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Darkroom to DSLR: Portraits, Light, and Client Comfort
What makes a photograph truly timeless? In this captivating conversation, we sit down with professional photographer Natalie Whitehead, who shares her remarkable journey from darkroom days to digital mastery.
Natalie's story begins at just nine years old, watching images magically appear in chemical baths while her father taught her printing techniques in a darkroom in South Korea. This early fascination blossomed into a lifelong passion that's made her one of Northern Virginia's most sought-after family and senior photographers.
The conversation travels through memory lane as Natalie and host Brooke reminisce about their shared photography classes in high school and college, their adventures shooting in Egypt and Cuba, and the dramatic evolution of photography technology. Natalie reveals why she's committed to natural light photography, explaining how she's learned to work with different lighting conditions throughout the day rather than fighting against them.
What truly sets this episode apart is Natalie's practical wisdom about the human side of photography. She shares her techniques for making clients comfortable during sessions, offering valuable insights into directing poses, maintaining constant communication, and creating an atmosphere where authentic moments can flourish.
Whether you're a photography enthusiast looking to improve your skills or simply someone who appreciates the art of capturing life's precious moments, this conversation offers a window into the mind of a photographer who's mastered both the technical and interpersonal aspects of her craft. Subscribe now to hear more conversations with creative professionals who are passionate about their art.
Hello everybody, welcome back to Autofocus. I'm here, my name is Brooke, and I am here with one of my favorite people in the world, Natalie Whitehead. Natalie, how are you? And for people that don't already know who you are, like me, why don't you tell them who you are, what you do, what are you about?
Speaker 2:Great question. So, natalie whitehead, I've known brooke forever and I am a photographer based in northern virginia. I specialize in families and seniors and maternity and couple couples and stuff like that yeah, that's awesome, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:Uh, so, um, we go way back like high school, which is not that far back no, we were young, it was last year Feels like it. Doesn't feel like it, but yeah, so we go way back to high school and so like it was Mr K's class. Oh yeah, remember Mr K? Yeah, he was amazing and we had and not to date ourselves, but in Mr K's class we had probably like the first version of Photoshop and then we also were using darkroom photography.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not to date us. I don't know if you remember, it was a long time ago. I don't remember the Photoshop, but I believe you don't remember Photoshop.
Speaker 2:No, I remember, I remember Photoshop. I remember the first version. Was it on a desk? It?
Speaker 1:probably was on a cd rom. Yeah, on a computer and it was. I got to use it a couple times. Um, a little bit couple, but like so. But what got you into photography? I mean, was it because you wanted to take a class with me?
Speaker 2:oh yeah, that's yeah okay that's the easy answer. Um, no, my dad. Actually, my dad was a photographer not a serious star, he's like a hobbyist photographer and he took pictures of flowers and fun stuff like that. But he used to take me to the dark room when we lived overseas and he'd show me how to print. So I think I just wanted to be like him, so I followed in his footsteps.
Speaker 1:Yeah, did he do black and white photography or did you?
Speaker 2:yeah, he was doing black and white. I can remember him taking pictures of flowers and he'd like spray the flowers with water and I always thought that was like so cool.
Speaker 1:Okay, so he was like studio, like really.
Speaker 2:So we went to the studio and we would print in the old darkroom and he would show me how to do it. I was like fascinated with it. Back then I think I was probably around when I was like nine or ten. Oh, that nine or ten, oh, that's cool. Where were you living? I was in korea, south korea, and they must have had a like an on base dark room.
Speaker 1:That's my like poor memory.
Speaker 2:I guess they probably don't have those anymore no, probably, probably don't have that anymore on the base, but yeah, I just remember him going and taking pictures of flowers and then we go and print them and I thought that was like the coolest thing ever that is cool, yeah, awesome, all right.
Speaker 1:Well, okay, let's, let's go back to Natalie. So what was what was your dad? Was your dad using the camera, like your first camera? Did he hand it down to you, or?
