#venturing out

@rosekillermicrofic June 3, word count 238

Previous part First part Wolfstar series part 1

“Come on, Barty, it’s only down the road. You need to get out of the house,” Evan pleaded with him. He knew he’d become somewhat of a hermit, but he knew his father’s threat had been real. He’d be sending her soon, and then he’d be in real trouble. They’d be in real trouble. He kept twitching the net curtains, peeking out, trying to see if she’d found him yet. 

He finally agreed, because his stomach rubbed every time Evan mentioned those damn Éclairs. He pulled one of Evan’s woolly hats firmly down on his head and wrapped the matching scarf over as much of his lower face as possible. 

There was a bit of a crowd outside the bakery, and they had to wait a while before they even got inside the shop. 

“Busy today,” Evan commented to the girl behind the counter. 

“You’re telling me,” she answered, letting out a huff of air. “What can I get you?”

“Four Éclairs, please and thank you,” Evan said cheerily. She nodded at him and scooped up four of the cream-filled goodies and slid them into a paper bag. 

“Anything else?”

“No, thank you.” Evan paid, and then they squeezed out of the nearly blocked doorway. 

Barty began to relax a bit. He held out his hand to Evan, and he took it. They stepped off the kerb when someone behind them cleared their throat loudly. 

“Ahem!” Barty froze.

Tale from the coffee shop

What if we were having a webinar! Whatsapp call or met for coffee by accident? I would perhaps ask how life is treating you in this pandemic or post-pandemic world depending on the part of the world you are living in. It wouldn’t matter whether you are living in a city, state, or country infested with COVID cases flaring up and/or in a place with very few cases. Fact is that the pandemic is…

      I recently had an amazing opportunity to shoot and in-home session for the infamous Style Blue Print. Meaning, I got the chance to walk around someones lovely home and shoot their living quarters from top to bottom. Up close and personal right? I'd say so! I got the email about it the week before and instantly was a little nervous. Real estate photography? Not my thing (even though I've never tried it). As I was replying to give my "This is not really my style of shooting", I stopped. I thought to myself, how can I deny something that I have never tried? I may just end up loving it and I can brag later on that I've shot houses before, even though I am a wedding photographer. So.. I went for it... and LOVED it.

I've heard it said that photographers who venture out into other forms of photography have a harder time getting noticed, published, and getting bookings. Why is that you ask? Good Question-

People seem to think that when you are a photographer, you should only brand yourself to one area of the art because it will confuse potential clientele on what services you actually offer. While that has very little truth to it, I ultimately disagree. Venturing out into commercial, family, and fashion photography when you are ultimately a wedding photographer is one of the BEST things you can do in your profession.  Here are a couple reasons why:

1. More Exposure: We are aware that the  wedding industry is huge. People get married at all times of the year, and there are hundreds of wedding blogs and magazines that showcase that.  However, there are also hundreds of blogs and magazines that are geared towards the stay-at-home mom, residential living, Food, products...you name it. Shooting an up and coming chef who has published in a food blog, or a new local restaurant that just opened up won't stunt your growth in business. It will, in fact, bring you exposure and a heck of a lot more clientele. Who knows, you may even impress the client so much that they  may refer you to to a friend they know who may be getting married. 

2. Skill enhancement: Being a paid photographer also means being skilled at what you do. I personally know from experience that shooting for a chef in a darkly lit restaurant is difficult, but wedding receptions are usually lit the same way right? More practice in darkly lit places where a person isn't paying you thousands to get it right one time is ALWAYS beneficial in any facet to the craft. As they say, practice makes perfect.

3. Being Well Rounded: The most important of all to me. Being well rounded helps you to open your eyes to different areas of the art, allowing you be inspired by different facets of life. Art inspiration comes from multiple things we see, hear,  read, and experience which will allow you as an artist to stand among thousands of Photographers.

 I encourage you to step out and be fearless! You never know, you may end up liking shooting something more than what you ultimately market for. Don't knock it till you try it!

It felt strange to be out here. Normally he would only venture outside the Wizarding World when it was absolutely necessary. Then again, maybe this was necessary. In some form or another. As he sat outside the small cafe, Draco let his grey eyes slid over one individual and then the next, taking in the muggles as the went about their lives. The sound of cars and people chattering, walking, birds and other various objects filled the air. At first it had been a little annoying but after awhile he had gotten used to it.