Art is changing and very fast. But even as technology evolves, our creativity and human touch will always matter most.
In this episode, I’m joined by Olguta Goddard of Oh My Goddard Photography to talk about artistry, authenticity, and navigating creativity in the age of AI. Olguta shares how she’s stayed grounded in her artistic vision, protected her energy, and kept creating from the heart, even when trends, tools, and expectations shift around her.
We talk about finding your creative rhythm again, balancing rest and reinvention, and trusting your instincts when it feels like the industry is moving faster than ever.
If you’ve been questioning what creativity looks like in a world of AI and constant change, this episode is for you.
What’s in this episode:
- [02:18] Why authenticity matters more than algorithms
- [05:32] How AI is changing the conversation around art and inspiration
- [10:07] Staying connected to your creative voice through rest and reflection
- [13:45] When comparison creeps in and how to reclaim your energy
- [17:58] Boundaries that protect your art and your sanity
- [21:34] A reminder that your art is still needed in a changing world
If you’ve been craving permission to slow down, reconnect with your creativity, and trust your own artistic eye again, this conversation with Olguta will help you remember why your art still matters.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Resources Mentioned
Meet Olguta Goddard
I was born in Romania, grew up in Northern California and have spent my adult life in San Diego where I am married, a mama to 2 boys (+ 2 fur babies!) and a lover of all things outdoors. Professionally I’ve been a photographer for almost 14 years and while initially I started out anything from weddings to concerts, I found my passion in the maternity world (with a dash of cakesmash and seasonal family minis so I can see all of my mamas and babies grow!) I won first place in the Passion Portraits category of Shoot and Share, have been published in several photography magazines (including cover images) and have loved sharing my passion for the industry with my fellow creatives.
Connect with Olguta
Did this episode with Olguta encourage you to follow your artistic instincts? Check out this episode Play, Prompts, and Passion: How Liz Devinny Creates Playful Photography Masterpieces
Transcript
Olguta: [00:00:00] So we were going and doing all the things and, we had just gotten up there, gotten her dress, put her crown on her head, and she like grabs my hands and stares like quite literally into my soul. She’s like, are we really doing this? And I still get, every time I think about that phrase, that’s quite literally the moment that she’s waited for
in terms of like, her Parenthood motherhood goals.
In that moment, she realized like everything she had been waiting for is here in terms of photos, in terms of. Being pregnant enough to have these photos being healthy enough to be out there, I’m like, heck yeah, girl, we’re doing this. You know, like, we’re gonna end the night in a ball gown in the ocean with a crown on because you’ve waited an incredible amount of time to be able to, to do this.
And you know, luckily enough, two years later I was able to shoot her with , another baby, and she again walked in. She’s like, we’re doing this. She like, she was so excited. So that’s kind of been her tagline. She’s like, I’m doing it like we’re
doing it because. You just never know, like when you finally get the chance to do it, like do it really [00:01:00] darn
well
Lisa: Hello, my beautiful friends. Welcome back to the show. Today I’m hanging out with Olguta Goddard from Oh My Goddard Photography. if you haven’t seen her beautiful work on Instagram or online, you’ve gotta go check her out because she’s one of the most talented, talented maternity photographers I think I’ve ever seen.
So I’m very excited to have her on the show today. So welcome.
Olguta: Thank you so much, Lisa. It’s always a pleasure to see you and be a part of all things Milky Way, so thank you for having me
Lisa: Yeah, absolutely. So can you share a little bit about [00:02:00] who you are and what really drew you to maternity photography in the first place?
Olguta: Yeah. So I’m Olguta. I am, based in San Diego, California, and maternity photography. It’s interesting how it kind of came about. ’cause I feel like as a photographer, as most photographers do, we kind of start off shooting a little bit of everything getting our feet wet, taking it all in.
But for me personally, I was drawn to the maternity photography aspect as my own personal journey evolved into motherhood. We had a long infertility journey, so while I was still documenting all the things, I was also on the side going through infertility, going through, miscarriages and losses, and I realized how special it was to be able to capture that specific moment in someone’s life, pregnancy, growing their family.
