Mentor Monday – Carrie Geddie

As you know, words are very important to me. They can last forever and can convey so much emotion and feeling with a small amount of effort. I recently was introduced to the immensely talented Carrie Geddie by Morgan Haines and I am so glad that we “met” because Carrie has the same desire to have families connect and make lasting memories — only with photographs. I’ll let her tell you more about her passion in the interview but know that Carrie and I have teamed up to offer an amazing giveaway in the next few weeks and are only barely holding our excitement in!

 

First, thank you so much for having me for Mentor Monday!  My business is Carrie Geddie Photography and I’m based in Raleigh, NC.  I have always been a picture taker, but started studying photography again in 2007.  I started my business in 2009, after I decided to stay home with my twin boys.  In 2013, I picked up a film camera as a personal challenge to re-learn how to shoot film and I quickly became obsessed!  My main inspiration for shooting is to document the mother/child relationship.  I lost my mom to cancer in 2000, and have looked through all of our photo albums to find pictures of me with her from when I was little.  I found many from family vacations, with the whole family in them, but only three pictures of just the two of us from when I was a kid.  Just three.  And they were all shot on film, this tangible thing that preserves our memories.  This is the root of my motivation to shoot families on film.  The images I make are for the moms who hire me now, but they’re really for their children, in the future.

Since I am a film photographer, I shoot with a bunch of old film cameras!  I primarily use the Pentax 645N for sessions, which is a medium format film camera.  The negative from a medium format camera is huge, so it retains incredible detail and depth in the image.  I also use a Canon 5d Mark II (digital), and Canon Elan 7e, Canon AE-1, Pentax 67 and Nikonos V (all film cameras), which I use for personal work.  I might have a slight case of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), but I don’t know any photographer that doesn’t.  😉

 

Ha!  I am always struggling with this.  I typically work while my boys are in school (they’re 1st graders) and when they are home, I step into mom mode.  The harder part is when I shoot sessions – that’s really when I have to toggle between the two roles quickly.  The main problem for me is my iPhone – Instagram in particular!  I’m totally addicted to Instagram and need to work harder at setting the phone down at night and completely disconnecting.  Our family did “tech-free Sundays” for a while and we need to start that up again!

I’ve got to start my day with a cup of coffee.  That is not optional, lol.  I also really enjoy running when the weather is cooler, and my treat every day is a Quest Bar (chocolate chip cookie dough – so good!)

 

This is a great question.  Just like your kids at their yearly checkup with the pediatrician, I’d like to stay on my growth curve.  Having been in business for 6 years now, I still feel like a new photographer.  There is always so much to learn and push ourselves!  But as my kids get older, I am not sure how that will impact my business.  My hope is that I can continue to maintain this balance of being able to engross myself in work, as well as be there for them for after school activities, homework, and just lazy afternoons around the house.

I am a people pleaser, so the hardest thing for me to learn in my business was that I don’t have to please everyone.  In fact, I shouldn’t try.  It’s okay – and actually good – to listen to my gut and have my work be a representation of how I see.  And that doesn’t have to appeal to everyone.  Some people wear dresses all the time, others jeans and flip flops (I am jeans and flip flops, in case you were wondering.)  But I think often when people are starting out in a creative endeavor, we look at others and think that in order to be successful or happy, we need to be like everyone else.  Only with some time and experience do you gain the perspective that not only is that not true, but it will burn you out faster than anything.  Listening to your heart and instincts are always the best plan.

 

In addition to my husband and best girlfriend, I’ve been fortunate enough to have made some wonderful friends in the photography world. They really get my kind of crazy and always have great advice!  I can’t stress enough how important it is to have the support of your peers when striking out on your own, especially in the creative world.

There are a few Facebook groups I really enjoy being a part of.  Everyone is constantly sharing their work and asking questions, all of which ends up making me try new things, which I love to do.  Other than that, I’m obsessed with Instagram and have a few accounts I never want to miss, including @wendylaurel, @ashimagery, @weditorials, @aloha_bigmike & @nikonos_project.  I also follow a ton of surf photographers on IG – looking at their work is like a mini vacation every time.

 

I would love that!  My website is www.carriegeddie.com, and I’m also on Facebook and Instagram as @carriegeddie.  I would love to make some new IG friends!

 I love Carrie and especially love her heart for capturing Mama’s on film with their children. Her experience is so heartfelt and true and that radiates through all of her work. In reading over her interview again, I am inspired to institute a “tech-free Sunday” of our own at our house — although since I’m writing this post on Sunday afternoon I would probably be the biggest offender. We’re going ahead and setting the rule that there are no devices at the dinner table and the tv is only on in certain extenuating circumstances (like when Alabama is playing live) but I know we’ll have to dig deeper into the “hands free” world as my kids get older. Anyone have any tips for implementing this? Let me hear them in the comments! And keep your eyes peeled on Instagram really soon for information on a great giveaway collaboration between Carrie and myself! It’s going to be awesome!