My Visa: Profession Libérale

2026 Minimum income requirement: Gross €1800 per month (~€22,000 per year)

My Timeline

Started working on my visa paperwork and research in December 2025

Submitted paperwork to ANEF on February 19th 2026

Got a response on April 6th via email

Submitted Visa application through portal + booked my visa TLS appointment April 14th for two weeks out on April 29th

Got my response in the mail on May 6th (the visa’s validity started June 6th - the day my health insurance started)

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Renew passport - this is only if the expiration date falls within 6 months of your departure date after 1 year in France. Mine was expiring summer of 2027 so I went ahead and got a new one.

2. Prepare an “ANEF-ready” file - create an account online:

> choose “Demander une autorisation de travail” > “Je sollicite un avis sur mon projet CST entrepreneur/profession libérale”

https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers/#/

If the government requires more information for your application, you will be notified via email (I didn’t include my middle name in the initial form so it didn’t match my passport, and they came back and asked me to revise my submission)

After review by the French Ministry of Labour, you will be granted an approval attestation (by email) that should be included in your visa request file (”Avis favorable”)

3. Submit Long-Stay Visa Application Online via a different website via France Visas - https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/united-states-of-america

You can start submitting your visa request as a DRAFT to get the provisional official list of documents & your France visas application number

4. Make an account with TLS + Book Processing Appointment - this is the company that the french govenment currently contracts to help process visa applications in the states. The office is DTLA, you simply bring a big packet of all the documents you need and passport and they ship it off to Washington DC. You can’t book the appointment until you submit the initial visa application online and get your visa application number.

https://visas-fr.tlscontact.com/en-us/country/us/vac/usLAX2fr

5. Print Print Print - print everything - I didn’t need 2nd copy of everything, but you do need to print every document.

This included:

• Long-stay visa application, completed via France Visas

• Visa appointment confirmation at consulate (via TLS)

• Business Proposal (already submitted and approved by ANEF)

• Your business file validation attestation for non-liberal professions (from ANEF “avid favorable”)

• Your criminal record extract or equivalent document from your country

• Proof of year of Health Insurance (certificate + visa letter)

• Photocopies of ALL pages of your passport. (mine was new so I had no stamps in it, so I only needed the 1st ID page)

• Proof of place to stay for first few weeks upon arrival > Letter Attestation D’hebergement: saying I have a place to live until I find permanent accommodation. I provided the French ID of my host as well as their electricity bill, and handwritten letter

• Flight

Everything I printed and brought to my visa appointment:

Preparing your ANEF-ready Business Plan File

My Business Proposal Outline (I included an English version and a French version)

-About Me (Professional Profile)
-Why France
-Why France (3 Bullet Points)
–Services Offered (4 Bullet Points)
-Market & Positioning (what makes me standout in the marketplace & how I acquire clients)
-Working Structure (More details about my process, retainer clients, and estimate example)
-Retainer Client Contract
-Financial Viability & 12-Month Income Projection (+ Expense Overview & Example)
-Resume
-Client List from 2025
-Photography Portfolio (3 Pages: Paris, Lifestyle Campaigns, Studio Work)
-2 Pages showing examples of collaborations with French Fashion Businesses
-1 Page showing recent work with a celebrity who regularly visits Paris Fashion Week
-2 Pages showing email inquiries about Paris work from potential clients
-3 invoices from the previous 3 months
-Bank Statements from the previous 5 months, including savings accounts

Snags, Mistakes & Unknowns

• Needed to have an address for this ANEF proposal (I used a friend’s address who agreed to ‘host’ me for the first month, though I ended up finding a place of my own in time)
• Didn’t include my middle name in the online form when submitting my ANEF paperwork (they later reached out to have me correct this)
• Didn’t submit Agreement to Respect the Principles of the Republic (not sure if you needed this or not, but I added it in my “documents” section when I edited my middle name)

Expectations of workload + timing

In hindsight, I probably could have started working on some of the other documents at the same time I was waiting for my Passport to be renewed. I didn’t. I treated this as a clean “Step One” before touching anything else. The reality is that writing all the docs, translating, and reviewing the remaining paperwork took much longer than I anticipated. If you’re hoping to move to France on a tight timeline like I was, the biggest lesson here is simple: give yourself more time than you think you need, and start earlier than feels necessary. The administrative side of this process moves slowly—and it demands focused, consistent attention.

Total Costs

$265 - TLS Appointment Processing Fee + passport photos (this appointment only took 10 min at the actual desk, but required some waiting in the office beforehand)

$40 - Shipping docs to DC

$144 - Visa Application Fee

$50 + $18 Fingerprint FBI

$150 Printing documents (I double printed every page and did it the day before so I was charged extra, you don’t need to do this. Print one copy, and don’t wait till the last minute)

$2 Deep L Software (great translation software) (then had my documents reviewed by several French people)

TOTAL: $669

*** Paid an additional $343.92 in French residence tax upon arrival (you pay online within the first 3 months of arriving)

Talent Passport VS Profession Libérale

Talent Passport :
This visa allows you to combine entrepreneurial ventures (starting a business) with freelance work. For instance, you could:

• Work as a freelance photographer, videographer, or graphic designer.

• Start your own photography or creative agency.
  This dual purpose makes it suitable for people who want to diversify their work in France.

• Harder to get, can be issued for anywhere between 1-5 years

PL Visa:
The PL visa is strictly for freelance work. You’re not permitted to engage in entrepreneurial activities like starting a company or hiring employees. More often given for 1 year initially

Getting Health Insurance

I used a broker to get international health insurance, it was actually so easy I couldn’t believe it. Jumped on a call with them and told them my situation and they gave me options - I used International Citizens Insurance (ICI) as the broker and went with Cigna for international health insurance, paying $148.00 per month. They then issue you a certificate of health insurance and you print this for your visa application appointment.

https://www.internationalinsurance.com/

Misc Links that I found helpful in my research

https://citizenremote.com/visas/france-freelancer-visa/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SchengenVisa/comments/1eszeqv/approved_for_france_profession_lib%C3%A9rale_visa_vlsts/

https://parispastthepostcard.com/blog/moving-to-france-as-a-freelancer

https://olivier-consultancy.co.uk/french-entrepreneur-visa/

https://www.startbusinessinfrance.com/blog/post/new-rule-for-business-visa-france-profession-liberale#:~:text=1%20%2D%20Project%20validation%20required%20for,2.1%20%2D%20Impact%20on%20your%20dossier

I also joined a facebook group called ‘Expats in France’ that I found extremely helpful. If i had a question I could search to see if anyone had run into the same corner, and if not, ask it myself in the thread.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/23814372316/

I don’t really know how to start this. Obviously if you look closely you can see I’ve taken a big hiatus from substack, right after saying in January how much I wanted to devote time to this and to be consistent. I can’t even say that I will be consistent from now on, that I‘m back in action, if I’m being totally and completely honest.

I turned 31 today and like many on their birthdays, I am having complex feelings about it. While I know this is normal for most, it is actually more of a rare occurrence for me. Ever since I was in my mid 20’s I cherished my birthday - it truly was always one of my favorite days of the year. This is mostly attributed to a rejection of past experiences with a very emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend who made me cry every year in college. After we broke up and I did some healing, I vowed to make my birthday a day of joy and happiness. I created a tradition where I spent the day alone doing all my favorite things - I often started the morning taking myself out to breakfast followed by a day of art gallery visits and thrift shopping. Then I finished off with a dinner of sorts with my closest friends. It was a recipe for success. I truly already had the best day and then walking into the night surrounded by the people I love the most who in turn love me the most, always left me feeling so grateful and full.

29 was the first time I had cried on my birthday in many years. This was also attributed to a boyfriend at the time who really didn’t deliver and brought some negative energy into the weekend - we broke up only a few weeks later.

Then 30. The big one. As midnight stuck, I balled harder than I had in a long time. I touched on it a bit in my October diary, but with 30, I did really feel a shift internally. For 1) I was (in the simplest of terms) mourning a decade, closing a chapter - although in theory I can recognize, the bookends of this chapter are sort of imaginary and irrelevant. The new year is only significant because we give it significance. I woke up the next day and in a way, didn’t feel that different.

But in other ways, as weeks went by, I did feel a difference. I felt like I suddenly was hyper aware of time. Time simply on planet earth, time as a finite resource, time to be a young person who’s “just figuring it out.” In dating, new fears arose that perhaps I was getting closer to expiration. A stale piece of merchandise left on the back of the grocery store shelves. I wasn’t one step closer to having babies (by the mere fact that I was totally and utterly single, but also in my mindset - no part of me felt any inch closer to that desire to procreate even if I always assumed that was my destiny). Yet by the sheer fact of biology, I was sure my ovaries were aging.

After I got back from my 2.5 months in Europe last summer, my focus was primarily on two things - 1) Get a Visa to move to Paris 2) Work as much as you can because I needed to save up in order to move to Paris. I knew I was tired of superficial dating experiences, entertaining the “just for fun” “just for right now” type of situationships, that I was craving something deeper, more real. Yet because I wanted to move it felt careless to date, so I mostly didn’t.

The first half of 2026 (since I last wrote) I would mostly characterize by a concentration on work. I was determined to grind as much as I could, knowing that uncertainly lie ahead when I moved. I said yes to so much, that it eventually culminated in a total and utter meltdown, feeling true burnout for the first time in my life.

In February I opened up Substack and started typing out a Diary, but never finished. I wrote the following:

One of the greatest joys in my life right now is my work, but I also want to be honest about the quieter, heavier parts of this season and career. The highs are only part of the story and I hope with my honesty and vulnerability, you also feel a little less alone in this crazy world. Firstly February has felt like a month of reckoning with what it means to be single—especially as an independent creative.

I’ve been single for about a year and a half now, and in many ways, that space has been incredibly necessary. Last year gave me the time I needed to fully process a relationship that took a long while to move through. And I’m very aware that being single has also made this current moment possible. Without a partner tying me to one place, I’m able to take a huge leap this year and move to Paris — a truly holy shit scary dream that I think will change my life. If I had someone here who wasn’t interested in leaving California, that decision would feel infinitely more complicated.

I’ve felt for a while now that I’ve outgrown Los Angeles. And lately, staying in a place that no longer fits has felt more painful than taking a big, scary, courageous leap into the unknown. I’m stuck fully in limbo in a place that no longer feels like home, waiting for the moment when I can arrive at the next chapter in my life. There’s so much gratitude wrapped up in the freedom to make this choice, but there’s also weight. Because while independence has given me so much, it also means I’m carrying everything on my own. I notice it in small, quiet ways—watching friends with partners who can pick them up from the airport, watch their pets when they travel, make them soup when they’re sick. Those things seem small, but they add up. It’s energy I’m constantly expending to take care of myself, self-soothe, problem-solve, and hold everything together.

That said, this season and really the bulk of my 20s has also made me deeply self-reliant. I’ve always genuinely enjoyed my own company. I know myself well. I trust my instincts. But winter months tend to amplify loneliness, especially as people retreat inward. I anticipated that a bit going into December, but I was buffered by travel, projects, and the momentum of sustained work. January surprisingly stayed busy with work as well. Then February rolled around, bringing the first quieter month I’d had in quite some time—and with that quiet, many things were brought to the surface.

Being single has also made it easy to become a workaholic. When evenings feel long and empty, it’s tempting to keep working until 10 p.m.—and honestly, I often do. And to be fair, that focus has yielded real results: career growth, financial stability, momentum. I don’t regret it. But I’m starting to see how work has sometimes filled spaces that connection used to occupy. And as February came into view with a much smaller workload (one that I was excited for), I actually felt more unsettled than I expected.

I originally imagined February as a kind of creative reset. With fewer paid shoots on the calendar, I thought I’d finally have the space to pour myself into personal projects and test shoots. Those are, after all, my favorite things to do—first, because they’re deeply fulfilling, and second, because they genuinely push my career forward. Whether it’s learning something new on set or creating work that eventually catches a brand’s attention, personal projects have always been fuel for me.