You know, and it was hard at first, right? ’cause you’re going through the motions, but you’re not being able to document your own family. But you’re capturing it up for others and you’re seeing the joy that, it brings others. And I just realized how special it really was and then having that connection to it after I was able to, [00:03:00] start growing my own family just made it all the more special ’cause I was able to meet these moms who share their journeys of infertility and how they’ve waited 20 years to be in that moment.
So for me it was full circle and being able to relate with someone on such a deep level just makes the art portion of it come along just so naturally. ’cause you wanna just give them like the most iconic photos you can. ’cause they’ve waited a lifetime for that moment.
So it’s amazing.
Lisa: I love it. I’m an IVF mom and yeah, I’m a IVF mama and I, it’s hard. We have one little miracle and like I got married at 26 and we didn’t have my son until 31, and I tried until I was 40 to have. other children and it just didn’t happen,
Olguta: that’s the other thing. I mean, a lot of people, you know, you never know if you get that moment again. So some people say like, oh, I don’t wanna spend the money on photos. I’ll do it next time. Like, gosh, you know, obviously life is so unpredictable. We’ll just never know if you have that chance.
So if I get them in front of my camera, I wanna do like all the things that we possibly can just to capture [00:04:00] it all.
Lisa: I love that. I love that. Now you have been in the industry for almost a decade and. With maternity, like you’ve stayed focused on it. So, Tell me more. How you haven’t got bored and you just like always are doing something new with it.
Olguta: I mean, it’s always evolving. I feel like the industry as a whole has changed dramatically over the last 10 years and we’re kind of cycling through like the same styles and like introducing new things. I don’t even know how you can get bored just. Because it is always so fun. There’s so much inspiration out there.
my clients are always different. They’re kind of seeing things and bringing different ideas in. So for me it just like, it gives you like, just constant inspiration to work off of, whether it’s the industry or your clients or just things around you. It, it makes, it just, it’s different every time.
It’s different people, different, time of life, season of life. Luckily it’s been, you know, something that I haven’t gotten bored with. I, I can’t imagine ever moving on to something else.
Lisa: So there’s been a huge. AI is now everywhere. Everywhere. Right. [00:05:00] And so it’s interesting being an artist in this time because some are really afraid of it and some are really embracing it.
So where do you find that you fall within it?
Olguta: Definitely team embrace. I feel like I don’t ever think that it can fully replace us. I think if you embrace it in the way that, of it, of it helping your business, helping with editing helping with, you know, maybe client management a little bit like, to me, that’s okay. I don’t ever see it.
Fully replacing me because, there’s no one there holding the camera and doing the things and having the connection with my clients the way that I or a real, photographer would. So I love it. I think it’s opened up so many cool doors, being able to, you know, introduce all these like backgrounds.
And I know we, I talked to my clients about them. They’re still obviously evolving in their own, and right now they might look a little per pixelate or a little. Maybe like surreal. But like, that’s like the present, current day and time. And we might look back in 30 years and be like, why am I amongst all these oversized flowers?
It’s ’cause that’s what
Lisa: Why not,
Olguta: in 2025. Okay.
Lisa: [00:06:00] right?
Olguta: Yeah, I think it’s perfectly okay to embrace it. It’s, we’re not going anywhere. Our artistic selves are still gonna be providing as much into the business and into our clients as we possibly could and everything else, it just makes it fun.
Lisa: I love it. Now, your work is described as whimsical and ethereal, so that’s a really interesting creative spark. So where does that come from? Where do you get your inspiration?
Olguta: I just, I love providing my clients with something that I always joke at them, like, people don’t pay me for snapshots or just random cell phone photos. I love creating something that they can’t take themselves. I love enhancing my images in ways that they couldn’t do it with a filter or, random, things that they have access to. I just love expanding. We’re not changing the people, we’re not changing the moment. We’re just enhancing it. And I, I still provide my clients with both the classic, like the more solid background, texture, timeless type of look. But I love providing them with like a moment that just looks like iconic.
Something [00:07:00] that like, stops their friends in their scroll or
that would look incredible on a wall. Just to have it be special. ’cause again, like a lot of people have waited a whole lot of time to, to be in that moment. Whether we’re, outdoors on the beach, I’m not changing the scene, but you’re adding those elements that just make it magical.
