Monthly Archives: March 2009

..its not brain surgery, its photography

Last night, I was talking to a client about our upcoming session. We talked about what I saw for their session, and how excited we were to be getting together, and she asked me. “I’ve got this idea for a shot is that okay?”
My immediate response was “YES! ABSOLUTELY! Lay it on me!”
She replied “Whew! I didn’t want to be steppin on your artist mojo!”

And it occured to me afterwards that I have done a pretty good job of telling my clients who I am as an artist if she was willing to trust me so completely with her session, but I have also failed my clients if they think for one minute that I don’t want to hear their ideas and deisres for their shoot! I am an artist for sure, but I am also your artist! my goal is to make your session as breathtakingly you as possible. And to me that means if there is a location that is super special to you guys or a shot you saw and you gotta have – short of having to build a beach from scratch I am game for it.

I don’t ever want to come off as the kind of artist who is totally immovable when it comes to creating, Each of my clients is unique and different so every session I approach in a new and special way..

I feel better now that I’ve gotten that out there… and since Its been a while on the pictures I thought I would toss up this one of Gabrielle.
mygirls-11

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Ahh the posts I wanted to post

I am tired, I am just back from Philly and I got a lot of work to catch up on.. I got thangs to do. But I have missed my little corner of the internet so I wanted to say hey internet! how you doin internet? I been tryin to keep up with my google reader but 1000+ items keeps creepin up on me.. I promise to do better!

Keep it light!

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It’s Intimate

Women are beautiful.

I am ever so glad I am not a man cause having to feel like I have to talk to that woman who is clearly feelin so fierce - because she is so fierce – I can understand the pressure guys say they feel about approaching a woman. My guy friends tell me they feel like they HAVE to talk to a girl when shes on like that.  There is nothing more inspiring than a woman in her element.  When she decides to take a moment and make it hers.

I personally think every woman should have the chance to feel FIERCE.

To step out spend the extra time our lives don’t readily allow, and put that attitude on. 

Thats what Boudoir Photography is all about. Feeling good, and looking good and showing your partner that yes- THIS is part of me too. I got it all and I like it. These are images from upcoming blog entries over on the http://ItsIntimate.com blog. I have noticed alot of searches have ended up here for boudoir photography. Please feel free to check me out over there!    

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Overheard on a blog

I found this on a local photogs blog (thanks for the post Jodie!) , and traced it back to its roots and must give credit to the person who said them first Cheryl Jacobs Nicoli . I could click around her images all day. Beautiful stuff really just stunning. ANywho is trying to get to her I came across a wonderful pet photog in Seattle, who I MUST add to my google reader as well as a few other wonderful clicky chicks.

This spoke to me well today especially the first point and that last bullet point as I have been there a lot lately and must say it does exactly as she said.

- Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don’t look outward for your style; look inward.

- Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It’s like money; you only have it when you don’t need it.

- Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a consensus.

- Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don’t fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you’re stressed and anxious.

- Learn to say “I’m a photographer” out loud with a straight face. If you can’t say it and believe it, you can’t expect anyone else to, either.

- You cannot specialize in everything.

- Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don’t, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that’s tough.

- Accept critique, but don’t apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn’t not make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.

- Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business “Precious Chubby Tootsies”….but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?

- Remember that if your work looks like everyone else’s, there’s no reason for a client to book you instead of someone else. Unless you’re cheaper. And nobody wants to be known as “the cheaper photographer”.

- Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.

- It’s easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you’ve got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you’ve outgrown your current equipment and you’re being limited by it.

- Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection. (AMEN!!)

- Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself.

- Never compare your journey with someone else’s. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does.

- Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacence.

To all the photogs who come around from forums and the like welcome! – leave a comment!

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Just a taste…

Proof our parties are the shiznit and the kick assedness.

yes thats a red light…

Got grown people leavin their husbands for our DJ – WHAT

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