February started unfortunately with a terrible illness that knocked me out for an entire week. And after that, instead of bouncing back into inspiration, I found myself feeling… blank. I think sometimes you have to trust the process, and accept that inspiration isn’t something you can summon on command. There was a gap between expectation and reality. I had all this “free time” in theory, but none of the creative spark I thought would fill it.

I’d scroll on Pinterest and nothing would stick. No ideas were clicking. Even editorials—something I usually feel a pull toward—weren’t resonating. I didn’t know what I wanted next from my portfolio. Even though I technically had fewer shoots, days seemed to go by quickly. I had a few lingering deliverables hanging over my head, I gave more time to my retainer client, and most significantly, I finally finished my visa documents and submitted them to the French government mid month.

The month that followed (March) ramped up again with work, turning out to be my most lucrative month I have ever had to date. While this felt like an amazing accomplishment, the constant deliverables hanging over my head definitely took a toll. Substack naturally fell to the waist side again, because 1) I was just too busy to sit down and write, but mostly 2) I just didn’t really feel like I had much to say or anything new that I had learnt. While having consistent clients and being in a position where I hadn’t had to search for a job or pitch myself in quite some time truly felt like a dream, the jobs started to feel a bit redundant. I wasn’t feeling challenged, I knew the work I was making wouldn’t land on my portfolio, I wasn’t feeling like I was leveling up. In the same ways that I was feeling “stuck” in LA having outgrown the city, these jobs were increasingly not fulfilling me. I did manage to do two test shoots that month, which did bring joy and excitement, but with it came the familiar feeling that what I wanted most was to be paid for jobs that filled me with that kind of excitement.

While Paris was appealing for many reasons, one is that I felt it could be an opportunity for just that. Though there was fear in turning my back on the clients I had worked so hard to get in Los Angeles (I urged them that I would come back throughout the year however) part of me knew that cutting myself off from them could in turn open up my time for bigger and better things (such as bigger clients in amazing European locations - the ultimate dream).

By mid April, I reached full burnout for the first time in my life since going full time freelance. I felt stressed every single day. I felt like even if I ran away for an hour or two to the park to try to decompress, I couldn’t really relax, feeling the weight of my never ending to-do list. The utter panic that set in was scary. I would feel dread every time I had a new inquiry in my inbox and that’s when I knew something was wrong. The capitalist monster had fully taken over and my workaholic brain had a hard time comprehending that a real break was needed. I was worried about losing opportunities. ‘Will clients come knocking again if I say no?’ I thought to myself. I think within the freelance life, it’s easy to get sucked into the scarcity mindset. In my more healthier frames of mind, I’ve learnt to enjoy the waves of work. Some months are super busy, while other months would be slow and you can use that as a reset to recharge. But what if the slow month never comes. I landed in a place where I was no longer at the whim of the rhythm of freelance, but needed to take control and carve out time for myself. Thankfully the utter panic only lasted a week or two. It’s funny how much just giving yourself permission to take a break does almost as much as the break itself. After saying no to a few jobs, finally having a week where I didn’t have a long list of deliverables or clients texting about when things would be ready, I could feel my stress leaving my body and my creative brain coming back online. And of course, with that I pulled together a last minute editorial that is most definitely my favorite of the year so far (more on that at a later date).

On top of all this, my physical health was certainly not at its best for the first half of 2026 either. From February through May, I got extremely sick for 1 week out of each month. Perhaps it was the stress, or the mold we think my LA apartment has (we even got mold remediation done, but nothing changed). Again being a single person, having to care for one’s own self each and every time I fell ill, had its own weight in itself.

On May 7th I officially got my visa to move to France approved (I am planning to make a substack post all about this process at some point). When I opened up my passport, true relief and calm set in. Finally this feeling of limbo could come to an end. But like all things in life, nothing is quite so simple. The two months that followed consisted of a new set of to-do’s, the kind required to uproot your life and start over in another country. “Find Sublease in Paris. Find Subletter in LA. Ship things to Paris. Get new drivers license before it expires. Figure out where my car will go. Cancel US Health Insurance.” Luckily my list making habit came in handy. I couldn’t really focus on the reality of it as I simply just had too much to do - operating on a strict “one foot in front of the other” type of mentality. June flew by just as fast in a whirlwind of final goodbyes and last minute prep.

I arrived here in Paris on the 18th of June. The first month here has been interesting to say the least, definitely a harder transition than I expected. Here I am again, just putting one foot in front of the other - 3 heatwaves and 1 heartbreak later (I ended up unexpectedly meeting someone just after writing that February diary and fell in love in LA - the universe is funny that way). I don’t really have any final conclusion to this rant. Most days, I feel more lost than I have in the last six years. I haven’t picked up a camera since I got here, I let possible email opportunities from June slip away, left unreplied to in my inbox. I spent months preparing for the logistics of moving across the world, but I don’t think it ever occurred to me that the hardest part would be arriving. I know with all things in life, these feelings are temporary and change as much as we may prepare for it or crave it, is hard. So for now, I’m holding onto that.

xx
Heather

Landing my feature with InStyle Mexico marked an exciting turning point in my career — not just because of the publication itself, but because of what it represented.

This wasn’t something that fell into my lap. It was the result of years of testing, learning production from the ground up, sending cold emails, and steadily building confidence in my ability to execute a shoot at a higher level.

In this case study, I’m breaking down exactly how it came together — from the initial conception of the shoot, to the cold email that got it in front of the right editor, to assembling the team, and navigating day-of logistics. I have included a 13 min audio component that goes into every detail, along with behind the scenes photos, a financial breakdown and a short BTS video.

Read more

I kicked off January with a few shoots for my client, Dear John Denim. They’re the sister brand to Another Love, who I shot for last summer and earlier last year, and this time they brought me on to shoot for their main denim line. There’s something so special about landing repeat clients—it takes so much pressure off. You already understand their aesthetic, expectations, and workflow, and the opportunity almost feels like it drops into your lap. There’s trust built in, which makes the entire process smoother and more enjoyable.

For the first shoot, we shot exclusively outside on location in Riverside. I was shooting 35mm and averaging about three looks per roll. With roughly 36 exposures per roll, that comes out to about 12–15 frames per look. We worked with two models and ended up shooting around 15 rolls total. One of the things I love most about shooting film is how it slows you down mentally—every frame feels intentional—while paradoxically speeding up the shoot itself. You’re moving quickly as you have a finite amount of shots. Having strong models is absolutely essential here; they need to be able to adjust their posing fluidly and give you variety within a short window so you’re not burning frames on repetitive shots or outtakes.

We also got really lucky with the light, with clouds throughout the day giving us nice, soft light. I always bring a small skrim just in case, but we didn’t end up needing it all!

The second shoot for this client came a few weeks later. This one took place at a house in Burbank and was also pretty seamless. After seeing photos of the house I knew we would need some interior light, so I rented my trusty Aputure 600 last minute and it worked out perfectly. I feel like I’ve really locked in my approach to indoor shoots. There was a time when lighting felt stressful and intimidating, but now I have a simple system that works. If I’m ever in a space that feels a little dark or lacks enough natural light, I bring in an Aputure 600 and bounce it directly off the ceiling—no diffusion, just pure power for a soft, natural effect - it floods the room with even light. I pair that with Portra 800 indoors, and the results have been consistently great.

The next shoot I had was for my repeat client, Just Black Denim—which, if you’ve been following along, I shoot for quite often. Lately, they’ve been experimenting with more remote-style productions. Their producer, Taylor, is now based in London, so she produces the shoots remotely—handling the location, creative direction, and styling—while I’m on the ground executing the shoot with an assistant. In these cases, my role shifts slightly; instead of just showing up to photograph, I’m also helping with pickups and small production tasks as needed.

This particular shoot was a half-day downtown at a studio we use regularly. The day before, I was tasked with picking up flowers. Taylor gave me a budget and some inspiration, and I headed to the flower market, where I spent about $150 on beautiful florals. The shoot was for a small Easter / Spring capsule, and it was honestly really fun—I hadn’t been to the flower market in ages, and it felt nice to do something a little different as part of the prep.

On the day of the shoot, we did run into a bit of a snafu. I had also picked up a backdrop from Schmidli Backdrops, a go-to in the industry known for their beautifully hand-painted backdrops. They have hundreds of options, and they really elevate the production value of a shoot. The only catch is that they’re heavy—literally thick painted canvas.

Unfortunately, the studio we were shooting in had very old, partially broken C-stands that just weren’t functioning properly. We were really struggling to get the backdrop set up safely and securely. In a typical scenario, this would be something the producer would troubleshoot, but since it was just me, the model, and our assistant, I had to step into problem-solving mode. Thankfully, after working in LA for so long, I’ve built a solid network and rang up a colleague of mine who has a studio directly across the street. He happened to have two proper working C-stands and sandbags, so we rented them on the spot and got the backdrop up in minutes.

The start of the day was a bit stressful, but once that hurdle was cleared, everything settled into place. We were shooting both digital and film stills—no video—which helped keep things moving. Once we found our rhythm, the shoot went pretty smoothly overall.

One thing I did notice, though, was that I struggled a bit with on-the-spot direction. That’s an area I know isn’t my strongest, and when doing a multitude of things on a shoot, it can feel a bit overwhelming if the model is a little stiffer. Each look had visual and pose references, but once we ran through those, I felt myself feeling a little stuck. Despite that, I’m really excited about how these images turned out as they very much align with my personal taste and the visual aesthetics of my portfolio.

As I was nearing the last week of January, I finally had a free week without any shoots, which I was quite excited about. But as the freelance life goes, I got two last-minute gigs. The first was a shoot with an influencer/chef Elenore Toulin, who I was connected with through a mutual friend. It ended up being a really easy, sweet job, and I’m hoping it turns into an ongoing working relationship.

The second was a shoot with the one and only Karlie Kloss at the Chateau Marmont for an event with Estée Lauder — which felt like a big step for me. As I prepare for my move to Paris, I know the type of work I do is going to expand. I’ll be moving markets, becoming a little less picky, and leaning into new categories. Celebrity hotel shoots —especially around fashion weeks feels like a natural and realistic source of income, and something I’ve been curious about breaking into.

The project was confirmed the day before, and I knew I needed to have my bases covered lighting-wise since the lighting would be varied and unpredictable. Flash photography is something I vary rarely use so I set out to learn everything I could with the help of Youtube and Chatgpt in a matter of 24 hrs.

I previously had an old flash that barely worked with an awful recycle time, and luckily in December, I finally decided it was time for an upgrade. I decided for this gig I wanted a few different options, however. I ran to Samys and bought a trigger so I could use my hotshoe flash off-camera as well as a small dome diffuser from Magpie. Then I forced myself to sit down and actually understand what all the settings meant on the Godox V863.

I also ended up renting a Contax G2 so I could get some easy, crisp flash film shots. I also borrowed my friend’s Canon R5 so I could try out some natural light shots by bumping up the ISO. It was definitely the most nervous I’ve been for a shoot in a long time. I knew we’d be moving really fast—celebrities have such a limited window and notoriously are always behind schedule. Then with all the variables of lighting, I knew that I’d have to think on my feet.

After the shoot, I walked away feeling both exhilarated and completely exhausted. I’m an introvert, and events like this are incredibly overstimulating for me. (On top of that, I was clearly fighting off a virus because I got seriously sick the next day.) But all of that aside, it was such a valuable learning experience.

I definitely made a handful of mistakes, but one of the gifts of this job is that the client doesn’t always need to know about every misstep along the way. You’re there to deliver the final images, not to narrate every internal panic.

One of the biggest mistakes I made was with white balance. I had it set to around 5600K, but because we were constantly moving through different rooms— the Chateau Marmont had really warm, yellow-toned lighting in the hallways compared to bathrooms or hotel rooms—I should have either been adjusting it constantly or just left it on auto. Realistically, though, we only had a few minutes in each spot, and there wasn’t time to be tweaking settings nonstop. I ended up having to heavily correct some images in post, and a few were so far off that I converted them to black and white. In the end, shooting both flash and natural light really saved me though—if the natural-light frame was unusable, I often had a flash image that worked.

Another small mistake was bringing one of my vintage Polaroid cameras. It was more of an afterthought and not part of the brief, and with how little time we had, we barely touched it. I took two shots that ended up being product-focused, and neither came out. I think perhaps the film was likely expired, so next time, if I bring a Polaroid at all, it’ll be one of my newer, more reliable ones.