And that’s what just makes that photo all that more special. They know they were there,
Lisa: Mm-hmm.
Olguta: through that moment, but they have this really iconic, whimsical photo that they can look back on.
Lisa: I think a lot of the time photographers underestimate. The value of the experience versus just the art that we’re giving them. Because I’ve seen a lot of, well, not a lot, I’ve seen some newborn photographers just take the parents, just take a picture at home and then they’ve created new, I’m like, but that’s not your baby.
Olguta: the same, and
especially with AI
Lisa: Yeah.
Olguta: is changing. That’s quite literally not your baby. ’cause it’s pulling from a database of things. So, people always say like, you know what? Those of us that incorporate clients into a background, like that’s [00:08:00] not real.
Okay, well it’s not, but my client is like that, that person right there, she’s real, nothing around her is.
Um, but that still gives them like a really
Lisa: Mm-hmm.
Olguta: to have not, they know they’re real. Not everything about that. Feeling of that moment is real. Everything around them is just a bonus.
Lisa: I used to spend hours, one of my favorite shots , with my children clients is doing like a feeding an animal, like feeding
a, Horse or a unicorn. And now it’s so much easier to like put in
Olguta: overlay.
Lisa: But the interesting thing is when you upload it, you get the tag on it that says Created by ai, and you’re just like, Hey, I did
that
Olguta: that. All of it.
Lisa: right?
Olguta: Yeah, I do that with , my family sessions at Christmas. I, I have a snow machine and it quite literally snows in my studio and it would be so much easier. That’s messy to drag in a snow overlay and call it good,
but nothing will bring that moment of like these kids physically seeing snow come, we’re in a [00:09:00] building but seeing snow come out of the sky trying to catch it, you know, that.
Feeling has to go with that photo in order for it to like truly be a moment for me,
Lisa: yeah,
Olguta: an overlay. Not the same.
Lisa: Not the same ai, not the same. Use it as a tool, not as a replacement. So many photographers struggle with burnout at some point. Have you ever experienced that? And how did you find your way back to inspiration?
Olguta: I have not experienced burnout in the literal sense. I feel like sometimes as my life is evolving. So as a mom, as a wife, we wear all the hats and sometimes if I take on too much, I kind of feel like everything else falls, wayside. So then it’s like, okay, do you put aside photography? Do you like spend less time with your kids?
I feel like especially in this industry, ’cause we’re all self-employed, you have to learn how to balance it all, how to manage all these different hats. Otherwise you do get physically burnt out and like word want, just throw it all out the window and be done. So for me, I found the [00:10:00] best thing I could do is shift gears a little bit.
In my case, as my kids were getting older and. I was feeling that, like how do I balance, like constantly missing bedtime, dinnertime, anything that happens the evening. ’cause I was always an outdoor photographer, so I was always gone at sunset, always gone, you know, missing all these evening things. That to me was the burnout moment.
And so I decided to jump head first into studio photography, not knowing how to turn on a Einstein, because that’s quite literally what I needed. I needed to be able to shoot nine to three. Like right now my kids are at school. And then shift a little bit of that focus and like the stress and that burnout feeling from the evenings.
I’m not gone every weekend or every evening now ’cause I’m shifting a lot of those clients into studio. So I think just being able to shift gears a little bit and recognizing that there’s so many ebbs and flows in this industry. And as professionals
Lisa: ride the waves.
Olguta: you have to make these changes in order to be successful.
‘Cause that energy, I mean, that’s what you’re pouring into your [00:11:00] clients. So if you have nothing in yourself to pour out to your clients, it is not fun anymore.
Lisa: No, exactly.
Olguta: as creatives it has to be fun in order for us to wanna do it and be able to pour our full potential into our clients.
And the images,
Lisa: Absolutely. Now with your clients, how many images do you give?
Olguta: It depends on the session. Three to. 10 are what’s included for my maternity sessions and that’s like my fully edited retouched images. A lot of clients choose to buy like the complete collection where it’s everything, the best of the best. And now with Evoto, it’s just made it so easy.
