My days revolve around 4 things. My camera, my computer, my children and my Husband. I wake up to him leaving, wake up again to the children stirring and then after goodbye kisses they are off for a few hours while I either meet a client, photograph a session or edit one. Occasionally I even do all 3. My life is busy, and I'm okay with that; I'm not one to stay idle. But, in this business I have learned that there are things that people who aren't in this business (like most businesses) just don't get. Not that I can expect them to...sometimes I just want to let them in on what goes on beyond our meetings and everyone's expectations. So here are 5 things I wish I could tell my clients...
1) I cannot live at my computer. I know everyone gets excited for photos but if I spent all day editing my eyeballs would give up on life and fall out of my head. I have a home and children. I, just like every other person need time off to keep sane. So, while I don't respond to your email immediately it doesn't mean I'm ignoring you, I'm probably under a heap of work and will get to it as soon as my brain is straight and I can answer you appropriately. I wish people knew that I am only one person doing the job of at least 5 people. This isn't my hobby, this is my livelihood and at LEAST 12 hours of most of my days. That's not counting the other 12 hours of the day I spend stressing about the first 12 hours....
2) I am not the photographer for everyone. If you're looking for someone to snap a photo that is hip and urban, that person is not me. Just because I have a fancy camera does not mean that I can take any photo at anytime. Much like a yummy cake, each photo has a certain recipe and no matter how delicious my red velvet is there are still some flavors that I just don't bake. Not that I couldn't bake them, just that neither of us would be totally thrilled. But, alas, there is a baker out there for you!
3) You are beautiful. Shooting women is one of the most stressful things to do because women are hard on themselves. They tend to overlook the beauty the rest of us see. I do my best to capture clients in a flattering way, so if you are looking at a photo and think you look too thick just know that at some point I looked at that, smiled, and thought "wow, she's gorgeous. I envy that." Because I am seeing what you can't, you through the eyes of someone unobjective. You are perfect and your children will look back at that and see their Mom, not the 10lbs she desperately felt she needed to lose.
4) Pinterest is good for inspiration, not a photo by photo how to of what you want. When I first started I loved Pinterest and jumped at the idea of mimicking a pose. But now in my ripe old age I almost detest it. I love seeing the photos that make my clients giddy with excitement but what most people don't realize is that you can mimic a pose all day but if the emotion isn't there you can't make it happen. Most of those shots are in the moment, they are 1/200th of a second and they are real. Do not waste your time trying to be someone else, be you and let me capture that. Make your own intimate moments, it will make your photo real. After all, you are falling in love with emotion, not the way an image is posed, because I'm going to let you in on a secret: those aren't posed..
5) Making you happy makes me happy. That one is pretty straight forward. Knowing you love your images can make my heart all but burst. I spend hours working and praying you'll be happy. So even when you don't know it, there's a point where you are my main concern and the center of my photographic world.
I love my job, even on days where I just want a break. I couldn't imagine not doing it. So know that as a client or even a silent follower, I appreciate you. I adore you. You make my job worth it. So the last thing I want to say, from the bottom of my heart, is thank you.
With love,
Kayla
