Behind The Lens: Kathleen Ducharme

I love meeting new people in class. I especially love when they pour themselves into learning all they can to improve their memory keeping.

Kathleen is one of those people who I felt instantly connected to! Not only did she dedicate her energy to improving, but she was an amazing support to others in class!

I am so pleased to introduce her to you!

What sparked your interest in photography?
I love photographs, all kinds of photos. Photography has been a hobby for as long as I can remember. My original goal was to document special events of my life. Not having any pictures of my childhood, my desire to take photos great exponentially when we began having children. I wanted our children to have their life stories available at their fingertips.

My camera: Nikon d7000

My favorite lens: Nikon 80mm f/1.8

Lens used most often: Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G

I am happy anytime I have my camera in hand, shooting pictures. I am happy when I open my scrapbooks, look at a photo and think, "great photo!" Then, I realize I took it!

What have you learned from Your Life: Captured Through The Lens that has helped your photography most?
Isolating what I learned through Your Life: Captured Through the Lens and Capture Your Holidays is impossible. My photography was completely transformed through the instruction. My pictures came alive.

In terms of photo mechanics, I never understood how to successfully shoot in manual mode. Numerous photography classes failed to help me comprehend how to shoot in any modes other than the auto or program ones. I had resigned myself to thinking that manual mode would always be far beyond my abilities.

Your Life: Captured Through The Lens changed me.

The course offered an easy to understand, well-organized approach to very complex topics. Through following the instruction, my first photo taken in manual mode was a good one! Since then, manual mode is the mode I shoot in the majority of the time. I will not let myself even consider going back to auto mode, but I really never need to!

Most of all, the classes gave me confidence; in my composition and in my skills.

What are you current photography goals?
My 2011 goal is to participate in Project 365 and capture more of my day-to-day life. The majority of my photos are taken of my family. Capturing my life is important too. My focus is to compose photos of my routines in creative, non-typical ways. I also agreed to my husband's goal of taking more pictures of me.

You can follow Kathleen's blog and see more of her day-to-day life at JKPlusThree.

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I love watching people's photography skills improve! I'll be offering Your Life: Captured Through The Lens soon, more details to follow.

Until then, you can download a Free Lesson. Enjoy!

Behind The Lens: Deirdre Harger

I love sending the emails out for Behind the Lens. The reactions and responses are so real and so fun. Deirdre's words were what every teacher wants to hear, "some of my best shots are a direct result of what I learned in your class." I'm so appreciative of her comment, but do believe she came with her own great talent too! I'd like to introduce you to Deirdre Harger.

What sparked your interest in photography?

Mostly children and family and the desire to document our lives’ progression.  We got an EOS film camera as a wedding gift, and I started photographing our dogs and family members (always on auto).   Later, we got our first digital camera (a 3 megapixel Olympus) as a gift from my mother-in-law.  I finally progressed to a digital EOS but still always on auto.  As I delved into digital scrapbooking, I discovered “Get Me Off Auto” and “Capturing a Photo a Day” and then “Your Life Through the Lens".  Once I started to learn about exposure, shutter speed, ISO, aperture and all that other fun stuff, I was hooked.  

What camera do you use?
I use a Canon 40D 

What is your favorite lens?
My favorite lens is my Canon 50mm f1.8, with my Canon 70-200 f4 a close second.

What makes you happiest about your photography?

My photography makes me happiest when it captures a mood and sparks a memory so that I can feel that mood and moment all over again every time I look at the photo.

What have you learned from Your Life: Captured Through The Lens that has helped your photography most?

I love the way “Your Life:  Captured Through the Lens” explained technical elements of photography while also delving into the emotional side of things.  It taught me to try to find the little things in my life that will remind me of what I was doing that day, not just the big moments, but the everyday little things, and to be able to capture them in a photograph that’s pleasing as well.

What are your current photography goals?
My current photography goals:  I want my focus to be sharper.  I really want to just keep building on what I’ve learned through tons of practice.  I want to be able to view my surroundings in a unique way and capture that with my camera.   I also love viewing others’ work and I draw a lot of inspiration from that.  I guess my main goal is to have a meaningful visual memoir of our lives for my current and future family members and friends  I am fortunate enough to be able to go on most of my children's field trips, so I take a lot of photos that other parents really appreciate.  I also need to try to get in front of the lens more too! 


Thanks Deirdre for sharing your images and words. I love your take on everyday life.

