Pieces of the Picture

I have been spending some time on Flickr lately. In my time there, I have found some amazing photographers. One of these photographers I found recently was Alecia Silva who has a portrait photo business called “The Portrait Place”. Her photography is simple. It is beautiful. It is powerful. I was very eager to interview her and ask her about her photography and subjects. Here’s our interview with Alecia.

P.O.T.P.: To begin, Alecia, thank you for joining us on Pieces of the Picture. We are very excited to find out more about your photography.  Would you please give our readers a brief introduction about yourself and how you got into photography?

I’ve been married to my sweet husband for the past 9 years and we have three amazing children. Our son is almost 7, and we have two daughters – 3 years old and 3 months old. I have an associates degree in early childhood education and a bachelor’s degree in business management. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a strong interest in photography. I took some basic photography classes in high school and college but I truly fell in love with it after my son was born. I was fascinated by every aspect of that sweet baby boy and I wanted to capture everything about him so that it wouldn’t be forgotten as he grew. 3 years later, when my daughter was born, I purchased my first digital SLR, a Canon Rebel XT. It was at that point I really started to learn more about my camera, its settings and photography in general. The digital camera was so amazing to me because I could see instantly what the different settings did to the image, so I was really able to learn quickly. I decided to open my studio shortly after I graduated college in 2006. Making that decision was one of the most exciting and scariest I’ve ever had to make, but looking back I’m so glad I did it.

P.O.T.P.: How long have you been in the business?

I have been “in business” since January 2007. I started doing portfolio building sessions about 6 months prior to that.

P.O.T.P.: Why are you a photographer?

Because I love photography. It’s just that uncomplicated. When I’m not shooting, I’m thinking about shooting. I think it’s an obsession, really. I’m always “looking” for new locations to shoot, or various props to use with newborns. It’s just such an immense passion of mine; I honestly can’t imagine my life without it.

P.O.T.P.: What did you do before you became a photographer?

Alecia: Oh, I’ve done all sorts of things. My first job ever was shoveling popcorn at a movie theater for $3.75/hour! Granted that was 15 years ago. I’ve been a barista (the tips alone put me through my first two years of college!) and I worked with special needs children for a few years. Most recently, before I started my business, I was a student. I was literally finishing my bachelor’s degree as I was starting my business. I’m also a stay at home mama.

P.O.T.P.: What is your favorite subject to photograph?

Alecia: Oh, without question - newborns. Newborns require the most amount patience and quite often, the willingness to get a little dirty. Naked babies love a warm studio so I’m always (half) joking with the parents that I’ll be a sweaty mess by the time I’m finished with the session. I would say on average my newborn sessions take about 3.5 hours. With all that said, each session is entirely worth it every minute and every drop of sweat! I thoroughly enjoy meeting the new parents who are so in love with their new little one. It never ceases to amaze me how precious each and every baby is and how intense that bond is between parent and child. The images I get from those sessions are by far my favorite.

 

P.O.T.P.: What is your biggest challenge being in business for yourself?

Alecia: Trying to find balance between family and business still proves to be quite a challenge for me. In addition to being a photographer, I’m also a stay at home mom of three sweet kids. I do all my work in Photoshop at home. I’m always trying to sneak in editing time here and there, but it’s nearly impossible to do that without interruption. That - and there is only one me. I do everything. I learned early on that being in business isn’t just about taking/editing pictures. There is a lot more to it that is not always as fun, but it’s all necessary if I want to be in business.

P.O.T.P.: What do you feel is your weakest area in photography?

Alecia: My weakness is working with families or groups. I feel like I lack all creativity in this area. I always try for the “un-posed, natural” look, but with a group you have to somewhat “arrange” the subjects and I struggle with being able to visualize how each group should go together.

P.O.T.P.: What was your first paid photographic job?

Alecia: My first paid job was a family with a 5 year old girl and a 6 month old boy. I used natural light and my camera was on auto the whole time. I didn’t really have a good understanding of how my camera worked at that time. I charged $75 and gave them every single image on a disk. The mom cried when she saw the images – she thought they were amazing. Now looking back, I feel like I should get in contact with her and give her the money back! It’s embarrassing. But we all have to start somewhere, right?

P.O.T.P.: What are your favorite photography related websites?

Alecia: I am totally and completely addicted to Flickr.

P.O.T.P.: What photographers have influenced/inspired you?

