{About Me}

69bbce7b193543ceaa4d6fd83d718711_7 I’m an imaginative, fresh, inspired photographer with a passion for beautiful portraits. I own Gracie May Photography in Hampshire, England.

I’m also a blogger. Yes, that’s right…blogging is a proper job! I also guest post on DPS and I write articles for a Canon magazine and I’m the Q&A gal in CHIC magazine for women photographers. I don’t use mumbo-jumbo technobabble and I don’t think I’m the master of anything. I just share what I know with you fine people.

I am, regrettably, a bit addicted to social media. LOVE twitter and have a constant connection to Facebook wherever I am.

I grew up in Florida where I was home educated for my entire schooling career. I began my photographic education as a makeup artist. Attending many TV tapings and photo shoots, I always had one eye on the face, one eye on the photographer.

I am ALWAYS thinking about photography. It never ends. My brain takes shapshots everywhere I go and because of this, I have a very keen photographic memory. This comes in to play often when my husband can’t find something and I can tell him precisely where I last saw it, even if it was months ago!

I love to ‘stick it to the man’ and never ever do something because it’s popular. For example, I got rid of our TV just so I could stop paying the BBC TV license. THAT’LL show ‘em!

My photographic passion is people. My favourite thing about people is their hands and I particularly love photographing children in a natural environment.

What else could you possibly want to know? Get in touch – I love hearing from my readers!

grace

Dima

Hi Elizabeth,
I found your six tips for photographing large people on the Digital Photography School website very informative and timely. I don’t know much about photography myself but I have been observing how large people are depicted in news photographs and also reading some guidelines of the Rudd Center for photographing large people …. Rudd Center’s guidelines are more related to context, and how to avoid stereotyping contexts … so I just wanted to say thank you as I found that your post is incredibly helpful in discussing camera angle and in fact one of the very very few discussing camera angle
Best wishes
Dima
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=836488492 Lauren Bryson

I just found your blog by doing a search for posing large people and I’m so glad yours popped up!! Love how transparent you seem and how you bring fun into what you are writing about. I grew up in Florida too, near Orlando. But now I live in Kentucky . I’m looking to reading your blog more!
Rhonda Fenby-Morse

*hanging my head in shame*

Had I read this page first…rather than the several hundred…possibly thousand other posts by you…I probably would have already known you were born and raised in sunny Florida, USA…..oh my now today I viewed a video for the first time and I have rewire my brain to adapt….YOU DON’T HAVE A PROPER ENGLISH ACCENT….you have a normal American Accent…not even Southern American…thought I would share that today(:
Michelle

Thank you Elizabeth, i’m so thankful to have stumbled upon your blog. Speaking of blogs, do you find any profit in blogging? Cannot wait to keep following your work and blog. Cheers!
Ana Isabel Antunez

You have a new fan/student! across all the ocean..Honduras Central America, Hope to learn a lot with your blog!!!! Thanks
http://www.elizabethhouse.us Elizabeth

Hi Elizabeth,
I just discovered you…not sure how…a lot of clicks here and there, and here I am! But I am so happy to have found you and can’t wait to read up on your blog. So informative and real.

Thanks again for sharing. We have photography and our names in common :-)
Elizabeth
elizabeth henningsen

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!! As a new photographer and someone trying to navigate through this sometimes very intimidating profession your blogs calm me. Every post you have always seems to come right when I need it! Keep up the good work!!!

Thank you!!
Amberjphoto

found ur blog on pinterest. Thanks for sharing!! love it :)
amberphoto
http://www.flickr.com/photos/koreen_photography/ koreen

Thank you for your candid thoughts. I’m enjoying reading your posts, and feel much assured that I can really do this! You have the gift of encouragement. Thank you for that!
Naghshavar

Hello your works is very nice & Ilike to see more than of new works . thanks – Ashrafi.
Carolina

Elizabeth,
Just wanted to let you know that have been so inspired by your photograpy.
I am coming back to photograpny myself, have some knowledge of it.
Love your work, and thank you for helping out with your videos and how you share and inspire people with what you do.
God Bless!

Carolina
meming alejo

Hi Elizabeth! Just wanted you to know ever since I stumbled upon your blog, I am so inlove, you have filled me tons of inspirations and knowledge on top of that! I’ve been idle lately and so far have not touched every creative ideas I have in mind with my camera. With your blog and your website, it gave me hope and it did gave me motivation to not to stop making photographs. Thank you..from the bottom core of my heart. Best of all your endeavors, will be following your lovely blog!
Valaric

I am striving to become a “professional” photographer at the age of 49. I’m very excited about finding your blog and all the neat lessons you have to teach. Thank you!
C Isenia

Elizabeth congrats with your great blog. In a few days I´ve learn so much. Thank you very much. Cainva
Annmarie

Just found you through DPS and love this blog!

Couple of questions? Do you shoot in B&W or everything in color and transpose the shots to B&W after the fact?