Speaker 2:well, yeah, I guess hand it down is a good good way to look at it. Maybe I took it.
Speaker 1:You took it. Yeah, that's kind of that's what happened to that. What was your first camera?
Speaker 2:I think my first camera, I remember, was a canon rebel, yeah, but before that I can't remember what I had.
Speaker 1:I had the like. This is my parents. What is the? The pentex k1000. That's like the high school camera. That's what everybody had. Yeah, this is the minolta. I must have used it. Oh, yeah, it looks very similar. Right, did you like to say, yeah, they all look the same. Yeah, they all look the same. Yeah, I had the K1000. And that was definitely. Yeah, I took my parents, they gave it to me. They didn't want to be the family photographer anymore. They're like you do it. I think I've been the family photographer since I was like 10. And the friend photographer. Yeah, I've been the photographer. There still are pictures of me because of you now. So there's pictures of me and my youth. They exist. I didn't do only photography for my family. Well, you're welcome. Yeah, thank you. And so, since we're talking about the waybacks, like working in a dark room so what like when you were working in the dark room? What did you really like about dark room and what do you miss.
Speaker 2:Oh, what do you not miss? Well, I think I don't miss the setup. It was kind of a messy setup. Um, I don't miss that because, um, my parents actually bought me an enlarger and we used to set up in my my parents basement. So I'm just remember being quite messy, but I kind of missed it. Like I missed the how it took the long time and you get so excited when the image would come out, you know out missed it. Like I missed the how it took the long time and you get so excited when the image would come out, you know out of the chemicals. I missed that old school feel yeah, that was fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when you were like you're like, it was like you honestly, because you didn't know if you had a good photo right like you would get the film. It's in reverse. You put it, you have, you shine the light onto a piece of paper and you put the piece of paper in the, in the developer, and it was like you know did it. Is it going to be good? Is it even in focus?
Speaker 2:Maybe it was.
Speaker 1:You had no idea, it wasn't instant. You just didn't instantly know, and that was crazy. That was fun to like see.
Speaker 2:It was fun when it worked.
Speaker 1:It was not fun and you were like I screwed up completely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you messed up all the chemicals or the light or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you would accidentally eat them, like we were. Like I would definitely like it would splash or like get in your mouth, or something yeah yeah, yeah, I was like on your hand and you like wipe your face and you're like I just put fixer all over my face, like good times, yeah, so what? Um? So obviously we've moved to the digital age, oh, but before we do that, um, I also want to talk about so. Not only did we go to high school together, we went to college together.
Speaker 1:Wow, it's because you really wanted to be in all my photo classes. I did, yeah, exactly. So we went to college together and we did photography, obviously. And so I have my college camera too. Wow, it was like the Nikon, this one. This is a camera I took with us to Egypt and Cuba. Dang, I'm surprised you still have it. I do, yeah, it's really dusty.
Speaker 1:It's actually it's on my shelf now and it's like it's a, it's more of a, more of a like oh hey, kids watch this. This one doesn't have a screen and the back pops open, if I can remember how to do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, see, oh yeah, oh, wow it's old school yeah, so, um, I also want to talk to you about, since I know that we went. We went to Egypt and went to Cuba together, you know, not a long time ago, last year, yeah, but what is that like? I mean, just let's talk about travel photography for a second, because I think like that is so much different than like the photography, you know, just like going out and taking pictures and like your back, your backyard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely, photography, you know, just like going out and taking pictures in like your back, your backyard yeah, definitely, I think that's what I wanted to do. Is what travel photography? Because I lived overseas quite a bit. So when we got a chance to go to Cuba and Egypt, I was quite, you know, enthralled because it's so different. You walk right down the street and there's like a different scene to take photos of. It was, it was so much fun yeah, it is so much fun. That's my dream.