The biggest learning curve, though, came down to lack of experience with manual flash. Once Karlie moved from her hotel room and the hallway down to the actual event, I struggled to dial in my flash quickly enough. TTL was consistently too bright, but when I switched to manual flash, I often missed the shot because I didn’t have time to test and adjust. In those fast-paced moments—especially when she was interacting with other guests—I either blew out the image or underexposed it.

I did manage to test my manual flash briefly in another bathroom downstairs using Karlie’s Brand Director as a stand-in, which helped, and those were the best shots of the evening. But the reality is that I need more practice getting close to the correct settings instinctively. Even with a diffuser dome attached, TTL was still incredibly strong.

I also took a few frames on my Contax G2 at the party. I wasn’t able to prioritize film as much as I wanted, so we only got about 17 frames on a roll, including a few atmospheric shots of the event itself. One thing I noticed the next day is how easy it would be to leave the lens cap while shooting. On my way to the lab the next day, I decided to finish the roll by shooting flowers around my neighborhood—and that’s when I realized I’d taken a few shots with the lens cap still on. The Contax G2 viewfinder doesn’t reflect the lens view directly, so it’s easy to miss. Thankfully, the stakes were low, but it was a good reminder to always double-check.

All in all, I covered a lot of ground that night, delivered what the client needed, and walked away with a long list of lessons. It was exhausting, humbling, and incredibly valuable—and exactly the kind of experience that pushes you forward.

That’s all for Jan. Thank you as always for reading. Work has slowed down a bit in February so the next diary may be a more personal reflection rather than trials and tribulations.

xx
Heather

My Most Used Tools in Photoshop

Spot Healing Brush - Quickly removes blemishes and imperfections

Healing Brush Tool - Corrects imperfections by blending them with surrounding pixels

Remove Tool - Uses AI technology to better remove items from the image, I use this for anything from blemishes, to stray hairs, to street signs.

Clone Stamp - duplicates part of an image. I use this primarily to fill in gaps in the background or foreground.

Paint Brush - Always used at 8% or less to smooth skin texture and dull face shine

Color Correcting - adjustment layer > selective color
For some reason I always feel my images whether film or digital have too much red in them so I often turn down the CYAN in the reds

Generative Expand - This has changed the game for me, if I need to make a banner or pull out to create a wider image for the client.

My Secret Weapon for Retouching

Read more

I’ve definitely been a little quiet around here. Toward the end of the year, I got wrapped up finishing deliverables and had a few trips (both work and personal). I sadly didn’t make the time to sit down and write my usual monthly diaries. So instead of forcing a perfectly on-time recap, I’m here to catch you up.

Technically, the Chinese New Year doesn’t start until February, so I feel like I can still get away with this, maybe? There aren’t really set rules here.

NOVEMBER

I intentionally slowed down on personal projects and instead focused on wrapping up deliverables from the incredibly packed couple of months prior. Work-wise, I shot a handful of paid tests, three lifestyle shoots, and an ecom shoot at my home studio. On paper, it doesn’t sound like a huge volume, but between shooting, editing, and managing deliverables - plus supporting a retainer client with graphic design during Black Friday season - I felt like I was still working nonstop.

I did get to take a five-day trip out of town to visit my best friend in Chicago, which was very much needed. Since being back from Europe, I have worked nearly every weekend. It always amazes me how simply slowing down can unlock new ideas. In the days leading up to my trip, inspiration hit for a project that’s been sitting in the back of my mind since I started photography: the concept for my first photo book. (Keeping this a little closer to my chest for now, but I plan to start shooting more intentionally for it in the coming months).

One thing I’m really proud of learning this year is lighting. I feel like I’ve gotten genuinely very comfortable with it, and that alone has really leveled up what I’m able to offer clients. I learned about the different modifiers, the terminology, and more importantly, how to actually problem-solve on set. This month of November, I was hired back by a client I worked with only a few weeks prior, who needed very specific lighting. It was such an easy yes to say, “Yep, I’ve done exactly what you’re asking for.”

A year ago, I honestly knew very little. And I may be a broken record, as I’m sure I’ve said this before, but studio lighting, at its core, is much simpler than it seems. You’re plugging things in, directing light at a subject, diffusing it, shaping it, and moving things around until it feels right. It’s about experimenting, observing, and trusting your eye.

Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t worked in massive studio spaces yet, with huge lights and giant scrims, but even so, I feel confident in my foundation. And I know that as I grow and start working with larger teams, that knowledge will only become more important. If you’re leading a shoot or directing a set, you need to understand lighting well enough to communicate what you want.

My next shoot was a quick Ecom shoot at my home studio with a one light setup. The client wanted really even soft lighting so we kept it very simple, diagram below.

Lastly, and probably my favorite shoot of November was for another repeat client, Honeydew. What felt especially serendipitous about this shoot is that earlier in the year, I had pitched this same location to a handful of brands, but never got anything confirmed. Eventually, I decided to move forward on my own - doing a test shoot there and investing a significant amount of my own money into it.

A photo from that test ended up gaining a lot of traction on Instagram, and I honestly think that visibility played a role in landing this client. They reached out just a couple of weeks later, and since then, I’ve worked with them on multiple shoots. This particular one was for their spring collection so I can’t share too many photos just yet. But it was such a joy to return to the space, this time with the beautiful model, Allie Clark and a team behind me!

Another thing I’ve been thinking about lately is my camera kit and how it’s evolving as my work evolves. The more shoots I do - especially ones with unpredictable environments - the more I’m really learning the strengths and limitations of my gear. I genuinely love my current digital setup. It’s a bit older and definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed, but that’s actually something I enjoy - it has a softness that feels closer to film, and it pairs really beautifully with my analog work. However, there are limitations. My camera really struggles in low-light situations, and sometimes you arrive on set to less-than-ideal lighting. We’ve all been there - the kind of situation where a client, who doesn’t quite understand light, says, “Oh, natural light is fine,” even when there barely is any. A few recent shoots made this especially clear - including one where I borrowed my friend Cassidy’s Canon R5. Shooting with it reminded me how powerful it is to have the ability to bump ISO and still maintain quality. It saved me in low-light environments where my camera simply couldn’t perform, and it made me realize how nice it would be to have that as an option in my toolkit. I’m currently trying to save up for my move to Paris, so perhaps for now I will rent the R5 from time to time, when necessary.

DECEMBER

December was largely defined by a two-week work trip to London, where I was shooting for a denim brand I work with regularly. We had three full shoot days, plus the usual prep and returns on either end, and even though two weeks sounds like a long time, the trip flew by. Work was definitely at the forefront - I had a few moments to relax, visit a museum or two, and catch up with friends (new and old), but overall the shoot days really anchored the trip.

The first shoot went smoothly. I got to use an ARRI SkyPanel for the first time, which was exciting. It’s a light that’s pretty standard in the film world, but new to me, and honestly, it was another reminder that lighting doesn’t have to be intimidating - it’s just about understanding the setup and plugging things in correctly. Every experience like this builds confidence.

The second shoot was by far my favorite. We rented gear through a site called Hygglo, which is essentially the UK version of ShareGrid, and it was great to experience how another market operates. We shot in a really beautiful house, the model was fantastic, and the styling that day was on point - it really all came together perfectly. We did spend some time moving the light source around, in which I mostly bounced a continuous Aputure 600D light off the ceiling for a soft, natural feel.

Once I got back stateside, I jumped straight into wrapping up deliverables, holiday emails and design work for my retainer client. November and December are such important marketing months for small businesses, so my graphic design workload was especially heavy.

Before Christmas, I was able to squeeze in one test shoot with my friend Thea who was in town. I’ve only ever shot her in Paris, so it was fun to get her in a different environment on my home turf and use wardrobe from my closet. We headed to Malibu and shot some images that I am very stoked about. I’ve mentioned this before, but I always try to approach test shoots with intention - whether that’s trying out a new camera, experimenting with a technique, or creating work specifically to pitch. This one was focused on continuing to get comfortable shooting medium format (in which I intend to bring a few images to the darkroom to handprint) and snapping potentially some images for my photo book.

Christmas rolled around shortly after, and I was able to take a few days off. On New Year’s Day, I went to Joshua Tree with friends for a couple of nights, which felt incredibly grounding and restorative. Two of those friends are Australian, but live in Paris, where we met this summer. They both really believe in trusting the universe. I wouldn’t say I was ever against that idea, but it definitely used to feel a bit more woo-woo to me. Lately, though, I’ve been leaning into that mindset more - not necessarily because I know it’s “true,” but because it encourages a more positive way of moving through life. There’s something comforting about loosening your grip on outcomes and trusting that things will unfold as they’re meant to.

I also had an editorial come out in Glamour magazine, that I had shot earlier in the year. It is still always amazing to see your photos in print - shoutout to my new friend Monika of for snagging some copies for me while she was home for the holidays. Connected through a mutual friends, we met in London and it was spooky how aligned we were in our tastes and places in life. This freelance creative life comes with its challenges, but one of its greatest gifts is the people you meet along the way. Ten or twenty years ago, I don’t think I could have imagined having creative friends scattered across the world.

Thank you for reading as always. I am here to tell her that I am hoping to be more consistent with this substack this year. I will be posting my January recap next week, and have finished a few case studies that will come out soon!

xx
Heather

October shaped up to be another jam-packed month. I’ve been working pretty much nonstop, bouncing between client work and personal test shoots with about 2-3 shoots each week. It feels good to be working hard while simultaneously creating work I’m proud of. Coming off of being in Paris for the summer, I was definitely itching for this grind, as I do find the work so fulfilling. I ended up having 7 client jobs ranging from paid test shoots, half-day lifestyle shoots, and full-day campaigns, along with 3 personal tests. It was A LOT, I know.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. I think it’s so important to make time for these personal tests — not just for creative fulfillment, but for the opportunities they create. Test shoots expand your portfolio and showcase range, but they’re also one of the best ways to network and build relationships. You meet new models, and hair and makeup artists that you can suggest for future shoots, and if the model loves the images, they’ll often share them, which leads to even more reach. I’ve been having more and more model agents send models my way for paid test shoots as a result.

Beauty Test

The first personal test shoot of the month was a beauty-focused concept that I’d been developing for quite a while. That’s usually how it goes — I’ll come up with an idea, start building a mood board, and let it sit until all the pieces eventually fall into place. I use Canva and have countless decks filled with ideas waiting for the right model or moment. In this case, an agent reached out with a model who was in town, and I immediately thought she’d be perfect for this concept. Then I noticed another model from the same agency was also in LA, so I asked if we could shoot both of them. I then reached out to makeup artist Bree Stanchfield, whom I’d recently worked with, and she immediately jumped on board and had a great suggestion for a third model. Everything just came together so seamlessly that it felt like a sign to move forward.

We shot at my home studio, which I love because it allows for flexibility and experimentation. I staggered the models’ call times so each could get their makeup done and have time in front of the camera without feeling rushed. We played around with a mix of close-ups and creative beauty compositions. For the first half of the shoot, I used a single flash setup with a board to bounce light and soften shadows on their right side. Later, when the flash started misfiring and losing charge, I switched to continuous light and bounced it off the ceiling to create a softer, more diffused look. One of the perks of shooting in a small space is how easily you can move lights and modify setups — it invites a kind of play that larger productions sometimes lack. For this shoot, I also rented a 100mm macro lens, and I absolutely loved it. Most of the final images were taken with that lens, which allowed me to capture incredibly detailed close-ups while maintaining beautiful compression.

I am sad to report that I am still working through retouching the final edits 3.5 weeks later. The one cost of having a busy month of work is that personal projects get pushed aside for client deliverables. But here are a few favorites that I have finished.

The Little Stings

Every now and then, despite feeling confident in my abilities and grateful for the path I’m on, there are these small moments that sting. Like sending a pitch to a brand at just the right time—only to see them release a campaign a few months later that looks almost identical to what I proposed. I don’t think they stole the idea; it feels more like a coincidence. Still, it’s a strange reminder that you can be in the right place at the right time and things can still not go your way. And honestly, I even loved the images that came out of their campaign, which made it sting harder.

