“Creating from the heart is a vulnerable thing, and putting our art out into the world day after day, year after year, can be tough,” D’Ann Boal tells us in an interview. “The constant comparisons on social media, rude comments from strangers, and the pressure to always stay inspired can take a toll. It requires a thick skin to keep going,” she adds. D’Ann is not the only photographer who has faced the double-edged sword called social media. But despite the hurdles, she channeled her negativity into creating magical portraits that depict the otherworldly beauty around us. She achieves this not through fancy equipment but rather a trait that seems to be elusive to many today. And, we will get to that in a minute.
All images are by D’Ann Boal. Used with permission. For more, visit her website or follow her on Instagram @smittenandswoon.
D’Ann Boal And Her Touch of Magic
A portrait photographer, D’Ann’s forte is ethereal and dreamy photographs of families, high school seniors, and newborns. While her setup includes in-studio portraits, her photographs at the foothills of Boulder, Colorado, are where the true charm comes alive. The lush landscapes and clear skies add meaningful layers to her portraits, and the artful use of the golden hour adds to the timeless quality. “The thing about a golden hour is the light separates our subject from the background in a golden glow that looks ethereal,” she reveals. As a result, one does not need props or elaborate clothing “to make an image feel magical.” And that is indeed true—her clients are seen donning simple yet compelling attires. “My photography goal is to capture feelings of warmth, love, magic, and connection, so when I shoot in backlight, the light has already done half the work for me,” she adds.
Another characteristic of her movie-esque stills is the use of clean, crisp compositions. Often, we forget the role frames play in photography, but not D’Ann. For her, the rule of thirds or center compositions works well, especially if she has elements to balance the frame. Similarly, layering the image with a foreground and a backdrop are other traditional techniques that hook a viewer in. “I appreciate rule-breaking compositional techniques in other photographers when I see them. But, for my style, I don’t like to chop limbs or crop uncomfortably,” she explains.
Where She Was Meant To Be
With a background in education, D’Ann Boal found photography when she was looking for a creative outlet following the birth of her son. “I was living on a small Caribbean island with my baby boy and a lot of free time. It [photography] gave me a sense of purpose during those early years of motherhood and helped me stay connected to family and friends back home,” she reflects back. Gradually, with more opportunities over the years, her hobby turned into a full-time career. “I realized that photography was the career path I was truly meant to be on,” she reveals.
However, one could say her journey truly came full circle when D’Ann began to teach the medium to others. She has conducted multiple workshops, sharing imaging techniques with thousands of impressionable minds. And now, this ability to give back has led her to be chosen as one of the Nikon Ambassadors. “This career has given me so much—an abundant life with creativity, freedom, and flexibility I could never have dreamed of,” she says. “Through education, I love to help others reach their photography dreams and cultivate a sense of community within the industry,” she adds. With Nikon’s platform, D’Ann aims to help other photographers by sharing her process and inspiration with the community.
The Crux of D’Ann’s Wonderful Craft
Once D’Ann receives a query from her clients, she devotes some time to explaining her approach to the medium. “It’s important for me to educate clients about my full-service studio experience, which includes in-person sales sessions. This helps ensure we’re a good fit from the start,” she states. When both parties reach a consensus, the photographer will discuss the client’s vision. “Sometimes, it’s as simple as meeting at a beautiful location during golden hour, with minimal discussion about wardrobe,” D’Ann says. However, at other times, she may take a hands-on approach to help them shape their vision.
The last—and the most influential—layer in creating spellbinding portraits is authenticity. Her genuineness is reflected in her images, which are characteristically unattainable in our digital-driven world. While everyone is chasing to produce an image that sells, D’Ann is focused on photographs created from a place of love. “I think when an artist is creating art from their heart—and not just what they think will perform well—you can feel an authenticity in it,” she explains. For D’Ann Boal, authenticity is not just about being true to herself but also to her clients, who are “investing in art to decorate their homes and heirlooms to pass down.”
Her trusted companions in all her endeavors are the Nikon Z8 and Z9. As for her lenses, she relies on the Z 135mm f1.8 S Plena, the Z 85mm f1.2 S, the Z 50mm f1.2 S, and the Z 24-70mm f2.8 S. Once she has the photographs, it can take anywhere between two and thirty minutes to edit. Some of the post-product processes may include the use of dodge and burn, correction of color tones, and adding warm overlays that she created.
Art Is An Extension of The Artist
One of the most debated topics today is the inclusion of artificial intelligence in the creative industry. In photography, too, some have embraced it the phenomenon, while others prefer to adhere to the original craft. D’Ann is of the latter opinion. “I try to keep my art ‘homemade’,” she says, adding that she aims to create images straight out of the camera. “This means bringing in off-camera flash so I don’t need such intense AI masks,” and ensuring the details have been captured while she is at the location and in-camera.
Another aspect is the photographer’s experience. “We can feel it when a piece of art from any medium is created from the artist’s heart. It’s often intangible and difficult to name, but art created with AI lacks the pain, joy, profound love, grit, creativity, planning, and wisdom that the human heart brings to any form of art,” she adds.
As a parting gift, D’Ann shares a few pearls of wisdom for our young readers. “We grow and learn and evolve with every photo we take,” she reminds them. “Ultimately, becoming a better photographer is a simple matter of math: The more photos you take, the better you’ll become. It’s a continuous journey, and the learning never ends.”
D’Ann Boal’s portraits appear as moments plucked from a ‘happy ever after’ in fairytales. The use of vast landscapes, in some ways, also underlines the importance of harmony with nature. But above all, she reminds us of the significance of being true to ourselves and how our “humanness” and “struggles” make our photographs even more worthwhile.
AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT
The Phoblographer works with human photographers to verify that they’ve actually created their work through shoots. These are done by providing us assets such as BTS captures, screenshots of post-production, extra photos from the shoot, etc. We do this to help our readers realize that this is authentically human work. Here’s what this photographer provided for us.
