Today’s interview is with Erin Cobb!
What path did you take in becoming a professional photographer?
The serendipitous one. I always intended to go back to teaching kindergarten after my children started school but after an image I took of my daughter won the Baby Gap Casting Call in 2006 my life path veered in a different direction. I’ve never looked back other than to smile and wave.
What gear do you shoot with?
Canon 5d Mark II, 135mm/2.0L, 50mm/1.2L, 85mm/1.2 L. Pretty much in that order.
What is your go to lens?
Outdoors the 135. Indoors the 50.
What would your “dream shoot” be?
Any session with a spunky kid and parents who are happy to be there. In other words, what I shoot everyday!
Favorite time of day to shoot and why?
I used to think that I needed to cling to the ends of the day like good photographers learn to do when they’re starting out – 9 am and 5 pm right? While I definitely still like and take bookend sessions like that, I’ve recently discovered how much I love the sun to be higher in the sky. I love to backlight my subjects and it’s so much easier to do that and get great catchlights in the front when the sun is higher and bouncing around everywhere.
Who or what inspires you?
Silly knock-knock jokes from 5 year olds, first time parents of newborns, families that love each other, adoption, light in the eyes, the color orange, blogging, Tuesdays, my friends who loved me even when I had a mullet, and well-told stories. In a word, LIFE inspires me.
When do you do most of your editing and why?
After 7pm when the kiddos are in bed. And random minutes sandwiched in between. My work station is in my kitchen so I actually do some of my best work while I’m cooking dinner!
Funniest or most awkward moment on a shoot?
I once made a group of school aged brothers laugh hysterically by getting them to repeat silly words I said. One of which I later found out had been banned in their home. Oops!
Most memorable photography moment?
Winning the Baby Gap Casting Call. In the moment I answered the phone I knew my life was changing direction. It was thrilling.
If you could pick one celebrity (and their family) to shoot who would it be and why?
I would love to photograph singer/songwriter Lucy Kaplansky, her husband, and her daughter, adopted from China. I fell in love with her music after hearing the song “The Red Thread” which is about the bond she shares with her daughter and mother. That kind of bond is what I seek to capture in my images daily. Lucy has since graciously allowed me to use her song “Manhattan Moon” on my website’s homepage and I would love to one day photograph her sweet family as a thank you.
What is your current favorite photo that you’ve taken and why?
Professionally I really, really love this image:
Personally, this one:
What is one piece of advice you would offer an amateur photographer with pro aspirations?
Don’t rush the business. Once I had developed my photography to the point that I knew I wanted to launch a business I devoted 10 solid months to setting up the inner workings of Erin Cobb Photography. I made a timeline of goals I needed to achieve before the launch date and assigned several goals to each month. Setting up a website, getting your legal paperwork in order, acquiring insurance, opening a bank account, starting a blog, figuring out taxes – all of these things take time. Don’t rush them. Your clients deserve to have a photographer that is fully present with them in the portrait process and that’s impossible to do if you’re scrambling to take care of all these things after you’ve already started taking on work. If you want to be a professional, you simply cannot ignore the nitty gritty business stuff.
When did you know you were going to be successful in business? Was there a defining moment?
I think successful businesses are never really sure they’re going to be successful, which is what drives one to make keep working, harder and harder. In other words I still don’t know what defines “success” and if, at the end of that day, that’s what I’ll have. But you can bet I’m committed to doing the work it takes to make it happen!
What’s on the horizon for your business?
With the release of my Clean Color Workflow Tutorial I’ve branched out into a new segment of my business. I’m not sure what the future will hold for that side of the business but I continue to work as hard as ever on the portrait side. As my children age and client demand grows I continue to increase my workload in Huntsville each year. This year I have business trips to Los Angeles (this weekend!), Ohio and Kentucky (May) planned and am open to further travel as it comes. In this work every day is different and I love that!
Fun Facts
Current favorite song?