Or the time I got the chance to shoot for one of my dream swimwear brands. It was a huge opportunity—one I hoped would open doors to more travel campaigns. However, one of the film rolls was lost by the lab, and to this day, I don’t know if that’s why they never asked me back, or if they simply weren’t happy with the work. I was proud of the images I delivered, but it’s hard not to wonder.

Watching peers—people I genuinely admire and respect—shoot those same dream campaigns in Mexico or Greece stirs up mixed emotions. I’m happy for them, truly. But there’s also a quiet heartbreak in seeing opportunities you once held slip away. I know there’s room for all of us, and I believe in that abundance mindset. But it doesn’t make the occasion sting any less real.

Behind the Curtain

This month also brought some personal heaviness. I lost a friend to cancer, which was strange and hard and heartbreaking, stirring up the kind of complicated emotions that come with grief. It made me long for simpler times — a time when that friend was still alive, a time when the world didn’t feel so heavy (we first met in 2021). Politics, the climate, the general state of things — it all feels so overwhelming. This combined with still processing the fact that I turned 30 this year has also made me nostalgic for the hopefulness and naivety of my mid-twenties, when I simply had more time.

Both this death and this milestone birthday has brought time to the forefront of my mind and some changes in my priorities. I am more protective of my time and where I give my energy, shedding some fluff and chasing only true fulfillment and connection. When journaling this summer, I thought about what I wanted quarter 4 to look like and I wrote about how I wanted to work really hard and save up money for my eventual move to Paris in 2026. If I’m being honest, I don’t know if my workaholism is a product of running from the grief, filling up the space of LA feeling understimulating or simply leaning into the opportunities that have come my way, but maybe it’s a combination of all three.

This month was also marked by one of the worst months I’ve had in a while for my immune system. I was sick for most of October — fighting off one cold after another — and feeling run-down in a way that felt both physical and emotional. My schedule was packed, and as much as I wanted to rest, I was starting to feel buried under the weight of deliverables and deadlines.

The topic of burnout always seems to come up when you’re working hard and pushing yourself. It’s something I think about a lot - how to have a long, sustainable career. I’ve been in a season of working so hard — partly because I love what I do, and when you love something, it’s easy to pour everything you have into it. But at some point, the body catches up with the mind. I started noticing that I wanted to procrastinate more, that I felt resistance to opening my laptop. I was craving rest — craving a day where I didn’t feel the pressure of unfinished work hanging over me or the guilt of not being productive.

One morning, after waking up feeling foggy, restless, and exhausted all at the same time, I decided to play hooky even though I still had a long list of to-dos. I call it a dopamine depletion day — when I’m so overstimulated and drained that I can’t focus, but also can’t rest. I find myself bouncing between social media apps, craving sugar, trying to watch something that doesn’t hold my attention. It’s my nervous system’s way of telling me to stop.

So I did. I gave myself permission to fully take the day off — no guilt. I started with some TV in bed, but even that didn’t feel restorative, so I decided to get out of the house. I went to the park, laid on the grass, listened to a podcast, and just let myself exist in the sunshine for over 2 hrs. It’s amazing how something as simple as being in nature can regulate you — the fresh air, the trees, the sun, the quiet.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is not work. If you’re having one of those days — the kind where your body and brain just feel done — get outside. Take a “park nap,” stare at the clouds, breathe. It’s not wasted time; it’s recovery.

Looking Ahead

Although I’m really proud of the work I’ve done this month, there’s always more to be done. I think it’s so important to make space not only for client work and personal projects, but also for rest and recalibration — especially as we near the end of the year.

The next few months are shaping up to be quite full. I’ve started saying no to new gigs for November to give myself some breathing room. I’ll be traveling quite a bit — a trip to Chicago for five days in November, then down to San Diego to spend Thanksgiving with my family. After that, I’ll head to London for two weeks in December, and then it will be Christmas & New Year'sEve.

So right now, I’m focusing on slowing down a little — catching up on deliverables, tying up loose ends, and giving myself permission to recharge. There are still a couple of editorials from earlier this year that I want to pitch, but haven’t had the time for, as well as deliverables from recent test shoots that I owe to the models. All while still trying to have a social life and protect some downtime, it’s been a lot.

More than anything, I’m hoping to find a bit more balance heading into the next month — to finish the year strong, but not burn out.

Some work I did this past month:

I started writing this diary eight days into September, and even then, I was still processing the month of August — and really, the whole stretch of my time in France. Both July and August seemed to fly by in a blink. In LA, I’m used to months packed with shoots, personal projects, and a busy schedule, but this summer looked a bit different.

Work was intentionally slower — I had two full-day campaigns here in Paris that I prepped and produced, both of which went so smoothly, but outside of that, I let myself really enjoy just living in the city. Paris can feel overstimulating at times with the noise and crowds, so many days were slower: working here and there on some graphic design projects, watching Gilmore Girls, cooking with all the fresh market produce, and leaning into that quieter rhythm of August (when half the city goes on holiday). We also started getting on-and-off summer rain, which made cozy movie days at home even more enjoyable.

September already feels much more stacked with shoots and plans, but looking back, August was more about enjoying the city, being with friends, and giving myself space to think about the projects I wanted to return to when I was back in LA.

Looking ahead, I have a few test shoots lined up with models I’ve been in touch with for a while back in LA. I also have a couple of editorial ideas I’m eager to produce over the coming months. On the creative side, I’m really missing shooting Super 8 — both of my cameras are currently broken, so getting one repaired is high on my list. I’d also like to experiment more with medium format film and compare the results of hand-printing that format versus 35mm, just to see how different the results are.

On the business side, I’m planning two new marketing experiments this fall. First, I want to build out a quarterly email list to share new work with clients and friends — a way to keep my portfolio circulating consistently. I’ve been thinking about doing this for some time, and funny enough, both Alicia Waite mentioned it in her recent diary and a friend sent her first portfolio newsletter last month, so I think I’ll take that as my sign!

Secondly, I’m seriously considering bringing on a virtual assistant to help with pitching and email outreach. It feels like the right time to start streamlining some of those tasks so I can stay focused on the creative side of things. I will update you on all that soon, but I am still brainstorming the best way to organize that all.

One thing I’ve been thinking about a lot this summer is the juxtaposition between busy months and slow months in freelance life. At first, the slower stretches can feel scary — almost like failure. But the longer I do this, the more I realize that those seasons are actually the key to building something sustainable. You can’t have big periods of output without time to rest, recharge, process, and dream.

This summer in Paris really gave me that. It was time to sit still, think about where I want to go, and let new ideas come to me. The fact that I ended up with this long list of things I want to experiment with felt like a direct result of slowing down and living at a different pace. I’ve been so lucky to have a busy year of work, and honestly, part of why I’ve leaned into that so heavily is because my day-to-day in LA has felt a little less joyful. Work has become an even bigger source of joy for me — which is amazing for my career — but it’s also a reminder that the quiet seasons are just as important for finding balance.

Not to say I did absolutely no work in Paris. I actually shot two full-day campaigns in August—one of which I’ve already written a full case study on that I’ll be sharing in the coming months. Funny enough, I don’t feel like I have too much to say about them here, mainly because both days went so smoothly. I hired my friend Ileana to assist and shoot some iPhone BTS on both shoots, and on the busier day when the schedule was tighter, I brought on her husband as a second assistant.

I’d been a little nervous going into the first one, just because it was my biggest shoot in Paris to date and we were bouncing between several different locations. But in true fashion, my meticulous planning saved me. I had every outfit paired with its styling and location mapped out in a Canva doc, a schedule that outlined how long we could spend on each look, when and where lunch would be ordered, and even down to how many frames per roll I could allot for each look. That level of preparation made the day flow effortlessly, and I could really just focus on creating and ultimately having fun. Because what are we doing if we aren’t enjoying this silly little job we have? We shot 14 looks for the first campaign and 18 for the second.

The second campaign I shot in August was for a client I had worked with earlier in the year, and this one did come with a few hiccups.

One of the biggest hurdles was a tale as old as time - the package was stuck in customs. This is something you always hear about, but don’t fully understand until it happens to you. The hardest part is that it doesn’t explicitly say “stuck in customs” on the tracking info; it just stops updating altogether. In this case, it was stuck for two full weeks, which was stressful because I thought we might have to cancel the shoot entirely. Luckily, I was in Paris for a long stretch, so we were able to keep pushing the shoot date back until the very last week I was there. And by some miracle, on the very same day that my brand contact told me they were ready to pull the plug, the package suddenly started tracking again and landed in Paris. Crisis averted!

The one personal shoot I did in August was with Thea again, someone I’ve been photographing for four years now. She’s one of those models who really inspires me, and I always try to shoot with her whenever I’m in the city. Despite working together multiple times, I haven’t quite landed an editorial with her yet. A big part of that is due to timing. Her schedule is always packed between traveling and raising her child, so our shoots tend to be last-minute, often with just a day’s notice. It makes it tough to plan a fully formed editorial around her, but because I was in Paris longer this time, we were able to shoot twice. I shared some images from our first shoot in my July diary. For this shoot, we styled half the looks with high-end vintage pieces borrowed from a vintage shop and the other half with lingerie so that the images could be published right away.

That said, when I look at both shoots together, I can see where I made some mistakes. My biggest regret was not having a super well-defined creative direction from the get-go. The first shoot took place at a Spanish-style apartment that I was staying in at the time, while the second took place in a very Parisian apartment. While the Spanish tiles were beautiful, they created an interesting orange glow to the photos, and in general, were not very cohesive with the 2nd set of photos. I ended up only using one look from the 1st shoot in my editorial pitch.

I also realized that styling is where I often make the most mistakes. Photography feels natural to me, but styling can be a hit-or-miss. I sometimes overcomplicate things when the stronger choice would have been to keep it simple, while other times, outfits can look too simple and unfinished. I find it hard to find that line. For example, there was one look from the 1st shoot with a suede dress layered over a lace top—beautiful pieces shot along the Seine and very Parisian! But the combination just didn’t fit the 2nd set of photos I shot so again, this look was chucked from the editorial. I could have maybe avoided this by shooting the look a few different ways, perhaps with one option with the suede dress alone, but we were also on a pretty tight time crunch that day so what can you do. C’est La Vie, as they say.

Another lesson came from shooting in low light. I only had Portra 400 with me, and in that dark Parisian space, my light meter was reading shutter speeds as slow as 15 seconds. To compensate, I pushed the film by rating it at a higher ISO, essentially telling the camera the film was more sensitive than it actually was. I didn’t flag this for the lab, but it gave me just enough extra light to save the photos.

All in all, the shoot was valuable—both for the images I created and the lessons I learned. Next time, I’ll prioritize having a clear creative direction and try my best to keep the styling more cohesive.

September

September was straight back to work, which honestly helped keep the post-travel blues at bay. I didn’t have much time to dwell after getting back from France.

My first shoot of the month was for a new activewear brand. It was a studio shoot, half e-commerce and half studio lifestyle, using some simple props. We worked on a white cyc wall with two continuous lights and three models, so I was shooting pretty much nonstop. The client and I agreed on about 100 deliverables, but she came back with nearly 400 selects out of the 2,500 images we shot.

You know that feeling when you’re halfway through a task and realize it’s taking way too long, and there has to be a better way? That’s exactly what happened while I was culling these images from her selects. I used ChatGPT to research a solution and discovered a program called Photo Mechanic. With its free trial, I was able to import her Excel file of image names, automatically pull the selected files, and then re-upload them into Lightroom. I wish I had thought of this sooner as it would have probably saved me 2 hours of time. I then narrowed the selection down to 300 and spoke with the client about additional compensation to cover the extra processing work, which she happily agreed to. For me, it’s always important to take a moment to explain my process. Communication is key—clients don’t always realize how much time post-production takes, and I think it helps to educate them a little on what goes into it. Processing 300 photos versus the original 100 we agreed upon is quite a big difference.

That said, I only added on a couple extra hundred dollars to the invoice since the overall shoot went really well and I felt fairly compensated. I wasn’t looking to nickel-and-dime, but I did want to make sure my time was acknowledged. I think it’s about finding that balance: respecting your own boundaries and labor while also maintaining a positive client relationship.

