Bianca | Artist Spotlight

Happy Wednesday loves!

I’m slowly but surely bringing my blog back to life after a busy busy past couple months :) And I’m super excited to bring you another talented creative today with the artist spotlight!

Bianca is one of my faaavorite wardrobe stylists! I’ve known her for a few years now and I can honestly say that every one of our projects together has been amazing! She can bring any look to life and has an incredible talent for helping people look their best.

What is your name?
Bianca Cerise

Where are you located?
The DC area

What do you do?
I’m a wardrobe stylist.

How long have you been a wardrobe stylist?
Since the day my parents let me dress myself! I used to always sneak into my mom’s closet and borrow her clothes… but “professionally”, about 6-7 years

How did you become interested in styling and when did you know you wanted to be a wardrobe stylist?
I was always very interested in fashion, once I grew out of a short phase of being a follower in middle school- early high school, (what a travesty that was).  I thought for awhile that I wanted to be a full blown designer while I was in college… but when friends always asked to borrow my things and for advice on what to wear, it dawned on me that I really enjoyed dressing other people! And more than that, I had a natural talent for it.

Who are some of your influences/inspirations?
Karl Lagerfeld. He’s probably influenced the world of fashion in ways that people still haven’t fathomed yet. I also constantly wish for Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s closets to have at my disposal.

What has been your favorite project that you’ve worked on so far?
I got a call from a photographer in London that contacted me but he was only going to be in the DC area for a week! We had about two phone convos that blossomed into a cool idea. I had pretty much NO time to pull anything but he completely trusted my judgment and my ability with only my portfolio as his evidence… and it all worked out! it turned into a FANTASTIC shoot and ended up being my first successful magazine submission!  I work best under pressure and deadlines and this was just more proof. 

What other types of creative work do you do?
I curated a gallery exhibition earlier this year of my work. I’m also currently working on an accessories line with my younger sister.

What inspires you?
Anything can be inspirational depending on how you see it!

What keeps you motivated?
Constant change. Everything is always evolving and changing and so do my ideas and tastes. My passion is driven by my own curiosity and  the innate need to explore and push boundaries for myself and my work.

Any advice to fellow creatives (in your industry or otherwise)?
Surround yourself with other creative people! They will inspire you and push you to follow even what seems like the silliest of ideas. They will connect you with other people that may be able to help you. They support. They listen. They understand. It’s invigorating and the encouragement you need when you feel a little lost.

Any other fun tidbits we should know about you? 
I’m a runner newbie! Ran my first half marathon a couple months ago and it was an amazing experience. 

Where can we find you online? 
website: http://biancacerise
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/biancacerise
instagram: @biancacerise
twitter: @biancacerise
tumblr: @biancacerise
…and probably any other social media, BIANCA CERISE, lol

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Bianca a little better! Interested in working with her for your next photo shoot, event, or other creative project, please reach out to her! Her email address is biancacerise@gmail.com and I know she would be happy to help bring your ideas to life :)

I have another artist spotlight coming your way this month as well too so keep an eye out for that!

‘Til next time,
-Danni

Tiffany | Washington, DC Natural Light Photography Mentor

Happy Thursday!

Guess who managed to get a blog up in the morning today? :)

Putting this post together made me so happy because it’s full of great pictures, great memories, and great people. Right before I left for the Blink Conference in November, I had an amazing mentor session with Tiffany!

I’ve known Tiffany for a few years now and I was really excited when she told me she was ready to book her session. She saved up and made it happen! :)

We met over coffee and talked about tons of stuff… and I kinda changed her world when I explained my shooting process lol. After that we headed out to try out her new skills! These are a few of my favorites from her “test” shots :)

Seeing her eyes light up as she realized she CAN get the camera to see things as she does, was an amazing feeling! I also took her headshots as we were doing a little location scouting for the practice session with our models.