Speaker 1:When I retire, maybe I'll travel the world and take pictures again yeah, yeah, we'll have to do that and we'll have to go back to cuba. What so? We went to egypt. We went to cuba. Which one was your favorite? Uh, cuba, yeah, me too I'll go back in a heartbeat. Yeah, that was such amazing. It was such an amazing experience. I mean it was so fun, like the colors are so like there's so much color.
Speaker 1:There's like the people were like so nice, they were so nice and it was like you know, um, probably, they wanted probably american dollars, but that was fine, I didn't mind, they were so nice. Um, you almost caused a car accident because, no, that's it, you're right, but no, it was so, it was so much fun. There was like, uh, the beaches, they were like, oh, they were amazing, yeah, um, yeah. And then there was the cat. There was that cat that we, that we adopted elgato yeah, yes, that was so much fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, and I really feel like, uh, just when we were taking pictures in egypt, I don't know, I remember when, um, uh, we, I, I say this is on this camera didn't fit anywhere else, but I have this polarizer filter, filter and like, remember how the like in Egypt it was, like the sun was so much harsher than like anywhere else? Oh, yeah, so like you had to have a polarizer filter if you wanted to get like any kind of sky. Yeah, really, yeah. So do you still use those? Do you still use filters with your cameras? No, no, is it? It just, is it?
Speaker 2:the technology is just so much better technology and I tend to lose things, so I don't anything that's gonna get scratched and broken. I don't have any lens caps like I don't have. I wish I did, I probably should, but I don't, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:I mean, obviously I keep it. This is. I mean, this was from college. You should keep that forever. I should keep that forever. I will, because it's on my. I mean, it doesn't fit on any lens, I don't use it anymore. I guess I could get film. But yeah, how expensive is that? Do you ever shoot film for fun?
Speaker 2:No, I should. I think I hammer store right down the street and I need to go get some.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Do you. Yeah, Would you do you?
Speaker 2:still have a enlarger set up, not in my house, my mother still has it at her house.
Speaker 1:I was wondering is it still set up in the basement?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's still in the basement, it's not set up.
Speaker 1:Set up but I would love to be able to set it away.
Speaker 2:One day I'm gonna use it but now you guys.
Speaker 1:But your mom has a basement, so now I know what we're gonna do next time I come and visit yeah, oh, we should.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a great reason for photography.
Speaker 1:There's a giant sink and it's just it's made for, like, uh, developing photos and when we do that, we'll have to do another little segment where we're like, okay, now do we remember how to do this? Is it like riding a bike, or do we have to Google it? Are we going to have to chat GPT, chat, gpt. Tell me the thing I learned to do when I was like 14 years old. Right, oh, that's a good question. Yeah, I was like do I remember how to do it? I don't know. No, probably not. I definitely don't know how to mix the chemicals. Yeah, yeah, how has your photography changed and how has it evolved over the years?
Speaker 2:That's a good question. I well, I think it's evolved to the point now where I'm just, I'm very, I'm very, a natural light photographer, true to true to color. I think at the beginning I was trying to mess around with, you know, following other photographers, but now I'm getting to the point where I'm just, like, um, I've evolved to where I just want everything classic, I want everything true to life, I want everything to just stand the test of time. I think that's super important. So I think that's how my photography is involved. Um, I've also, you know, I, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's my answer no, and I, okay, you've always been so good with with a color, like you can see color and like with you and even the images you you put out today, like, do you tell people like what to wear and like how to coordinate, because, like some of these people they come out with like it's like yellow on the green or on like the fall background and I'm like that's beautiful, like, how do you, do you advise them?
Speaker 2:So I have a what to wear guide I send out for clients but I don't tell them. Tell them what to wear. I have like tips and tricks but a lot of my clients over the years have just they show up like that. But I'll take clients, you know, know you can show up with whatever. But yeah, like some of them will show up in those pretty gowns but then the next person, next family, show up in like t-shirts and jeans. It's like let's go, you know. So it just depends on the family. But yeah, I do have tips and tricks I've I send to them beforehand. Hopefully they read it, maybe they don't yeah, probably not.