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You can be a part of Your Life: Captured Through The Lens. The six week class begins on November 2nd. We'll explore  "shutter speed, ISO, aperture and all that other fun stuff" in a user friendly, step by step way. You'll finish class shooting on Manual mode and understanding how aperture and shutter speed work as well! You can take part in 13 Days 'Til Halloween for a chance at a spot!

Behind The Lens: Tracy Muilenberg

Thank you all for your wonderful comments and support in response to my last post. I am honored and touched so many of you check in here and find value in what I share.


One of the amazing things the internet has brought me is the opportunity to reach out through photography. Helping others to use their equipment so they can better capture their memories and moments brings me great joy. I love being able to watch skills develop and see the passion you all have for photography. I'm beyond proud of those who take the skills they've learned from me to improve their personal photography or to start on their own professional path. 


Tracy Muilenberg is one of those amazing people I've been able to cross paths with. She takes beautiful photos and is spreading that beauty to families around her. There is something so special about truly capturing the essence of a family. With each click I know she is creating a work of art. 


I'd like you to meet Tracy. 

What sparked your interest in photography?
I’ve been interested in photography for a long time. I dabbled in classes here and there throughout high school in college, but it was the birth of my little girl that truly brought out my passion for photography and motivated me to buy my first DSLR. My camera is now pretty much glued to my hip.

On this picture I focused on blurring the background and filling the frame to really make my subject stand out.

What camera do you use?
I use a Nikon D60 primarily and a Canon g10 when I need to travel light.

I used the focus and recompose technique for this photo and the rule of thirds to come up with a satisfying composition.

What is your favorite lens?
Right now it is my 50 mm 1.4, but I’m just dreaming about getting the 24-70mm f2.8


What makes you happiest about your photography?
Capturing images that people will be able to look back on for a lifetime to remember special moments and times in their lives. I love doing this for my own family and I love doing it for others. I get so excited after every photo-shoot as I download the photos and start sorting through for those treasured shots where the emotion just shines through.

Backlighting- oh how it used to terrify me! Now I love it. Katrina’s lesson on metering helped me to figure this out. I meter and adjust my settings until I get the image I want.

What have you learned from me that has helped your photography most?
Your Life Captured Through the Lens got me off auto and has completely changed the way I take pictures. I was stuck on auto for a long time and Katrina’s class was exactly what I needed to help me take the plunge. There was definitely a difficult period when I first started shooting manually. I felt a little panicked because my pictures were getting worse not better, but I stuck with it and now I almost always shoot in M and I am so much happier with my photos. The class helped me to focus on what I want from an image and how to use ISO, aperture and shutter speed to achieve my desired effect.

For this image I played with depth of field. I wanted the primary focus to be the delighted look on my little girl’s face, but I also wanted the viewer to see that it was the result of being pulled by her little friend.

What photography Projects for 2010 are you working on?
I’m starting a natural light portrait photography business, Tracy Grace Photography!  I have a degree in Biology and a Degree in Landscape Architecture, but I’ve discovered my true love is Photography and I’m attempting to pursue this dream.

Thanks Tracy for sharing your beautiful images and thoughtful words. Be sure to stop by her blog, Tracy Grace Photography, to see more of her beautiful images. She's got the style I would choose in a photographer for my family photos!


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I'll be announcing dates for my next classes soon. You can find Get Me Off of Auto on sale today at Designer Digitals!

Behind The Lens: Debbie West

I love that teaching photography gives me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. Debbie is one of those people. I have loved watching her skills develop and just love the details she is able to capture. 

I'm pleased to introduce you to Debbie West.

What sparked your interest in photography?

I have enjoyed photography for a number of years but the real “match to dry grass” moment for me was a couple of years ago when I was browsing the Shutterfly site and came across Ali Edward’s December Daily book. I had just discovered something I never knew existed; digital scrapbooking. I was immediately smitten with the pages featuring wonderful big, bold, up close and personal photos. I loved everything single element of the process of scrapbooking but found myself frustrated at not having great photos to use on my pages and set out to do everything I could to improve my skills. In that process I found that I really loved the “art” of photography.

This was taken for Lesson 3 on metering.  I used matrix metering but more importantly, it was my first successful capture on Manual. 

What makes you happiest about your photography?

Nothing makes me happier than uploading a photo and realizing I’ve captured something unexpected; a detail I would not have otherwise realized existed.

The object was to find a new angle.  Once I found that, I thought most predictable point of focus would be the floral scene; so I went for the cup handle!  I really liked the result.

What have you learned that helped your photography most?