’cause even what they get
is way more edited than they ever used to be. So the images that I really have to kind of spend a lot more time on are like the, AI backgrounds or just like extra retouching requests.
Lisa: And do you outsource any editing
Olguta: Absolutely not. You know, I, I’ve tried, I honestly tried, again, back in my burnout days, I was like this, like everyone else is doing it, surely. Like this is a better route to go. And I tried quite a few editors and I just find out I’m personally too picky. I would [00:12:00] get images back and although they did everything right, I would say things like, I’m so.
nitpicky about little things. I’m like, how did you miss this? ’cause to me it was like this huge thing, but from a technical standpoint, everything was fine. It was more the artistic pieces that I’m like, Nope, I need this leaf to like not be there. This one , singular leaf was like standing out or you know, hair or whatever it was.
I just found that I needed to maintain control of
Lisa: Yeah. Oh my gosh. Evoto and the stray hair removal.
Olguta: Let me life changing,
Lisa: Life changing.
Yeah.
Olguta: studio alone, being able to like instantly get rid of all your, everything.
Lisa: Everything. Like, everything. It’s amazing. Yeah, I know. I was on the fence for a while and then I was like,
Olguta: I came in into a very late too, I was like, what is this? Like hocus pocus? Like, no way. And I learned, I saw it and you saw a workshop. I’m like, wait. Every light stand? Every everything gone. And like quite literally, a single click. And for the amount of editing that I do, like being able to take all that, the [00:13:00] initial, at least get a little bit of head start on it has saved me so much time and again, helps with burnout.
’cause I’m not sitting there three, four hours on a singular image. It’s so much quicker.
Lisa: I love it.
I love it. so you have a very strong, fine art style. So how do you balance your artistic vision with client expectations?
Olguta: I just do what I am passionate about and I have a strong belief in that the people that come to me and commit to booking is because they see what I do and they want that I don’t deviate and , I turn away clients weekly who come and like, oh, can we do like jeans and a t-shirt? Yes, there’s a way to do that or, incorporate that into my style, but it’s not like what I do.
And I I’ll do that as one of the looks if they’re ba if they’re doing like a bigger package. But I’ve had clients who’s like, oh, I’m not really into the, the gowns and I just bring my own. No, because to me like, I can’t put you into this like, magical scene while you’re wearing your old Navy dress.
And like, as cute as they look walking in and in that dress that’s like. [00:14:00] The everyday version of themselves and I just have a hard time connecting that into a fine art scene. It’s just not the same. So I’d rather just honestly like be honest with them front, either they miss the memo through my website and all the education that I try to do with my clients. In making sure that the ones that book are knowing what they’re signing up for. Like we’re, we’re going all the way with this. We’re not doing this whole, wanting to keep it simple thing. So yeah, I, just I stay true to myself and I give them what they’re seeing ’cause that’s ideally what they’re hiring me for.
And it hasn’t strained me, it hasn’t strayed me far from like reality. I feel like everyone that comes in, like they see it on my website. And that’s what they want. So that’s what they’re getting.
Lisa: So when you’re doing one with a creative backdrop and like adding gown parts, like do you show them the back of the camera first, like when they’re in the session and tell them what you’re going to be doing with it? No.
Olguta: No. So they shoot, no. So during the session I do shoot tethered Evoto. So they’re seeing themselves in that real life [00:15:00] moment. And then I send them a gallery of. Those images and they select the favorites, the ones that they want to have an AI background on, and they have no say in the background.
Again, I think this is just part of trusting the creative. They’re hiring. And I, we talk through this, that, that may sound harsh, but we talk through it like they’re after the session or when they’re making their selection sometimes they’ll say like, oh, you know, could I have myself in this like white flower scene?
I’m like, well, we shot you on black. So if if I shoot you on black and then I try to put you into a white a RE scene, you know, you’ll look like a sticker. And that’s, that doesn’t work. So I have to be able to maintain that creative control and pick a scene. That has the correct light direction, that has the correct vibe, that has , the tones and everything has to match in order for it to look like all the ones you’ve seen in my studio.