Speaker 1:What are some of your?
Speaker 2:tips and tricks. So I like definitely don't coordinate, definitely don't same same samey. Like don't all white t-shirt it. If you want to, that's fine.
Speaker 1:I will put a photograph. You don't care. White, white t-shirts and jeans on a beach.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's natural, don't do that. Um, I also think a big one is, uh, like sayings or logos don't wear them. I think it's distracting, unless you're like a senior session and so you're going to Virginia Tech or something like that. So that's my big tip, you know. And then I also like to tell my clients check your pockets, that's a big one.
Speaker 1:Phones, hair ties that's a big tip I give because you know you get home, you're editing and there's like hair ties where they have some hair on your wrist and then you have the yeah, and I guess, if you have car keys, it's like you have tight pants on, it's like a.
Speaker 2:Really it's a weird bulge it's a, you said it right. Or like the apple watches, like always, like do you want that on? You know, like you know, so, um, those are big trick tips, um stuff like that.
Speaker 1:What about the ladies? Do you tell them to wear like any makeup? Do you tell them, or just go all natural?
Speaker 2:Yeah, wear light makeup. So for my senior girls, I tell them to bring like a kit with them, or bring a brush with them or mirror. Sometimes they just look at their phone. But yeah, I tell them to bring like little like stuff with them, just kind of you, you know, keep them pretty throughout the session. But I'll tell them if your hair looks funky, I'll go up and tell them. You know, fix your hair. Yeah, but for my other clients I don't, I don't really say much, you know, I will say something if it looks a mess, of course your bra straps hanging out kind of like that.
Speaker 1:So yeah, that's good, yeah, but yeah, it's, it is. It is interesting because, like you know, a lot of people are like should I wear heavy makeup? Because on TV you're supposed to wear makeup, because the lights drown you out? And you're like no, no, no, like that's not what you normally wear, like don't, don't, don't, don't go, I'll go, don't over. Yeah, it's like natural, yeah. So what made you pick that style?
Speaker 2:Like the natural style. Yeah, I just think it's true to form, right. So I think it also is true to like different skin tones. I think once you start manipulating the color slightly, for me, the skin tones start to change. I think it's important that we stay true to the color of everything, right? So, yeah, I just think it's important. That caveat, though. I hate green, so I'll just throw that out there. I hate the color green. We're so much green in Northern Virginia I want to scream.
Speaker 1:That's so funny. Mine's purple, our high school colored with purple. I'm like done with purple.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think green is so hard to edit. It doesn't look like a lime green and it's overpowering. So I think that's my arch enemy is the color green. But like, wear green, but like I don't want to photograph you in green grass yeah, no.
Speaker 1:Saint patrick's day photos no, no um so natural light. So you don't usually use like extra lights on your, not in my sessions, no because it's so.
Speaker 2:It's so fast paced, especially with um little kids. There's no way I can move that fast with a external or like a flash. I just I can't do it. Props to people who can do it. I just can't do it, yeah and the.
Speaker 1:So what have you learned about natural light over the years? I?
Speaker 2:you know I've I've learned how to master it and sounds crazy, but like what light looks like in the morning compared to the evening, even midday light, which I'm starting to really love. It's really harsh, which now I'm like let's go like, okay, I'm learning how to avoid that. There's like golden hour yeah, like, but give it to me, I don't care, let's, let's go. I've learned how to not manipulate, but how to make the best out of each lighting, which is fun.
Speaker 1:Every light during the day is so different, so I think that's fun yeah, so what do you do during the midday, like that's usually the light you stay away from, do you just use like I would say, you know, like shade?
Speaker 2:Shade. Yeah, definitely shade, because it's so hot too. So it's like shade. Yeah, you just have to kind of fiddle around where the light's hitting. And I wouldn't recommend it for like a little family, maybe like a senior session, because that's kind of fun, you get that harsh light on them. But yeah, it's tricky light on them.
