Courtney Blissett: Always Keep Practicing And Stay Inspired

We are happy to share the following insights from award winner photographer and ViewBug's community member courtneymahrblissett, read along and get inspired.

I love photography because:

Capturing special moments and love through photography gives me much joy! Time is precious and one of my favorite things to do is reflect on old times while looking through photographs and videos.

My camera lets me:

Create timeless images for my family, friends, and clients.

I find inspiration when:

I get to photograph my daughter. She is now 7 and has always been my portrait muse. She was the reason I began photography and the reason I bought my first DSLR camera.

One of the photos I am most proud of is "Kisses with Mommy" because:

In every family session I do, I insist on getting a Mommy and Me shot. I wish I had done this with my children when they were still little.

My favorite place to shoot is:

In an alley because it's different and edgy. I love photographing a subject with strangers walking by.

One of my favorite photos on ViewBug is "Waiting on Baby Sister to Arrive":

This images makes me feel happy and gives me a sense of warmth. It's very simple yet I think it has so much emotion behind it.

My favorite lens is:

Nikon 200mm

These are 3 quick tips I’d like to share with fellow photographers:

Always keep practicing. The more you know your camera, the better your images will look. When I first began, I spent so much time “fixing” my images in photoshop. It forced me to learn all the features of my camera, and now I get it looking great SOOC.

Take a class! I’ve watched endless hours of youtube, attended workshops, a photoshop course, and online editing courses. If you want to see your style and images grow, the best way to do that is learn new techniques and skills. I still take at least one class per month.

Stay inspired by shooting what you love!

My favorite item in my camera bag is:

My elbow pads! I will always shoot from a low angle and many times laying on the ground, and I can’t do a shoot without them!

If I could shoot one dream location it would be New York City because:

I would love to do a shoot in Time Square.