And do you shoot in RAW format or JPEG or does it depend?
elizabethhalford

Hello! I photograph in RAW and do all my editing by hand. You can search for posts on jpeg vs raw in my search bar :)
Shagun Ohri

Finding your blog through your article in DPS was a blessing :)

All that I ever wanted to know, “in simple language”, you’ve got it all here :)
Thankyou so much :D

-Shagun
Martina Bee

Hi Elizabeth,

I saw your videos on the ‘Pretty Presets’ website and was so impressed and inspired; I looked up your blog! I can’t believe how much of what you say I can relate to! I am in the very early stages of learning but i can’t stop thinking about photography, I think I was born to do this! :) Looking forward to following you! (sounds weird, but you know what i mean!)
Jess

Elizabeth,
I recently found you through a link on Pinterest and I’m so glad that I did. I appreciate all of the videos on starting a business and how to know when you’re ready to be a “professional.” You’ve made me ask some hard questions about my own budding business and set a higher standard. Thank you for that. Your work is lovely, by the way. I love it!
-Jess
Walkerhouse1

what state do you do pictures in?
Carolina

Hey Elizabeth, I had just finished watching your video about your eye. And let me just let you know that was very courageous of you. I admire you for that, and really want to say God Bless you for blessing us photographers no matter in what level we are., with your advice, and videos, and just being a true inspiration.
I officially started “back” on photography myself since the beggining of this year, been doing a little bit of everything, really trying to find what I want to specialize in…As I get in more and more into photography, I can really say that is something I love doing.
I’ve been going nuts with Ideas going thru my head, that i know I have to take it slow, Dont know if you have gone thru something like that?! HAHAhah.
Anyways, Thank you so much for your help thru this blog and letting us viwers/photographers be a part of it!
Kelly

I absolutely LOVE you and all you have to offer with photography! I am starting off small, but have been taking pics for 16 years and never have I learned so much about the marketing/business part than from you! Thank you SO much! I actually feel confident that I can do this! You are my inspiration!
Tara

Hi Elizabeth,

You are SO awesome! Your videos and blog have helped me with my photography beyond measure- can’t thank you enough!! I have a 50d but I never had the confidence to shoot manual before. You’ve inspired me and revolutionized my photography! THANK YOU!

(And, as an American -SC, y’all- who has live in England -Shropshire- for years, I LOVE that you got rid of your TV! BBC??? Whatever!)

Tara x
Harry Radford

I just found your site yesterday Elizabeth… Where have you been for the last 3 years of my life :) x Love your work and your posts… Keep them coming
Angela K

hi Elizabeth! I just started reading your blog recently, and I love the professional advice you give. The business end was making me lose my passion, but I think your advice could help bring my spark back! After reading your blog about doing away with Sneak Peaks and online galleries, i changed my contract and ordering structure. Clients now will have to make an appointment to view there images! I just finished my first photo shoot since starting this new rule, so wish me luck! I look forward to reading further blogs from you, and seeing what you come up with next. Thank you!
Chris

I would like to know how blogging is a proper job, can you please explain it ?
Jane

Thank you Elizabeth, I can finally use brushes in LR!!!! you made this so simple and easy to follow and I love that you say what you are doing at every next step – thank you x
Richard

just found your blog a few weeks ago…and cant stop going back to it to see all the past blogs…i am normally a blog reader for photo, and have 1 that i follow religiously. that said, that is now 2 blogs that i follow religiously…

great work. i wish i was in the area and would love to have received some tutorial services from you.
http://www.facebook.com/Arnab.daGamer Arnab Choudhury

Hi! I’m just a amateur photographer. I live in India. Photography has always been my hobbies since i was a like 10 years old. I found your website really helpful i hope you’ll continue to provide us with such good and helpful articles.
The girl with the weird eyes.

Hello Elizabeth,
I found your blog through your pitosis video while looking up surgery options and I wanted to say I know EXACTLY how you feel. I have pitosis in the same eye as you about the same amount and in my right eye I have strabismus which basically means a lazy eye. I wasn’t technically born with it. The strabismus appeared when I was 6 months old and I acquired the pitosis from over use of the muscle in my other eye. I’ve had 3 surgeries for the strabismus but all have failed and the doctors say they’ve run out of options, so I figured I’ll just deal with it and try to fix the pitosis. I would really like to hear about your personal experiences with the surgery. It would be very appreciated. :)

<3 Taylor Thompson

(P.S. Your photography is beautiful.)
elizabethhalford

Oh wow your left eye looks lots like mine! I had (I think?) 4 surgeries and in the end, it opened a few mm’s but I would definitely never go through all that again for the result I got. I had my adult surgeries fully awake – you really shouldn’t sleep through them. And honeslty, it wasn’t a good experience. I’ve never felt so vulnerable. Your eye look in such good shape! Just a wee little bit droopy to me. But I know how it feels to think that it’s way worse than it really is :) You have to do what you think will make you happy.