Speaker 1:But yeah, it's tricky, yeah, I guess with more people, because that'd be hard because, like you would have, like you if you're, if you're like under a tree or something, there's always going to be like a one weird hot spot on a person.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there is always that one and you don't notice it until later, right yeah. And you're like, oh, that's a weird idea. And you're like I'll, I'll fix it in post and there's no way to make it not a hot spot. So what is your what? What advice would you give to people that are just starting out Like should they try with a more trickier light? Or like what's the safe natural light?
Speaker 2:I would say try, drag your friends and family out to different types of light Early morning light, evening light, you know, maybe midday light, we go later, I don't know. But but light looks different and every day you have cloudy days it looks different. You know, with cloudy days it looks different. You know, um, uh, with the rain starting to come, like it's all so different. So I think it's hard to say like you've mastered one light, when it's today I can go outside and it's cloudy, and the next day it's like super bright. So you just you have to really practice in different light situations. So that's all it is. You just you just gotta practice.
Speaker 1:A lot of practice. Someone was telling me at one of our other episodes you know, he's like you have to practice every day and practice for yourself. Don't practice on your clients. Oh, I like that, yeah, so do you do that? I mean, like, are you out? Do you always cause? Like you have? You have some kids. Yeah, I have a bunch of them, yeah, yeah, yeah. And when you, but when you're looking at you know, do you do, do you do a lot of portraits with them? I guess when they were younger, yeah, when they were younger.
Speaker 2:I can't get them out too much, they're busy, you know they're busy.
Speaker 1:They have their own lives.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they have their own lives now. Yeah, no, I don't get to practice them as much anymore. Um, I've now have neighbors I'm starting to practice on like. If I need like a particular location, I want to try out as a neighbor. Yeah, yeah, you ever take your dogs or your cat no, aria, our dog is so hard to photograph, she's she's like high energy, she's high energy and she's like three-fourths, like she's black, like she's props to dog photographers. I think that's the hardest. Hardest, hardest thing to photograph is dogs.
Speaker 1:So that's crazy. Have you ever done that? Have you ever done any pet photography? Yeah, I did.
Speaker 2:This one, his young girl. She reached out to me Her dog was going to had cancer and she reached out to me to photograph like a end of life photos. Oh wow, it was very difficult because it was sad, but the dog was like a black lab, so it was really hard that would be so hard. It was so hard to balance. Anyways, it's really hard to balance the light, but she ended up loving the photos, so that's all. That's what matters. Yeah, the whole time.
Speaker 1:I'm like Just happy clients, yeah, and having clients, having clients equal more clients, so yeah, oh, like that too, you have some good ones. I got some good ones. Yeah, just stay, stay with me, I will. I'm, I'm cool with them, yeah, but okay, so how do you work with people? So I know that a lot of people, when you're like working and like somebody comes out and they're just like I don't know what to do with my hands, yeah, um, how do you? How do you, how do you make people feel comfortable around you to where you can actually get them actually acting like themselves? That's a good question.
Speaker 2:So this comes from experience. I think I don't think it's something. Again, you got it. You got to practice with people. Everyone is so different. I can, you know, between a like a dad compared to like a mom.
Speaker 2:But how do I make them feel comfortable, as I'm just, I'm just really kind of goofy and I and I also mirror it. So, especially the senior session, I will mirror the pose and I think that helps and I will talk to them like I'm like is this okay? Are you comfortable, are you? If it's not, let me know, we can try something different. And I I tell them like we can always move to another spot. So I'm constantly, constantly talking to them. Um, I could talk a mile a minute with a camera in front of me, but out in the real world, no. So, yeah, I think it's over the years, it's just, it's just comes from experience. Just, I know what kind of image I'm looking for, so I know how to direct them to that, what I'm, what I want. So I'll just talk to talk to them right, make them feel comfortable and make sure they're. You know it's it's hot out. Make sure they're okay, like kind of things like that you're just yeah, make they can feel good you know like do you need a break you?
