About I Vanessa Houk Photography

Welcome! I hope this page allows you to learn a little about me and what makes my photography set apart from others in the industry.

LIGHTING IS THE DIFFERENCE
My journey as a professional photographer began in 2012 with family portraiture. I began shooting families and my own children in the mountains near Aspen, CO. The first few years I used exclusively natural light photography, a technique most photographers use. Natural lighting can create beautiful images, but you are limited in creativity, consistent quality and achieving even exposures of subject to the background is limited. Once I mastered this style of shooting, I got interested in learning more and I went to a few conferences & workshops and started fully incorporating flash into my all of my work in 2017. I now use off camera flashes with different modifiers at almost all portrait shoots and constant LED lights for headshot work. In 2019 I wanted to grow in my real estate & architectural photography, so I attended the first ever Photography for Real Estate Photographers conference in Las Vegas. I incorporate flash photography into my real estate & commercial business sessions as well.

POSING & ATMOSPHERE
I love making photography a positive experience for all involved. The most common compliment I get is from moms of senior boys who say, "that was actually fun." I move quickly and keep the atmosphere light and fun to capture unique expressions and sweet memories. We preview images as we go to buid confidence during the shoot. I always make sure my clients are satisfied about the session before we part ways.

STYLE
Each photographer has their own style and it's very important to find one that matches your taste! My website is very representative of all of the work I do. My photos are clean, sharp and colorful from portraits to real estate. I would say I do traditional posed portraits with a little splash of lifestyle action shots. My goal is to capture genuine expression and create images that will hang on the wall throughout the years.

I stand behind the consistency of my images and I am always happy to share my most recent albums from client shoots for perspective clients to see what I deliver.

EQUIPMENT
For all of you photo nerds out there, I shoot with a Canon 5d Mark IV. I'm not opposed to other brands and don't have super strong feelings to engage in the Nikon vs. Canon debate. What you start with is usually what you are loyal to. I have a variety of lenses from wide angle to macro to telephoto. I use Godox strobes and speedlights with a variety of modifiers including MagMod products, stripboxes, softboxes, beauty dishes & constant LED lights. For those wanting some creativity I have an array of colored gels I use for a splash of color or to modify sky colors at sunset.

ABOUT ME
I am officially half Texan half Coloradoan as I have spent my life in both. My husband and I have lived in Fort Collins since 2014 when we took over Fort Collins 4x4 Center on North College. We have 3 children. In our free time we love all things with water, outdoor activities, entertaining friends and family, serving at our kids school and various community organizations and Overland Church.