***All images in this post are copyright Bambi Cantrell.***

NEXT WEEK: Jaclyn Kaiser of The Image is Found

{To nominate women you'd like to see in this series please list them in the comments-or if you have a question you'd like to see in the interviews--make sure to include your info in the comment fields so that I can get in touch with you- or write to me at: davina at davinafear dot com }

As always make sure to leave comments for the women who are featured. They like comments as much as I do I'm sure...let them know if you have questions or just to say thanks! for their insight and wisdom...

Make sure to check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!

We have a little different format today!  Click on the link below and you can hear the interview that I had with Bambi.  You won't want to miss it!  She says it like it is, with energy and so much zest for her craft and the industry.  You'll love it.  I've also included a few of the highlights from our conversation just to tempt you into listening to the whole interview.  (Let the interview load before clicking play and you'll have a better listening experience.)

Click here to listen to: Women and Business Interview with Bambi Cantrell*

(*thanks to David Perry for the quick audio edit) 

Favorite Bambi quotes from the audio interview:

 “I’m first and foremost a photographer of humanity.”

 "This is a craft.  It’s not just an accident.  It’s a profession…an artistic craft.”

 “You have to know an f-stop from a bus stop. 

 “If you have the burning desire you just do not accept defeat.”

 “I don’t look at failure as a negative thing.  I look on it as a positive experience that shows me what I’m not going to do the next time.”

 “It’s inconceivable to me that I’m not going to win.”

 “I surround myself with people that are smarter than me and better than me.”

 “My motto:  Humility over ability.  You can teach a humble person anything.”

 “There’s no secret sauce.”

 “If you wait until you have confidence you’re never going to do it.”

 “If someone gave me one 4 gig card I could shoot a whole wedding on that one 4 gig card because I know what I’m doing.”

 “I don’t concern myself with what other photographers are doing.”

”After being in the industry for 25 years what ideas/approaches do you see that have lasted?  And what has already come and gone?”

What has lasted is personalized wedding photography that is exciting.  Photography where the client really looks like they are having a good time.  Something that is really energetic and bold and striking.  What has passed is static posing and using backgrounds, the checklist of poses mentality has gone, it no longer makes sense anymore.

Photographers who have lasting value are the forward thinkers.  They’re the kind of individual who doesn’t get stuck in a mold or put themselves in a category…I’m first and foremost a photographer of humanity.

What are some of the things that you believe women have brought to the table that has changed the industry over the years?

Women have changed the industry a great deal….women bring a [different] perspective to photography.  Back when I started in the industry… all three of us women…men were very nuts and bolts.  They were very logical.  Women are very intuitive.  Women are feel-ers.  I tailored my style to being very intuitive…being visually observant to who the bride was.  I started collecting brides’ magazines in about 1992 and one of the things I started thinking about was, “how do they get brides to buy bridal gowns?”  This was a completely new way of thing for the men in the industry!

Men were thinking, “if I give the most 8x10, I’m going to get the business.”  But women don’t necessarily buy logically, we buy quite often because we think emotionally.  So I started tapping into that emotional experience.  And when I did that is what really caused my reinvention and caused me to excel as a wedding photographer.

There’s quite the influx of people coming into the industry thinking having a great camera is going ot get them somewhere and at the same time I hear you saying you need to go with your gut…

Yes, but you have to have a foundation before you can go with your gut.  You can’t go on blind instinct and shoot your guts out!  I don’t think that’s productive at all.  And it’s not art.  It’s an accident.  There’s no craft in it.  It makes photography look like an accident.  Instincts come after [technique].

How do you know when you’re ‘good enough’?

I’ve never felt that I’m good enough….

(this is a question one of you women wrote to me and I love her answer.  I didn’t want to write it here because she answers this so wonderfully on the audio…you must listen to this entire answer on the audio version of the interview…and don’t miss her first job interview story).

What should women do when photography just feels like work and I don’t want to do it anymore?  Can it be fun again?

Yes!  This is what I do. 

1. I schedule one day about every 6-8 weeks to fall in love with photography again.  A day to just go have fun.  I plan with Lori at Wild Orchids Salon.  We get together and play dressup and barbies for the day.  She brings the models in and does hair and makeup.  We play around with different weird concepts that I wouldn’t get to do with clients.  We play and enjoy.  It’s so much fun.  It’s so inspiring.