So then our beautiful couple arrives for their shoot aaaaaand this happens :(

I had a mini freak out because I dropped my camera and it landed lens first (on the ground you see pictured above) that destroyed my lens. My beloved 50/1.4 that I use 95% of the time when I shoot! I am sooo thankful for these guys. Everyone stayed calm and more importantly she shoots Nikon so I was able to share her 50/1.8 for our shoot with Courtney & Donnell (who were awesome models by the way :)

Are they not the most adorable couple ever? And their personalities are just as beautiful as they are :) I think I have to make a separate post just for them lol.

Here are a few words from Tiffany about her mentoring experience:

“Danni. what an incredible young woman! My experience with DFinney Photography was EVERYTHING!!! She gave me so much more than I expected, but most importantly, she shared QUALITY information with me that has dramatically cut time off of my post production process! As well as several "ah ha” moments that gave me back the confidence that I personally had lost over the years of fading in and out of my craft. No fluff, just straight facts and hands on information. A little bit of general, but mostly filled with knowledge that I was lacking in my personal progression. Words can’t express how appreciative I am for this opportunity to have a one on one with a like minded creative being. A wise investment indeed! For anyone considering formal education, but you’re just not sure about a formal setting, a one-on-one just might be the way for you to go as well.“

This was a fun recap :)

If you’d like to book a mentor session, EMAIL ME today to secure a 2014 session at the current 2013 rates! 2014 rates will go into effect beginning December 10, so make sure you take advantage of the Cyber Week deals while they’re still in effect!

‘Til next time,

-Danni

Blink Conference Recap | Washington, DC Lifestyle Photographer

Happy Wednesday!

I’ll get it together one day and actually have my blogs ready to go in the mornings like I plan, but until then… you can probably expect them in the afternoons lol.

I hope your day (and week) has been going well so far! I have a photo-packed post for you today so get ready for tons of pictures :)

A little over one month ago, I was in Nashville for the first annual Blink Conference! This was my first photography conference period AND my first time speaking at a conference so believe me when I tell you I was NERVOUS! I am super thankful to Ike & Tash for the opportunity and honored that they even thought of me!

A few days before I left, I was finalizing my presentation and packing up everything I needed!

I’m not sure what possessed us to do so, but Natarsha and I booked a 6:30a Friday flight to Nashville… So of course I didn’t get any sleep the night before because I’m a chronic procrastinator - _- Since we were headed west, we weren’t able to watch the sunrise but the skies were beautiful nonetheless :)

Once in Nashville, we drove to the hotel and met up with a couple of our fellow Blink attendees for breakfast! After that it was time for a serious nap lol.

DAY 1 FRIDAY 

Friday night was the mixer! I had such a good time meeting everyone and chatting with some of long-time admired creatives like Audrey Woulard, Alejandra Vidal, and Joshua Dawain. I was also super excited to meet all of my photographer friends from facebook and social media in real life :)

DAY 2 SATURDAY 

Saturday was the full day of workshops. The line up was Ike & Tash, Alejandra Vidal, Joshua Dawain, Audrey Woulard, Dawn Davis, and Zach & Jody. So much great information was shared and tons of goodies were given away! I unfortunately didn’t get pictures of them all, but here are all of the amazing sponsors: Black River Imaging, Photographer’s Edit, Colorvale Actions, Munaluchi Bride, Ike and Tash, The Music Bed, Shower Me Chic, Photo Pantz, Social Print Studio, Site House, Photography Blogsites, Sync Seniors, Rachel Brenke- The Lawtog and Senior Style Guide!

After a full day of learning, I opted for a low key dinner so I could prep for my presentation on Sunday. Sidenote: How amazing is it that Panera has a drive thru?? Lol I know you’ve probably seen it before if you live elsewhere, but in DC we don’t have them. I love Panera so it was a pretty big deal lol. If we had a drive-thru, I’d probably be there even more than I am now.

DAY 3 SUNDAY

Sunday was the big day! I was soo nervous lol. But ready to get things going :) Jeremy helped me set up and I was all ready to go! 

The presentation went well and I could finally relax!! I got lots of positive feedback so that made me feel much better about things and so did my post-presentation pep talk with Tasha :) Quick chill out in the lounge as things were wrapping up and then picture time with my DC peeps before we headed home!

