ALMetro360

....................................................................................................................................................................... ALMetro360: How long have you been in photography and what attracted you to it? How did you get started? DiAnna Paulk: My journey into the world of photography began in 2004 when my husband ordered “his” first nice digital camera. I do not think he ever got to use it. I took one picture and suddenly the beauty of God’s creation opened to me in a new way. I also began to see people differently. I could see the beauty that God has placed within each of us in a way I had honestly not appreciated before. I was compelled to show others my view of life through the lens. The guiding philosophy of my photography became 1 Timothy 6:17: “God has given us everything we need to enjoy life (CEV).” In my desire to hone my craft I took classes and entered inter- national competitions. In 2011, I achieved the status of a Certified Professional Photographer through the Professional Photographers of America Association by passing a rigorous written exam and image submission process. In that same year, I opened my first studio in the Bell Building in downtownMontgomery. I continued my primary career as a teacher until 2014 when photography be- came a full-time endeavor. In 2019 I completed the education and service credits and competition merits to be awarded the Master of Photography degree from the Professional Photographers of America Association. ALM: What, if any, is your specialty? What do you like to photo- graph the most? DP: I began primarily as a wedding and portrait photographer. In 2017, I added hand-rendered mixed media portraits to my serv- ices. One of my children’s portraits done in that style was named as a Top Ten in the Professional Photographers Association Interna- tional Print Competition froma field of approximately 5,000 entries. Beginning in 2018, I started accepting fewer weddings and have added real estate, stock photography, and commercial photography to my services. However, portraiture remains my most rewarding work, especially the hand-rendered mixed media portraits. ALM: How long have you been shooting for Montgomery Living/ River Region Living/ ALMetro 360? DP: I have been working with River Region Living/ ALMetro360 since early 2013. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with them and meeting so many interesting people. ALM: What other passions do you have? DP: My hobbies include cooking and gardening which have both made their way into my photography. Many of these images go into my stock photography portfolios. My community service is especially important to me. I am a member of HeARTs Speak, a non-profit organization that unites art and advocacy to increase the visibility of shelter animals. The vision of Hearts Speak is a global community that treats all animals and people with compassion and respect. Under their Artists Help- ing Animals Partnerships I provide pro-bono photography services for the Humane Society of Elmore County and Helping Shepherds of Every Color Rescue. I also donate an annual portrait fundraiser day for the Alabama Animal Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic inMont- gomery. The only way we will ever reduce the number of unwanted animals is through spaying and neutering. After living in the city of Montgomery for many years, my hus- band and I moved to the country in South Montgomery County about 2-1/2 years ago. We have three children, two daughters-in- law and six grandchildren. We are so blessed to have them all living in the River Region so we can visit with them often. ALM: What have you been doing since the Pandemic started? DP: Initially, I experienced a good bit of anxiety as my husband is in a very high-risk group and yet continuing to work. So, I was not very productive during the first few weeks. I found that fol- lowing recipes and putting together jigsaw puzzles helped ease the anxiety. After my husband was allowed to work from home, I was able to focus on more productive work. I have invested a good bit of time in online educational opportunities to hone my hand-ren- dered mixed media portraits. Anyone who follows me on social media will be able to see some of the new work I’ve done in that genre. We've also been doing a lot of yard work and gardening! My honey-do list was quite long and I’ve enjoyed working on that with my husband. ALM: How has it affected your life? DP: I’ve always been a bit of a recluse so the main negative effect of the Pandemic has been the inability to visit with my chil- dren and grandchildren. During the stay-at-home recommendation we've missed being together for two birthdays and Mother’s Day for the first time ever. I have been striving to offset these disap- pointments with thankfulness that right now we are all well and are having our basic needs met. ALM: What changes have you had to do to operate your business? DP: To be honest I have not been able to operate my portrait business at all since March 13th. I have been filling in with addi- tions to my stock portfolio, adding more notecards and photogra- phy resources to my Etsy shop, and real estate photography. I am still not comfortable doing studio portraits at this time but have started to schedule some on-location outdoor sessions where we can maintain a safe distance and have the natural ventilation of the outdoors. I have worked withmy wedding couples to reschedule their weddings for late summer and we are all just hoping and praying for the best. n Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter JUNE/JULY 2020 21 Meet Some of the ALMetro360 Photographers E ACH ISSUE OF ALM ETRO 360 FEATURES SOME DAZZLING PHOTOGRAPHY . W E THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A TREAT FOR YOU TO MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND GET TO KNOW THEM . R EAD ABOUT TWO OF THEM AS THEY GIVE YOU A PEEK INTO THEIR WORLD THROUGH THEIR LENS .