Last week I shared one of my photographer friends, Jackie Charlebois, in an attempt to share who and what inspires me and help everyone come to appreciate the art of photography even more. I hope you enjoyed looking at her work. This week I am featuring another photographer I adore.

Vicki is a child photographer based in Springfield, MO. Vicki is another crazy phenomenal photographer I met on a forum as I first started getting serious about photography. I can honestly say that I didn’t really like her that much at first, but what initially turned me off is exactly what I’ve come to love about her. She is honest. There is no sugar coating. I started the way most photographers do-taking pictures I loved and having family that “loved” everything I did, pushing me to possibly pursue this as a business. I believed family and friends and felt like I knew how to take fantastic pictures but then I started sharing them on forums and having someone actually critique them stung. A lot. At first I wondered what she knew that made her feel like she had that right, and then I started studying her pictures and *duh, lightbulb moment* realized she really knew what she was talking about. Her pictures had something to them I wanted to emulate-they were soulful, they drew you in without all the fluff and *gasp* they were stunning (and properly exposed LOL). That was a moment that forever changed my portraits. It made me realize how much I needed to learn. There is so much more to photography than pointing the camera at a pretty subject and getting a pretty picture. And even technically correct photos can lack vision, what leaves you somehow changed after seeing the photo rather than just an oh that’s nice. I credit Vicki with pointing me in a direction of growth and still go to her on occasion when I need a kick in the butt.

Who are you? What makes Vicki tick? Give me a little bio, please.
I am your friendly neighborhood crazy person, I mean, photographer. The thing about me is that you can never take me seriously. I love to have fun. I love to laugh. I always try to make sure my clients have a great time during their sessions. Yes, I’m a complete nut-case and I’m proud of it. It’s what I do.

As for photography, I fell in love with the camera at a young age. I was probably ten years old or something and my sister, Carolyn, and I snuck into my parents bedroom, searched through their stuff (I won’t even tell you the effect finding my dad’s underwear drawer had on us. It wasn’t pretty) and discovered my mom’s camera. It was an old Vivitar 110 camera. Ya know, one of those skinny long monstrosities that looked like a chocolate éclair? Yeah, it was awesome. We decided we wanted to play photographer so we broke into my neighbors backyard (we were little hellions, I tell ya) and took turns posing around the large cherry trees that adorned his property. I still have the pictures from that day and I will occasionally look at them to remind myself of where it all started. Back then, I sucked as a photographer.

After that day, I was hooked, officially and completely. It wasn’t until high school, however, that I started to take my hobby more seriously. It was when my journalism teacher unwisely gave me a SLR camera to take to a school sporting event. It was my job to capture those awesome action shots where you could actually see the sweat pouring from the athletes while in mid-jump. I tried, but failed miserably, realizing I still sucked as a photographer. That’s when I began to devour all things photography. I read everything I could about the subject and practiced as much as I could. I finally started to get better.

Photography was a hobby my husband and I shared. Later on, we started to take impromptu road trips across the country. We would leave home with nothing but a change of clothes and a camera. Those are some of the best days of my life. The resulting pictures are simply priceless to me today.

As for education, I minored in photography in college. I was actually pre-med with a photography minor. Great combo, eh? My college professor was a complete jerk but he made me stop and think about the images I was taking. He made me realize there should be more to the process than capturing the scene they lay before me. He taught me to capture emotion, life. For that I am thankful. I have also taken the NYIP (New York Institute of Photography) course. I took it as sort of a refresher a few years after college.

Other than photography, I have many hobbies, although finding the time to enjoy them is nearly impossible. I love to read. I’ve always had a passion for books. I also love to write. My friends have been begging me for years now to write a novel. I may do so one day, therefore prepare yourselves. I love to sleep, but only manage a few hours a night. Don’t ask why. It’s pretty lame. The most important thing in my life is my daughter, my drama llama, my muse. She’s my life. I wouldn’t be here without her.

So, yeah, that’s me in a nutshell.

