Get Real Liz!

With the advent of digital photography, it seems the list of people moving from “hobby” to professional photography is a long one.  The number of professional photographers in the Stillwater area alone is well over a dozen.  Because the competition is high, setting yourself apart is important.

How to do that?  With a quality camera and a good computer, the average person can come up with a very good photograph.  For Liz Westerhaus, her photography goes beyond capturing a “good picture.”  She is on a quest to capture a great moment. 

In our discussions over the last few weeks, it quickly became apparent that what separates her from many others is her art goes beyond taking great pictures.  For Liz, it’s about moments.  Freezing moments.  Although she does what many others do and shoots posed shots with the families she works with, her passion is chronicling those spontaneous moment through her camera.  It’s there, Liz believes that the magic happens.  It is her constant quest to “GET REAL”… the REAL moments that make up REAL lives.  She reminds me so much of a photojournalist on the quest to find that perfect TIME magazine cover shot.  In the end, it seems that may be the best way to describe her, a family photojournalist!

I had the opportunity to see Liz Westerhaus at work as we recorded footage of her at a recent shoot for the purpose of telling her story through video.  The connection she had with this family showed that they are so much more than clients, they are friends.  Establishing those relationships is critical for her art because as she builds that trust with the families she works with, she’s able to get close enough to capture what she’s after… their reality.

Her own experiences as a mom and soaking up the growth of her own family one photo at a time inspires her to want to give that gift to others.  Because of her ability to make those connections, especially with children, she’s able to create something unique in her competitive field.

When we look back on our family history, photographs are so much more than showing how the kids are getting older in their posed school photo or family portrait.  Spontaneous photography captures moments, frozen in time, which allow us to remember just the way we were.  We so appreciate our creative and artistic community in our beautiful hometown which adds so much to our collective experience.  Thanks for “getting real” Liz! 

Note to my readers:  All of our story based films formerly done under the name Tour Main Street will now be done as Storyteller Videography!