for the Julia Margaret Cameron Awardees
Women Photographers Biennial 2013
September 2013

Durham, North Carolina
Solo Exhibition
Golden Belt Gallery
October 2013

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October 1, 2012: NC Workshop

It has been about a month since my North Carolina workshop. I had the honor of meeting, sharing and working with 10 wonderful photographers from around the state and country. I love sharing with other photographers; helping each other to push our creativity further. I say we because I truly grow from these experiences myself. Having a photography business can be isolating. You are not in a office surrounded by co-workers. You have your clients but for the most part it is you. Having others to share your art and ideas with is important and often overlooked.

The day started at the magical One Way Antiques. Every nook and cranny was an adventure. It was a wonderful place to explore. Secret rooms were found (seriously!). Along with the surroundings we had two beautiful models as our muses.  Then we headed to a beautiful country setting for lunch and more shooting. We created a outdoor art gallery and had way too much fun with flour. Unfortunately a storm came fast, rushing us all on the porch of the old farm house. We spent our last hour together huddled in the cozy living room, talking candidly about photography, ideas and the business. I hated to see them go. It was such a pleasure meeting all of them and sharing. I look forward to the next friends I will meet in 2013.

Here are a few testimonials from some of the participants.

Hi Heather! I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. We had two great locations, adventurous models, and a group of wonderful people to share it with. I feel like there was a lot of great information, but I think the biggest thing I think I took away was that we should develop and use our imaginations to create images that we love. If we do that, then others (clients, friends, etc...) will love them as well. -Torey Searcy

In her two day workshop we not only learned what makes her mind tick but also how to unlock our own imaginations.  On Saturday we had the opportunity to work with two beautiful models in two truly inspiring locations.  Our first stop was at this crazy old antique store/house.  Everywhere you turned there was something new to look at!  It’s one of those places you drive by and think... I wonder what treasures they have in there.  Our second location was at an old farm house... with chickens!  Our time here was cut a bit short due to a massive storm that came blowing through.  It was so neat though to sit on the front porch and watch the wind whipping through the trees and hear the rain pounding on the roof.  I think this weekend confirmed my decision to move full time into photography.  I LOVE what I do!

A BIG, BIG thank you to Heather for putting this workshop together!  You are AWESOME!
-Rebecca Holland

There are a few workshops already in the works for 2013. Savannah, Pennsylvania and even England are on the list. If you are interested in hosting a workshop with me (particularly if you live in the southwest or west coast region), email me at heather@heatherevanssmith.com for details.

Below are my favorite three images that I took at the workshop as well as some beautiful work from the participants.

Models: Marissa Burchette / Morgan Marlowe
MUA: Erin Dickinson
Hair: Jessica Burgos / Heather Evans Smith
Assistants: Erin Dickinson / Gretta Kohler / Luke Kohler
Special thanks to Lee Mecum.

Marlowe  ©2012 Heather Evans Smith Photography

antoillier  ©2012 Heather Evans Smith Photography

of flowers and rust  ©2012 Heather Evans Smith Photography

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June 5, 2012: Hello and News!

I am a terrible blogger. I keep saying that I am going to do better but that has yet to happen. I wanted to write today to catch my followers up on some news.

First off, I am ecstatic to find out that I am one of the 10 recipients of the 3rd edition of the Julia Margaret Cameron award. Awardees have the opportunity to show their work in Paris! So, who knows, my vacation plans may already be made in 2013. Here is a link to the winners and honorable mentions and their work. I am honored to be included with this talented group of women photographers.

I have been taking a unintended break from my Heart and the Heavy series due to some pleasant distractions such as workshops and client work. But I am feeling that itch to get back into it again and hope to add quite a few pieces to the series this summer.

And I am extremely excited to announce that my North Carolina workshop is now available for registration. I am looking forward to working with other photographers to boost creativity and imagination. You can register here. Below is a tentative schedule of what you can expect from the weekend. Space is limited to 10 so register now to secure your spot.

• Friday, September 7th
  4 p.m. - Location TBA
  Join Heather as she discusses her progression into conceptual photography and how shooting for yourself can benefit shooting for others. Heather will also discuss idea boosters to overcome creative blocks, concepting with clients and making time for you. The discussion will end with a creativity exercise. Dinner afterwards is optional where workshop attendees can continue this open conversation.
  
  Saturday, September 8th
  9 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Location TBA
  Today is a full day of shooting. Two to three models will be on hand with a professional makeup/hairstylist. Heather will set up unique shots in various locations, all the while discussing styling and ways to incorporate these ideas into client work. Everyone will get a chance to jump in and direct the models to their vision. Lunch will be provided. Shooting will end around 4 to leave plenty of time for a Q & A and wrap up of the weekend.

I hope everyone has a summer full of creativity and imagination. More posts to come soon (hopefully)!

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May 5, 2012: Knoxville Workshop Wrap Up

Last weekend I had the pleasure of teaching and working beside 12 beautiful photographers at my Knoxville workshop. The photographers ranged in specialties from portrait, wedding, children, senior, fine art and pets. I was lucky to be hosted by Expressions Photography, the studio of Knoxville photographer Steve Chastain. I met him in Australia while speaking at the August Exposure conference last year. Of all places! It was great to see him again and he did a wonderful job helping me arrange locations and details from a far.

With our two models, Caitlin and Helen, we spent the day split between the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Expressions Studio. It was like a scene from The Secret Garden, each location as beautiful as the next. Luckily Knoxville was only a 1/2 day drive from us, so I was able to pack every vintage piece of clothing I had into the car. I love creating these magical setups for the participants and then letting them loose to create.

From styling, fashion, portraits, storytelling and underwater, we packed it all in. I demonstrated a few "trick" composite shots. I mean, why not take advantage of a large team, my butterfly wranglers I call them.

Below are my three favorite images I shot from that day along with some behind the scenes. I really enjoy teaching and experiencing camaraderie with other photographers. More workshops are in the works. Stay tuned to my facebook page for details. If you are interested in hosting one of my workshops in your city, please email heather@heatherevanssmith.com for more information.

Models: Helen Garren / Caitlin Campbell
Makeup / Hair: Buffi Dickenson
Assistants: Steve Chastain / Kortney Jarman

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February 10, 2012: Knoxville Creativity Workshop

I am very excited to be conducting a creativity workshop in Knoxville on April 27-28th. The workshop is hosted by Expressions Photography.

During the workshop I will be discussing my progression into conceptual photography and how shooting for yourself can benefit shooting for others. I will also discuss idea boosters to overcome creative blocks, concepting with clients and making time for you. A full-day hands on shoot experience will conclude the workshop. Limited space is available for this intimate engagement.

Look forward to seeing you there!

You can register here.

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