Speaker 1:know, yeah, you're like also like you look great like.
Speaker 2:Trust me, you know trust me you look amazing, yeah, yeah, things like that, you know, and just also kind of slow down when you can. I think that's important, especially with family sessions, because I think moms tend to get anxious.
Speaker 1:So I'm just like okay, yeah. You're just like, oh my God. I'm like yeah, you see my kids.
Speaker 2:And you're just like it's okay, Like we got this. I got you. I know I got you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now don't, look stressed yeah, don't look stressed out in this photo. Oh my God, thank you so much. This has been fun though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1:Doing like a podcast. Yeah, this is so cool. Thank you for being on. It's been really, really good. I just love talking about anything photography, video related, so just anything natural light cameras. You know that's kind of like what we're here for and I know that's what you've done since. I've watched your photo career since our senior year of high school maybe even junior.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're my biggest fan, right, I am, I like, I like all of your images. Every time you can vote for Natalie, sometimes, natalie Whitehead photography at the Loudon Times Mirror. You don't have to be from Northern Virginia to go vote for Natalie, so, um, well, I'll get them to post it on our socials when you, when you, when you, when you go get um, you know, yeah, so go over Natalie, cause she's a great, you know, best, best photographer in Northern Virginia. A lot is only probably Loudon County, but I'm going to say the whole Northern Virginia. It's going to be amazing. But, yeah, no, it's been great, it's been great having you on. Yes, if you're in Northern Virginia and you need a photographer Natalie Whitehead Photography where can they find you?
Speaker 2:I have websites Natalie Whitehead Photography. You can find me through there. I'm also on Instagram. I've also dabbled in TikTok, so find me on there too. It's kind of fun, I love TikTok.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I did, I was yeah, and then so, and I. Every time I see your post, I like it. Oh well, thank you. Yeah, I'll do it on Instagram too, but yes, so I always like to end on one last question. Okay, what advice would you give to someone who's just starting out their photography career?
Speaker 2:Oh, um, again, practice. But you know, be careful who you follow maybe, or who you emulate maybe, because there's a lot of experts out there you know really kind of just feel, see what's um, who follow, maybe, follow maybe I don't know that's a good question.
Speaker 1:It is yeah, because like yeah, you don't want to um, you know. It's like also, don't don't judge other success by your own success too. It's like, just because you're you're having like a slow time and you see other people out there, they're like I'm on a shoot and I'm doing this and I'm doing that it doesn't, yeah, don't, don't let that bother you like yeah, don't because you can go down a slippery slope with that.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I would say just be cautious of who you emulate or who you follow, and then find a good community too. It's kind of hard with photographers, but fine, maybe find some others in their neighborhood that you can go to lunch with.
Speaker 1:I don't know yeah, there's always networking groups out there working, yeahing. Yeah, I know, you know, like here in Arkansas there's like a huge photo community and they're all really nice, you know. But at the end of the day we're all kind of competitors. Like when I was doing that full time, we were always competitors. But you could also, like we have like a network. We always like reach out to each other.
Speaker 1:You know, it's like you know their strength and you're like, hey, I'm doing this wedding and I need help with this. Can you be my second person? You know so, yeah, definitely, yeah, so, yeah, be, be friends. It's like, you know, be be friendly. It's not. It's like, well, yes, they're competitors, um, but they can, they can still be like, you know, you can still have a working like relationship with them, like there's. So there's ways to use them, um, not use them, but there's ways to work with them that that are where you both benefit yeah, you can help each other out, you know so super important yeah, awesome well thank you so much, natalie, for being on and we will see you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, make sure to follow us on YouTube. We are on Instagram, tiktok, wherever you can see podcastvideoscom. That's where we are. All right, they think it guys. See you later, thank you.