First of all, the very basic skill of focus; specifically of changing focal points.  I have learned how to completely change the “story” of a photo by changing its focal point.  I think it is the most effective way of saying, “THIS is what I want you to see”.   And secondly, I would have to say, perspective.  I remember the lesson where Katrina tells us to lay on the ground, point our camera up and shoot!  Now there was something I’d never considered doing!  But I have always remembered that lesson and now consider perspective in almost every photo I take.  I consciously think, “How can I show this to someone in a way they might not consider.”

I used both negative space and the rule of thirds for this photo.

How has your photography changed since Your Life: Captured Through the Lens?

It has become much more thoughtful.  I think one of the most helpful tools I came away with from Your Life: Captured Through the Lens was the critique sheet Katrina distributed for a chat session.  We uploaded photos and used the questions as a basis for critiquing them.  This was a huge eye opener for me.  I still remember the night Katrina pulled up my photo and proceeded to ask this group of complete strangers, “So how does this photo make you feel?”  Initially The Scream flashed before my eyes, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience.  I look at my photos with much more intent now.  It has also become much more adventurous as I am now comfortable with all of those “mystery” knobs and buttons on my camera.

This photo sparked my interest in seeing everyday things from a different perspective; it may be responsible for an addiction!

What are your photography goals for 2010? or Any Projects for 2010?

I have only just completed the class so I know that daily practice is very important to continue improving my skills.  I have started the 365 Project and hope to continue it through 2011.

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You can see Debbie's scrapbook pages at DesignerDigitals.

Have I helped you with a class, ebook, or tutorial? Would you like to be featured Behind The Lens? Send me an email at katrina at katrinakennedy dot com.

Behind The Lens: Amy LeJeune

Have you ever met someone online who you just know is an incredible, warm, fun person? That is how I feel about Amy. Amy has great photography skills and claims I helped her out! I'm honored and touched to have helped someone who was already skilled!

Please meet my friend Amy LeJeune.

What sparked your interest in photography?
At a scrapbooking event, a friend asked me to take a group photo using her camera. It had a lens that you turned to focus and it made a very photographic clicking sound when you released the shutter. It was the first time I held a digital SLR and I immediately knew that my photography skills had to improve. I decided to learn everything I could about my point and shoot and even tried manual settings on it. Then I treated myself to my first dSLR and never looked back.


What camera do you use?
I have a Nikon D300.


What is your favorite lens?
My favorite lens is my Nikkor f2.8 24-70mm lens. I have it on my camera most of the time.

My example for the blurring the background assignment in Captured Through the Lens. I later extracted the fern frond and used it as a brush on a scrapbook page!

What makes you happiest about your photography?
My photography allows me to revisit my life as often as I like. It lets me collect emotions and daily events to cherish forever.

My niece's bridal bouquet. I practiced perspective on this shot by squatting down and looking up a little. I liked this upward angle on the wedding cake too. 

What have you learned from my classes or tutorials that has helped your photography most?
I loved Captured Through the Lens and have all the lessons printed and stored in a binder. The information is concise and fundamental, and a quick review of it always brings me back to the primary elements of this wonderful hobby.

For this portrait I practiced metering for side lighting.

If you could only photograph one subject for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would photograph my progeny. Now that my sons are almost all grown up, I hope someday to have another generation to add to my photographic stockpile!


You can see more of Amy's talent and progeny on her blog and in her DesignerDigitals gallery.

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I'm looking forward to meeting Amy in January of next year! It will be fun to finally hear her voice and spend time shooting together.

We just wrapped up Your Life: Captured Through The Lens, but it's not too late for Your Kids: Captured Through The Lens. Registration closes today.

Have I helped you with a class, ebook, or tutorial? Would you like to be featured Behind The Lens? Send me an email at katrina at katrinakennedy dot com.

Behind The Lens: Katie Nelson

I first "met" Katie through pages she posted at DesignerDigitals. I love her style, photo first, and often lots of photos on her scrapbook pages! I loved finding out that my classes helped her photography improve as I believe she came to class with lots of talent! She is known around the internet as Katie The Scrapbook Lady. She takes great photos and makes great pages.

Please meet Katie Nelson.

What sparked your interest in photography?

I’ve always loved pictures and I have been a scrapbooker since I was only 14 years old, however, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to taking quality pictures until just a few years ago. It seems like once I became a digital scrapbooker in 2005 and started spending a lot of time in online galleries, I finally realized that there wasn’t any scrapbooking trick or technique that could make up for the lack of a great photo. For me, photos are the “King” of the layout (and journaling is the “Queen” – an important partner and co-ruler). I have probably had a slow evolution as a photographer since I used only a point-and-shoot camera until 2008, but there is a lot to learn!

