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Meet Claire Waite

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Waite.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have loved photography since I stepped into a dark room in my high school photography class, but 8 years ago, I learned the true value of photography. We had been talking about doing extended family portraits with me in laws for well over a year but kept putting it off. It wasn’t because of money, it wasn’t a lack of photographers in the area, it wasn’t even we hoped to lose a few pounds first. It was pure laziness. We would talk about it, but no one put in the effort. We figured there was always tomorrow.

And then we woke up one morning to the news that my sweet mother in law had passed away very unexpectedly in the night. Suddenly, there was no tomorrow… not for my mother in law anyway. We had allowed laziness to prevent us from getting heirloom quality photos of my husband with his mom and our children with their grandmother. That’s when photography took on a whole new life for me.

When I photograph a family, a birth, or a wedding, I sincerely hope that my clients enjoy the photos when they get them. I hope they hang the photos on their wall and share them on social media and enjoy them in the moment. But I am truly taking photos for tomorrow- for the day when a loved one is no longer around, for the day when children are grown and move out. Photographs can be time capsules to the past. They can breathe new life into faded memories instantly.

The only constant is change. Children grow, hair becomes grey, wrinkles take up residence around our eyes (from all the smiling, of course). As these changes happen, photos can serve as a reminder of the good old days, and I promise, they were just as good as you remember!

Please tell us about your art.
I am a portrait photographer who is well versed in weddings, families, children and birth photography, and I love it all! I especially love following families through the various milestones in their lives and helping to document each milestone through photographs.

My hope is that following our session, my clients, particularly the moms I work with, feel beautiful and confident. I strive to help them relax through the entire process, from selecting outfits and making everyone feel comfortable and have fun in front of the camera, to figuring out how to display their images in their home.

And when each session ends, I hope my clients feel like they are family, because that is how I view them! It is such an honour to be invited to play a part in people’s most special moments, and be trusted with the task of documenting them. I do not take this responsibility lightly and I feel so blessed to serve all the amazing people I have come in contact with as a photographer.

What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I think the hardest thing about being an artist in today’s world is just a lack of understanding. Everyone has access to the same tools, and anyone can call themselves a photographer and charge nominal fees for their services. But there is so much more to being an artist than just having the tools. It’s knowing how to use the gear, how to find great light, how to help clients relax and feel comfortable in front of the camera. It’s knowing how to serve clients well, run a professional business and still be profitable. There is so much more to being a photographer than just having a nice camera. The camera isn’t the one doing the work 🙂 The photographer is!

In a day and age where everyone can be a photographer, sometimes people don’t value those who have put in the time and energy to truly learn their craft, and that is hard on the photography community as a whole. Photography can often be undervalued and photographers are often asked to work for well under minimum wage.

I think the biggest thing we can do to help is just to continue to educate those around us! One of my favorite valley resources is the Rising Tide Society’s Tuesdays Together groups. There are multiple groups across the valley, and they are invaluable resources for artists across the board. It is a great networking opportunity, and the groups offer lots of amazing educational opportunities that pertain to photographers and non-photographers alike.

Once the artists have learned to value themselves, and their time and talent, we need to educate those who wish to purchase our services. It is important that the public understands that they are getting much better quality and service by shopping small and local, instead of relying on big box stores for their artisan products.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work is best seen on my website and social media accounts. Instagram is my favorite hangout and is where I share images from clients I’ve worked with as well as photos and stories from my own life.

www.clairewaite.com
www.instagram.com/clairewaitephotography

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Benjamin Clifford Photography
Marquette LaRee Photography

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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