Will I be stoned for cheesiness if I admit that “Never Grow Up” on the new Taylor Swift album is tickling my ears these days? Yes? Well then I’ll have to go with “This is the Sound” by Brighter Things.
Three words that you feel describe you best?
Me: Happy, motivated, sensitive. My photography: Fresh, clean, fun.
What three words would your best friends use to describe you?
Caring, busy, ridiculous.
Favorite television show?
Modern Family
Favorite book?
Watership Down. (So weird, I know.)
Describe a typical day in your life.
Wake up, run, make breakfast/lunches, work, carpool, work, carpool, work, make dinner, kiddos bedtime, work. Lather, rinse, repeat. (With about 2 dozen “I love you”s thrown in for good measure.)
Who do you think should play you in the movie of your life?
In the last month I have been stopped by two random strangers (grocery store and bank) who wanted to know if anyone had ever told me that I look like Jennifer Garner. The answer is yes. So I guess her.
If you were stranded on a desert island what three items would you have to have with you?
Brent, Sarah, Ephraim. Those are all the things I need.
Any bad habits that you have no intention of breaking?
Waiting until the last minute.
Quickie Questions
Canon or Nikon?
Canon.
Prime or zoom?
Prime.
Studio or on location?
On Location.
Natural light or flash?
Natural light.
Neck strap or wrist strap?
Neck strap.
Color or black and white?
Color.
Mac or PC?
PC.
Photoshop or Lightroom?
Photoshop.
Night owl or morning person?
Morning person.
Sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise.
Heels or flip flops?
Boots.
Thank you so much for such a fabulous interview, Erin!! Thanks for the inspiration! Make sure to follow Erin on Facebook and Twitter too!
Oh yay! So glad to see Erin Cobb featured here! I love your style, Erin, and I love your blog too! 🙂
What a wonderful interview! Gorgeous photos, lovely personality…I just love her!
Great article! Thanks.
Thanks for coming out & sharing with us Erin. I just LOVE your style!!
I LOVE Erin Cobb!!! great interview 🙂
I really enjoyed reading this post about Erin.
Love your work, Erin! You said that you prefer natural light. Does that mean that you use it 100%, and if not, what other light sources do you turn to? Thanks for the interview, CM and Erin!
Hi Erin
What is your lighting set up when you shoot indoors? Do you ever use a strobe?
I've known Erin since she was a little girl and am thrilled to see her blossom into this fabulous woman. I love her wit, humor and compassion – and her photography too, of course!
Great interview with Erin! I see not many others have asked questions, so I'll get the ball rolling. Do you use a reflector with a stand? If not, do you ask parents to hold it? Do you use a heating pad or electric blanket with newborns? What are some more tricks you use for getting kids to smile/laugh/look at the camera? I know you mentioned having the boys repeat silly things in the article. Examples? Thanks!
love erin cobb 🙂
Boots! I love thee 🙂
I love it that Erin breaks all the rules of what I always read on other peoples photography blogs.Works on a PC,shoots in JPEGs and Canon over Nikon.It makes it all seem possible to me,as these are all the tools I have and use.I have no excuse but more practise.
I know you shoot mainly in Manual but what aperture do you tend to use for one person?
Great interview. Erin takes the most beautiful portraits of children I've ever seen. I love that she shoots jpeg.
I love your work. I especially like the image of the little girl hugging her dog. How cute!!!!! I am just getting started and would like to know how you made your watermark? I like the variety of colors in your name and I also like how it has the transparent line the goes across the image. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.
Love Erin's work! Have her Clean Color Workflow and my photos have improved 100+++%.
Hi Erin! Other than your children, what do you most enjoy shooting when you are just shooting for you? For example, if you had one day on your own and were just heading out alone with your camera, where would you go & what would you shoot? (and can we see some pics?)
you're so devoted to your family… what are some of your best tricks for keeping the work/family balance?