Alecia: I think each and every one of these photographers are beyond amazing at what they do.

Robyn Pollman

Kelley Ryden

Tracy Raver

Brittany Woodall

P.O.T.P.: Yes, I love Kelley, as you know we had a wonderful interview with Kelley. I’m sure she inspires countless photographers. Okay, what age group do you find the hardest to photograph?

Alecia: 3 months old. Parents usually want to capture their baby’s first year in the traditional increments of newborn, 3, 6, 9 and 12 month sessions. The three month mark proves to be quite difficult because the babies aren’t newborns anymore, so they are generally out of the range of the curly sleepy poses. And they aren’t quite sitting up yet, so there isn’t a large variety of poses you can do with them. They also get worn out fairly quickly so, I have a much smaller time frame to work with before they are simply “done.” It can be a bit frustrating at times because I like to provide a fair amount of variety with each session. However, I’ve just come to expect that a typical 3 month session has the potential to be somewhat lacking in that department.

P.O.T.P.: What do you like most about photographing babies?

Alecia: Interacting with them is so much fun. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved babies! Even as a little girl, if there was a baby in the room, I was down on the floor playing with him or her. And I still do that. I absolutely love making babies laugh – it’s the best sound in the world!

P.O.T.P.: What do you like most about photographing maternity?

Alecia: Simply put, I truly feel the pregnant body is beautiful. What happens to a woman’s body when they are pregnant is nothing short of a miracle. I love being able to capture this time for women because it comes and goes so quickly, and we really can forget so much about what it was really like to be pregnant. I also love the overall atmosphere of these sessions. There is so much excitement and anticipation with these mothers who are so close to giving birth. It really is such a fun experience all together.

P.O.T.P.: Where are you located?

Alecia: Bonney Lake, WA. It’s about one hour southeast of Seattle.

P.O.T.P.: Where did you grow up?

Alecia: In Seattle – right by the airport. In fact, we were so close; the planes flying overhead would literally shake the entire house. But we never seemed to notice….until one of our guests would point it out. I guess we just got used to it.

P.O.T.P.: Canon or Nikon?

Alecia: I’m so Canon, it’s not even funny. My sister-in-law is also a photographer, but she’s a Nikon girl. We’re always giving each other a hard time about which is better. But, deep down she knows I’m right – Canon is just better!

P.O.T.P.: Okay, so what gear do you use then?

Alecia: Canon 5D
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2
Alien Bees Lighting Kit

P.O.T.P.: What would you say would be a dream assignment for you?

Alecia: Doing a newborn session with any of the photographers I mentioned above would be an absolute dream come true. I’d be giddier than a 6 year old going to Disneyland! I’m so in awe of what they do, I’d give just about anything to be there to see how they do it. Plus, Robyn’s pretty darn funny – so I think it would be just plain fun to work with her!

P.O.T.P.: Do you ever take a break from photography?

Alecia: Right before my daughter was born, I went on “maternity leave” from the studio. But as soon as she was born, I was taking pictures of her everyday – so I guess technically I haven’t really taken a break from photography.

P.O.T.P.: Favorite non photographic magazine

Alecia: People magazine. I’m totally addicted to useless celebrity gossip. And yes, I know that 98% of what I’m reading isn’t true, but I still get sucked in every time. Put Jennifer Garner on the cover and it’s a guaranteed purchase by me! It’s my guilty pleasure.

P.O.T.P.: Your favorite location to shoot in?

Alecia: I’m most comfortable in shooting my studio.

P.O.T.P.: Besides shoot, shoot, shoot, best advice to photographers just starting out.

Alecia: Get a mentor. And listen to what they say and don’t take critiques personally. You have to learn to see what’s wrong if you want to be able to grow and make it right.

P.O.T.P.: How many cameras do you own?

Alecia: I own 5 cameras. But I only use my Canon 5D when I’m working.

P.O.T.P.: Do you have any regrets about your earlier years in photography?

Alecia: I honestly don’t have regrets regarding my journey with photography. Without my “early years”, I wouldn’t be where I am today. The entire process so far has been a learning experience – and continues to be - and although I feel I’ve grown considerably in the last two years, I still feel like I quite a bit of learning to do. In 2 years from now, I hope that I look back on today and that I’m able to clearly see growth in my work. I don’t ever want to stop improving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want to see more of Alecia’s work? Check out her website or flickr feed!