Meet Tracey Pettis, Fantasy Portrait Photographer

Selfies and snapshots can’t capture the inner you.
 But your Fantasy Portrait can.

Tracey Pettis will help you step out of your daily life and into your authentic self by taking a fresh look at the inner you from a completely new perspective.

Every human being wants to be seen, wants to be loved, wants to be understood. Through Fantasy Portraits, you can uncover and experience your special beauty, creativity, and gifts. Learn more by visiting FantasyPortraits.co.

1. What gave you the idea to create Fantasy Portraits?

I have been working in advertising for the past 20 years as a creative/art director. But I felt empty. I realized it was time to leave the world of advertising, feeling that companies were placing more importance on data, templates, and stock photography over the kind of creativity I was interested in.

I have always known I wanted to get back to one of my first loves, photography. But I wanted this version to be more than just creating pretty pictures. I wanted to bring the viewer into the process. I wanted to make the process more experience driven. Thus, Fantasy Portraits was born.

2. What's your process like in determining what an individual's Fantasy Portrait should look like?

We start by getting to know you through a discovery session. You share what you're comfortable sharing: your dreams, desires, hopes, aspirations. The object is for you to let go and explore.

Through this process, a concept will gel. Together, we'll fine-tune it, getting more excited about the portrait as we go.



3. Do you think the #nofilter Instagram selfie and other phone photography has changed how we define portraiture?

I think it's added to our choices immensely! We are changing all the time. Having that instant access to capture ourselves while immersed in an experience is a great advantage. And that's why I knew that Fantasy Portraits had to be something different than "just a portrait." It had to be an experience. As we say, "Selfies and snapshots can't capture the inner you. But your Fantasy Portrait can."


4. How can photos make positive changes in our lives?

So many ways! Our mission at Fantasy Portraits is to help women go deeper and learn how to connect with their inner beauty and deeper soul. Through getting to know and understand your spiritual self, your self-esteem and self-love increases.

A photographic image is a preservation tool. Your Fantasy Portrait becomes part of who you are at this stage of your life's journey.



5. What else would you like readers to know about you and your work as a photographer?

I think if you look at some of the Fantasy Portraits we've created, you'll see the attention to detail that you won't see in some of the other "fantasy" work out there. We put a lot of thought and heart into making each image special and unique, and not what you would expect.

If you'd like to explore creating your Fantasy Portrait, send an email to tracey@fantasyportraits.co.

Thanks, Tracey!

Introducing Stephanie Hopkins' Photography Site

When it comes to an artist's website, I really like learning someone's story: why do they create, how did they get interested in creating in the first place, what keeps them motivated, and so on.

Stephanie Hopkins is a professional photographer based in California's North Bay area who specializes in portraits using natural light. I like her website because she gives you an insight into her life as an artist and why she creates--plus, she gives you an excellent idea of what it would be like to work with her.

On the front page of Stephanie's site, she currently has a video that gives you an inside peek at what it's like to have a senior picture photo session with Stephanie. Clever idea indeed.

Her site also has a blog where you can see a lot of samples of her recent work. This is also fun for people she's photographed as it gives them a way to share a preview of their pictures and also to give family and friends an idea of how they enjoyed their photo session.

In addition to senior photos, Stephanie takes wedding photos, family photos, and more. Do you need headshots for your acting portfolio, a book jacket, or to post on the website for your business? Stephanie's website gives me the impression that she is a warm and engaging person to work with and that she can draw out your true personality and show it in a photo.

You can also follow Stephanie's photography page on Facebook.