What camera do you use?

I have used Sony Cybershot point-and-shoot cameras since 2002. I started with a 2 megapixel model (yikes!) and now I use the 12.1 megapixel model. I was too nervous (and too broke – lol!) to add a DSLR camera into my life until March of 2008. My Mom had purchased a Nikon D40 after a lot of research and she let me try hers out. I snapped a few photos on auto and I was immediately hooked! I have to admit that I stayed comfortably in auto mode for about a year, until I started pushing myself to take online classes and experiment with new settings. I still love auto setting in some cases, but I’m finally enjoying almost all the buttons and dials on my camera. There is something so satisfying about seeing a picture and knowing that it looks a certain way because of what you did to achieve that result!

I learned so much from that class and between that and the “Get me off Auto” e-book, I’ve finally become comfortable with moving my camera dial around! I’ve learned from a few other sources before, but what you taught me about Aperture Priority finally made everything click for me. (pun intended – lol!) I was fiddling with the aperture settings before, but I didn’t really understand how to physically set the distance between my primary subject and what was in the background until I took your class. This really helped me since I don’t have the fastest lenses. Learning that I could make up for that by using aperture priority AND moving the subject away from the background, really gave my pictures a great depth of field. What a difference that has made!

What is your favorite lens?

I use the Nikon 50 mm f/1.8 AF Nikkor Lens a lot because it is such a versatile lens. I bought a Nikon 55-200 mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR (Vibration Reduction) Zoom Nikkor lens just a few months ago and I’m really liking that for people photos.

What makes you happiest about your photography?

I’m trying to focus on this aspect because as I’m learning, I find that I’m becoming so critical of my own pictures that it is easy to lose that enjoyment. I know I still have so much to learn! What really makes me happy though is catching something amazing in an image. A snapshot really is just that – a “snap shot” of a fleeting moment in time. I find that I enjoy photos more with each passing day (or year). When I look at a photo, it takes me back to a place or time and I love that feeling. Pictures are very emotional for me.

Seeing all the great examples from you and the other contributing photographers really helped me work on my composition. I had a tendency to center objects in the photo, but you helped “push me to the edge” and use all the space in the photograph instead.  I have noticed a big difference in how much more I like my photos now!

What have you learned from my classes that has helped you the most?

I have your Get Me Off Auto e-book, and I have taken 2 of her classes at Get It Scrapped - "Your Life Captured Through the Lens” and “Your Kids Captured Through the Lens” and I read her blog every day. I’m totally a Katrina fan! I guess what has helped me the most is seeing examples of her work because she always seems to have just the right image to illustrate what she is teaching! I’ve printed out all the handouts from her classes (and the e-book) and I keep them in a binder for easy reference. I frequently browse through the pages for inspiration and I find something new and useful every time.

What photography projects are you working on for 2010?

Of course I’m trying to capture ongoing and everyday life activities, but I’m also focusing on a few areas that I have come to enjoy. I am finding a lot of joy in photographing toys and collections. I especially love Legos

Thanks so much for featuring me on your blog Katrina! What a fun honor this is for me!

Katie Nelson (aka “Katie the Scrapbook Lady”)

You can find me on my blog at http://scrapbooklady.typepad.com

My flickr gallery is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/scrapbooklady/

Contributing writer at http://thedailydigi.com/

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If you are interested in Get Me Off of Auto, it is on sale today for Thrifty Thursday at DesignerDigitals! Registration is open for Your Kids: Captured Through The Lens. Class starts on July 20th. A registration discount is available until July 12th.

Have I helped you with a class, ebook, or tutorial? Would you like to be featured Behind The Lens? Send me an email at katrina at katrinakennedy dot com.

Behind The Lens: Melanie Grimes

When I was writing Get Me Off of Auto, I knew Melanie Grimes had to be part of it. I wanted her beautiful photos to demonstrate the steps in the book and simply, she's a treasured friend. She captures her everyday life so well and makes me sad an ocean separates us. I'd be at her house for tea everyday if she lived nearby. 

I am so pleased to feature her in a special Behind The Lens, focusing on the wonderful photographers who contributed to Get Me Off of Auto. You've already met Kathie, now I'd like you to meet Mel.

What do you enjoy most about photography?

