Portrait Photographer

Re-inventing yourself can be one of the hardest things you do, but one of the most effective ways to strengthen your craft. As a wedding photographer I have found that the industry re-invents itself every season.  Don’t get me wrong some weddings are timeless and some are here this year and gone the next. So I say do the same for yourself and your craft. Of course there are things that you do as a wedding photographer that are timeless, you want to definitely hold on to that and make it your own. In other words keep your strengths but strive to be better. I have watched my photography grow from month to month. I have pushed myself to learn more techniques and styles as I go so I can stay on top of my game.

  Ways to help you improve:

·      Go back: No one likes to look back at past work because sometimes it makes you cringe at some of the mistakes you made, but seeing the progression of your work can help you to become a stronger photographer.

  ·      Read wedding blogs: Stay on top of the daily wedding blogs. Wedding styles and colors change more often than the seasons do so you want to know what’s new and what’s coming before anyone else does.

  ·      Stay educated: Photography tutorials are the best, and there are plenty of them out there. There are so many new techniques and styles out there to learn take advantage of them.

I should be the spokesperson for taking things to heart. If I had a nickel for every time I cried because someone told me I was not capable of doing something I wouldn’t need to be a photographer, because I would be rich. Having a tough skin is something I learned very early even before becoming a wedding photographer. For those who know me know I started out as a model. I was not your typical model I was curvy and clearly not a size 2.  The modeling industry is very cut throat and if you don’t kick down doors you wont have a chance. The same goes with the wedding industry. I’ve joined photography groups and met other photographers and still didn’t feel noticed almost like I was the last person called to play dodge ball. Eventually I just had to jump in and say, “Hey look here, I’m here ready to play.” I finally made friends and could finally have conversations with people in the wedding industry. This helped me become a stronger photographer. It’s so hard to be outspoken and force your ways through doors but if you can’t open a door how are you ever going to get inside J

Sometimes when you start in second shooting weddings it can be a little confusing. I found myself following the photographer like a lost puppy, and asking lots of questions. When starting out as a second shooter it’s almost like you are in a class, you should treat your photographer as a teacher and suck up all the information as if you were a sponge. Experienced wedding photographers know that you are learning and trying to pick up as much information as you can, so they are usually very understanding. When shooting as a second wedding photographer make sure to pick up the shots you know your photographer maybe be to busy to shoot. While your photographer is shooting the bride getting ready go shoot the guest coming or the DJ setting up. There is no wrong photo moment when shooting at weddings everything is an experience, so take advantage.