Show love and kindness – expect nothing in return.
As we roll into the week of Thanksgiving, I find myself in a moment of refl…
As we roll into the week of Thanksgiving, I find myself in a moment of refl…
Two days ago, I watched as my daughter packed up most of her things. A frie…
Most people know that I'm a photographer, and many people know that my back…
Don’t get me wrong. I love Pinterest as much as the next hot-blooded American. It’s a great way to find inspiration and new ideas about all kinds of things, but as a photographer, I can’t think of anything more disheartening than a client who decides to use Pinterest to create a “Shot List” for our session. Used improperly, Pinterest hurts results, produces unrealistic expectations, and ultimately leads to disappointment. Ream more now...
According to a recent (unscientific) Facebook poll, it’s clear: Almost no one cares about your photography certification, but you and other photographers. It’s practically meaningless in your client’s decision-making process. It’s your portfolio that matters to clients.
There are many questions a bride really needs to ask her potential wedding photographer, but there's one question that is often overlooked, and it could make all the difference in the world. Here it is: Are the images you're showing me from a styled wedding shoot or are they from an actual wedding? See, when you go to bridal shows or meet with potential photographers, they're going to try to put their best foot forward by showing you their very best "wedding" images. You may notice that the word 'wedding' is in quotes. That's because many photographers show you incredible images that never actually happened at any wedding ever. They were made in what is known in the industry as a "Styled Wedding Shoot."
There’s nothing wrong with the PhotoVogue section of the Vogue Italia website. It provides a place for photographers to showcase their work, and frankly there’s a lot of beautiful work shown in the PhotoVogue portfolios. It’s a great place to browse and get inspired. It’s also a nice spot to showcase your work to a larger audience, but let’s stop making it out to be more than that. Saying your images were “published in Vogue” when your images are accepted for the PhotoVogue site is misleading at best and purposefully deceptive at worst. You’re only softening the impact of the moment your work really appears in the glossy pages of a well-known publication. You’re hurting your real moment to shine.
I have been both awed and inspired by the beautiful photographs of incredible photographers and artists worldwide, but I’ve tried very hard not to follow names or fall in love too much with any one photographer. My fear was and is that I would too closely want to emulate the style and creativity of someone else, and I would never find the creativity in me or develop my own style. BE AWED. BE INSPIRED, BUT BE YOURSELF. YOU’RE BETTER AT IT THAN ANYONE ELSE EVER WILL BE.