Seeing a brief second happen right in front of you and capturing it, as you saw it, so you can share it with other people. 

I admit I used to use my camera to hide behind. I used to take it to all events and places I felt uncomfortable at and hide behind it. Now however I don’t. Its like 100% the other way round…I find my camera gives me more confidence; to stand up, move over there, take this shot, push to the front, direct my models – should I have some, and do whatever I have to do to get exactly what I picture in my head in my lens.

How has your photography changed since being part of Get Me Off of Auto? 

OH YES my photography has changed since GMOA! Or rather, that should read ‘has changed back’. I went to college and did manual photography. You know, in the dark room, pushing the film speed, burning, dodging, chemicals, drying film with hair dryers… LOL and I learnt my light, my ISO, my everything.  But then as time passed I got lazy. It was so easy to ‘get that toddler shot’ and just leave the camera on AV.  Even easier to never alter the white balance, or any settings very much.  Especially digital cameras. I was very ‘yeah yeah I know all that, don’t need to do it though.’

The longer this went on, the more I fell out of love with photography. I didn’t link the two at all until I did the assignments for the book. Back playing with settings to see ‘what would happen if’ I had so much fun. So much fun, you have no idea. I know I ended up sending Katrina ten pictures when she’d asked for one, because I just couldn’t stop!  Ask me to tell you the story about the motorway photos one day ;)

I will always be very grateful for the big shove back to manual. I only shoot manual now, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Playing with shutter speed allowed me to capture the sprinkler as tiny droplets in the air as Daisy rushes through or turn the water into sharp daggers over her head.

What camera and lenses do you have in your bag? Which do you use most? Why? 

I have recently upgraded to my beloved 5D Mark II, a full sensor. Oh its heavenly to have a responsive camera in my hands I tell you. Previously I had used two 400D, until they fell apart. Excellent little cameras!

Having just upgraded to full sensor I lost the use of two of my lenses. They were canon EFS fitting which doesn’t fit the 5D. So I am a little low on lenses right now…I no longer have a zoom!! But have my eye on a new one very soon!

I have a  50mm 1.4, which lives on my camera. Simply because I am a natural light photographer and it lets in so much light when I need it too!  A 28mm 2.8 which I don’t use often but is fun for the right thing. And a 100mm 2.8 which is what I use for my macro shots.  Luckily for me My father is a photographer too, and has a very impressive collection of lenses. If I need one I can usually borrow it, or try it out before buying my own.

Often I don't want everything in focus, just one particular spot. I love this picture of Mollie. It was a very hot day at a busy local fete. I wanted Mollies face in focus of course, and  wanted the busy background to soften around her, but not disappear altogether.

What is the strangest thing you've photographed?

I have photographed many peculiar things. Once I start ot think about it… it’s a little crazy! Lets see; I have taken pictures of wet cement, cuts and bruises for legal cases, Hundreds of eggs for college work. Diamonds and sapphires, for my husbands work. I once had hundreds of pounds of those spread in a lightbox and stacked up next to me. Probably though the strangest thing my family would comment on is how I take photos. I think nothing of dropping to the floor and lying on my tummy to get the dew in the grass. Or of climbing fences when maybe I shouldn’t. Or of leaning out of windows, over cliff edges, into shopping baskets, underneath bicycles… you really cant get between me and the shot!

Where do you keep your camera when you aren't shooting?

My camera lives on my desk, ready to go or ready to download from. Its supposed to live on my side, next to my lenses, and my basket of lens cloths/filters/spare lens caps/etc but it never gets that far!

Backlighting, such a simple but oh so effective thing to do. I love this spider hiding under her leaf! I used a SOOc version and overlaid a version with a pinky preset applied, then reduced the preset version's opacity until I liked it .

What editing/organizing software do you use?

For editing I use CS3. I am going to upgrade, next time I’m feeling brave ;) I use Light Room 2, for downloading and for any presets, which I’m not going to upgrade. I am a little tired of all the upgrades that keep on coming with everything, especially when they make something obsolete or something new not compatible with the old. I’d rather spend my money on lenses you see…

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I feel like I get to be part of Mel's life through her photos! It is such a special connection for me. You can see even more of her work in her flickr pool and at DesignerDigitals. You can follow Melanie's blog Sweet Nothings for a daily glimpse into her world.

If you are interested in Get Me Off of Auto, it is on sale today at DesignerDigitals!

Have I helped you with a class, ebook, or tutorial? Would you like to be featured Behind The Lens? Send me an email at katrina at katrinakennedy dot com.