2.Make sure to listen to the interview for this idea!

3. Don’t become a sloppy photographer.

4. Learn to delegate, especially us as mothers.

5. Write a list of things that steal your joy and get someone else to do them.

6. Designate time for your family first…and then work your schedule around your family.

Do you have your studio in your home?

(If you have an in home studio you have to hear on the audio what Bambi says about an in home studio…she had one for 17 years!  She gives all kinds of great tips!)

What should women absolutely NOT do? And what should they absolutely DO? 

Here are just a few from her list on the audio interview:

1. Never say never
2. Never let fear rule your life.
3. Don’t associate with negative people.
4. Don’t waste your money on cheap equipment.
5. Don’t cut corners on your finished product or your marketing materials.

Here are some of the products that Bambi mentioned:

ProSelect

ProShow

Triple Scoop Music

Big Folio

WPPI

MEI500.com

Skip’s Summer School

WPPI Roadshow

And make sure to listen all the way to the end of the audio interview…Bambi’s got some excellent business tips.

To see more of Bambi's work:

Website

Blog

Bambi's products

***All images in this post are copyright Bambi Cantrell .***

Click here to listen to Women and Business Interview with Bambi Cantrell

back to school.

Getting back into the swing of school usually means a new start for everyone.  It's always a good chance for me to get my family back into more healthy eating habits.  That means good snacks when the kids get home from school. 

I was online and found this awesome list of 25 healthy snacks for kids...and you!  Snacks are such a great way to keep your from feeling deprived, not having your sugar drop out the bottom, keeping up your energy, and helping you to refrain from overeating or eating things you'll regret.

I love to keep almonds, triscuits and cheese, or pistachios around the kitchen for a quick snack or pick me up.  I'll grab a little handful of almonds and get back to work or slice 3-4 skinny pieces of cheese and a triscuit for each, put them on a pretty plate, and sit and enjoy for a couple of minutes.  Depends on the morning.  In the afternoon when the kids are home from school and everyone is making a snack, I love to slice up some strawberries and put them in a cute little blue egg cup from Anthropologie with some vanilla yogurt (In think Dannon Light n'Fit is the best!).

I printed out this pdf from eatright.org that lists 25 Healthy Snacks for Kids and put it in my menu folder in my handy little organized junk drawer (check it out here).  Now my kids walk in the door from school, open the drawer pull out the list, pick the snack they want, have great joy in making their own snack creation (I'm not kidding about the joy),sit down, and devour their snack.  

Then it's on to homework...that's another story that's not going quite as smoothly as snack time yet...

I've put a little bit of the list below for you...you can get the rest of the list here. And I don't know about your kids but mine LOVE to dip anything...so the bonus dipping list is awesome!

25 Healthy Snacks for Kids

©2009 ADA. Reproduction of this fact sheet is permitted for educational purposes.

Reproduction for sales purposes is not authorized. This fact sheet expires 3/2011.

When a snack attack strikes, refuel with these nutrition-packed snacks.

1. Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal and freeze.

2. Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese. Top with raisins. Enjoy your “ants on a log.”

3. Stuff a whole-grain pita pocket with ricotta cheese and Granny Smith apple slices. Add a dash of cinnamon.

4. Mix together ready-to-eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts in a sandwich bag for an on-the-go snack.

5. Smear a scoop of frozen yogurt on two graham crackers and add sliced banana to make a yummy sandwich.

6. Top low-fat vanilla yogurt with crunchy granola and sprinkle with blueberries.

7. Microwave a small baked potato. Top with reduced-fat cheddar cheese and salsa.

8. Make snack kabobs. Put cubes of low-fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks.

9. Toast a whole grain waffle and top with low-fat yogurt and sliced peaches.

10. Spread peanut butter on apple slices.

11. Blend low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana for thirty seconds for a delicious smoothie.

12. Make a mini-sandwich with tuna or egg salad on a dinner roll.

healthy. LIFE.

tell me.

