Emilie Manhart is one of the coolest and most successful people that I know. She was my creative writing teacher in high school (and is now my husband's colleague!), and I took that class at a pivotal moment in my life when I decided to study English in college rather than Kinesiology (yeah, I know. I'm still shaking my head over that near mistake). Years later, as I followed her well-written and widely-read blog One Mom in Maine, her enthusiasm about running and marathons convinced me to try a Couch to 5k program (and to eventually run a marathon myself). Emilie is such a successful person in all aspects of her life and I find myself constantly watching her and using her as a model to try and define what I want success to look like in my own life.
Almost a year ago Emilie approached me and asked if I would be a photo contributor to Sparrow Magazine, a new venture that she and co-editor Kelly Dahl were undertaking. I was honored that Emilie had even thought of me for the project, so I eagerly said yes. The magazine has evolved into something really special; the articles are thought-provoking, well-written, and do exactly what Sparrow Magazine's tag line suggests: they "inspire deliberate living."
(All of the photos on the above screenshot were taken by me! I'm particularly fond of the photo they are using for their Summer issue cover!)
For Sparrow's fourth issue I contributed an article about using natural light to produce better photos. When I began as a photographer I found that one of the things that dramatically changed the quality of my work was when I began to "see" and understand how light lit my subjects' faces and eyes. By using these tips, even if you're just using a point and shoot or an iPhone, you should see a difference in the quality of your photos.
Read the article here! Thanks, Emilie and Kelly, for letting me be a part of your wonderful magazine!
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