Carolyn Bates Is A Big, Fat Liar
 
As a professional actor, I have a couple decades’ worth of experience getting my picture taken.  And as the daughter of an Ansel Adams-type landscape photographer, I have a lifetime’s experience posing for a guy who could make a pile of rocks look sexy, but make a sexy person look like a pile of rocks.
 
The best advice I ever got about living on the lens side of the camera came from the first headshot photographer I ever worked with – a guy in Seattle named Gary who said, “The camera always lies.  You just have to get it to lie in your direction.”
 
It’s true!  We all know it is.  And we all know that the camera usually lies in the wrong direction.  How many times have you looked at a photo and said, “I couldn’t possibly look like that! Could I???”
 
The challenge is in trying to distill a living, breathing, dynamic, ever-changing human being down to a single image which best represents the fullest essence of who they are.  How do you do that?  How do you communicate the richness, depth, and brilliance of a person in what amounts to a glance?  How do you lie in exactly the right direction?
 
I have no idea.  But Carolyn Bates does.  Somehow, she’s got the perfect combination of technical know-how, artistic vision, and psychological insight.  She can set up the conditions for your best self to come forward.  And then, when that best self does show up – in a moment which lasts no longer than the width of a hair – Carolyn can capture it beautifully.
 
Is she lying?  Or is she just telling the most inspiring version of the truth?  Give her a try and find out.

-Kathryn Blume, Creative Roustabout
 Read more about Kathryn in the Professional Directory

"...People cannot say enough wonderful things about the pics on my website.  Including those who are not able to find availability." 

-Maggie Sherman, One Of A Kind Bed & Breakfast

"I love the picture of the bed with the covers all strewn about, for some reason that makes it look like home...."

- By someone who decided that this was the right B&B for her to stay at, because of this photo.
Photo for One Of A Kind Bed & Breakfast
 

"You were simply fantastic yesterday!  Not only were Newton's pictures really great but he loved handling the equipment for the setup and takedown. He loves doing stuff like that! Thanks again for fitting us in on such short notice.  He is handing his pics in this am. They are really great! Thanks." 

- Linda Hausermann

Excerpts from a letter regarding the book of her garden Six Chimneys. She won the idea by buying a raffle ticket at the Flynn Garden Tour where we raised over $20,000 for children's classes held at the Flynn Center.

"Your book arrived a few days ago...I was struck not only by the amazing color in the photos but particularly how they illustrated what an "artist's eye" you have with a camera.  The colors are so luch and the composition is just exquisite. And thank you for including a shot of our Pamela!

It must have been a real job of work to cull through all of the pictures you took, decide which you wanted to include and then format the book.  You did succeed brilliantly.

We both feel so fortunate that we got to be ther lucky recipients of your very generous donation to the Flynn Garden tour.  We'll treasure our book forever and will certainly get the word out to all we know about your e xceptional work.

Thank you so much, Carolyn, for all the time and trouble you took to create our beautiful book.  We are most  grateful."

- Bonnie Reid Martin, October 12, 2009

"Wow!  Those are fantastic photos.  Kudos Carolyn..."

Chris Kesler, President, Earthlogic, Inc.

"I'm letting you know how much...Ben is enjoying showing off the book.  In fact we just showed a school friend this morning!  It is GORGEOUS! ..."

Valerie, March 1, 2010

Read more about what people are saying about Carolyn's work