So a lot of clients just kind of take trust in that, you know, I, I do ask ’em like if they want, someone floral, some of ’em don’t want it to be very girl and they want something more earth or simple or just, you know, like wall panels, whatever the case might be. I do take their input.
[00:16:00] But ultimately I maintain that creative decision just ’cause it’s so important into making these scenes look real. I feel like a lot of it, clients just don’t get, like if I, they’ll sometimes they’ll send me photos of my, from my website. They’re like, I want that. I’m like, there’s so many things wrong about that, that doesn’t work with this image.
You want, I can find a different image of yours that will work because, you know, lighting directions, there’s only so many we do in a session, but like. Sometimes I have to just tell ’em like, that particular image just won’t work with this particular inspiration, but I will find you one that does. And it’s never been, it’s never been a sticking point.
So it’s,
Lisa: you ever find, do you ever find, with sending the whole gallery for them to pick that, what you’ve shot, they get overwhelmed and they wanna pick everything or
Olguta: And that’s what we want.
Lisa: Yeah. I love it.
Olguta: No, I mean, I, I think if they get overwhelmed, it’s only in the best ways. And, and that they do want their complete collection. And because the images that they are seeing are already pretty heavily retouched now, especially the use of Evoto, the background’s perfect.
They’re perfect. And I’ll go in and preemptively like, make any [00:17:00] adjustments that I
Lisa: Yeah.
Olguta: like deal breakers. Yeah,
Lisa: Yeah.
Olguta: little ing. so they pick their images for their gallery or what’s included in their package. And I would say 98, 90 9% of the time they include the complete collection.
Just ’cause like how could you, are you walking away from all these beautiful
Lisa: Yeah. And so is, do you pre call the, that part.
Olguta: they only see, no, they probably only see 80 to a hundred images per perception. And that might sound like a lot, but I am definitely an overs shooter. We kind of get wrapped up in the excitement of it all and just shoot away.
And I feel like we all have our own preferences. Things that I love, they might not, or they might tell me, oh, I love looking at the camera and teasing, and I don’t do a lot of that. ’cause again, people don’t pay me for selfies. But they might, see their gallery later and they love you notice a trend of them always picking photos that are more intimate or looking down at the belly or away versus at the camera choosing.
‘ that photo in the car before coming into the studio. Right. So people really see that artistic potential to these images when they have a whole gallery to pick from.
Lisa: Interesting. I’m an overs shooter [00:18:00] and I’m an over giver. Yes. And I like. I promise 25 and give 75, and I’m so trying to like stomp myself from doing this, but you just hit the nail on the head because I’m always thinking, okay, do they like the picture of them looking at the camera? Looking away, looking down?
And so I end up going, I can’t choose, so I’ll give them all three
Olguta: Yeah. Wait for free?
Lisa: because I just
Olguta: Mm-hmm. No,
Lisa: Yep.
Olguta: I, I used to not even offer that extra, that upgrade option, just ’cause I didn’t wanna have to edit all 150 options that were in the gallery. And Ev Vdo has quite literally changed that to like knowing I can sync it. At the very least, the background’s perfect and any slide enhancements are all like done with ev Vdo, like the images look amazing in their selection gallery.
Whereas before maybe it was harder to look at a studio image where you see like your strip boxes and the cords and everything else, all the other distractions. Even though I would tell ’em, I will fill in the background if you buy the [00:19:00] complete collection. That meant like I would have to do that a hundred times.
Lisa: I know, right?
Olguta: they don’t even know. They don’t even know that moment exists. ’cause we’re shooting tethered and I shoot tethered with adjustments. So they’ll
Lisa: Oh,
Olguta: they’ll look at the computer and they’re like, oh my God, I look like that. I’m like, well close.
Lisa: oh my goodness. I love that. Tethered and, okay, I’m gonna ask you more about that.
Olguta: Oh my gosh. Yes.
Lisa: I love it. So tethered with adjustments. I didn’t even know you could do that.
Olguta: So any actual preset that you would typically use in Evoto has, you can on import or on upon you taking the photo that presets assigned to the photo. So as your photo comes up on your screen, you’re seeing it with the background filled in with the client’s hair smoothed out, skin, air brushing, body slimming, whatever you want to do
Lisa: Amazing. So are you physically tethered or are
you.
