Jill Marzion Photography.









Today I had the pleasure to interview the lovely Jill! I love the raw and genuine images she makes.

Share a little about yourself  + family + life.
My life revolves around my family.  I have 4 awesome kids ranging from 2 to 16, so there is never a dull moment!  My main job is being a mom, but I take on children/family sessions throughout the year and a handful of weddings! I live in Wisconsin but am not a fan of winter. I love anything and everything summer...beaches, sunsets, dinning on patios, margaritas + mojitos, taking walks, endless park visits and flip flops! I could eat Mexican everyday. Golden retrievers melt me. I have OCD when it comes to clutter, vacuuming and editing. I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes and I think life just gets better the older I get!
How long have you been in the photography industry?
I received my first dslr in 2012. I was consumed immediately. I spend every free minute learning the functions and snapping away to figure out how to use my camera! Shortly after, I was getting asked to photograph friends and families. I was very scared of that idea and beyond nervous going to my first sessions, but quickly fell in LOVE with documenting life for others! It has been an amazing journey and I am so excited for what is to come!
What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?
I can't really say that there is anything in particular I wish I knew. I really believe that everything I did right or wrong was a great learning opportunity and has really helped me develop my own unique style. My only wish is probably that I started earlier!
What is your favourite part about being a photographer?
I have a few favourite things I love...One of the best things is being able to document emotions for others and hear their excitement! There is nothing better than being told 'you really captured his/her personality'! I strive to connect with people and have them comfortable so that the images they receive are real life! I also love exploring to find new locations and perspectives to keep things new + fresh! I am constantly amazed by the backdrops, fields, etc. that are around when you take a minute to look!
Who or what inspires you?
This is a tough question because there is so much that inspires me. Since learning to use a dslr, I have looked at the world so differently. Reading inspiring blogs/books and studying images to see where the direction of light is and how it is used has been so educational. I'm a big instagrammer and find tons of amazing photographs there and am constantly amazed by the creativity. I so created a 365 challenge that pushes me to think outside of the box and pick up my camera every single day to take a picture based on a daily theme! Some of the images I have taken through that project are my favourites! You can join at @my_365

What kind of gear do you use?
  • Camera body - canon 5d mark iii
  • Lens - my favorites are 35 1.4, 50 1.4, 24-70 and 45 tiltshift
  • Tripod -
  • Flash - 
  • Camera bag -
  • Mention others, if any.

Which is your favourite lens? Why?

The 35 1.4 is on my camera most of the time. I is a great portrait lens for indoor and outdoor and very fast! I love that I can get a lot more of the scene in vs having to step way back with the 50!

What does photography mean to you?
Photography to me means documenting life. My favorite subjects are my 4 kids! I take my camera everywhere with me and really try to document our day-to-day lives. I don't want to forget all the little things that happen because it all goes by too fast. I am not good at journaling or scrapbooking so I hope that the images I take each day are a great reminder to them of what our life was like. And it is an awesome way for me to hold onto the memories!

Do you have your own blog?

yes! I have my personal blog - www.jillmarzion.com - Which is mainly my little family and our adventures with some recipes, tip + tricks and diy's and also a professional site which is my portfolio - www.jillmarzionphotography.com -
 How rad is Jill's work! You can visit Jill's blog here, follow her on Instagram here, visit her website here, follow her on Twitter here and like her on Facebook here.


Stills // A Weekly Collection


 


 



Courtney Horwood Photography.


I stumble onto Courtney's Instagram a couple of months ago and straight away I fell
in love with her photography.  Since then, I've fallen in love with the raw and genuine images Courtney makes.
Share a little bit about your family and life.
I am from a small town in by the beach in New Zealand, after travelling and studying I somehow ended up in Melbourne. I initially started out working as an assistant for other photographers to learn all I could about photography then started to pick up my own work and its continued on from there. I have been here almost 4 years now and am planning on moving back to NZ in the next year or so.

I shoot mainly weddings with a bit of editorial and portraiture thrown in as well :)
How long have you been in the photography industry?
Probably about 6 years by now, its gone very quickly!
What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?
Funnily enough to take more photos using natural light. When I initially started studying I was obsessed with the studio, I loved that you could create something from nothing using only lights and you could completely control the environment and result. Then I started shooting weddings a couple of years ago and I fell in love with using natural light! You can't really get a better light source than the sun!
Also that you don't really need to study photography at all! I absolutely loved the time I spent studying but I learnt so much more from assisting other photographers and seeing how they worked and interacted with clients.

What is your favourite part about being a photographer?
The freedom and how every single day is different. I might be in the studio one day, in an industrial complex the next and then at a stunning winery for a beautiful wedding the next! Working at so many different locations keeps me inspired and I am constantly looking for photo opportunities! I think I would go nuts if I worked in an office everyday.

Who or what inspires you?
Travel! Getting to explore new places and meet new people is definitely right up there! As for daily inspiration, I follow quite a few different blogs and photographers, there are so many amazing creatives out there these days its pretty easy to find inspiration!
What kind of gear do you use?
•Camera body - A couple of Canon 5D Mark ii's (Need to have back-ups!)
•lens - 50mm, 28mm, 16-35mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm 
•Tripod - Manfrotto
•Flash - A couple of 580ex ii's
•Camera bag - Crumpler, a Canon Backpack and several small ones as well!

Which is your favourite lens? Why?
Definitely the 50mm 1.2, its so versatile and I absolutely love the beautiful bokeh you get you when you use it!
What does photography mean to you?
So many different things I couldn't possibly put it all into words! I don't think there are many jobs out there where you get to meet amazing people, explore new places and just get to witness beautiful things on a day to day basis. I am so incredibly lucky that I get to do this as a job!!
Do you have your own blog?
I do indeedy. Its http://courtneyhorwoodlove.com/blog/ and my new years resolution is definitely to get better at updating it as well!


Thank you so much for letting me interview you, Courtney. I love your work.

You can visit Courtneys blog here, like here on Facebook,  follow her on Instagram and visit her website here.




Frank Body Scrub.


I’ve heard a lot about the Frank Coffee Scrub via other YouTubers and Bloggers and on Instagram,  so I thought I’d try it out for myself and write up a review for you 
Their motto:
get naked. get dirty. get rough. get clean.
Frank is made in Melbourne, Australia with all natural ingredients.


The scrub is packed with 200g od coconut, grape seed and lots of other good stuff.

Frank targets cellulite, stretch marks, psoriasis, varicose veins, eczema and acne with roasted and ground arabica coffee beans.
Frank also moisturise, tones and repairs your skin with grape seed oil, and uses the coconut oil to hydrate your skin and tend to any imperfections.


Frank is very easy to apply. You just need to wet your skin and apply the scrub and massage it in with circular motions.You can wash it off or for better results leave on for 5 – 10 minutes.

My skin was so smooth after I washed the scrub off. And you’ll have a slight coconut scent afterwards.  My face was slightly oily after so I used a face wash to get rid of the oil.

I would recommend Frank to absolutely everyone!
I got my Frank at their website:

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