My Gear & Philosophy

People ask me all the time what I shoot with, and are always surprised at the relative smallness of my gear collection. I am a firm believer that the photographer makes the image, not the gear. Bags and bags of expensive gear will only get you so far and will absolutely never make up for what you lack in natural artistic ability. I like to pack as lightly as possible when I shoot so that I am free to move around and be able to capture shots as they happen.

My gear:

• Canon EOS 5D
• Canon EOS 40D
• Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens
• Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 Lens
• Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens
• Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Lens
• Canon Speedlite Flash
• Bogen Manfrotto Digi Tripod 725B

I subscribe to a fairly holistic school of thought when it comes to photography… I always prefer to use natural light sources and I use very little photoshop. The result, I like to think, is an image that is natural, genuine and honest. Of course this means that often I need to be a bit more creative when dealing with lighting issues, weather issues and composition issues. But as an artist, that is my job and that is my gift.

After I shoot people, they very typically comment on how ‘easy’ and ‘painless’ the shoot was. This is something I strive for. Nothing ruins a shot quite like an uncomfortable subject! During a typical Tamara Lakeman Shoot, I’ll set my subject(s) up in front of a background that pleases me, and then I simply step back and let them exist naturally within that environment. We will laugh, we will explore, we will have fun. No stiff, awkward posing. No fussing with lighting equipment. No pressure. Just be you, and I’ll capture how beautiful you really are. Simple.

My philosophy is that photography should be honest. It should be an accurate representation of the subject. The gear should not be the star of the show, the post-processing should not be the star of the show- The SUBJECT should be. So keep it simple. Keep it straight forward. And most of all, keep it fun.