FAQ Answers: Part 2

Where do you find inspiration for some of your baby photos??
I am inspired a lot by children's books and movies. Not only are the illustrations beautiful but the stories are filled with whimsy and imagination. Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland are my two favorite stories and inspire me so much. 


Where did you buy maternity clothes? (I'm having a hard time with this!)
I had a hard time with this as well. I got a lot of my clothes handed down from the two wonderful women I used to nanny for. Maternity clothes are just expensive and you'll never wear them again. Other than that Target and Motherhood were the two stores I shopped at. I bought a lot oversized normal clothes and empire-waisted stuff from Forever 21 also and just tried to fit in the clothes (especially the baggier items) I have for as long as I could. And lots of jeggings and yoga pants haha! Thankfully maternity-friendly styles are in style right now and some of the clothes you may even want to wear after.  Hope that helps!



What do you [do] for work? 
Photography!! =) I was a nanny for 9 wonderful years, and was a studio manager to another photographer up until I gave birth. Dave and I made the decision for me to go full-time with my own business after Zachary was born. It was just time to follow my heart and passion. Plus, I love that I get to be home with my son all day!



What does an average day consist of for you?
We are a family of night owls. Zachary usually goes to bed around 11pm when his dad gets home and then we go to sleep around 1. We are currently only getting up in the middle of the night once which is awesome. I start work at around 10, editing, working on my website, answering e-mails, etc. I stop working around 3 and Dave goes to work. Zachary and I spend the rest of the day playing, going on walks, tummy-time, bath-time, working more when/if he naps, and taking a picture for the day. I spend a lot of my day feeding him and pumping. It's awful and I don't recommend strictly pumping to anyone who doesn't have to do it. It has been very taxing. Weekends, and sometimes weekdays usually include shoots, running errands and seeing friends and family. 


You should post a video for zack so we can see his cuteness live! Lol
You got it! I have a ton of videos. I just need to finally upload them.


when will the new website be up?! :)
Hi Tricia!! (one of my beautiful brides and probably the most fun wedding I've ever been to!) It will be up very, very soon! After making one from scratch and designing it fully myself I had to start over which is no fun but it will be up hopefully by early October!


What kind of camera do you use?
I am currently shooting with my mom's Nikon D300. I have the same camera but my mirror is broken at the moment. I am waiting not-so-patiently for Nikon to release the D800 so I can buy that. I thought it would be announced three weeks ago but no cigar. Hopefully soon though. I also shoot some film. I have a few polaroid cameras, a Fuji instax mini, a Holga, a Lomo Fisheye, a Lomo, and my mom just got me a Nikon F100.

To add to that, do you use any software that enhances the pictures? What are your favorite settings?
I use Lightroom for 90% of my editing as I shoot everything in RAW and love how quickly I can adjust, rate and organize my images. I use Photoshop to sharpen and fine-tune my favorite images from a shoot. I use to live in Photoshop but I am trying to use it as little as possible lately. My favorite presets for Lightroom are Lily Blue's Waterplay set and TRA's presets. Everything else I just adjust as I see needed for the image.

What is some must have baby gear?
What I'm learning is that every baby is different and some will LOVE something and some will scream if you try to put them in it. It's a good idea to let your baby test out the toys and things of other kids before maybe spending the money yourself when at all possible. That being said, one of our favorite things the first month or so was the Boppy Lounger. He loved it. It was a great place for him to nap and hang out. 

I also loved the Moby Wrap because he never wanted to be put down and I didn't want to put him down. It was a great way to be able to get dishes done, etc. I still wear it whenever we go out. 

If there's anything specific you'd like to know about I'm more than happy to give my 2 cents. We did a lot of research on every item we bought and registered. Speaking of which Baby Bargains is a great book for help on what to get! Oh and if you're planning to breastfeed a good pump and glider are worth the investment! My dad also just got us a B.O.B. jogger and it is awesome!


I'm curious to hear how you came up with your blog name! :)/ I was looking at your flikr account pics and got confused. Is your name Brittany, or Tenley?
These are kind of the same question so I put them in one. It's one of the most common questions I get lately. I know it's confusing. My real name is Brittany but I decided to change it for my business to Tenley because I felt like it fit my brand/me better. I wanted something a little more unique and quirky, like me. My last name is very long and people can never pronounce or spell it correctly so I decided to use my mom's maiden name, Clark. I have been changing my name since I was little. My brothers make fun of me all the time for it.


How do you do to take such bright pictures? They have the perfect colors and the perfect light. I love to take photographs of babies too, but I cannot get such nice colors and light, they are always a little too dark or too bright. Are there any tips you can share? I have a Nikon D80 by the way.
Well thank you very much!  The best tip I could give you is to learn to shoot manually if you aren't already. This will allow you to control your exposure in camera and get it how you want it. I personally like this a little blown-out and bright so I over-expose by 2 stops most of the time. 