What type of photography do you specialize in? Why?
I specialize in child photography. I enjoy it because I can be myself around them. I can be the complete goof that I am and not worry about it. Children simply amaze me. I love their sense of wonder. I adore their simplicity. I love to capture their very soul in an image. It’s a very spiritual process for me.

I also photograph high school seniors. I love them because they actually listen to what I ask of them. I love their diverse personalities. They make me feel younger by being in their presence.

Why Photography?
I had no intentions of becoming a professional photographer. For years, it was only a hobby for me. However, several events in my life made me realize how important photographs were. Life is fleeting, loved ones are gone before you know it. That knowledge spurred me to take photography further. I wanted to help others capture their loved ones in images. Therefore, I decided to go into business and I never looked back.

How would you describe your style?
I would say my style is fun, yet emotional. I try to keep things authentic and uncomplicated. I don’t use many props or a lot of equipment, choosing to focus on my subject instead. My goal is for someone to look at one of my images and feel an emotional connection. I want them to see beyond the exterior of my subject and peer into their very soul. Oh, and I want my clients to cry. That’s always fun. {snort}

What would be your perfect photo shoot?
A beautiful spring day with perfect lighting. A child that is a bit shy by nature but full of curiosity. A parent that respects my art and will let me do my thing. All I need is my camera, a couple of lenses and perhaps my reflector and I’m a happy camper.

What can’t you live without?
In terms of photography, I can’t live without my camera, reflector, 50mm, 85mm and 24-70mm. Those are the things I use the most. I’ve come to realize that tons of equipment doesn’t make you a better photographer. Learning to use what you have is all you need to do to create a beautiful image.

Outside of photography, I cannot live without the internet. Seriously, I’m completely addicted. Facebook and Twitter own my soul. I love my cars. I love my books. I love my BlackBerry. Most importantly, however, I love my little girl. She makes everything worthwhile.

Anything else people should know? What else do you do?
I love music. I can play several instruments. I don’t play them well, mind you, but I play them nonetheless. I enjoy playing the guitar, piano, drums and on occasion the trumpet. I use to be able to play the violin, but it’s been years. Maybe I’ll try it again soon. I would love to learn to play the didgeridoo because I think they are funny.

I’m constantly writing. I love to write stories for my daughter, although, they’re usually silly little things that will make her laugh. I have written some other things, original works I guess you can call them, but I’ve never shared them with anyone. I’ve been working on a project with some others, though, and hopefully it will lead to greater things. And like I said before, I may take on a novel sometime.

What are you listening to?
Well, seeing how I’m crazy, my musical preferences usually reflects that. I have a very eclectic taste in music. My favorite musical style is classical. I love Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart and all the other greats of that era. I love everything from old 80s heavy metal to grunge to pop to hip hop and even some rap. Seriously, I love it all, except most country. I find country music lacking in talent these days so I avoid it as much as possible. When people look at what’s on my iPod they usually hand it back to me scratching their head. Here are a several artists I enjoy:

Augustana
Chairlift
Damien Rice
David Cook
Etta James
Evanescence
Finger Eleven
Foo Fighters
Green Day
Gwen Stefani
Incubus
Jewel
Journey
Katy Perry
Kelly Clarkson
Kevin Rudolf
Kid Rock
Leona Lewis
Lifehouse
Lincoln Park
Lostprophets
Madonna
Muse
Michael Buble
NIN
Otis Redding
Patsy Cline
Pink
Radiohead
Simple Plan
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Thriving Ivory
Timbaland
Van Morrison

Okay, that list makes me sound relatively normal. Trust me though, I’m not. Oh, and I’m secretly in love with Glee. Don’t tell anyone though.

Share some of your favorite images and why you love them (silly forgot that part so I’ll give commentary )

*award winning*

Vicki’s photos are all about showing the real person. Her sessions are fun and capture the essence of childhood. Just look at the eyes in the photos, there’s a real sense of connection with the person.

Thanks Vicki! If you are in the Springfield area, get in touch with her-you won’t regret it! Website