Indianapolis photographer shares love of her business

by Joshua Palmer

Evelyn Plicner says she's been exposed to and interested in photography since she was child, learning the hobby from her father. After her desire to be an insurance claims adjuster faded after 30 years, she decided to develop her own business, Imagine That! Studio, in 1999. "Photography was what I knew and loved, so that's what I did," Plicner says

How has the advent of digital technology affected the way you do business?

"It certainly has improved photography quite a bit because we don't have to wait to process film — the photographer can see the photo immediately — so everything is a lot faster. We know right away if there are lighting issues or if a pose wasn't right. Instead of having to reschedule a photo shoot after the film came in like they did in the past, all we have to do is retake the photo right there. It's easier for the photographer and the client."

What are some of the tricks you use to get the best portraits of your clients?

"For babies, you have to shoot a lot of photos and have lots of things, like toys, to occupy them with. A lot of times, we'll have the parents standing right behind us to get their attention and make them smile. Parents always know best what makes their children smile or laugh. For older subjects, the trick to taking good portraits is having them relax and developing a rapport. The more you talk to the subject, the more they relax, and we get better photographs."

What's the most common photography mistake people make?

"The most common mistake is taking a photo with light coming from behind the subject. The camera's light meter will read all the light coming in, but it's not intelligent enough to illuminate the subject in the foreground. You'll get a great-looking background but your subject will be all shadows. To avoid this, you can change the orientation of the photograph, or use your flash, even outdoors. A lot of people think you can only use a flash when it's dark, but you can use it to fill in shadows or to fill in the back lighting of a photograph."

Do you have a favorite camera?

"I'm using a Nikon D200 right now. I'm very happy with it: it fits my hands; it has every bell and whistle I could possibly need; and it certainly gives my photos a very professional quality. All of my photographers are shooting with Nikons right now. If someone wants their photographs shot in film, we have a lot of medium-format film cameras and 35-millimeter Nikons we can use as well, but we haven't pulled those out and used them in quite a while."

Who's your favorite photographer?

"Annie Liebovitz. When you see her work, you can just tell it's an Annie Liebovitz photograph."

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