We have a stellar line up of women for you (click on their links to check them out) over the next few months in the Women and Business series.  I want to know what it is you'd like to ask them.  What burning question(s) do you have for them about business or managing life, photography, and motherhood?  Post your questions in the comments or send me an email at davina at davinafear dot com and let me know what you are dying to ask.

September 3rd: Bambi Cantrell

September 10th:  Jaclyn Kaiser of The Image is Found

September 17th: Angela Anderson

September 24th: Susan Stripling

October 1st:  Carey Schumacher

October 8th:  Kara May

October 15th:  Nichole V

October 22nd:  Lori Nordstrom

October 29th:  Dawn Davis

November 5th:  Ulrica Wihlborg

November 12th:  Me Ra Koh

November 19th: Melanie Nashan

December 3rd:  Storey Wilkins

question. LIFE.

helpful hints for your next vacation.

 *warning: this post has too many pictures and most were taken with my point and shoot camera*

Just in case you didn't know a few things about how to have a family trip to Pawley's Island I thought I'd give you a couple of hints and tips. (if you missed my first vacation post...click here.)

#1-Get ice cream every day.  Bruster's will give you heaping ice cream cones that will make your eyes pop out of your head when they hand them to you.  You'll wonder who they think is planning to eat this one ice cream cone?  You and everyone that lives in Texas?  Of course, my kids loved that they got to down that much ice cream. 

#2-If you go to Bruster's...you must try the peanut butter explosion ice cream.  It's making my mouth water just thinking about it.

#3-If you don't get peanut butter explosion...you have to have cotton candy explosion.  It has pop rocks.  Gracie and Emma got it every time.

#4-Make sure to measure yourself 10 times while you're there to make sure you are too BIG to get the baby ice cream cone.

#5-When you go crabbing...make sure to go at low tide.  You will actually see crabs.

#6-When you put the chicken leg bait in your net...tie it on...or the crab will take off with it and laugh at you when you lift up your net.

#7-Let your kids put the nasty chicken leg in the net.

#8-Big brothers are an excellent way to get out of walking...anywhere.

#9-A new hat makes for a great souvenir, especially if you look like an awesome cowgirl in it.

#10-Digging is mandatory on the beach.  It's possible that you could dig all the way to water...or buried treasure...never give up.  Just keep digging.  Get the big shovels.  Not those whimpy beach shovels.  Put your heart into it.  Be serious.

#11-It is impossible to collect enough seashells.  Each and every one is so completely beautiful.  It doesn't matter if they are broken or not.  They are all, every one, wonderfully wonderful.

#12-You can be the youngest child in the family and be the very first, brave soul to try boogie boarding.  And then love it so much that your entire swimsuit fills up with sand.

#13-Your swimsuit will fill up with sand...especially if you're a girl.  Good luck getting it out.

#14-Pizza Grill-a has excellent pizza and corndogs...and stuffed Gorilla's that will stare at you while you eat.

#15-Riding bikes around the island is super fun...even if you almost have a heart attack...or three...or four... when your child rides their bike out in front of oncoming traffic (yes, that means multiple cars...multiple times).

#16-Jumping on beds is good stress relief.

#17-Eating cold breakfast cereal at a beachside condo tastes better than it does at your own house.

#18-A joke book from the 1950s can keep kids entertained for hours.

#19-You can go out on a deep sea fishing boat.  We saw the ads.  We're going next time.

#20-It will never be a long enough trip.  Kids will be sad when it's time to leave.

good. LIFE.

hot mom and dad.

I had so much fun photographing Michelle and Dewayne at Love Affair.  They are living proof that moms and dads can be flirty, fun, and sexy together. 

One of the things I love about Michelle and Dewayne is that there years together have given them a sweet comfortable and relaxed feeling with one another...and even though they have 3 kids they're still keeping that fire lit between them.  They love dancing and a couple of times Dwayne pulled out the tunes on his phone to give them a little mood music...

They also know how to weather troubles together...during our shoot I thought Michelle was going to have a trip to the hospital after turning her ankle but she brushed it off and just turned up the good vibes even more.  Michelle and Dewayne were so awesome during the whole session and I'm so grateful for the time I got to spend working with them.  Thanks so much to both of you!!

love. LIFE.