So here’s a little look into my post-production process:

1. Use Photomechanic to cull 400 image selects via Excel doc

2. Reimport culled photos in Lightroom

3. Took out redundant photos and narrowed the selection down to 300

4. Copied over the tethered edit settings

5. Color correct red/orange hues (one of the models’ skin tones came out quite red) & crop photos

6. Export photos as full-res JPGS

7. Import to AI software to deshine faces + clean up floor > export

8. Manually color correct and retouch select photos as needed in Photoshop

Hardrive Management

Another project this month was less glamorous, but just as important: hard drive management. Like most photographers, I’ve had my fair share of hard drive issues in the past, and this year I’ve been really focused on building systems for my business. Earlier in the year, I started organizing my negatives; now I’m doing the same for my digital files. I invested in several SanDisk SSDs (1–2TB each) and divided them by year and purpose: one for 2025, one for 2023–2024, one for 2018–2022 (back when I was freelancing part-time), one just for family photos, one dedicated to my portfolio, one for miscellaneous, and one specifically for a retainer client. All of this is also backed up onto a large 12TB drive.

The logic behind the portfolio drive is having easy access to all my favorite images without having to think about what year and what drive they may be on. It’s a 2nd backup to safeguard all my best work which is also a nice piece of mind. Whether it’s client work I’m especially proud of or personal projects I keep returning to, I like having all of my favorite portfolio images stored in one place. My next step is to back up that portfolio drive onto some sort of cloud service.

In my research, I once came across the advice that you should always have two hard copies of your data plus a cloud backup. For me, that feels a bit excessive when it comes to all of my work. I did try using Dropbox at one point, syncing it to my desktop and hard drive, but it just never worked the way I needed it to. Every time I plugged in my drive, Dropbox would start uploading and syncing — only to tell me it would take something like 50 days to upload. Needless to say, that never happened.

Instead, I’ve realized that a more realistic system for me is having my full archive across hard drives, and then creating a smaller, curated selection of images that I want backed up to the cloud. That way, I have my most important work in multiple places, but I’m not overloading cloud storage with terabytes of files that don’t really need to live there.

International Payment

This summer was also my first time really having to navigate international payments from a client — and wow, I learned some lessons the hard way. I had worked with an Australian brand before, but I don’t even remember how I got paid back then. This time was different because I was in Paris and needed the funds quickly to produce two campaigns and pay the models.

For both shoots, I required a 50% deposit on the production budget, which felt like a good move, but here’s where I messed up: I used PayPal. At the time, it seemed like the easiest solution — I could just send a link and the client could check out right away. However, it ended up being one of the biggest mistakes of my summer. Between the flat fees ($80 on one transfer and $112 on the other) and the terrible conversion rate from Singapore dollars, I ended up losing several hundred dollars. Lesson learned.

Now that September rolled around, I was preparing to invoice the client for the remaining 50% and was determined to avoid those fees. I spent hours on the phone with Charles Schwab trying to understand how to process a two-tiered international wire transfer, which was confusing and complicated. Then I remembered Wise, an app several international friends had recommended to me. The second I signed up and saw how easy it was to send and receive money, I realized how much time (and money) I could have saved if I’d been using it all along. It basically allows you to set up bank accounts in multiple countries, has great conversion rates and little to no fees.

If you want to try using wise, you can use my invite code: https://wise.com/invite/dic/heatherannel18

Flow and Intentionally

The last week of September, I found myself freed up from client work and finally had time to focus on some tests. After doing less personal work in Paris this summer, I was craving the warmth and expansiveness of California’s coast, something I missed after two months of city living.

One thing I’ve learned about test shoots is that they are so much more successful when there’s intentionality behind them and time for prep, styling, and the space for the concept to develop. There’s a kind of flow that happens when the inspiration aligns, and I’ve been trying to listen for that instead of forcing ideas that don’t feel right.

For weeks, I had been circling around a shoot idea with a model I’d been talking to about testing with for months. She’s absolutely stunning, and I knew I wanted to create something special with her, but every time I sat down to conceptualize, nothing fully clicked. I’d scroll through Pinterest boards, flip through my saved images from photo books, and try piecing together outfits or locations, but it all felt forced—like I was trying to make an idea work that wasn’t quite right. Then out of the blue, I got an email from an agent about a different model coming to town, interested in testing, and strangely enough, that’s what unlocked everything for me.

I felt this model fit the vibe I started conceptually for the first model so much better. Then I remembered this vintage boat concept I’d been sitting on for ages. Earlier in the year, I had even created a very specific moodboard for it on Canva and tucked it away for a rainy day. I realized the first model was perfect for the boat idea, while the second model could really shine in the concept I had already been building. It was like all the puzzle pieces shifted into alignment at once. That kind of flow is sometimes rare, but I’m learning to trust those gut instincts—when everything clicks and starts to feel inevitable, that’s usually a sign you’re on the right track.

Some work I did this past month:

Thank you again for reading as always. Till next time -

xx
Heather

One of the most stressful parts of being on set is realizing you’ve forgotten something essential. Over the years I’ve built (and refined) my own shoot checklist to make sure I never show up unprepared. I use this before every campaign or editorial to keep myself organized and avoid last-minute scrambles. Here’s the list I swear by:

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This month’s diary will look a little different. I’ve been living in Paris since the end of June, and unlike previous trips where I packed in as many shoots and creative projects as possible, this time I’ve intentionally slowed things down. With travel, there’s always a bit of chaos—those first few days of jet lag, adjusting to a new rhythm, feeling a little out of sorts. I had quite a few deliverables I had to finish up my first week here.

Then a week in, I spent six days in London visiting one of my best friends, Katie, which was so fun—great food, a countryside escape, a little music festival—but it also meant I returned to Paris pretty wiped out. Once I got my footing again, I did one small shoot for a new client based in LA, Block Shop, in which I photographed a couple of their scarves. We kept it simple: digital only (which always feels easier and less stressful), and I worked with a model I’ve shot with before and now consider a friend. It drizzled a bit during the shoot, but we were going for a fall vibe anyway, so it worked out. The client was happy, which always feels like a win.

I also had the chance to join a lovely dinner hosted by photographer Gladys Tan, who I met in 2022 at a retreat. She now has her own course and occasionally brings together photographers from her course for gatherings like this—it was really nice to connect with some new faces and catch up with old ones.

The rest of the month was more social than professional. A few friends passed through town, including Katie who came to celebrate my 30th birthday. (Yes—I turned 30!)

This summer feels less like a hustle and more like a soft test: could I see myself living here long term? How does it feel when Paris isn’t a one-month escape but a place to settle into and work? A lot has come up, as you can imagine. Turning 30 is one of those milestones that brings a lot into focus…mainly around what I want the next decade of my life to look like. What do I even want the next year to look like? What do I want to do when I get back to LA? What are my biggest priorities right now?

I’ve realized that I tend to feel more inspired here in the fall. There’s something about the rainy, moody weather that just meshes better with the architecture in my opinion. In contrast, summer has me craving different landscapes—like beaches, the Italian coast, places that feel more quintessentially summery. So I haven’t felt that same creative spark here in Paris this time around.

That said, I do have some ideas brewing for when I return to LA. Sometimes it honestly feels easier to do personal projects there—my network is stronger, I can borrow gear for free, I have access to a super cheap darkroom, and of course, I have a car. The infrastructure is just there in a way that makes executing ideas feel more seamless.

Here in Paris, I haven’t really felt the need to push myself too hard. I did do one personal shoot with Thea, a model I shoot with almost every time I’m here. She’s always a bit hard to nail down scheduling wise, but she’s so stunning and easy to work with that I knew we’d get something good even if I didn’t have a ton of prep time. While searching for inspiration, I landed on a kind of '70s boho, slightly Chloé mood, and was lucky enough to pull some pieces from a vintage store the day before our shoot. I shot both film and digital, but am more excited about the film which I will be shipping off to Spain before I leave.

This month has been an interesting experiment in what to do when you’re not feeling particularly inspired. Do you push through it? Or do you let yourself rest? If you’ve read my last diary entry, you know I worked harder in June than I ever have before—so it makes sense that I’m feeling a bit worn down now. Add in travel, being in a new city, adjusting to a new rhythm… and yeah, I’m still running on a bit of empty. I also often loose the habit of taking my vitamins, and then I wonder why my hormones and mood is off. Classic.

That said, I’ve been leaning into slower pleasures: going to the cinema often, making the most of the projector in my apartment, and cooking lots of delicious meals with all the fresh produce here.

A few weeks ago, I visited the Maison Européenne de la Photographie and ended up spending nearly four hours in their downstairs library, flipping through photobooks. It was definitely one of the most creatively nourishing things I’ve done this month.

I’ve been also working remotely for two US-based clients on some ongoing graphic design projects, which definitely eats up a few hours throughout the week. I truly can’t believe it’s already August - this month has seriously flown by. I have two campaign shoots sloted for next week—one for a previous LA client and another for a new client based in Singapore. They’ll be my first full-day shoots in Paris this summer, complete with assistants and all. I’ll definitely share more about how those go in the August journal.

For now, that’s my little July update. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you’re having a restful, inspiring summer—wherever you are in the world.

Wow oh wow — the past two months have been the busiest of my life in terms of work. And unfortunately, this Substack fell to the bottom of the to-do list. So brace yourself for a very long recap of what I’ve been up to in May and June — and thank you, as always, for being here.

I entered the month of May knowing it would be a slower one, work-wise. I’ve had pretty consistent income this year, so I welcomed the lull with open arms, trusting that the jobs would come in time and that it’s okay for one month to be a little less financially lucrative. Instead, I decided to fill it with more personal projects. I had a confirmed editorial with Glamour Hungary slated to shoot in May, along with another spec editorial I’d been cooking up with a model who was going to be in town.

But then some other opportunities fell into my lap — and eager to create, I thanked the universe and said yes. An agent messaged me that a stunning model, Jamea, was in town for a few days and wanted to test. YES. The beautiful ladies at Warm Collective invited me last minute to take behind-the-scenes video of their portfolio-building day, in exchange for a spot to take some photos myself. YES. A model I’d been trying to schedule a test with for six months finally had availability. YES.

A few other paid tests and jobs popped up, and all of a sudden my calendar was completely stacked.

I feel like it's so common to experience a kind of whiplash — some weeks you have nothing on the docket. Shoots get moved or canceled. And then suddenly it’s game time and you’re shooting every day. Personally, I like to have a day in between each shoot if possible — often my shoots are full days on location, and they truly take so much energy. You're making a million decisions on lighting and framing. I’m also quite a collaborative person, so I’m often involved in creative direction as well. For the editorials, I was producing them all myself — assembling the team, sending out call sheets, making sure everyone was happy and taken care of, etc.

While it was all hard work, it was also incredibly fulfilling. There’s nothing like seeing your vision come together and creating images that actually do something for your soul. Personal work is so important — it’s what keeps you growing your client list, expanding your skill set, and ultimately leveling up.

The first weekend of May, I got the opportunity to shoot some merch for a podcast in Joshua Tree. Random, I know. But a job’s a job. I decided to maximize the trip since I was already staying out there for the night and invited my friend, model Maëlys Garouis, to shoot an editorial. We had already been working on a series and needed a few more images to round out the pitch. Styled from both our closets, we submitted 15 images with 8 looks to L’Officiel Baltic and they published the story!

You can view the full editorial here:
https://www.lofficielbaltic.com/editorials/desert-reverie

The next shoot on the docket was a last-minute test with Jamea, who was flying in from New York for only three days. Feeling a bit depleted, I invited my best friend Cassidy to come help and shoot alongside me — her presence is always a source of comfort and joy. I didn’t have time to pull styling pieces, so again, we just pulled from our own closets. I’ve found that last-minute styling decisions can often miss the mark. Styling is something I enjoy in my personal life, but with how creatively demanding shoots can be, I’ve felt less drawn to take on the styling myself in my work.But we got lucky this time, and everything just clicked together. I was so happy with how this shoot turned out!

