Week 3 and I'm still holding on... to my sanity. I'm trying to really just sit back and watch for moments that inspire me to pick up my camera. However as the hours tick on through the day, the pressure of this undertaking gets more real. Fortunately there are very few dull moments with toddlers! And it will be interesting to see how these snip-its of daily life evolve throughout the weeks and months.
During the first week of the 365 I was trying to figure out the best way to share this project. After some lengthy debate (with myself - ha!) I realized my blog was the way to go and then I could cross post this link onto other social media pages as needed.... HOWEVER, my blog was basically obsolete. I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't posted one single thing in almost 5 years! During the flurry of working through the kinks of posting/ workflow glitches that first week, my husband Tim said "Wait. Why are you putting this on your blog linked to your business? Aren't you doing this for you? Isn't that a lot of pressure for the images to be perfect if your sharing this with clients?" Honestly, no one puts more pressure on me and my images than myself. Photography is more than my work.... it's my joy, my love, my therapy, my meditation, my passion and so much more... When I pick up my camera I see magic and I FEEL magic. There's just no letting go of my own expectations for myself. As with my client sessions, my goal is always to impress myself first and to create something outstanding for my portfolio - something that excites me and exceeds my own expectations. When I know I've done that then I know my clients will be happy too.
If you've ever done portraits with me, then you know that the shoot is only just the beginning of our fun and our relationship. The hours we spent afterwards in your homes, with your families viewing, editing, sizing and designing where and how to display your family heirlooms, is time I truly enjoyed and value. Most of you were surprised to see me show up with my movie screen, projector and my big sample bag of prints, canvas wraps and albums. And almost every one of you swore it would not take you 2 hours to make decisions and you were right - it took you 3 or more! All that time spent in your living rooms, laughing and reliving the day, narrowing down the images, measuring your walls and taking the time to understand your wants and respecting your needs- that's exactly what I don't ever want to lose in this digital age. So, here I am now sharing a bit of me as a Thank You for sharing a bit of you over the years. If you are a future client, I want to sit in front of you and see tears of joy stream down your face because I've captured your loved ones just as YOU see them. I want to help you select the right images and sizes for your homes, your walls and your decorum. I do not want my images to sit online or in a box or on a disc somewhere with good intentions. I want you to walk by them in your living room or hallway every day and sigh with contentment and feel joy. I want you to enjoy the time we spend together creating and selecting images and I want you to feel that you know me when we finally meet in person!
