Dana Bartholomew is an award-winning photographer with a host of accolades and vast client roster to her credit, yet she’s continually honing her craft by studying the infinite ways natural and artifical light can illuminate her subjects and influence her images. She’s a lighting specialist and shoots an array of subject matter — from weddings and family portraits to engagement photos and, her favorite, posing women, which allows her subjects to come out of their shells and gain newfound confidence.

“While I can shoot natural light, I actually prefer to use artificial light in many situations, even outdoors,” Dana said. “I prefer not to be at the sun’s mercy when it comes to lighting at my portrait sessions, which also gives me the benefit of not being restricted to a certain time of day or place to hold sessions. While all photographers have preferences, utilizing artificial light gives me the ability to be more flexible with my photography and light my clients in a way that still looks very natural.”