That same week, I shot the two more planned-out editorials I mentioned earlier. The first one came out better than I could have dreamed. I knew even before getting the images back that I had created some of the best work of my career so far. I roped in my beautiful best friend again, who helped style and shot video, alongside an amazing makeup artist who just nailed it and was such a joy to work with. That one is still being pitched to magazines — I’m really hoping to land it in print.

The second editorial was a hair-focused beauty story that will be published in print this fall. Both will have their own case studies eventually, so stay tuned for that.

This year has also been the most consistent I’ve ever been on Instagram — sharing my work on stories every few days — and I can really see an increase in inquiries because of it. The shoot I did in April with Olega had the most engagement I’ve ever had on a post, and I know it’s landing on the discover pages of potential clients, which is great. I also posted a series of images from a lingerie test I did back in the fall, and the next day I got an inquiry from a new potential client about working together. I’ve since shot with that brand, and it went super well. This is all to say - theres proof in the pudding as they say. Keep doing good work and putting yourself out there, and you will be noticed!

In my previous month’s diary, I had talked about doing an artist talk with the ladies of Warm Collective (a community/education/support space for photographers spearheaded by the amazing Serena Lutton). This month they invited me along for their first portfolio day where they had about 8 women join together to shoot 3 different models at an amazing location in Los Angeles. I shot BTS of the day as well as some stills for my own portfolio. The styling was top notch and I am so stoked on the results. The day was so incredible, creating alongside like-minded women. I would have killed to have had something like this 10 years ago when I was at the beginning of my career. We shot using all natural light, occasionally using a scrim to create even lighting since we had pretty harsh direct sun. If you are in the market to invest in your portfolio, I highly recommend getting on their email list to look out for the next one!

The following week, while visiting family in San Diego, I had the chance to shoot with a model I’d been in touch with for about 6 months—we were finally in town at the same time! My parents have a beautiful backyard with a uniquely shaped pool, and I’m not quite sure why I’ve never taken advantage of it before. This shoot was not only a chance to get the stunning Emery in front of my lens, but also an opportunity to create a proof of concept in hopes of pitching the location to a brand for a future paid shoot.

The last three weeks of June were packed with client work—three paid test shoots and six campaign shoots, all for regular clients. It felt like a true marathon, but working with familiar teams made everything run smoothly since you know what to expect. I’m especially grateful for the volume of work, as it came right before I set off for a two-month stint in Europe.

All in all, I feel really proud of myself for saying yes to things, for pursuing personal projects that felt fulfilling, and for pushing myself creatively. It honestly feels like there’s real momentum in my career right now, and I’m really getting to see the fruits of my labor.

That said, I think part of it was also just luck—meaning my energy somehow matched the demands of the last two months. On one of the days in June I had a full 8-hr shoot day and still somehow had the energy to work for 4 additional hours when I got home on one of my editorials. But I know it’s not sustainable to work at that pace every single month. Now that I’m in Europe, I’m definitely feeling a little burnt out. I have a few client shoots lined up in Paris for July and August, and a few models I’d like to test with, but I’m still figuring out what I actually want to add to my portfolio.

If you follow me on Instagram, you might know I was in London last week visiting one of my best friends, which was really lovely. Now I’m back in Paris and just trying to ease into the weekend and see if any inspiration comes. The city is always a bit stimulating—and usually that does end up sparking something in me—but after such an intense stretch of work, I think I’m still feeling a little drained.

So we’ll see what the next month brings. I’m giving myself space to slow down and let ideas come as they do.

Thank you as always for being here and reading thus far! If you have any questions about the above photos - comment down below and I’ll try my best to answer them!

xx

Heather

After certain shoots—especially the ones that don’t go as planned—I try to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what I can learn from it. I’ve actually kept a running list of mistakes in my Notes app for some time that I revisit before big shoots, just to remind myself of what not to repeat. Whether it’s a technical error or a creative misstep, I’ve found that taking time to analyze why something didn’t quite work has been one of the best ways to grow.

#1 Not reviewing my camera before every shoot 

I now make it a rule that I have to go over my notes for my film camera before every shoot so I don’t miss any specific settings or error messages that pop up. My go-to film camera has a lot of buttons and dials and I find it important to review everything so I feel confident on the shoot. For example, there is a specific button on the lens that I have to toggle for my camera to work properly in ‘Program’ and ‘Shutter Speed’ mode and I once did not toggle it. The camera also has a lot of different symbols when looking through the viewfinder and I like to review those as well so if I see them day of, I know exactly what they mean and what to change in terms of my settings if needed. I also once thought my camera had stopped working and had a bit of a panic before realizing the camera had slipped into “lock” mode.

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Boundaries + People Pleasing Tendencies

This month, I had a bit of a wake-up call around boundary setting and my tendency to people-please when it comes to client work—something I know a lot of creatives can probably relate to. I took on an influencer shoot, which isn’t something I typically do, but she had a large following, was working with a big brand, and the job itself seemed simple: shoot a quick reel in an hour and be done. It felt like easy money, and I figured it could also be a useful piece for my video portfolio, especially as more brands want to see casual, social-friendly content like reels and iPhone footage.

From the start, though, there were red flags. She wasn’t from LA and asked for a ton of location help, so I sent over several ideas. Ultimately, we ended up shooting in her hotel, which made all that extra effort feel unnecessary. Then, mid-shoot, she started referencing the edit—as if it was already part of the deal—which I hadn’t clarified or quoted for. I didn’t speak up in the moment (I hate discussing pricing on the spot), so I just agreed to do a quick edit thinking a 15 sec can’t be too bad. But later she mentioned her reels are usually 45 seconds, which is quite a bit more work than I expected.

After we wrapped, she asked if I’d shoot a second reel for a different brand, and I said yes, thinking, “Why not? I’m already here.” But again, I didn’t pause to renegotiate or set expectations around editing. That night, she asked for the edits ASAP and then came back with a long list of notes, essentially asking for a full re-edit. That’s when I finally drew the line—I explained that normally I charge for video editing, but decided to waive it this time since we hadn’t been clear from the start and it was the first time working together. Still, this exchange didn’t go over great, and I have a feeling I won’t be hearing from her again.

All this to say: clarify your deliverables before the shoot—regardless of how casual a shoot may seem. In the end, it was my fault for not speaking up. I assumed I’d be filming a quick reel, handing off the footage, and calling it a day. Instead, it turned into extra hours of unpaid post-production work, unclear expectations, and awkward money conversations after the fact. Lesson learned.

Better Together

One of the weeks this month, my best friend Cassidy invited me to join her on a test shoot in these beautiful blooming fields with model, Charlie Schroeder—and it was honestly so much fun. I had been feeling pretty low energy that week and wasn’t sure I had it in me to go, but I’m so glad I did. The whole afternoon felt light, free, and pressure-free—just creatively fulfilling in the best way.

It was also such a nice reminder of how important it is to find people who fill you up and expand your world. Our collaborations always feel really seamless, and it was just a special afternoon that brought on a lot of gratitude. Even just being out in that beautiful landscape felt refreshing and inspiring.

Some more reflections on this month..

This past month in general has flown by. Someone recently asked if I was busy with work and when thinking about it, it made me laugh because in reality I have felt quite busy this month, but not necessarily with paid work, but by my own volition. I had a few shoots for some of my regular clients, a paid test shoot, some misc graphic design work - nothing too crazy.

This hotel job above, I learned another hard lesson - to slow down at the end of a shoot and not rush wrapping up everything. In general, I’ve been struggling with my health this year - I basically feel like I am fighting a virus every week, which specifically shows up as chronic fatigue and brain fog (don’t worry, my mom and sister are doctors, so we’re working on it). On this particular shoot day, I wasn’t feeling 100%, and by the time we wrapped, I could tell my energy was wiped. So much so that I ended up making three mistakes.

I had borrowed a gimbal from a friend and was planning to drop it off on my way back to LA (the shoot was in Laguna). But I forgot the quick release plate—it was still attached to the producer’s camera, which we had used for motion. Luckily, I use Uber Package a lot for situations like this, so I sent it from the hotel to my friend’s house in Costa Mesa. But still, this cut into my shoot budget and takeaway pay.

Then, the producer reached out asking if I’d accidentally taken one of her camera batteries. I had. And finally, I somehow lost a screw that was part of the gimbal and had to replace the entire arm that it attached to.

All of this to say: when you're packing up at the end of a shoot—especially when you're low on energy—it’s so important to slow down, double-check your gear, and make sure nothing gets left behind. Rushing out always leads to mistakes, and this was a good (and expensive) reminder of that.

I also got the chance to talk to the ladies at Warm Collective - a community education/support space for photographers spearheaded by the amazing Serena Lutton. When they first asked me to take part in their creative call series, my immediate internal response was major imposter syndrome. Leading up to the call, I was overthinking it - nervous about being perceived a certain way. In the end, the call went really well! We talked about how editorial shoots create legitimacy and attract bigger clients, the importance of personal projects, strategies for pitching to editors and brands, and more. Shout-out to Marina Neal, who is an outstanding interviewer and is great at leading conversations naturally. She has her own Substack with some other interviews here. You can learn more about Warm Collective here!

This month in general, I have been living in a big prep zone with two editorials I am shooting in May and a month-long trip to Paris + London in July. I have been blessed with consistent work so far this year, which really gives me the headspace and financial security to pursue creative projects, especially when my paid work isn’t necessarily creatively fulfilling.

Everyones response to my last diary was so so sweet. I recently stumbled upon this TikTok that has really stuck with me this month. The idea was simple but powerful: whenever the creator feels stuck or in a funk, she imagines she’s 80 years old and has time-traveled back to this exact moment in her life. From this perspective, everything feels simpler and you would probably worry less about how things will work out. It’s a reminder that even if things feel uncertain now, this version of life might be something you'd long to return to someday. And I really loved that sentiment.

See tiktok HERE

Test shoot with Olega

It’s funny how some test shoots can feel like a lot of work—you’re not quite sure about the styling or art direction, scheduling is difficult, and the flow just isn’t there. And then sometimes, everything just falls into place and feels effortless. I’m trying to pay more attention to that and lean into the ones that feel easy and aligned because tests can take a lot of time and energy, which are finite resources.

I’ve talked about this before—how I’m trying to build more lingerie-focused work into my portfolio. I had been pitching this specific house in LA to a few lingerie brands with no traction, but I loved the location and decided to shoot the concept on my own. I actually shot there three years ago for a different brand and had always wanted to go back for a test.

I saw that Olega—who’s been on my dream model list for years—was in town and she felt like a perfect fit for this moodboard. First, I DM’d her, but never heard back, so I decided to go through her agent at The Industry and things were pretty seamless from there. Even the styling came together quickly—I ordered pieces from Free People, For Love & Lemons, and Urban Outfitters all in one night. The day before the shoot, I stopped by my best friend Cassidy’s place to pull props such as a vintage tea set and woven fan. Everything just clicked and I felt really clear on the concept.

I am really happy with how these turned out - here are the final results:

Financial Breakdown - How much did this test cost me?

Of course, it was all a bit of an investment financially. I was able to get a discount on the location rate since it was just me and the model shooting for only a few hours, but it still was a hefty $390 of my own money. I spent about $1,500 on wardrobe (which was returned, but still had to go on my credit card). For development, I decided to try shipping to Carmencita Lab in Spain—a lab I’ve used while in Europe, but never shipped to from the U.S. It actually costs the same as most labs here, you just have to factor in the shipping time and the risk of mailing film across the world. I dropped it off at DHL on a Friday, it arrived at the lab by Monday, and they quoted me about a week turnaround. Below is a full cost breakdown for anyone curious:

The response on Instagram have been incredibly strong and I think this serves as another reminder on the importance of investing in yourself. I’ve definitely seen a jump in followers since posting this story and one of the brands I featured even commented on my post (I did a little happy dance when I saw this).

I talked about it in my last monthly recap, but this shoot again reminded me of what I am capable of when I am in charge of production, styling, props, etc. Here’s to hoping for more shoots like this in the future!