Loved the interview- very cute and fun pictures!
Great interview, Erin! As you already know, you're one of my faves. I have a question…on the shots you do where the subjects are backlit by a window, do you use a reflector? (like on your favorite professional one posted in the post.) Thanks!
I LOVE your work! Thanks for sharing with us. The picture of the girl & her puppy is just too CUTE, LOVE it!
Love this interview, thanks for sharing with us, Erin!
My question for you would be, did you always know this was how you wanted to shoot and what you wanted from your business? How long did it take you to develop the style you have now (knowing it's always evolving)?
Thank you for featuring Erin! She's the first professional photographer that I started following, and I still check her personal blog everyday! Love this gal!
I'll never forget the night Erin bashfully admitted that she entered Sarah's photo to The Gap Photo Contest…the same night she said she was in the semi-final round! 🙂 Shortly after, the big announcement was made that she had won. When we saw the photo she entered, we knew she had discovered her talent and "her thing!" I love when people discover their true passion in life! Erin discovered hers and ran with it. She is one hard worker with tons of talent the a HUGE heart…the perfect combo for what she does!
QUESTION! Hi Erin! Love Clean Color and love your blog! My questions are:
1. Do you photograph your sessions in continuous mode?
2. Do you ever use a flash – if so, in what situations and what type of flash?
THANKS!!!!
-Kristin B.
I have admired your work for so long! It was nice to get to know you a little better!!! Your work reflects your personality… beautiful and full of life.
How do you get such amazing color in your photos. Is it all in photoshop or is it the lens you use?
How do you handle really bright sun if there is no shade?
Also when shooting a family do you pose people or let them be natural?
Love Erin and her photography is beautiful. I've been a fan for a long time and was lucky enough to have her photograph my little ones.
I know that to get a clear photo you have to get correct exposure, but how do you set a custom white balance? Oh and what aperture do you use when shooting multiple children/adults and still get the awesome DOF you get?
When are you coming to Boston for photo shoots (and visiting your BFF from your blog)?
How do you manage just your family photos (ie:organizing and processing)?
Hi Erin
Do you edit ALL your pictures? I mean really every Single One of your clients' pictures?
Wonderful interview. Not familiar with your music choices, going to look those up. I am so glad Karen Russel introduced you to us/her students. Yep I am a fellow blog stalker!
Question:
1) Did you have your formal training before entering the photo of your baby girl to Gap or after?
2) I also would like to know what aperture you choose to shoot a single subject in?
I also LOVE the shot of the little girl and the puppy!
1. When you set up a shot, what setting do you set first; aperture or shutter speed?
2. When you set your exposure, how do you meter your exposure? (separate light meter, spot, matrix, center-weighted)
Hi Erin! I LOVE this Q and A post! I am just starting out, and find I tend to take way too many shots. Yesterday alone for a 1st bday session i took over 400! All hoping to get that perfect expression, liek I am too shutter happy. How do yo improve on this? Also – how soon do you show clients their images? My moms are looking over my shouldrer and dying to see the LCD screen. And dying to see a sneak peek as soon as possible. I feel pressured to put it out that night. Thank you for "chatting" with all of us!
Erin, you know I love you and your work. I am such a stalker of you 🙂
I shoot a lot of sports, indoors; basketball gyms and indoor swimming pools. What will work best in those low/really crappy light situations so I can get the best shot? I use a 50mm most of the time and try to use the largest aperture, but I think I will need some type of flash. What would you suggest? I shoot with a Sony Alpha 700. Thanks.
I still stalk your blog daily too!
Hey Erin!! Your backlit photos rock my world. How do you make your subject's face light up the way they do? The dodge tool? Increase exposure in PS and mask the face? Or do you use a reflector? Thank you so much for your gracious help! Can't wait to read your answers. =)
Thank you a bunch for sharing this with all folks you actually understand what you're talking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly also seek advice from my website =). We could have a link trade contract between us