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my life
Well... hasn't this summer just flown by? I was looking forward to it for so long, that when it finally got here, it seemed unreal. Then it went by so quickly it still feels pretty dreamlike. The fact that it snowed the other day has sort of brought me back to "reality". This is what I woke up to a few mornings ago:
Isn't this an incredible place?
This past weekend, I was at the Heart of the Rockies bridal show at the Salida Steamplant. I love the bridal shows there because they're small, mellow, intimate, and give me a chance to talk to EVERYONE! :) I hung out with so many fun vendors and lovely brides and had a great time! Here are a few shots from the day:
I was obsessed with the flowers at my display - heather, blush ranuculus, and berries - that Lorrie at Mountain Meadows provided for me!
My brochures:
Love's Bridal put on a fashion show to display some of their gowns, and I caught this shot on the left as one of the models walked through a pool of light. For the shot on the right, I borrowed Jennifer from Moonstone Retreat Center's rings - they're a brand new venue in Salida and I can't wait to check them out! ( I think the website isn't up yet)
It's possible I ate most of the sushi boat that Eddie from The Asian Palate brought. If you want the most amazing sushi and Asian food for your wedding, Eddie is The One to talk to. Seriously.
Beautiful table display from Antero Event Rental
I always love the flowers from Mountain Meadows! Aren't those orange slices fun?
Dave Tipton is an amazing wedding musician - he plays an instrument called the Chapman Stick, which sounds like an acoustic guitar and a bass guitar at the same time:
The ladies from Wild Horses Salon took care of the models' updos and nails:
Enchanted Strings & more flowers from Mountain Meadows:
If you're a local vendor, or a bride getting married anywhere, come join us for the next bridal show at the Steamplant on March 13th!
When I first started my business three years ago, I had NO idea what I was doing. The Cedar House studio had been around for many years and changed ownership a few times, and I was flattered but totally terrified when the owner offered to sell the business to me. Thankfully, she was kind enough to walk me through the paces, answer tons of my questions and share her business experiences with me. I had never run a business before or even really established a personal budget. I was (and still am!) so grateful for all the help and advice I received while getting started, but I was so worried about doing things the "wrong way" - paperwork, shooting, posing, post-processing, everything! - that I relied entirely on the previous owners' experiences and advice without figuring out what worked best for me. Actually, it took me about a year and a half of business ownership before I started coming into my own and reassessing what sort of business I wanted to run and what my style was. Because of this, I joke that I've only "really" owned the business for a year and a half rather than the (almost) three that it's been.Which leads me to a confession: while I was in the process of developing my style and figuring out my business, I copied other photographers. I started out doing things exactly as the previous owners had done. My clients would suggest selective color or glowy soft-focus shots (shudder) and I would do it, without thinking about what sort of personal "style" I was going for. Then I went to a conference taught by the Sallees and started adding texturing to most of my images. Then, I fell in love with Yervant's high-fashion posing. Then... then... then...
The photographic world is overflowing with people of amazing and unique talent, and I still love looking at what other photogs are doing for inspiration. However, since getting into the nitty-gritty of business ownership, my mentality has changed. I want to create my own style and not be a knockoff. I want people to hire me because 1) they like me as a person and 2) because they like the fact that my work is different. I'm not elegant and simple enough to be Jose Villa, I'm not hip enough to be Noa from Featherlove, I'm not cute and quirky enough to be Axioo, I'm not edgy enough to be Angelica Glass, I'm not insanely brilliant enough to be the guys from MangoRed, and I'm not urban enough or trendy enough to be Jasmine Star (some of the other photographers I regularly check out for inspiration). But that's okay. While I LOVE looking at their work, I'm not trying to be any of them anymore. I have my own style that is totally different and unique, and the more I develop it, the more I like my own work. And, it seems, the more my clients like my work, too. As soon as I stopped trying to be someone else, everything changed for the better.
I try SO hard to come up with new, unique, and original ideas that are "me", and I tailor each of these to my specific clients. Look to others who have gone before you for inspiration or advice, but don't go out and buy the exact same props they have, call up their clients to try to "steal" their locations, or copy and paste text from their websites to use for your own (all things that have happened to me since I started my business). Everyone - clients, other photographers, and most importantly, yourself- will notice if you blatantly copy someone else, and not only is that totally cheap, it won't look like YOU. Trust me - everyone will know. It will look forced and will have no heart, since it's not coming from your own heart but from someone else's. I'm realizing lately that my style is truly reflective of who I am as a person - my personality, the experiences I've had in life, the music I listen to, the movies I watch, the places I've lived and visited, what I think is beautiful. My photographic style has become so intertwined with my own self that intentionally trying to shoot like someone else would be the equivalent of trying to BE someone else. When you come across images that inspire you, be inspired! But try to figure out what, specifically, about that image you like. Is it the lighting? The fact that it's in an unusual location? The way it makes you feel? Then try to cultivate that in your work - in your own way. If you work in a creative field like I do, we got into this business so we could be creative, so let your own sense of style take root! You'll be able to be truly proud of your own work, and you'll love it so much more when you're true to yourself and doing something that comes entirely from your own heart.
