“I’ve always loved photography but was honestly never very good at it.”

Well…that’s what she said….

“She” being our next alumni feature,the lovely Michelle from Michelle Regner Photography(who I had the pleasure of photographing for her maternity session!)

Discover her definition of success(we have to agree with her on that one!)and the lens she loves most!

(you can find her on facebook here)

Where do you call home?Oliver, BC, Canada

Describe Your StyleClean, fresh, dreamy, pure, natural!What made you decide to become a photographer?I’ve always loved photography but was honestly never very good at it. My husband’s cousin loved the images I took however, and asked me to take some photos of them. At first I politely declined but eventually agreed after some persisting. Before them I had only ever taken photos of nature and landscapes. Everything progressed from that session. I wanted to keep learning ans perfecting my art. And it hasn’t stopped since!

How did you learn? Degree? Self-taught? Workshops?I’m mostly self taught, with a few online workshops. Of COURSE The Milky Way is a fav! (we swear no bribes were offered for those kind words! 😉 )

How long have you had your Photography Business?My first session was in July 2006! So 7 years now, wow!

What do you love most about having your own business?I love that I’m able to be home with my babies. Watching them grow up, and being the one to teach them is so very important to me. And being able to set my own hours and work days feels pretty darn amazing too!

What do you love the least?I can honestly say nothing. I adore every aspect of this career! Who wouldn’t with clients like mine!

What do you wish you had known prior to starting your own photography business?Oh boy. Many things! I’ve revised so much since I’ve started, but I honestly think that will always be an ongoing process. I wish I’d known all along how much I loved photographing babies. There’s lots of cuddles I missed out on the first couple years!

Studio or on-location?A bit of both. The majority of my newborn sessions are in my home studio. I do offer lifestyle newborn sessions in my clients homes as well.

Some baby sessions are also done in studio, but the majority of my work is all outdoors using natural light.

What was your biggest “A-ha” moment?I’ve honestly had a LOT of those along the way! I had one after taking The Milky Way’s Illuminate class. I’d been using my light BACKWARDS!!! No wonder I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. Whoops!!!

Where do you find inspiration for your art?I try my hardest to create my own images, but do find inspiration alone from photographers I love. Milk & Honey is a fav of course! I also adore Jillian Kirby and Rachel Vanoven. Each one is so different and I love them for different reasons.

Something you’re still learning?…I’m always learning. And I think the only way for anyone to progress in this business IS to keep learning. Keep testing yourself and trying new things. It’ll get your creative juices going which is the best form of learning!

How do you create balance between your business and the rest of life?I’m still working on this one actually. I’ve learned to put a cap on the amount of sessions I do each week. My babies are young and need their Mama to be there for them. So by offering a set amount of sessions each week, it allows me to have time for those, for editing, and time to be ‘home’. I also try not to edit or answer emails in the evenings so I can spend time with my husband.

How do you measure success?To me it’s by happiness. Am I happy with my business? Yes. Am I happy with my family life? Yes. Then I am successful!

What has been your most memorable shoot & why?Oh goodness, I have way too many of these. But if honestly have to say it’s any session I do with my own littles. I know that may be biased, but it’s true. They grow way too fast and I can’t document it enough!!!

What’s your Favorite Image? And why is it your favorite?It would have to be the one of my son and my baby girl when she was 6 days old. She was just so teeny in his little arms. And he was such a big boy holding her so carefully!! *cry*.

Favourite gear?My 100mm 2.8L lens. It rarely leaves my camera for my outdoor sessions.

However I used my 50mm 1.4 today for a fall session and can I just say it was AMAZING!!! I usually only use it indoors!

What is your go to lens & why?Oh, I guess I can use the answer above! I adore the bokeh my 100mm gives me.

RAW or Jpeg? RAW. I haven’t shot in JPEG since I started shooting!Nikon or Canon? Canon. But I honestly don’t have a preference. I just started with Canon and stuck with it.Mac or PC? Mac! The colors are oh so amazing.Lightroom or Photoshop ( or both ?) Photoshop. I’ve tried a few times to use Lightroom, but I truly just don’t understand it!

Which 5 words would your friends use to best describe you?Shy, quiet, loving, funny, emotional. I sound boring! Haha!

What classes have you taken with The Milky Way?Alllllll of them! Seriously. I can’t get enough.