Do you dye your hair yourself? If so, any brands to recommend?
I've been dying my hair myself for most of my life and as you might be able to tell by looking at pictures I do it A LOT! I am currently going to a salon because I won't do highlights myself, but when I dye my hair at home I love Loreal Preference and Perfect 10. 


What's your height?
Very short. 5'2".... if I'm rounding up =). 

FAQ Answers: Part 1

How did you and your boyfriend meet? 
We met at a local dive bar while I was playing pool with his friend that I knew. We had seen each other the week before. As I was leaving with my friends he waved at me from across the room. I stopped in my tracks and said "Oh, cute boy!" and started walking towards him and my friends had to drag me out haha. We spent the whole night glued to each other and have been ever since. See, you can meet the love of your life in a bar! 

What's your favorite song, movie and book? 
That's a tough questions! It's hard to pick just one. 
Favorite song- "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles, "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips, "King of Wishful Thinking" by Go West are just a few
Favorite movie- "The Little Mermaid"
Favorite book- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Do you want more kids? 
Absolutely! It will be a while before we have another one though. I'm going to have them until I get a girl now =). Just kidding. But kind of not. 


How did you become so creative? Any tips?

I'm pretty sure I was just born this way. I just needed to find a way to channel it. I think I realized in high school that I don't think like normal people do. I was extremely hyper and my thoughts were super random. I'm a huge daydreamer and my mind bounces from one thought to the next very quickly. When I started doing photography it was just a good way for me to put my thoughts into an image. As far as tips, I would say just to seek inspiration constantly. I look to movies, music videos, songs, books, art, etc. for inspiration constantly. I read a lot of blogs of creative people and love websites like Pinterest and Flickr. And keep a notebook with you always to write down ideas as they come to you. You may not use it right away but it may come in handy later for something else or inspire an even better idea. 


Any advice for the last couple months of pregnancy and the first couple months of baby? Also, was baby bear planned or a wonderful surprise?
The best thing you can do during the last few months is to enjoy your last few moments to do what you want when you want, because it will never be this easy again. Go on dates with your husband, read a book, go on a trip. Taking a shower will soon be a huge task so really enjoy your alone time and take extra long showers while you still can. 


For the first couple of months with the baby just enjoy it! It goes by so quickly so just soak up every moment of it. It will be hard but just focus on how incredibly worth it it is. Each stage comes with its ups and downs and I think too many people are eager to get out of a stage because of its stresses instead of focusing on its beauty. 


Our little bundle of love was not planned but was the best, most amazing surprise! We knew we wanted to have kids but wanted to wait until we were married and more financially stable. We had just moved in together after 2 years of dating when I got pregnant (on birth control). Though it's not how we ideally would have planned it I couldn't be happier to have this little man in my life and wouldn't change a single thing!  


how do you always look so good in your photos?
Well, thank you very much =) I think that good lighting is very important in making anyone look good in a photograph. I use window light and photograph my subjects in shade 90% of the time because it's the most flattering light. I use to Photoshop a lot. That's actually why I started doing photography, to have work to edit because I loved it. Lately though I've been trying to do as much in camera and just do minor tweaks (color, exposure, sharpen) in Lightroom and Photoshop. Good lighting is key. 


what happened to your old blog?

I took it down. I keep a notebook with me all of the time to write down ideas and lists. Once it's full I put it away and never look at it again. I like knowing it is there but I love the feeling of having a new pretty notebook, a blank canvas, to fill. That blog was like an old notebook. I wanted to begin fresh with this blog. 


what made you decide to pursue photography as a career?

My brain is constantly daydreaming up so many ideas and thoughts that I needed a creative outlet. I am not a painter or a musician, this is my art. I thought I would be a conceptual fine art photographer because that is what I really loved (and still love) in college but over time I've realized how much I love photographing kids. They, like me, live in a wonderful land of make-believe and daydreams. Plus they are so full of life and energy.I absolutely love what I do! The more creative a shoot is, the more it makes my heart smile. =)


what is your favorite photo?/color/blog/Broadway musical?

Favorite Photo- probably Gregory Crewdson's Ophelia. It's just so incredibly gorgeous. I love everything about it!

Favorite Blog: Elsie's A Beautiful Mess. It's full of inspiration, adorable DIY's, and so much cuteness! It was one of the first blogs I ever followed and is still my favorite. I am a huge blog addict and currently have 131 in my reader.


Favorite Broadway Musical: It's like picking a favorite child =). I just love so many! I would say it's between Spring Awakening and Wicked though. 


is there any actor/actress you'd love to take a photo of?
Right now I'd have to say Emma Stone. I love her. She's hilarious and beautiful. As for an actor, it'd be Paul Rudd, for pretty much the same reasons. I think they would be up for something silly and creative. Plus I'd just love to meet them!