And because I just can't post a blog with no images, here is a quick sneak peek of my lovely friend Danica from a fun conceptual shoot I did last week. Isn't she gorgeous?
When I shoot weddings, people frequently come up to me during the reception when the dance floor is getting hot and say something like, "Man, it sucks that you have to work and you can't have fun at weddings!" I always laugh and start trying to explain myself, but it can be a long explanation :) I would SO much rather shoot a wedding than be a guest at a wedding - and this definitely includes my friends' weddings, too!A few years ago I took the intensive Meyers-Briggs personality test. I was a little skeptical at first, but as soon as I got my results and started reading about my personality type, it was seriously eerie. I'm an INTP, which basically means that I'm introverted, independent rather than being a leader or a follower, and really really logical rather than emotional. Things that I thought were just weird little personal idiosyncrasies are, it turns out, particular to all INTPs. It was actually kind of creepy. Like, for example, I've always hated games. I'm really not sure what my deal is, but card games, Monopoly, mini-golf, whatever - you name a game, I can guarantee I will never want to play it. I always thought this was just another one of my weird "things", but it turns out all INTPs just hate games. Other famous people with my personality type include Einstein, Pascal, Carl Jung, Darwin, both of the Olsen twins, Descartes, Socrates, and - the one that really made it hit home - Brian the dog from "Family Guy". That was my true "aha!" moment - it was like the planets aligning. I. am. Brian. It all makes so much sense now :) Although it's a pretty uncommon personality type, I have two close friends who are also INTPs, and we can pretty much read each other's minds.
What being an INTP means for me as a photographer is pretty cool - actually, "photographer" is one of my recommended careers. To quote from the intp.org website, we have "...a curious desire to observe from a detached position.." and "tend to mirror the emotional content of the other person". Although I love my friends, it takes a lot of mental energy for me to be a guest at a big event. I've noticed that this is one of the things that I love about shooting weddings: I can be a part of your social event while still being my introvert self - you know, "observing from a detached position". It's totally ideal for me. Also, I definitely find myself mirroring the attitude of my clients on their wedding day. I'm pretty easy to get along with because I feed off of other people's "vibes".
In terms of composition, "When involved in portrait or people photography, the INTP will also be primarily concerned with the mood conveyed by the person in the eye of the lens. Quality photographic skill, as well as an intrinsic feel for imagery, is usually second nature to the INTP and can make a good career choice. When viewing photographic images, say in magazines, the overriding concern is for how the photo is conveyed; its mood, its colour, contrast and shading usages, its perspectives and image quality." And, it's true! My favorite images (both mine and other photographers') are the ones that really make me feel something. Not just a singular emotion ("oh, this one of people smiling makes me feel happy") but images that portray mood- images that make you feel the same way you felt when you were there.
If you haven't taken the Meyers-Briggs test and you'd like to, you can take it for free here, but you have to sign up for a free account.
If you want to find out more about INTPs and you like reading lots of dense scientific material, you can read about us here :) Because we're nerds like that.
Speaking of "mood"... here are some fun images from Maddie's senior portrait session that I love the mood of:
I can't wait to blog this session! :)
Last weekend was my one free weekend of the summer, so Zach and I headed to Santa Fe! I grew up in Santa Fe and try to go back every few years, even though we don't have family there to visit. (I still have kind of a strange accent. I sometimes get asked what country I'm from... I blame it on Santa Fe.) It's weird - I love the mountains and I'm pretty sure I live in one of the most beautiful places ever, but I frequently find myself missing the desert. There's just something so peaceful and raw about it - it feels like home still. The buttery light, the soft colors of the sage and adobe, the amazing food and the smell of dirt in the bright hot sun... sigh. I love it.If you haven't been to Santa Fe before, you must go. Must. I'm sure you have a mental image of something called (unfortunately) "Santa Fe style" or "Southwestern style", but it's not like that at all - I swear. "Southwestern style" is cheap and tacky and full of garish colors and stuffed rabbits with antlers glued on to their heads; but the real Santa Fe, the place, is classy and full of amazingly friendly people, soft pastel desert colors, great great light, and mellow earth tones with occasional punches of turquoise. I would absolutely die to shoot a wedding or an engagement session there. Please?! I'll love you forever...
