Rangefinder Magazine
March 2005

Click Here for printable version of this article.

Profile: Diane Miller by Stephanie Boozer
Capturing What Words Cannot Express

Life. Death. Love. Loss. Diana Miller has seen it all. Flying with doctors to pick up sick and injured babies, Diana Miller witnessed firsthand those defining moments where every second counts. Formerly a nurse, Miller is no stranger to stressful environments. When you literally don’t have a moment to lose, you learn to keep your wits about you and get the job done. Maybe that’s why she feels so at home shooting weddings. Everyone knows that weddings are paradoxically a time of bliss and stress. The flowers aren’t right, or the cake is late, or one of the umpteen-million things that can go wrong has done exactly that. But in the end, weddings are about the union of two people—two lovers willing to pledge themselves to each other for eternity. (Well, that’s what we hope they’re about, anyway.) At least, that’s what Miller sees through her lens. And she captures those moments like it’s second nature.

“When babies were very sick,” says Miller about her days as a nurse, “I had to go in and talk to the moms and keep them calm. I had to diffuse their emotions with a lot of listening. I use a lot of those same skills to manage a wedding.”

Miller’s calm demeanor instantly sets brides and their families at ease. She usually admits up front that there will be some glitches in the wedding, and tries to make the bride understand, “Hey, it’s going to happen, so just calm down and deal with it.” Almost every wedding photographer has had a “Bridezilla” to contend with, but Miller isn’t afraid one bit. It’s almost as if the potential challenge is the draw. She thrives on weddings and births, those life-changing events that are so impactful that only a photograph can really convey the emotion.

“A wedding can sometimes be like a mini-emergency situation,” says Miller. “There are all of these really high emotions. The family is stressed out, and the bride thinks even the smallest detail is like a life or death situation. This is nothing compared to what I’ve seen in the trauma unit, so I’m able to connect very well with my clients because I really feel like I’ve seen just about everything.”

Because Miller understands that brides are complex individuals with a lot of ideas about their wedding day, her shooting style ranges from traditional to documentary, depending on the taste of the bride. So many brides want traditional photographs to please their families, yet they also crave edgier, documentary images for themselves. And while some photographers disdain crossing over shooting styles, Miller says, “Bring it on.” She likes to please her clients, and she never disappoints.

“Most of my brides do want some posed formals,” explains Miller. “I get through those, and then move on to more fun shooting.”

Miller does set up some of her candid shots, essentially giving them a much looser style than the more formal portraits.

“I like to have fun with the wedding party—come up with scenarios or give them ideas to play around with. For example I tell them to pretend they are Calvin Klein models in NYC,” says Miller. “I say, ‘You’re pissed off. You’re starving. All you do is drink coffee and smoke cigarettes.’ They give me some attitude, and then we get these very cool pictures.”

Miller also mixes it up by shouting, “Now everyone hurry up and switch!” right after a posed picture. Or, she’ll ask them to strike a pose and switch again.

“I like to call it controlled spontaneity,” she says.

Based in Citrus Heights, a community in northern California, Miller has been shooting weddings since 1993. But her real interest in photography began much earlier, when she received her first instamatic camera at the age of 10. She was a fanatic with the camera from that point on, taking classes in high school, and snapping pictures of anything that would sit still long enough for her to press the shutter button. She even got accepted to an art school in Pittsburgh, but she reconsidered for a medical career.

Initially working as an EMT/Firefighter, Miller soon discovered that the mental and physical demands were high, much higher than the salary could really compensate for. Opting to increase her expertise and seek a more lucrative position, she became a registered nurse (RN).

Though her day job was nursing, Miller’s camera didn’t just sit on a shelf and collect dust. She continued to pursue her love of photography, and increased her technical knowledge with photography classes. Eventually relocating from Pennsylvania to the West Coast, Miller worked as a RN in trauma and neo-natal intensive care units. After the birth of her daughter, Miller was still working 12-hour shifts at the university hospital. She brought in some pictures she’d taken of her new baby, which sparked interest among her coworkers.

“All of a sudden, people started asking me to photograph their children,” she says. “I didn’t really know what I was doing. I hung up a white sheet and a couple of hot lights, which is really pretty funny in retrospect.”

But, she produced pictures that her clients were happy with and kept learning as she went. Miller signed up for photography classes whenever she could, and before she knew it, was shooting enough film to consider it part-time work.

“My skills kept building, and I found I had a good eye for composition from all of my classes and from studying art books,” she says.