Thanks for reading this far and for being here. I am writing this from a cute cabin in Joshua Tree on a job. I decided to stay an extra day and shoot an editorial with my friend/model Maelys (but more on that in the next diary).

xx

Heather

Studio lighting has always felt a little intimidating to me as someone who didn’t go to school for photography —but the more time I spend on set and behind the camera, the more I realize it’s just another tool to experiment with and learn from. This post is a continuation of my lighting deep dive, where I’m sharing a few creators I’ve learned from, some video resources that helped things finally click, and one tool that has genuinely changed the game

Some Favorite Videos:

Lighting Modifiers Explained

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I first want to say sorry for the delay - this post was supposed to go out last week. I swear I blinked and it was April 8th.

This month began with one of my biggest editorials to date for Instyle Mexico published in their April Print Issue. I will be doing an in-depth case study for my paid subscribers in the coming months that will go into how I landed the story, budget, day of logistics, etc. All art direction, production, and photography was done by me and I am so so proud of these images. You can view my favorite photos from the piece along with team credits here on my Instagram.

Shoots

This month, I got to shoot with the beautiful Australian model, Millie, and we managed to knock out a lot of concepts and looks in a really short amount of time (3hrs). We used natural light, and I shot on both film and digital.

Lately I’ve been craving doing more studio work - 1) because it’s a challenge that I haven’t quite cracked, and 2) I think it’s an area where my portfolio is lacking. There was a job this month that was a studio shoot that I didn’t end up booking, and it just made me think about how important it is to pay attention to the type of work you’re not booking. It really wasn’t that I wasn’t capable of delivering what they needed, but I think the studio work that I’ve done is really not extensive enough, and it certainly isn’t super “cool.” I love photography so much that I don’t really want to box myself into just one style or niche, to be known only for location shoots. I want the freedom to do it all. One thing I find particularly difficult in studio shoots is that the styling really needs to be on point. The simplicity of often a bare backdrop gives center stage to the model and the clothing, and I think it’s much harder to make the photo visually interesting in this case.

Another gig I got hired for was through a photographer friend who brought me on as the videographer. I had previously assisted her on a shoot, and I think this always serves as a good reminder to assist when you can, to meet other creatives, and to try to be as helpful as possible. You never know when a job will land on someone’s desk and they’re looking to recommend someone—if you’ve already made that connection, you’ll be the first person that comes to mind.

I also just love being on set and learning. Here is the setup below - just one big flash and the white wall beside the model served as a bounce to make even light. She was shooting jewelry, so a high aperture was a must.

Signing with a talent agent

This month, I signed with a talent agent, which is really exciting. I think it's something a lot of photographers wonder about—there’s this idea that having representation adds a level of legitimacy and validation to your work.

Basically, this woman found my work and reached out—she’s starting her own agency, and I will be one of the first artists on her roster. It’s a pretty low-risk situation for me—she’ll be pitching my work to her clients and connections and taking a 20% commission from the client side for whatever she books me on, but anything I book outside of her remains the same as usual, with me handling it and keeping my full creative fees. Her site hasn’t launched yet, but I’ll definitely share it when it does!

Arthur Elgort Show + Artist Talk

This month, I attended an artist talk by the legendary Arthur Elgort at one of my favorite galleries here in LA - the Fahey/Klein Gallery. Seeing his work in person was really special—his images have such a timeless, effortless quality that translates even more beautifully in print. Of course, it was also exciting just to be in his presence.

That said, the talk itself wasn’t exactly a deep dive into his creative process or insights about the industry. At this stage in his life, Arthur Elgort definitely gives off a charming, old-grandpa vibe—cracking jokes and tossing out funny lines, some of which were maybe a little off-color. It was less about absorbing technical knowledge or creative advice and more about enjoying the experience of being around such an iconic figure. I left feeling grateful to have seen his work up close and shared a room with such a legend, even if it was more entertaining than educational.

https://www.arthurelgort.com/fashion

Video of one of his book

Library Days

I love going to libraries and trying to find inspiration via physical books. While there’s so much to see on the internet, I find it harder to come across the work of great photographers from the pre-Internet era—especially those from the ‘90s and earlier. This time I went to the Los Angeles Central Library (also to note parking was $1 on the weekend, which, if you live in LA, you know how exciting that is). While there are some great photo books on the shelves, I learned about REF or reference books that you can only access via a librarian and can not check out of the library (not that I was looking to take any books home). I had previously come to this library and not realized this, so I left feeling a bit unsatisfied.

Getting Personal

While the first 3 months of this year, I have been blessed with consistent work, I’ve still felt a bit in a rut as of late (or if I’m being honest, really ever since I got back from Europe last November). Of course, this is probably due to a mix of many factors - the state of the country and political climate, the classic winter blues (some days the sky is just the same gray color the entire day), perhaps an honest look at how I ran away from some grief last year after a sudden breakup in December of 2023.

From the outside, it may not look like this. I did just accomplish a major editorial that I am quite proud of. It marked the most “official” editorial I’ve done to date (my first being just a digital story, my second being a spec editorial that landed in print after I shot it). This time I had the magazine on board before the shoot, a stylist pulling this season's labels, a whole team, etc.

It’s not to say I have a shortage of ideas - I’d almost say I have too many ideas. But I’ve caught myself being more negative lately, more jealous of other photographers (which is always a time to do a serious check-in). The work that has been paying the bills this year, I wouldn’t say is the most inspiring, and I’ve caught myself feeling quite down about it this month. I booked a shoot with Rhythm Swimwear fresh off of making the jump to freelance in the fall of 2022, where I produced the entire thing from the model selection, to the props to the creative direction, etc. Still to this day, I love these photos so much. But I can’t help but feel like “why am I not getting these kinds of jobs again?” I want to travel and live that dream photographer lifestyle that so many of us see our peers living. This recent editorial which I fully produced reminded me of what I am capable of and I can’t help, but feel bummed that I’m not being paid for this sort of thing.

I also turn 30 this year. I really thought this wouldn’t affect me ( I still repeatedly get told I look 21), and I hear from so many people your 30’s are the best. I keep running into photographers 10 years older than me being surprised by how young I am and how “far” I am in my career. But I can’t help but still feel the weight of this number. I think when you’re young, 30 sounds so old, yet in many ways I still feel incredibly young in the way that settling down feels far away, yet at the same time I feel like time is running out.

On the flipside, I do feel so grateful that I get to do what I do for work, that I am pursuing my dreams. I have friends who are a little lost in their career path, and yet I knew the second I finished shooting my first full day campaign back in 2017, that this is what I wanted to do. This summer will mark 3 years being freelance full-time, and I can hardly believe it. The other day, I revisited an old Free People campaign video that I used to watch religiously in high school and realized that I actually was on set at that exact house in January. I literally teared up.

So all that is to say - life is always a mixed bag. Take social media with a grain of salt. I hope this moment of vulnerability reminds you that wherever you are in your career, we are all just figuring it out and often questioning ourselves.

To Do

Over the last three years, I have visited Paris during the fall and have truly fallen in love with the city. Now, when friends visit, I’m always asked for recommendations. While this post isn’t necessarily photography related, I figured it would be nice to share my go-to list with you all as well! I do think traveling, experiencing new food, and seeing art is such a great way to unlock your creativity.

Paris is full of so many incredible things to do, but these are just a few galleries, museums, stores, and spots that I continue to go back to every time I visit. I’m also a vegetarian and gluten-intolerant, which can be challenging in a country like France, so I’ve included my favorite veggie-friendly restaurants. Whether you have dietary restrictions like me or simply enjoy healthy, veggie-focused food, I hope you find this list helpful!

ART + CULTURE

Amelia Maison D’art - A beautiful gallery where art meets interior design, probably my favorite gallery in the world, would literally put any of the art in my house, have to make reservation.

OFR bookshop - really cool art + book store, can spend a while just flipping through random photo books and independent magazines

Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation - One of the founders of magnum, always has really interesting exhibits with special attention to composition

Paris Cinema Club - two quaint theaters playing classic + older movies by great directors https://pariscinemaclub.com/ecoles-cinema-club/. This past year I saw Breakfast at Tiffanys, Beetlejuice, and the Shining.

Centre Pompidou - a major contemporary art museum (think MOMA)

La Galleria Dior - beautiful museum diving into the history of Chrisitan Dior with displays of garments and photographs through the years

NIGHT OUT

38Riv Jazz Club - only been to this Jazz bar once, but it was great. Went for a late night combo night, and had a great time!

Restaurants / Drinks (In no particular order)

FURIA - Tacos + Wine (REALLY GOOD and that’s saying something from a Californian)

Bouche Bouche Bouche - Cute vibes, small plates, GREAT wine

Early June - Pop-up chefs every few weeks, great wine selection + friendly staff,  cute and cool atmosphere. No resys. Get there a few minutes before they open because within 10 min they’ll be all full

Candelaria - Amazing small taco shop - the potato tacos are great. And surprise, you walk through an unassuming door expecting a small bathroom and it’s a dimly lit mezcal bar in the back - very moody, great drinks. 

Delicatessen Cave -  Small wine bar where the bartenders cook up food behind the bar. Feels like friends cooking dinner.

Bambino - Tapas bar lined with records on the wall, that turns into a cool lively spot after dinner service is done - dancing late at night

Miznon - Quick casual Israeli food, lots of veggie options

Compose - Casual salad bowl bar with great flavors and an array of sauces. (Think Sweet Green from the States)

Kitchen - Breakfast spot in La Marais with a vegan/vegetarian-friendly menu. I usually get a huge bowl of veggies with a fried egg + avocado and a side of tahini sauce.

Tekes - great vegetarian restaurant, interesting flavors, and approach, nice atmosphere, Mediterranean inspired, we made resys.

Dalias - another great vegetarian restaurant, was told this was the “other great vegetarian restaurant and was better than Tekes” by a vegetarian living in Paris, I would agree - it was very good.

Le Cinquante - casual, random bar in the 10th that i’ve been two twice and always had a good time. Probably has to do more with the company, but always has moody red lights, good drinks, and a crowd of hip Parisians.

Stohrer - historic pâtisserie founded in 1730, I would frequent every few days to stock up on deserts. My favorite - passion fruit + coffee macaroons & their caramel chocolate (seriously to die for).

Other cute wine bars - La Buvette, Freddys, Stereo 

Folderol - still haven’t been, but a “cool” wine bar that serves ice cream + wine.

Hope this is helpful! Let me know which are some of your favorite places in Paris in the comments!

xx
Heather

So you want to get into editorial work. It is a daunting task from the outside and it feels like the barrier to entry is far. But it really is much easier than you think. The world is so different now than say the 90’s when legendary photographers such as Peter Lindberg and Arthur Elgort were gracing the pages of Vogue with their photographs. With our accessibility to pretty much anyone, the editorial world is actually a lot easier to enter than you think.

Below I break down how to find the right contacts, what I emailed the editor, and how my first editorial shot in Paris, France came together.

Read more

This month, I’m celebrating the little wins. It’s so easy to get caught up in goals, the next big thing, and a packed schedule that you forget to take a moment to appreciate what’s happening right now. I’m making an effort to actually acknowledge my progress and feel proud of myself for doing things that, five years ago, would have felt impossible.

One thing I’ve noticed—especially this month—is how financial stability directly impacts my creativity. When I have enough work lined up to cover my monthly expenses, I feel so much more free to focus on creative projects. On the flip side, when I’m stressed about money, my time is spent pitching, networking, and constantly thinking about where my next job is. But this month, with a few solid shoots lined up, I was able to step back and pour energy into test shoots, creative projects, and mood-boarding ideas that weren’t tied to a paycheck.

I was hoping to do a deep dive at the top of this year - to think about my goals, to recenter myself around what dream brands I’m chasing, and come up with a strategy for how to achieve these things. That didn’t happen and it still hasn’t happened (I will make a post with my journaling questions when I do). While I do think this is important, I let myself wander a bit this month and soaked up a lot of inspiration. I’ve said this before and I’m also not the first to say it - but unproductivity is sometimes the most productive thing we can do. Creatives need time to just be, to let our nervous systems rest and reset. The ideas and momentum will always come, but only if you make room for it. One Saturday I had plans to go work at a coffee shop, but instead, I decided to trek to the other side of Los Angeles to go watch Wong Kar-wai stunning movie In the Mood for Love screening at a movie theater. And it was definitely the right decision.