Olguta: am physically
Lisa: Physically tethered.
Olguta: 15 foot cord with a screen and yeah, it’s easy peasy. I mean, it was like truly the best. And my clients love [00:20:00] seeing themselves real time. I’m not, we’re not all just hovering around a two inch LCD, you know, staring at my camera.
You see it really big. And I think that also helps build the excitement in the moment and also helps build the sales after the fact.
’cause like they’ve just seen a whole bunch of them awesome images and they always tell me like, there’s no way I’m gonna be able to decide. Well, you don’t have to,
Lisa: yeah.
Olguta: you just have ’em all.
Lisa: I love it.
Olguta: if they sell themselves in that moment.
Lisa: Yeah, a hundred percent. That’s genius. I
Olguta: they see the best version of themselves versus I feel like, especially as women as doing maternity photography, it’s hard to look at your body with maybe 50 pounds on it.
So
Lisa: Or even, ’cause I show the back of my camera and I’m like, don’t worry, I will. Whatever you’re seeing, I’ll
Olguta: see, I don’t have to say that anymore because they don’t Yeah. see it unless there’s a mirror in front of them. They Huh.
Lisa: I love it.
That’s so interesting. I love it. Can you share a session that really reminded you of why you love doing what you do?
Olguta: Yes. And this session is so near and dear to my heart. It was an outdoor session, oh gosh, about three years ago. [00:21:00] And this mom had tried for 21 years infertility, 21 years, eight losses many of which were full term. And she finally, again, we were going through this motions. She had never been able to have maternity photos because she was like always bed bound with prior pregnancies or always going through complications.
So here we were, we did the beach, which is always like so hard on the body being, having to climb these rocks in order to get these photos. Yes, we can’t stand, you know, on the sand, but it’s not nearly as cool as like the waves crashing around doing a rock. So we were going and doing all the things and, we had just gotten up there, gotten her dress, put her crown on her head, and she like grabs my hands and stares like quite literally into my soul. She’s like, are we really doing this? And I still get, every time I think about that phrase, that’s quite literally the moment that she’s waited for
in terms of like, her Parenthood motherhood goals.
In that moment, she realized like everything she had been waiting for is here in terms of photos, in terms of. Being pregnant enough to have these [00:22:00] photos being healthy enough to be out there, I’m like, heck yeah, girl, we’re doing this. You know, like, we’re gonna end the night in a ball gown in the ocean with a crown on because you’ve waited an incredible amount of time to be able to, to do this.
And you know, luckily enough, two years later I was able to shoot her with , another baby, and she again walked in. She’s like, we’re doing this. She like, she was so excited. So that’s kind of been her tagline. She’s like, I’m doing it like we’re
doing it because. You just never know, like when you finally get the chance to do it, like do it really darn
well
Lisa: I love that.
Do you do newborn too?
Olguta: I don’t do newborn. No, I do sitters. So just fun for me, being able to see my clients grow and, you know, the families and for seasonally, but no, just maternity and sitters. sitters.
Lisa: I love it. so you’re also a teacher and a mentor, so what do you love most about helping others bring their creative ideas to life?
Olguta: Oh gosh. I feel like being so passionate about what I do, just on a genuine level [00:23:00] from like, I just, I love photography. I just,
Lisa: Mm-hmm.
Olguta: talk about it all day long, dude. Like shoot, all day long. And being able to share that with others who are maybe just getting into it or maybe still doubting themselves.
’cause we’ve all been there as, you know, we’re more successful now. But like we’ve all had that moment where we’re like, what the heck are we doing? How are we doing it? Like, this is even what we wanna do. And being able to talk someone through the, gosh, maybe through the mistakes we’ve made, or encouraging them to kind of take that leap.
’cause honestly, a lot of times we’re our own harshest critics we’re. Scared of failing, scared of taking that leap, scared of making someone mad, scared of doing it wrong, or, there’s just so many like little roadblocks that we honestly impose on ourselves.