Having spent so much time with babies, Miller found it easy to build a rapport with them and get good expressions for the camera. And her business kept growing and growing. Finally, in November 1998, after a second child and feeling overworked as a nurse (thanks to HMO pressures and faster turnarounds with patients), Miller stepped out on her own. Though her house was relatively small, Miller ran her business from it, seeing clients in her living room. She soon learned to use nearly every inch of that house as a backdrop, and eventually converted her garage into a working office.

Almost a year and a half ago, Miller moved into a larger house with a separate studio apartment for her business, thanks to a groom and client who was in real estate. Located on nearly an acre with a creek and a lot of oak trees, Miller couldn’t be happier with her new digs. The separation between home and office also took away the worry that one of her children would run through the room without a moment’s notice. Miller completely renovated the studio, putting in hardwood floors and a more modern design aesthetic. (What, smoke glass mirrors and shag carpeting are not appealing to clients anymore?) She now has two office employees and two wedding assistants to help her manage her growing business, which spread quickly just by word of mouth.

“The harder you work, the more you get out of your business, and the more you put into it, the more money you make,” says Miller, who’s been a member of PPA for 10 years (serving as the California division’s president in 2004), and has an active membership in WPPI as well. “You only get small raises in a normal job. In this business, you get what you put into it, and just keep growing.”

Miller spends a lot of time with her brides, typically meeting them at the salon on their big day and documenting just about every little thing.

“I’m very particular about the whole plan of attack,” explains Miller. “I spend a lot of time in preparation.

From my nursing background, I set up a plan, I implement the plan, then evaluate and learn from it.”
Miller supplies a large engagement portrait of the couple at the wedding, matted and framed on a wrought iron easel. Guests can sign the mat, and the couple has a personal reminder of who was there.

Miller also provides what she calls “mini billboards,” letting the couple pick out a favorite engagement or bridal photo to print on a wallet-sized photo with her name and contact information, perfect for handing out to guests.

“I give my brides a lot,” says Miller. “I want them to be happy. When I first meet with a bride, I give her a glossy packet with my price lists, wedding day tips, a ‘don’t forget’ list, VIP list, vendors names and a beautiful certificate titled, ‘Ten Rules to a Happy Marriage.’ I also give them a gift for booking with me, and always send out thank you notes and follow-up cards with all the clients I meet.”

Miller shoots currently with the Canon EOS 20D and EOS 3 cameras and a wide range of Canon lenses. Though she initially shot mainly with film, she’s overcome the learning curve and adopted an efficient digital workflow.

“I still shoot film for some formals,” says Miller. “With film I still like the control over highlights. I also offer infrared and cross-processing, and shoot a lot of high-speed black and white. I still think film looks better for these specialized things.”

Her flexibility, creativity and cool head in stressful situations keeps her clients coming back, and telling their friends.

Miller stays current by attending a monthly mixer with other wedding professionals in town. She also supplies hotels, bridal salons, florists and other vendors with sample albums and framed portraits for their businesses. “Networking is free advertising,” she says. “The more you hear a name, the better you assume it is. People talking about you from the heart is something you just can’t pay for.”

And that’s exactly what happens, as several of Miller’s clients have broken down into tears while reviewing their proofs, seeing all of the intimate moments that passed so quickly during their special day.

While Miller loves shooting weddings and enjoys the fruits of her labor, she’s also decided to give a little something back. She started a program to photograph sick babies either in the hospital or home, some who might otherwise have never been photographed. She made up some flyers and took them to local hospitals and agencies. Because some babies sadly end up dying, the parents now at least have a beautiful photograph to commemorate their child.

One of her most memorable portraits is “Daddy’s Girl,” made of a baby girl born at 27 weeks. The portrait was made in the neonatal ICU when the infant was about four months old. It was the first time her dad could hold her without her being hooked up to IVs and feeding tubes, and Miller was there to capture the moment. Unfortunately, the baby did not survive after she went home but the parents have her portrait to remember her by. A framed copy also hangs in the neo-natal unit. The image also made the cover of a neo-natal trade magazine, and was named “Image of the Year 1999” for the Professional Photographers of Sacramento Valley. The experience sparked Miller’s volunteer efforts, and she continues to photograph chronically ill children and babies, at no charge.

“I love what I do, and thank God for all of the blessings in my life” says Miller. “I live by the Golden Rule, and treat people how I want to be treated It’s a privilege to share in a bride’s wedding day and to be able to provide people with this service. Not too many people can do that.”

Stephanie Boozer is a freelance writer and fine art photographer living in Atlanta, Georgia. Her work has been published in Rangefinder magazine, on The Imaging Resource web site, and on America Online’s Digital City web sites.