POULSBO — With the photographic artists of Art & Soul, a family portrait isn’t just a big event for those getting their picture taken, it’s a family affair for the photographers, too.
The Chidester family, Rik and Jan and their children Hannah, 20, and Caleb, 17, make up Art & Soul, a local photography business that is producing top quality portraiture. Their work can be seen at local creative gathering spots, such as Hot Shots Java and Finn Hill Java in Poulsbo and Mills Music and Meatlocker Recording Studios in Silverdale.
The family shoots weddings, anniversaries, parties, senior high school pictures, corporate events, conventions, elementary schools and portraits. On the job, everyone has their respective duties: Hannah takes the journalism-like candid shots, capturing the small details; Rik shoots the formal portraiture or group pictures; Jan directs the different types of poses; and Caleb is the equipment grip. When Hannah is taking pictures, Rik will also step in and help with the lighting and take light readings.
“We balance each other out nicely,” Jan said.
“I’m more traditional wedding photography,” Rik added. “(Hannah’s) what we call out of the box.”
However, both Rik and Hannah both share the same feeling when it comes to clicking the shutter — the skip of a heartbeat when they know they have captured the perfect shot.
“It’s cool, we both feel the same thing when we take a shot,” Hannah said.
“I just feed off it,” Jan added. “I love being a part of the creative process.”
They primarily use black and white film but will shoot color if requested. Some 98 percent of their clients ask for black and white anyway because of its creative look, Jan said. The film is then sent to Seattle for professional development.
The family photography bug started with Rik during his time in the Air Force from 1968-72. After being working as photographer for the base newspaper, he tried breaking into the photojournalism industry in newspapers in California but found it extremely difficult. While Rik never got into it professionally, he still dabbled in the art as a serious amateur, which inherently was passed on to Hannah.
“My daughter, she just naturally inherited her father’s eye,” Jan said.
The young photographer initially studied music at Olympic College in Bremerton but something kept drawing her back to the art of portraiture.
“Photography has always been in the family,” Hannah said. “I took some classes at OC to get the math in it.”
She said she realized her potential after seeing an exhibit in Seattle featuring the work of famous celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. Looking at Leibovitz’s work on the walls, Hannah noticed she had a style similar to the famous photographer.
“Why can’t I have my pictures like that on the wall?” Hannah said.
While she and Rik are the primary photographers for Art & Soul, she hopes to become a full time photographer in the music scene.
Future plans for the family include attaining a studio space that isn’t in their home, where they currently shoot. They can convert their living room into a professional studio within minutes.
The business’ unique angle is having several people doing the photography versus just one person trying to do it all. With Rik and Hannah’s distinct styles and Jan’s organization, the family can really put an artistic twist on an event.
“That’s what’s good about us,” Jan said. “We get the best of both worlds.”