So being able to share my passion with someone that’s maybe new or looking to expand their growth within the industry is just amazing. Being able to walk ’em through those steps and getting them just past that hurdle to where they’re like, I can do, okay, I can do this. Like, this is what I wanna do, or this is [00:24:00] how I wanna do it.
Igniting that spark in them, maybe, you know, helping them through that burnout. Just finding a new way to do something or finding something new to do with in terms of, you know, photography is just so exciting to be able to help someone come and drink some of your, your Kool-Aid, you know, have like sharing that excitement with them with.
Sessions are editing. It’s always just fun to me. Like it, all of it is just, it’s amazing.
Lisa: I love it. So good. Okay. Are you ready for a lightning round?
What’s your go-to drink or ritual before a session?
Olguta: I love just drinking like sparkling water, cold sparkling water on the way to session, blasting music if it’s like outdoors, if it’s at the studio. I just love getting here early and sitting down, like flopping on the couch and just like taking it all in. Having everything set up and just waiting in silence sometimes
Lisa: I love it. So if your photography style was a season, which one would it be
Olguta: fall, fall, fall. The colors, the vibe. Oh my gosh. Minus today. It’s first rainy day in California and we’re all just falling apart. But the colors in [00:25:00] general and the kind of the warmth, the richness, the, oh gosh, all of it. That is me. A
hundred
Lisa: I love it. What’s a creative tool or prop you love to experiment with?
Olguta: Oh gosh. I love the aerial photography. That’s been something that, I mean, I’ve, I’ve had this setup in my studio for, I don’t know, about two years now. But just being able to incorporate that in the session I think is just unique. ’cause not everyone does it and it’s different for our clients. So it’s fun that do.
Lisa: Yeah, I love that. If you could photograph anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Olguta: I had love like Bora bore or something with like iconic blue water or like Ireland, like iconic hillsides. I mean, we’re pretty lucky here in California, but just something that’s like way left field, like big, big iconic environments.
Lisa: If you could spend a day creating purely for fun, what would you photograph and what setup would you do?
Olguta: I would do maternity in the fall.
I’ve done it once, twice in [00:26:00] Colorado in the fall, and like that alone is an experience that is life changing.
Olguta: But yeah, I would a hundred percent go back to maternity in Colorado.
Lisa: What’s a piece of advice that stuck with you over the years?
Olguta: Just take that chance. I’ve had that phrase. I was at a workshop, gosh, at least 15 years ago. I wanna say, oh, I don’t even remember her name, but that was kind of her thing. Like, you know, what are you afraid of? What’s holding you back and ultimately point it back to ourselves. she would say, what is your time worth to you?
She was an IPS photographer, but what is your time worth? And, you know, we’re all charging low prices. She’s like, is that all your time away from your kids and family’s worth? Taking that chance and increasing your prices, you know, expanding your business. It’s all just worth it.
Lisa: Yeah. Love that. What’s one word you’d use to describe how you feel about your art right now?
Olguta: Oh, I think I’m content. I think just being able to, it all feels very authentic and like me and I’m [00:27:00] consistent in providing that authenticity to my clients and that’s just a good feeling to get, to be in that point of your career where you’re not doubt. Like, is this like, are they gonna like it? Am I doing it right?
Like you’re just giving them view, like unapologetically and having clients be so receptive and appreciative of that is a really good feeling.
Lisa: What’s something that’s been inspiring you lately in art life or even outside of photography?
Olguta: I’m loving black and white photography and that’s like not just applying ’cause I’m like, oh wow, it’s easy, right? Just apply a filter or two. No, like just seeing people or other photographers who do like amazing black and whites to me is really inspiring. I think that also is very timeless and something I’d love to kind of incorporate into my business or my editing more just to have something for my clients.
I think it just takes the image to a whole different level when you see it in black and white.
Lisa: yeah. I love that. Where can our listeners learn more from you?
Olguta: I am all over the place. I am social media. We know where we all gotta be everywhere. [00:28:00] So, Instagram, Facebook are my go-tos and you know, Milky Way workshops.
Lisa: Yay. Awesome. So what, I love to end my interviews with this last question and it is, what are you curious about or artistically curious about right now?
