Guess what!! This month is my one year "anniversary!" I'm so excited! In my personal life, I love to look back at my last year's calendar and journal to reminisce. I just can't help but being sappy and sentimental. Now that I'm looking back on my photography, there are three things that stand out about the year: the things I've learned technically about photography, the wonderful people I've met, and the funny things about how awkward I was (and still am) about getting started: things like not directing my clients into poses and just lingering on the sidewalk for an entire hour long session while my clients repeatedly said "Just tell us what you want us to do...." But I was too chicken to be any kind of assertive, so I just replied, "Oh, ya'll are doing great!"
Terrible client interaction on my part, but I did get a few nice shots during the session.... Here's one.
And there are times I didn't pay attention to little things like file size translating to print size when I had to completely reformat, and in some cases redesign, all of the Christmas cards and collages I offered. Some of those are downright embarrassing, and I actually saw the poor sidewalk lady, Jamie Tessier, in Barnes and Noble a couple of months ago and literally hid behind a bookshelf to avoid making eye contact. Luckily, she wasn't interested in the "Classics" section.
I'm just kidding. I'm not as chicken now, so I said hi to her and she was really nice. Embarrassing or not, I'm so thankful that I've been learning and getting some kinks worked out. I definitely have a much more solid service and product to offer than I did a year ago, and it's because of those little embarrassing mistakes that I've determined to keep learning and improving my image quality and my professionalism.
There are obviously a ton of people I have to thank for this past year: Choices Pregnancy Resource Center for giving me by very first photography opportunity by allowing me to photograph their Walk for Life (man, I was so nervous!)
www.choicesprcnow.com
Mychelle Pinkerton, who, although she may not know it, referred my first actual client and bride, Shaina Ramsey to me. And the sweet thing is still telling her friends about me. Gotta love that word of mouth! Thank you to all of you who recommend me to your friends!
Shaina Russell, the beautiful bride who took a chance with a first-time photographer (man, I was so nervous for that too!) And of course, my other two brides took a chance with a not-so experienced photographer recording their very important day, so thank you to Megan Lawrence and Cassie Combs too! I'll always have a special place in my memory and my heart for my first brides!
Kendall Eringman, my bestie, just for general support, encouragement and always being a listening ear. She for real always does that for me though. That's why she's the best. Pretty much no one can even come close.
Of course, I have to thank all my clients!
Especially the ones who have been so patient and understanding when I make a mistake here or there. Lauren Caldwell (now I know my ISO limits. This was really a matter of style choice, I'm not a fan of grain, although it's not technically a no-no), Cheri Odom, (the Christmas card fiasco) and the most understanding Ingle Family (I tried to get away with a slower shutter speed while the kids were running around. No way. Now my limit is 300. Good to know.)
Also, the clients who have already come back for another session! Believe it or not, the Ingles are also in this category, which is why they win "most understanding." Also, this little beauty, Gracie Reid, who was one of my first sessions last summer and then came back for a Spring Mini Session. And I'm looking forward to photographing her new little brother any day now! It feels so good to know that a client is not only happy with my work, but happy enough to hire me again.
I'm using the excuse that this was taken by my husband and with an iphone to explain the poor picture quality. I just love his expression, though. Can't you tell just how happy he is to be with me?
Last year, I did 30 sessions and 3 weddings. Nice numbers, I think! I know that I could be the most awesome photographer in the world, but without good marketing and business planning, I wouldn't have any business, so I'm super thankful for my sweet husband who is always there to answer my "business" questions with his savvy MBA self. He also lets my use my photography money for whatever I want, even if that's buying myself thirteen cheap, colorful bracelets off of eBay. Yeah, I did that. This post is turning out to be embarrassing in all kinds of ways! He helps calm my nerves before a session and tells me that I'm a good photographer when he knows I need to hear it. He's also making me dinner as I type this. I couldn't have made it through this first year without him. He's a one of kind gift from God, made so very especially just for me and he's just downright awesome .
He probably got a lot of his awesome-ness through his genes, because his mother is also pretty great. She and and my father-in-law were visiting us for a weekend and sleeping on an air mattress in our spare bedroom. That should be enough evidence of her greatness for ya right there. Air mattresses are terrible, aren't they? I remember laying on that wobbly mattress with her and daydreaming out loud about starting a photography business. I could pretty much still be a "stay at home mom," I think I'd be at least OK at it, I can start out slowly since we're used to a single-income, so there'd be no pressure, and I have something "for me" (a rarity as a mother of a one-year old) that I would really enjoy, and it'd probably be a lot more profitable than selling my paintings (which was a total bust and LOT of hard work), etc, etc. Of course, just as she always does, she completely agreed with every single word I said and gave even more encouragement: "Oh, yeah! You'd be really good at that! Really." Only I didn't have a camera. I was just daydreaming. Just a few weeks later, she took her Canon 20D to be be professionally cleaned, loaded it in the giant camera bag with all the lenses, extra batteries, filters and memory cards she had, which was a lot, and has been letting me borrow it ever since.
What. A. Blessing.
I'd still be only daydreaming if it wasn't for her.
She looks really happy in this picture because she's got her granddaughter in her lap. Which is also probably the real reason she was so willing to sleep on an air mattress.
I saved the best one for the end. Thank you, Lord God, for giving me dreams to daydream, ability and drive to learn, talents and passion, showing me how how to worship you in everything and bringing amazing clients and opportunities to me. I want everything I do to be for You.
I thought about writing about all the technical things I've learned along the way, but there's already TONS of information out there for beginning, mediocre and even pro level photographers, and it would just be kinda boring anyway, so if you're interested, here are some of my favorite resources:
http://digital-photography-school.com/ and
http://improvephotography.com/. Also, just read your camera manual!!! It won't take that long and it's actually pretty easy to understand. I also subscribe to a bunch of other photography companies' blogs or "like" them on Facebook so that I can constantly be seeing images and gleaning inspiration for poses, lighting, locations, and even marketing ideas as well as seeing things that I don't like for a little "what not to do." Hopefully, I'll also soon be second-shooting or assisting other area photographers for a little mentoring. So, if you want to learn, there are plenty of resources out there!
So, since it's been a year, I thought a celebration would be in order... stay tuned for a BIG giveaway coming up soon!!!
Thank you all again for an absolutely wonderful first year, for enabling me to do what I love, and for letting me get a little reminiscing going.
Anything you guys liked about the past year? Anything you've learned? Anyone special to be thankful for?
