Over the last six weeks, Val and I have been collaborating on a new and exciting holiday photo card line. Together we’ve created a fun, sophisticated and eco-friendly line. I will reveal all the details next Monday. In the meantime, I want you to meet Val. If you are interested in booking a photo session, she is offering a packages that include holiday cards. Above is a taste for what’s coming next week!
My name is Val Lemieux and I have an addiction to laughing. It’s true. I find the best moments in life are the ones where I’m either laughing or flat out can’t breath because I’m laughing so hard. I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada and after three universities – Boise State, Otago – New Zealand, and UNR, I graduated with a degree in Psychology. I am artistic soul. I take oil painting lessons with my father once a week. I prefer hand crafted gifts vs store bought (Etsy is my latest joy). I find the hum of my sewing machine to be therapeutic and if I have camera in my hand I am home.
I am a Reno Photographer who focuses on Family and Child photography. My shot events include the 2010 RGJ journal jog and 2011 Rock N’ Roll Marathon. My main love is children. Their laughter is the cure to all pains. My goal in every shoot is to capture that one moment where they are laughing with all their heart.
I got a Canon Powershot as a gift and I fell in love. I mean really in love. I had that camera with me at all times. I would purposely buy purses the camera would fit in. I started off with landscape pictures, but it wasn’t until my niece was born 5 years ago that I discovered that I loved taking pictures of children. I loved capturing her life and watching her grow through my photos. It wasn’t until my second nephew was born and battling colic that I captured a photo that changed my photography from a hobby to a budding career.
I see light differently. I see moments in freeze frames. I have also become intrigued in people’s stories. How they met, what they love and what makes them tick.
I have an amazing support group. My family has been there for me from the beginning. My sister in laws hired me when I didn’t think any one would. My mother comments on almost all my photos, blogs, hires me all the time and brags me up a storm to perfect strangers. My brother gives me all the legal advice I can comprehend and never fails to remind me that what I am doing is perfect for me. My other brother is supportive and pushes me to strive for my dreams. My father goes on photo hikes and listens to me blab and blab about photography. My boyfriend, who will look at shots with me until he is cross-eyed, but never complains and only offers words of wisdom or helpful critiques. My friends like Yolanda and Lisa are always there to remind me to believe in myself and that I need to value my work more. These people and many more are my backbone. They keep me wanting to perfect myself and my skill.
I read everything I can whether it is books or blogs. I take every class I can from how to work your camera to fun class like “picture summer” from BigPictureClasses that help me work on detail and color shots. I shoot with any photographer I can. But mostly, I practice. I will place an object on my patio railing outside and just take shot after shot changing the iso, the shutter speed, the aperture. I will play around until I figure out what works. When taking pictures of children, knowing my light and how to manipulate it is key. Kids move fast so, I’ve learned to adjust my settings fast and with confidence.
I have learned to share. When I started really trying to learn how to take better pictures, I met some amazing photographers. They showed me how to improve and showed me their tricks. I could email them, call them, or just ask them to do a shoot with me and they would. Without them, I would still be on those manual books that will put anyone to sleep. I vowed to help any photographer that contacts me with the same love for photography.
Always check to make sure your camera isn’t set to manual focus. I shot a family shoot once and for the first 20 minutes I acted like nothing was wrong, but I was really freaking out inside because I couldn’t get anything to focus. Finally, glanced down to see if I was in the manual focus setting. I finally took my first breath of the shoot and learned to always do a quick run through of my camera before a family shows up: iso, am I on manual focus, is my timer on, do I have extra batteries and memory cards, and to have fun!
What classes do you teach? What can you teach others?
I teach a ‘photographing your children’ class at Gordon’s. It’s a two night class that covers tips, tricks, and other helpful facts about your camera and subjects that will help you get better and more creative photos of your children. It’s all about telling your child’s story through photographs.
My hotspot changes with the season. During the summer, it’s all about those beautiful fields. Verdi and Washoe Valley has some amazing fields. During the fall/winter, it’s all about the Galena forests and Thomas Creek. If it is spring, UNR’s campus is blossoming with pink and white flowers that are perfect for portraits.
Midori Ishibashi is an artist, teacher and native Nevadan. I met Midori in high school when her artistic aspirations were just taking flight. Since our high school days, Midori has studied art at UNR, earned a masters degree in art education and traveled the world as an art teacher. Last year she returned to Reno to share her talents with local youth and adults.
I’m kicking off a new feature highlighting my favorite artists. Each month I’ll bring you an interview with an artist I admire. I’m starting close to home with Melanie Narish. She is the mastermind behind 
