Peek-A-Boo!

Had a couple of shoots over the last few days, one of which was boudoir, so no eye candy there, but the other was a family shoot so expect some goodies in a day or two!  For now I'll leave you with this little gem; Heidi enjoyed making me work for my pictures!

A Moment of Rumination

In light of my last blog post let me state something else, for the record.

I am proud.

I am proud of every moment I've successfully captured.  Of every soul I've managed to do justice.  Of every relationship I've epitomized, and every moment of parental joy I've managed to freeze.

These are the moments I revel in.

And I do not hesitate to share them with the world.  Beauty deserves to be communicated, not hidden.

Yup, Me Too!

I'm going to make a confession.  I'm nervous too.

Yup, when I'm on a shoot with you, I'm nervous.  I'm worried about everything from my camera glitching to my computer crashing, anything and everything that could go wrong between the time I book your shoot to the time you e-mail me that you received your CD and you're happy with the results is running through my head.  I feel like every shoot is my first, even though I've been doing this for years.  I feel like I'm not worthy, even though my body of work and my reputation says otherwise.  I worry that I'm overestimating myself, underestimating myself, etc.  It all runs through my head.  Then I take a breath, review my work, and it all runs right back out again.

I hope I never loose all of that anticipatory energy.  I like that it keeps me grounded and continuously striving to do better, to raise the bar.  I like that it makes me feel a sense of appreciation toward my clients.  I like that it denies hubris and adds a bit of humanity to all of my art.

So rest assured, when you show up for a shoot, and you're not sure what to do, and you're nervous and feel all self-conscience... so do I!  I may be composed and I do know what I'm doing, but I'm not going to lie, I still feel butterflies every time I shoot.

The Proof is in the Picture

I'm curious to know how clients feel about a lack of viewable content from a potential photographer.  I personally enjoy posting at least a couple of images per shoot I do, unless the very nature of the shoot is private, like many boudoir shoots are.  That said, I end up with a lot of viewable product for those interested in shooting with me to peruse and judge from.  When I'm shooting regularly, I'm posting regularly, and there is an obvious standard at which I'm holding myself to and that potential clients can expect similar results to live up to.

I've recently come across a lot of photographers that either a) post everything... including the bad stuff (which I'm not sure they realize isn't the best thing to do) or b) post next to nothing at all.  This is strange to me.  If you're working, shooting, you're producing, so where is the work?  Why am I not seeing viable, tangible results?  Or is it simply that the results aren't worth posting?  Or, in fact, are there no results to post because the hype is merely hype?  In a day where the market is flooded with half-rate photographers, this seems like a ridiculous tactic.  I'm not one to mince words, those that know me can swear to this.  I'm a no nonsense kind of girl and what I say, I mean.  The world of photography has become cut-throat and not when it comes to real competition, remarkably that's where bonds are formed, no, when it comes to false competition; those that wish to undercut the real talent in the photographic world.

So, is this a challenge?  Kind of, yes.  In those all too famous words of Jerry Maguire, "Show me the money!"

In other words, put out or get out.

Can I Get An Out-take?

Sometimes the out-takes can stand out and be just as amazingly special.  Mother and son sharing a sweet moment.

Introducing The Chiancola Family!

This sweet little family was a joy to shoot!  And look at that little mister; such a photogenic little face.