One bride’s fairytale wedding portrait turned out to be a winner for Richmond, Virginia photographer, Mary Fisk-Taylor.
Fisk-Taylor originally captured the 2016 Virginia PPA Sunset Award Winning photograph “Elizabeth” to be displayed during the bride’s wedding reception. “We actually have a studio in the basement of this 30,000 square-foot mansion. We get to shoot there all the time!” Fisk-Taylor says.
The natural light warped by the stunning windows and arches made the editing process straightforward. “I used natural light augmented with a Profoto B1 strobe in a Speedbox Diffuser 70 from XP Photo Gear,” she says. “Lightroom was used to tone down the highlights in the windows a bit and using the highlight slider and a little clarity to add mid-level contrast.”
After “Elizabeth” was edited to perfection, Fisk-Taylor then printed the photograph on LexJet Sunset Photo eSatin Paper and the rest is history.
Surprisingly enough, it’s her business partner, James Hayes, who initially inspired her to begin competing. After seeing the dramatic effect on Hayes’ photographs and watching his talents grow, Fisk-Taylor became a believer. “It’s the best image education you can get.”
Even though she is a nationally recognized photographer, she encourages photographers of all levels to enter print competitions. “Don’t wait until you think you are good enough. It’s the process of learning that makes someone a great photographer” she says. “The feedback is invaluable. I always order a critique of the images I enter in competition.”
After more than 23 years of success as one of the country’s top portrait photographers at Hayes & Fisk Photography, Fisk-Taylor owes her inspiration and success to her children.
“I started working in photography when my daughter was around 9 months old,” she says. “Watching the photographer, who shortly became my business partner, capture every nuance of her personality for me, and knowing that someday these would become my most cherished possessions captivated me.
“This is what I strive to deliver to my clients every day. All of the portraits that we have created of my children over the years bring me back to those wonderful memories of their childhood,” Fisk-Taylor says. “I love the experience of creating beautiful portraits that will someday become another Mom’s treasures; that’s why I photograph.”
