Be Inspired

Lately I have been contemplating my blog and deciding if it should be my business only or business and personal blog. Obviously this blog is mainly for my photography, but what would my photography be without my personality? Part of what sells a photographer to their clients is the way they present themselves and form relationships with people. I would like to think that my clients feel comfortable in front of my lens because I make them feel that way. Rarely do I ever get clients who are born-to-be-models and are super comfortable from the get go. I love to get that crazy side of my clients; the side that others rarely get to see. So, needless to say I’ve decided to post a little more personal blogs on here and I hope you all don’t get too bored. 

 

My first real personal post is also business related. I am always trying to find new forums, networking events, workshops (Love Affair!), and anything new to help myself grow as a photographer and business owner. A couple of people had told me about this event called CreativeLIVE with Chase Jarvis and Jasmine Star. It is a 4 day event that is broadcast online. Jasmine Star, who is beyond talented, is allowing a camera crew to follow her during a wedding to demonstrate her shooting and personal style on the day of. She is also showing photographers how she prepares and finishes a full wedding. I have been watching a couple hours of this broadcast and I’m already inspired and motivated to change the way I do some things in my photographs and business. Jasmine has opened herself up to ANY questions and that is very hard to find in successful photographers. Some photographers who “make it big” are not the first to reveal their secrets and tips, but Jasmine does. I find people like her, photographers or not, inspiring. She realizes that she has worked hard for what she has and where she is, and is still willing to help out those who are in the shoes she stood in a few years ago. 

 

There is a quote from her webcast that really stood with me. The quote is, “I was shooting the proverbial t-ball wedding”. Yes, it doesn’t make sense now so let me explain. There is a story about a man who would give anything to photograph the World Series. The only problem is, he couldn’t get noticed enough to get to there. He was stuck shooting t-ball games. After a long time of shooting t-ball games for exactly what they are, he realized that to get to the big leagues you have to play ball as if you are already there. So, finally, he began to photograph these small kids playing t-ball as if he were photographing the world’s greatest baseball players in the World Series. Suddenly, the big leagues were noticing his work, and he got to shoot the World Series. The moral of this story for wedding photography is to photograph each wedding as if were the most influential celebrity and designed by the world’s best designers. Jasmine’s story was about a wedding she photographed in a dark, unflattering church. She realized that just because the church itself was not the prettiest to look at, the photos didn’t have to be. Something in her switched and she began to photograph that ceremony as if it were in the most luxurious church in the whole world. The photos stopped traffic because instead of concentrating on the look of the church, she concentrated on the emotion of the couple. I think this is something extremely important in photography, and especially wedding photography. The day and photographs are not about how pretty the church and reception are. The day is about the emotional connection between the two individuals committing themselves to one another. All wedding photographers need to photograph each wedding without regard to the aesthetic properties of the surroundings.

 

I’m so excited for this new beginning in my business, and in my life. I’m attending an incredible workshop in three weeks called the Love Affair Workshop, and I cannot be more excited. Then it’s off to Santa Fe to photograph a dear friends wedding, and right back home for more wedding excitement! The next month is going to be crazy, exciting, tough, stressful, but most of all I know I will learn so many new things. Can’t wait and I’ll be sure to keep you all updated J