Contributor: Claire of Claire Waite Photography

I figure I'll go ahead and start us out! I'm Claire of Claire Waite Photography based in the Phoenix Valley of steamy hot Arizona. I've been interested in photography since I got my first camera around age 11. In high school I took numerous photo classes and thoroughly enjoyed developing my own film. I swore up and down I'd never switch to digital. While in high school I had several opportunities to do senior pictures for friends, photograph a wedding and even sell my work at the Ann Arbor Art Fair in Ann Arbor, Michigan. My dream was to own a photography business, but when I headed to college other things happened.

Now, here I am, living my high school dream and eating my own words. I went digital! When my daughter was born I knew I couldn't afford to develop the hundreds of rolls of film I knew I'd be taking, so my husband bought me a nice digital camera. In October of 2008 I realized just how much I missed having an SLR and an opportunity presented itself to purchase a DSLR. In January of 2009 after lots of practice with my new camera I launched my business and have been busy ever since.

In my camera bag (a LowePro Slingshot)- I shoot with a Nikon D90. I also have a D40 that I keep around as a backup camera. I have four lenses that I currently use- a 50mm f/1.8, an 18-55mm, an 18-200mm and a 12-24mm f/4. I have AlienBees studio lighting equipment and a Nikon SB600, but I prefer to shoot in natural light. I edit with Photoshop CS4 and have yet to learn Lightroom... I tried, but was so use to Photoshop that I haven't done much with it. One day!