Our Nashville weekend was soo much fun! But just as tiring as it was fun- probably because I didn’t get any sleep before I left lol. All in all I had a great time learning from some of the best in my industry and getting to know my e-photog friends better :) I can’t wait to see what Ike and Tash have in store for Blink in the years to come and I’m soo proud of them for putting together such a wonderful conference! 

Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend Blink 2014, but for those of you that are, you will definitely be in for many surprises and have a great time learning!

PS: For an even more awesome Blink Recap, please do yourself a favor and head on over to Terri’s Blog! Although I had it, I didn’t pull my real camera out all weekend, so she definitely has a better recap than mine lol.

That’s it for today! Let me know what you guys thought of the recap :)

-Danielle

2014 DFinney Workshops | Effective Branding [SOLD OUT]

UPDATE: 2/4: There are no more remaining seats for this workshop. New dates will be announced soon!
_____

Happy Tuesday loves!

I’m super super excited to share this with you guys! If you’re following on social media, you know it’s been talked about and I’m so excited to share the official announcement for the first DFinney Workshop of 2014!

On February 22nd, we will meet at an awesome location in Washington, DC (finalizing the venue :) for a half-day branding workshop!

What will it include?

• Pre-workshop exercises so that you are prepared for what will be covered
• A fun and interactive branding presentation
• Personal brand critiques for all attendees
• Branding workbook
• Breakfast & snacks will be provided as well!

You will walk away with concrete steps you can take to improve or create a brand that is effective and truly you!

Aaaand… as promised, we’re going to keep the Cyber Monday deals rolling! 

If you secure your workshop spot between now and next Monday, December 9, you will receive $50 off!

I can’t tell you how excited I am about doing a bit more teaching so that I can finally be a true help to folks- putting together a more structured way to help fellow photographers :)

So what can you expect from the workshop?

I had a chance to get a bit of feedback from a couple folks who attended my branding workshop at the Blink Conference, and here’s what they had to say:

“I thought your presentation was great! You were clear and and your instruction awesome. You answered questions that everyone assumes we know. Like the definition of branding & how to build trust and credibility… You were and are an amazing woman. THANK YOU!”
-Tiffany Fleming

“I started photography back in 2011.  At that time I didn’t put much thought into branding.  I was about "what looks pretty”.  This led to multiple purchases… blogs templates, new website templates, logos… if there was something pretty on Etsy I had to have it!  While attending BLINK and DFinney Photography’s workshop I learned so much that will help further my business and cut down on all those unnecessary purchases…most importantly I found ME.  I am MY brand and now my blog, social media and website reflect that!“
-Katrina Amburgey

”I really learned a great deal from your workshop! Had I not received the wonderfully honest feedback from you, I would have continued shooting aimlessly and not sticking to the message that I want people to get from my business! Thank you for the info that finally gave me some much needed DIRECTION!!“
-Quiana Wright

So what’s next? EMAIL ME (danielle@dfinneyphoto.com) if you’d like to snag your seat while it’s $50 off!

I look forward to working with you guys :)

-Danni

Cyber Monday | Washington, DC Lifestyle Photographer

Happy Monday!

It’s back to work after a nice long weekend, but IT’S CYBER MONDAY!! So that should makeup for things, right? Lol. I’ll be doing a bit of shopping myself today, and I also have some goodies for you!

This is a first! High-resolution digital files are one of the most expensive items to purchase, but from now until next Monday, you can purchase the digital files from any 2012 or 2013 session for 50% OFF!

Simply shoot me an email (danielle@dfinneyphoto.com) if you’re interested in purchasing the digital files from your session and I’ll get you taken care of. All files will be delivered digitally and you will be able to download and use your images right away!

Didn’t have a chance to work with me in 2012 or 2013? Not to worry, I have something for you too :)

From now until next Monday, you have the chance to book a 2014 headshot or mentor session at the current 2013 rates! 2014 pricing will be in effect beginning December 10th.

Aaaand… I have another surprise for those interested in the upcoming 2014 DFinney Workshops but I will save that for tomorrow :) I’m extending Cyber Monday to Cyber Week lol.

Stay close! Lots more awesomeness is coming your way tomorrow!!

Have a great day guys!

-Danni