Photographer Interview- Christina Greene

How long have you been a photographer and what got you in to the business?

I've been a serious photographer for about three years now, and professionally offering my services now for a year. I got in the business after doing a gallery showing and selling a few of my prints as well as doing sittings for several friends' kids, all which gave me the confidence to take the leap and form November Sun Photography.

What is your favorite subject to photograph and is there a "favorite time" to photograph it?

My absolute favorite subject to shoot is the Milky Way in the summer time. I enjoy what I do when I'm doing event photographs or sittings with kids, but there's something about being outside when its dark with a million stars overhead with my camera. There's such a huge difference in what you see with your eyes and then what appears on the camera. It blows me away every single time.

In your opinion, what is the most important piece of equipment other than your camera and lens?

Tripod. There's a lot you can do while taking pictures or in post production to fix things like lighting issues or cropping, but nothing really you can do to fix camera shake. Having a good, stable tripod has been key for me-especially when I'm doing night photography.

Do you have a favorite lens you like to use when photographing people?

For portrait photography, I love my Nikon Nikkon 35mm 1.8 lens. Its just a good, fast, all around portrait lens.

You have volunteered your photography for a few causes. Can you tell me more about it and how you got involved?

I volunteer for two causes. One is with the Clark County Breastfeeding Coalition and the other isn't through an organization (though there are some out there), but I offer free sittings for parents adoption children. I got involved with the CCBC through it's chairwoman Martha Suronen. Every year they hold a Well Mama Fair in Vancouver but haven't had the funds to hire a photographer to cover the event. I like the community they bring together of not only mothers, but women entrepreneurs, and so I've been doing that for the past few years. As for the second cause-this one I got into after a foster mother I knew through an acquaintance couldn't get a slot for one of the Red Thread Sessions photographers (they're an organization that does free sessions for children's adoptions or open birth adoptions). Adoption is something near and dear to my heart-my husband's mother's side is all adopted-so when I heard that she was in need, I volunteered, and while I was doing her kids' photos, I offered my services to any other foster parents that she knew. For now, I do these sessions on a word of mouth basis, but my plans are to eventually join the Red Thread Sessions team of volunteers.

Do you have any advice for a new photographer in the business?

Explore. It might sound cliche, but you'll find-even on subjects you work with every day-there is always something new you can do with your pictures.