We recently connected with Regina Boston and have shared our conversation below.

Regina, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

A few years ago I really wasn’t sure what a photography project was or what one entailed. I loved photographing images outside of my weekend family photography business but I would hear other photographers talk about being busy with some project they were working on. Which made me wonder…what is a photography project? Is this something for your business, is it for personal growth? Over the years I have come to realize that, to me – a photography project is something that pushes me out of my comfort zone to try something new and expand my vision.
In 2022, I completed my first 52 week project (P52), where I photographed and shared on Instagram every week, an image that was either an in-camera double exposure or a composite of multiple images. Holy moly did this open my mind to play and experiment with different techniques to create unique images that voiced my vision.
My journey started with learning how to create in-camera double exposures and Lensbaby lenses gave me the flexibility and freedom to create images that offered visual interest. I could take a picture of an ordinary image and then create visual interest by adding layers with out of focus bokeh or ICM.
Once I understood how to create double exposures in camera I learned how to shoot magical light and textures to use as layers for images. I joined an amazing group of photographers who participate in monthly light sharing group on Facebook & Instagram called the Light Communion. Prior to joining, I would watch all these amazing artists create phenomenal and unique images by sharing/gifting “light” images. I was so curious in how they created their art, but was also intimidated once I found out the images were made in Photoshop by laying one image over another. I’ll share a secret, I did not want anything to do with photoshop for many many years. It was scary, intimidating, and I dug my heels for MANY years. That was until I watched a 5 minute YouTube video on how to add layers…goodness that opened a whole new door of creativity for me!
To add to the fun, I found a phone app called Snapseed that allows you to layer 2 images to create a double exposure effect. Oh my, this app is SO much fun especially when you’re on long car rides, traveling on a plane, or just sitting at home on a rainy day. It is not intimidating like Photoshop, however you are quite limited on what you can do with your second layer. Nonetheless, it is still fun to play with and create unique images.
I really enjoyed completing my first P52 project! It taught me to think outside of the box, to look for unique light that could be used as a layer, and how to have fun with a new creative technique. If you have tossed around the idea of starting a photography project, I say do it! The growth gained from completing the project really opened my eyes to seeing beyond the ordinary and allowed me to #Shootextraordinary.

Regina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Regina Boston of RMB Photography is a family, senior, nature, and macro photographer from Maryland. I am a wife, mother of 7 children, 2 grandchildren, and 2 dogs. I truly enjoys capturing subjects as they are, helping people notice the small, beautiful details in the world around us. I have a huge passion of shooting extraordinary with Lensbaby lenses, allowing me the opportunity to express myself visually and emotionally through creative art achieved in camera. I am a Lensbaby Ambassador, Click Pro Elite, and a moderator for Women’s Photography Circle. If you’re interested in Lensbaby lenses, please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, I LOVE chatting about these fun creative lenses. If you’re interested in Lensbaby, you can save 10% at Lensbaby.com with the code “WBOSTON”.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Over the years I’ve learned that you should shoot for YOU! Shoot what makes you happy, what gets your creative juices flowing, and what makes you say WOW when you look at your art. When I started my business I felt my work needed to look like everyone else’s and I had to stay within some box, however my creative voice did not look like everyone else’s and I am very happy with that. I had to try different techniques, play with creative tools, and experiment in order to find my authentic voice. I absolutely love abstract imagery and using ICM to create that art. Not many non-creatives understand or “get” ICM (intentional camera movement), but for me, it speaks to my soul. ICM allows me the opportunity to create unique images!

Have you ever had to pivot?

I started my photography business in 2008 offering outdoor family and in-home newborn portraits. Shooting families outdoors brought me much joy so I added in home newborn sessions to my offering, thinking that was the next step. Boy was I wrong! With outdoor family sessions I could manage shooting in natural light, I didn’t need any equipment, and I got to play and have fun with the family. When I started in home newborn sessions I bought all this equipment for portrait style sessions, struggled with indoor lighting, and had to find many creative angles with a baby on a bean bag. Needless to say, I was not happy with what I was producing nor was I happy with shooting. I decided to stop offering newborn sessions for two years. I went to a photography conference and signed up for a class that taught natural newborn sessions, this truly sparked my interest. In this class, I learned how to photograph newborn families in a more natural setting, using the families surrounding to tell a story. No more bean bags! No more props! No more being stuck in one place for the whole session! Attending that class opened my eyes to a different way to photograph newborns and it allowed me the ability to tell the families story. So, if you’re offering a service or a product that doesn’t make you feel proud of your work, take a break, take a class, and expand your perception!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rmbphotogallery.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rmbphotogallery

Image Credits

I have full rights to these images