Many art exhibits pop up in February due to Frieze coming to town. I visited several galleries and interior design spaces this month. After visiting a digital art exhibit at LACMA I was even inspired to play around with my own digital art - just for fun.

I also recently discovered an amazing publisher who I found a lot of inspiration from - Tony Cederteg of Library Man. I visited a friend’s apartment, and it was filled with beautiful prints and a few books from him. The design and imagery immediately caught my eye, as it aligned with some personal projects I have been developing. Then just a few days later while flipping through one of my favorite photo books of my own (which I had bought off Facebook Marketplace on a whim might I add), I realized it was published by Library Man as well! All this is to say is they are worth checking out.

https://www.instagram.com/librarymanbooks/

Hand Printing in LA

One of my goals this month was to do a refresh on hand printing and try out a darkroom I had found out about located in downtown LA. It’s a not-for-profit darkroom so it is incredibly affordable compared to other darkrooms I had researched. If you have been following along, you might know that I learned how to print in the darkroom last October in Paris. Hand printing is this weird dichotomy of being incredibly frustrating, yet incredibly addicting. I love how much your brain works and how hands-on and tactile it is. The spaces where you are focused away from your phone are becoming increasingly rare these days.

You can book a session here: https://www.colorandblackandwhite.com/

I’ve talked about it before and i’ll talk about it again. I am still fine-tuning what I want and like for my work in terms of processing. Some photographers will handprint and ONLY HANDPRINT - I don’t think I quite have the time or money for this workflow just yet. My favorite lab in LA only has a Noritsu scanner, though lately, I’ve been gravitating towards a frontier scan. My favorite lab in Europe, Carmencita’s frontier scans still feel superior to any other scans I’ve seen. All this is to say they posted an interesting side by side comparison HERE that I thought was worth sharing.

Personal Project: NAKED

I got around to working on a personal project I’ve been cooking up - shooting the female form. We had a weirdly warm week where the temperatures reached the 80’s and it literally felt like summer. I love how the images turned out and excited to keep exploring this concept.

Down to Business

I did work a bit this month, and one of my gigs was a two-day e-commerce shoot with a new client that was passed along to me. I actually wrote about it in my recent Learning Studio Lighting post, where I broke down the lighting setup I used for the shoot.

Another big project this month was a video shoot for my retainer client Seek Bamboo, This time, I was filming my sister’s family using the product and capturing a variety of product videos. I think it turned out great, but it was definitely a bit stressful as I am not used to working with kids. That said, in the end, everything came together really well.

One key takeaway from this shoot was learning how effective slow motion is when filming children. Since their movements are unpredictable, shooting in slow-mo helped capture those small but perfect moments—like a quick glance at the product or a natural, candid reaction—giving us plenty of coverage to build out the final minute-long videos.

If you're curious about how it all turned out, I’ll share one of the videos below. Shot with a Sony FX3.

The last week of February was a big prep week as I gearing up to shoot an editorial for Instyle Mexico’s April Issue. We had a great team on board, including an amazing stylist, but I was producing it and prop styling, so there was a lot of running around. Of course, I will be writing a case study on that in the coming months!

That’s all for now - as always thanks for reading! I will be posting a Lighting Part 2 article soon sharing some video resources I’ve been watching this year to learn more about lighting as well as a case study on one of my past editorials! If you have any questions, feel free to write in the comments!

xx

Heather Loegering

I was recently asked where I learned lighting, and it was funny because my immediate response was, “I’m still learning it.” That question got me thinking about how intimidating lighting can feel, especially for photographers just starting out. It’s something I’ve struggled with too, but over time I’ve realized that lighting is less about technical difficulty and more about problem-solving and confidence.

The truth is, the actual mechanics—plugging a cord into a light, setting it up, attaching a light modifier—isn’t that complicated. What feels overwhelming is the unknown, the trial and error, and the fear of doing something out of your comfort zone.

As I’ve spent more time on set, I’ve realized that no one sets up lights and magically gets it perfect on the first try. Every shoot involves assembling lights, positioning them, and then constantly adjusting to find the right setup and achieve the desired look. It’s always a process of trial and error and problem-solving.

This approach applies to more than just lighting—it’s a mindset for handling challenges in general. When something goes wrong, especially in front of a client, it’s crucial to stay calm, take a breath, and avoid freezing up. With a bit of thought and adjustment, there’s always a way to figure it out. Confidence and composure are key.

How do you gain this confidence you may ask? I will tell you…

1. Firstly, you must simply practice. Rent or borrow lights and start incorporating them into your tests. A job comes up needing lighting? Say yes even though it’s out of your comfort zone. You can find practically any tutorial/setup instructions on YouTube. I am lucky enough to have a friend with some strobes that I have been borrowing more frequently over the past 8 months. I also had an ex with some continuous lights that I would borrow. Both gave me more confidence in simply setting up a range of lighting models.

2. Do your research - we are lucky to live in a world where more and more information is being shared online at our disposal. Below are some notes I’ve taken while learning about lighting online. In a Part #2 to this post I will also share some of my favorite resources/videos to learn about lighting .

Apart from basic setup, there are a few other things that you can brush up on to elevate your lighting and show up to set looking like a pro. The first being modifiers and what they do and how to control the spill of light.

All About Lighting Modifiers

Light modifiers are tools used in photography to shape, control, diffuse, or direct light from a source to achieve a specific look or mood.

• Softboxes create a soft, even light that reduces harsh shadows, perfect for beauty or editorial shots.

• Reflectors bounce light onto the subject, filling in shadows for balanced lighting.

• Barn doors help shape light, control spills, and add definition to a scene.

• Snoots create tight, controlled beams of light beams, resulting in sharper, more defined edges. Snoots are typically used for dramatic highlights or rim lighting by focusing light onto a precise area.

• Grids - typically made of metal or fabric and consists of a honeycomb-like pattern of cells. They work by cutting off or blocking light that would naturally scatter outward.

• Beauty dish creates soft, yet crisp light that enhances the model's features with subtle shadows, often used in high-end beauty campaigns.

• Gels can be used with modifiers to add color, adding a creative and dynamic element to the image.

• A Fresnel concentrates light into a specific beam angle, producing a focused and parallel beam of light. It's often used to mimic sunlight due to its ability to create a natural, directional light source.

• Umbrellas (Silver or White): Silver creates punchy light showcasing lots of detail and deeper shadows, while white produces softer, more even lighting. Deeper umbrellas offer more control over light shaping and direction, creating a more focused and controlled output. Shallow umbrellas allow for more light spill and spread, resulting in a softer and wider light distribution.

Control over Spill

Studio lighting needs precision, especially in fashion, where the set or background plays a role in the final image. Modifiers like flags and grids help control light spill, ensuring the light only falls on the subject and doesn’t unintentionally affect the background or other parts of the set. V flats are also great for controlling spill - especially when you light the background separate from your model.

Some other things I recently learned

CCT stands for correlated color temperature

HSI stands for hue, saturation, and intensity, which you can use to create colored light—anything from purple to greens to reds etc. 

Feathering Technique - a technique where you use the edge of a light source, rather than pointing it directly at your subject, to create a softer, more gradual transition of light and shadow.

Another tried and true technique is just simply reflecting a strobe on the ceiling to get a more diffused natural look. See photo above to the left.

5 Lighting Breakdowns

Easy Ecommerce Setup, Beauty Shoot Setup, and a Funky Lifestyle Campaign

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Shoots with Another Love

I kicked off the year strong with my first shoot on January 2nd for a new client called Another Love. They had reached out to me in December, and what stood out about this interaction was that I never actually had a call or FaceTime with the producer—just emails. That’s a bit unusual, but after they shared the shoot details, I sent them two quotes: one for a digital shoot and one for a film shoot.

The reason I offered both options is that digital post-production can be quite time-consuming, especially when clients want a high volume of deliverables, which increases the rate. On the other hand, with film, much of the work is done by using a good lab, so my post-production time is significantly reduced. Typically, I’ll go through the final scans, remove outtakes, tweak a few selects, and they’re ready to go. So I presented both options and waited for them to decide.

The tricky part with new clients is you never know what their budget is, and brands don’t always communicate that upfront. Sometimes your quote might be way off, and the brand might ghost you or move on to other photographers without telling you. Even though they asked me to hold the date, I wasn’t counting on it until it was confirmed—because until a brand commits or a contract is signed, nothing is guaranteed.

We ended up confirming the shoot just a few days beforehand - I’ll admit, I was more nervous than usual—typically, a pre-shoot call helps you gauge the vibe of the client and set expectations. But we were shooting in Pasadena and they cast a model, Emily Labowe, who had been on my radar for some time so I was excited nonetheless.

That said, the shoot turned out to be a great success. Emily, was fantastic to work with and made my job so much easier. My friend Cassidy, who’s shot in Pasadena a lot, gave me a list of great locations, which helped everything come together smoothly.

Even though it was winter, we lucked out with a beautiful sunny day, which was perfect since this was a spring campaign for immediate release. I had rented a scrim just in case we needed to diffuse any harsh light, especially since we were shooting on location with natural light, and it definitely came in handy.

The client ultimately chose the film option since it was the more budget-friendly route. We shot about 10 rolls, averaging 2-3 outfits per roll, which works out to around 12-15 shots per look.

The vibes on set were great, the photos turned out beautifully, and the client loved them so much that they booked me for another shoot just two weeks later!

After these two shoots I decided to purchase a scrim of my own which I think really comes in handy for these types of locations shoots where you have a lot to get through and you are kind of working on the fly. If the sun is too harsh where you want the shot to take place, you just pop this up and create shade for the model to stand under.

This is the one I bought.

Archiving Film

I don’t really believe in new years resolutions, but one goal of January was to start organizing all my negatives. Most of my negatives are rolled up in boxes which is an organization nightmare, so alas I have started the tedious task and working my way through roll by roll.

Printfile Plastic Sleeves

Archival Binder

Assisting + Days on Set

I was very lucky this month to work a lot on set - every week in fact and I absolutely loved it. I assisted one of my best friends, Cassidy, on a number of shoots doing lighting and photo assisting. Then another regular client of mine asked me to do lighting and videography for one of their sister brands. So it was a really busy month overall - lots of sweet green was consumed (my favorite set lunch or after set dinner). I try to always say yes to assisting if I have the energy and capacity to do it as it's 1) fun and 2) a great way to network and learn. One of the sets I was on was for the kombutcha company GTs. It was quite a large production with an approximate budget around 100k and it was really fun to see all of the grip and lighting and team that goes into a high production value shoot like this. My inner film student was giddy inside and soaking everything up.

Test Shoot with Maelys

On the last weekend of January, I did a test shoot with my favorite french muse, Maelys. We have known each other going on 5 years now when I first photographed her for Jen’s Pirate Booty and I always love shooting her and consider her a friend now. As I wrote in my last post I am trying to get more comfortable with flash and film as I still don’t feel very confident with it. So alas, I continue to experiment and test as well as build my lingerie portfolio.

What was a little funny about this shoot is that I did the same thing I did on my last test shoot. I felt hesitant and scared to risk all the photos with flash, so I decided to shoot half the time with flash and half without—using the bulb setting to create continuous light and a more underexposed image. In the end, everything turned out fine and I wish I had shot more with flash.

I was also nervous because, normally, I would bring a digital camera to quickly test how the flash was affecting the scene—seeing where shadows were falling and so on—but my friend had my lens, so I couldn’t bring my digital camera. I ended up just winging it and mainly reflecting the flash off the ceiling shot through a diffusion umbrella to create a softer, wider light, which is a reliable method when you’re unsure. Although there are a few shots I wish I had captured with flash, I still feel like I got that much closer to feeling more comfortable with lighting and film photography. As you get more comfortable with film, you begin to trust your camera, your instincts, and your settings—and nine out of ten times, the shots turn out beautifully, especially when you're working with a great lab.

Here are the results:

Obviously I wrote another post about the fires here in Los Angeles that impacted our city this past month. It was all quite heavy and weird to be working so much during such a sad and chilling time. You can read about that here and where to donate.

I will have a new lighting article published next week as well. As always, thanks so much for subscribing! Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments!

xx

Heather