photo.phile: tammy wahl photography

hello hello! starting today, a new weekly feature will be brightening your mondays with a curated gallery featuring the work of my favorite local photographers. it seems like i find myself in a constant swoon over all the gorgeous imagery filling the interweb with charming interiors, fabulous street style, delightful weddings, dreamy travelogues, and 'ono cuisine.

these little glimpses of lovely living have tempted me to experiment with my camera to improve my rather pedestrian photography skills. much to my delight, the islands are filled with so much talent that i was inspired to share a peek from my growing collection of the brilliant photography being developed in hawaii.

for the debut of photo.phile, i am happy to introduce you to tammy wahl who, alas, will be moving on from kaneohe soon. idyllic scenes and small moments documenting her family's stay in hawaii fill her portfolio along with portraits of the handful of lucky families who found themselves in front of tammy's camera when her services were for hire. it's simply impossible not to smile and wish your family photos were just as playful and full of joy.

{photo.phile notes}

what inspired you to pick up a camera and start clicking?
i’ve always had an interest in photography, but i never really thought i had the ability to take it seriously. finally, when we moved to hawaii, i decided to buy my first dSLR and commit to learning! really though, it was wanting to take great pictures of my children on a regular basis, especially in our beautiful surroundings, that finally pushed me to do it.

photography muses that spark your imagination?
i have loved hanging out on a photography board called ilovephotography.com that has been an incredible source of inspiration and learning for me. i’ve also discovered some of my favorite photographers from that board.

favorite island moment caught on "film"?
it’s really hard to pick a favorite, but my most recent favorite is one of my son at the beach, using a fisheye lens that i titled on the edge of the earth. i love that it turned out exactly as i had planned, with the bright colors, and the pure joy on his face. i often get great pictures of my daughter so it’s especially rewarding to me when i get something special of him as well.

any simple tricks to share on how to capture a happy keiki photograph?
make the experience fun for them! plan an outing and then just capture them doing their thing. let them have fun and just get in there with your camera. take pictures of them while they are “in action” and you’ll end up with images that are more real and special.

which camera stays close by for everyday shooting?
i actually keep a little point and shoot in my purse for everyday shooting. it’s nothing special and those aren’t the images you will see on my blog, but that allows me to just capture regular life. when i want to take the special pictures, it’s my canon 5d mark II that i adore!

pay it forward with the best photography advice shared with you:
the best advice i was given was to learn the light. it’s so much easier to take an amazing picture if the light is right. and also to practice, practice, practice. you can read all you want, but until you get out there and do it, you’ll never really get it. i found that to be so true for me.

mahalo tammy!

i hope today's peek inspires all the mamas and papas out there to take your keiki and camera on a playdate!

p.s. hapa | hale hearts modern photography of all kinds be it fanciful, dreamy, lomography, through the viewfinder, cheeky portraits, b&w, etc. snapped by photo geeks of all stripes. if your photography rocks the right aesthetic, click here to submit your website or recommend a favorite for consideration.