Below are the answers to last week’s Q&A on Facebook.

1.  Ruth R.:  How did you know when you were good enough?

You should always know that you’re good enough, but I know from personal experience that this is seldom the case! I felt like I was a good enough photographer when blogs started to contact me to publish my work.

2.  Tim S.: #1  When you’re out abroad traveling for long periods of time, what are the top 3 things you miss about home?  #2  From you’re travels abroad, what are a few things you think Americans could learn from people in other countries?

I miss 1. My dog 2. Brussel sprouts 3. Coconut water.

I think the main thing Americans can learn is to relax and enjoy life more. Also to connect with your surroundings. We’re so disconnected here.

3.  Christine C.:  What do you do if you run out of ideas for posing people for engagement shoots or individual portraits? Especially with individual portraits when they don’t have another person to work off of like a couple.

Always have go-to signature poses that you love. Have at least 5. A lot times, having an individual do 5 different things is enough.

4.  Dinah R.:  Who is your best friend?

Hm, I think I have more than one (how lucky am I?) but I’ll talk about Jessica. She has a TON of integrity and pushes me out of my comfort zone. She doesn’t always say things that will help me feel good, but instead help me grow.

5.  Abigal S.:  Emotional photographer first or technical photographer first?

Emotional. It’s easy to learn the technical stuff but opening up to be an emotional photographer is more difficult. As Joe Buissink says, There’s no such thing as a perfect picture, only a perfect moment.

6.  Rosie H.:  In terms of going to a wedding venue prior to the wedding to check it out, how do you go about that and what do you look for?

I go on my own or if possible, I stop by the wedding rehearsal (this is very helpful for me). If the venue is far away, I will go to the wedding site early on the day of. I look for areas to take formal portraits, and I also look at how the lighting is going to be at particular times of the day.

7.  Martina R.:  How do you handle people who are blocking important shots during the wedding ceremony (such as someone standing in the aisle, someone blocking the kiss, etc).

I unleash my karate skills (*insert karate chop emoji)… I try my best to work around them. Sometimes it’s a blessing and forces me to get a more creative shot. If they are REALLY in the way then I will say, “Excuse me.” They always gladly move.

8.  Vency M.:  Do you bring a tripod on every shooting assignment, or do you prefer to shoot handheld?

I never bring a tripod.

9.  Hannah T.:  What are your thoughts on having just a higher-end wedding photographer as opposed to both a photographer and videographer should the wedding budget not be able to sustain both?

I would personally prefer to have only a higher-end wedding photographer. Pictures are more important to me than video, but everyone is different!