Olguta: I love the style of like Veronica Marcus and Claudia Aguilar. She’s like amazing with being able to do, still have it be very fine art, but do like suits and more like edgy fine art. I think like mine is very like whimsical and pretty and like gowns and crowns. But to see like the powerful images that come, that come out of like.
A pregnant woman in a suit. Like to me, like that’s really like, just like iconic. So being, I’m really interested in kinda expanding on that and exploring that style more again, ’cause there’s different styles for different people. Not everyone’s in the gowns, but still being able , to provide them like a really powerful image that’s like in a suit or whatever their style is.
It’s not necessarily [00:29:00] mine, I think just kind of expands my horizons a bit as a photographer.
Lisa: Yeah, it was interesting recently. I, I had a session, I was going to be booked, but the images she sent me were all lifestyle
Olguta: Yes.
Lisa: I was like, oh,
Olguta: Mm-hmm.
Lisa: I am not the freight photographer. I am so posed
that I don’t like, I can’t get the movement and like I just.
Olguta: It’s a whole different skillset.
Lisa: just not me. It’s like it does not come naturally or authentic.
So I’m like, I could do post adult lifestyle. Like that doesn’t work.
Olguta: No, not the same. I get that a lot with people wanting like these maternity photos where they’re like frolicking through the field. I’m like, that’s not me. And I, even when I try to incorporate that style more just to have it look, you know, different, I still like find myself like, okay, look at the camera smile or like, look at each other, or you’re still giving them like a, something to do.
And then that kind of takes away from the lifestyle situation of it.
Lisa: Yeah, totally. Like the boho trend with like everybody like moving in the wind.
Olguta: [00:30:00] Nope. Mm-hmm. Because like I not, then I’d find myself like fixing their hair. So it’s perfect. And that’s not what the moment’s about. Or I’ll call out a photo where their hair’s all over their face and
Lisa: they’re like, how do I pose? And I’m like. That I don’t know. Right,
Olguta: it’s hard. I think it’s, and that’s sometimes we really gotta kind of stay true to what
we do and our style, because when you deviate, you feel like a fish out of water.
Like, yes, we probably could make it work, but then it just doesn’t feel like it’s your work.
Lisa: Yeah. For the longest time, because I like to shoot outdoor and I shoot with the 1 35 or
the 200
Olguta: Iconic. I love both of those.
Lisa: Right. And that’s always been my look. And so when everyone started working with the 30 fives and then using
Olguta: Going
Lisa: and everything,
I went through, I was like, I’m not cool anymore.
I’m just like, my, like, I just don’t fit in anymore. my work looks so different than everybody else’s that I’m like, oh, but then I was talking to a friend. She’s like, that’s awesome then
Olguta: Yeah, no, that’s
quite literally what you want. Yeah. I, cannot even like having [00:31:00] moved to the 50 in studio, I felt like it was out of body experience for the longest. Now I’m a little bit more adapted to that, but like anything below a 50, like, forget it. I, I just feel like I love that blur and being able to capture the person.
I’m not there to capture like every leaf in the bush behind her. I want that Boca
Lisa: I know, I feel like I’m sitting on their lap. I’m like,
hello.
Olguta: No, absolutely not. I’m
with
Lisa: it.
Olguta: that.
Lisa: Alright, well pull our little train into the station. So, Olguta, you so much for joining me today.
Olguta: Such a pleasure. Oh my gosh, you’re amazing. I enjoy talking to you and sharing experience and talking to photography. It’s, you are quite literally like what? the industry needs and being able to genuinely share your joy and your passion for photography. You’re just like bringing everyone in, bringing everyone together, and that’s incredible.
Lisa: Thank you. I, I love what I get to do, honestly. Creating online experiences for students that help them grow and become better artists because they have so many different people to look
from. Right. [00:32:00] Like you get, get to be, pick who you are.
Olguta: It’s incredible and we’re all doing it
Lisa: of it.
Yeah. It’s so fun.
Olguta: it is.
Lisa: Oh my. Beautiful friends. I hope you have loved this conversation just as much as I have. I am sending you so much of my light and my love today and every single day. We’ll see you next time.
