brain dump | status update.

I'm in the process of watching my favorite photographer in the world do a live wedding online over the next few days. She started out with a "classroom session" of how she got started. She's a bit ridiculous (self-admitted) and completely awesome and she has inspired me to do a little creative purging and jot down a few things about my story. I'm in the process of planning and scheming on how to grow this business, and I thought it'd be a good time to take a look back.

March 10, 2009.

That was the day that I assisted with my first wedding. I had started a blog, I had gotten a decent camera, and I had mustered up a little confidence. For this gig, I assisted Pete Nagy (www.peterjonathanimages.com) and the bride and groom were named Emily and Drew (side note: they are having a baby any minute). We went to the salon, and then to Merle Norman at the mall and then to the church. After that, I got in the car and drove to the Holiday Inn North for their reception. And it was during that ride that I came to terms with the fact that I had no idea what I was doing. I'd done some toddler shoots, I'd done a few family shoots, my friend Katie let me take photos of her pregnant belly, but this was a wedding. Someones wedding. But, I did it. And then it was under my belt.

And thank God that was over.

Phew. So, I went back to my day job and continued learning and shooting and doing all the things that I thought that I needed to do. I was able to invest in some amazing equipment (the nice thing about my great day job is that it has allowed me to live my life at status quo and pump all of this photography income back into growing my business), I kept reading blogs, I kept trying to get smarter. I was asked to do a lot of portraits, and I got smarter with each one.

I asked Ellie (www.djkphotography.com) lots of questions, I cried over Photoshop with Mike (www.garbercreative.com), and I shot more weddings with Brittani (www.brenephotography.com). Then I met Meg (www.megmillerphotography), who has taught me a ton about what do to, when to do it and why I need to calm the hell down and relax. I turned my guest room into a (tiny) studio. I bought a sweet bag for my gear. I had Brad design me a logo. I shot a few weddings on my own. I bought some more gear. I took this photo.


And there are still days that I think I don't have a clue... but then I remind myself that I actually do.

So, what's next? I have 9 weddings in the next 6.5 weeks (assisting with five, shooting four of my own). I have at least two, if not four, family shoots every weekend between now and the middle of October. I have a million shoots that are in the que to edit. I do not have enough hours in the day to get all of this done and to get a little sleep. I will forgo laundry and piss off Lucy, but I know that I will figure it out. I am going to buy a new camera (and probably sell one), and build a new blog and I will keep working and adjusting and adapting until I get it all done. It will get done.

But most importantly, I will keep reminding myself that this is the most amazing problem in the world. I will remind myself that it has been five hundred and thirty-some days since I first assisted at a wedding and that I'm in pretty damn good shape. I'll tell myself that this is what I asked for and that I'm in an amazing position. And then I will go buy more wine. Cheers.

Okay, back to editing.
The end.

P.S. I'd be remiss not to say the following:
I have these friends- these amazing friends- who are the best cheerleaders in the world. They tell me I'm great (and they say it louder and louder until I believe them), they let me take photos of their children, and their dogs, and their parties, they give me referrals, and they let me spaz out when I start to get overwhelmed. And I have this mom who has been a total rockstar and who has supported me and helped me get this party started (and who has allowed me to convince her that a $1,000 lens is a reasonable price).

Life is good.