Marc Silber:   We're here with Anna Kuperberg, a San Francisco-based wedding, child and dog photographer.  She's recently had a cover and a spread in PDN magazine and also on the cover of PPA.  This year she was awarded one of the 10 Best Wedding Photographersî by American Photo magazine.  Anna, thanks for joining me on my photography show.  It's great to have you here.

Anna Kuperberg:  Thanks, Marc.

Marc:   Tell me about your style of photography and the type of work you really love to do.

Anna:  Well, as you know, I photograph weddings, children and dogs.  With all of that, I think the common thread is that I'm really delighted with humanity and expression and gesture.  There's often a playfulness, a little bit of humor and wit.  On top of that, they are very sentimental.  I think the way you do that is by really being interested and curious.  And being open and just noticing.  That really makes people, like you're doing now, because you have a curiosity as the interviewer.  It's very flattering.   You bring me in; I'm going to be interviewed.  It is the same thing with photography.  Everybody wants to be noticed, I think.  If they feel comfortable and safe, their personality will come out.
Marc:  Ok, in terms of what you do to get your great shots.   Will you walk us through some of the key actions you take every time you pick up a camera?
Anna:  When I walk into a scenario, the most important thing is that I'm in the moment.  You want to have a clear head.  Really, just stop and observe.  Be open to noticing things that aren't the expected things, the clichÈ things.   This is really important with the three things I shoot: weddings, children and dogs.
The danger is getting into clichÈ.  There is so much flat, two-dimensional pictures about what love looks like.  Like, OK, go over there and kiss. And then that's the picture,  without really looking at, How do they really interact with each other?î

Thatís the core or essence of what makes a really good photo.  If you stop and just notice or allow yourself to see what youíre not expecting to see:  how do people really interact with each other?  And it's not the clichÈ thing, which is usually a kiss.  A lot of wedding photos end up not really convincing anyone.
But it might be the way they hold hands or their feet are touching.  Somebody is leaning on the other person or they have a way they look into each otherís eyes.  Itís a knowing look.  It could be something subtle or unexpected.  And I think thatís really important to be the observer.   Even when youíre doing a portrait, in which youíre directing stuff.   You still have to be completely tuned in.
With all equipment, I feel itís important to keep it really simple.  You don't want to be thinking about your equipment.  You want to be thinking about what's in front of you.  So, the cards.   You basically have to have complete trust.  Get a good brand that you trust.
Marc:  What brand do you use?
Anna:  I use Sandisk.  I have been, for a while.  The other thing I tell people is you don't want to have too many small cards.  Itís better to have fewer big ones because a bunch of little cards is just more steps to mess with.  I really believe that most problems with CF cards are human error.  It's not card error.  So that's why I shoot on big cards and I keep it really simple.  Partly because of losing it, but also because you don't want to interrupt your train of thought.
Marc:  Sure.
Anna:  You want to be able to just keep shooting.  So, I tell people that itís better to have fewer large cards.  Itís great now because now they come in really big sizes and it seems like there's no limit to how big they're going to get.
Marc:  That's right.  Anna, any final pieces of advice for photographers who want to improve their work?
Anna:   Yeah.  I think it's really important to remember that spirit and the excitement that you had when you first started photography and to hold onto that.  And to always approach everything from that place.   Itís the same enthusiasm and curiosity you had as a kid in approaching anything, whether it's finger-painting or looking under a rock to see where all the bugs are or whatever thing you're exploring, discovering or inventing.
That's the zone where real creativity comes from.  You can't ever get far away from that or lose that because you're worrying what the client wants or what you're supposed to doing or what somebody else is doing.  But if you can remember that and approach every shoot with that, then you're naturally going to have original and great photos.
Marc:  Anna, thank you so much for joining me on my photography show.  It's been really great to have you here.
Anna:  Thank you, Marc, itís been fun.
Marc:  Subscribe to our blog where we'll give you tips and updates on our show along with other really cool stuff.  And check out Anna's site, which is Kuperberg.com for a closer look at her work.  I'd like to thank Sandisk for making our show possible.  Tune in to our next episode where we take another look at a photographerís world.  Until then, this is Marc Silber reminding you to get out and capture your own images of life.