Thursday, June 17, 2010

My heartsong reminder



This week, I was reminded of the reasons that I love this job so much.  It's the people.  It's the connections. It's the relationships and the new friends that make my heart sing with joy each time it happens.

You may have wondered where the name "Heartsong Photography Studio" came from, since most photographers use their personal name for their studio name (ie, Laura Reese Photography).   Remember that workshop I told you about, with Heather Bookout in Huntsville?  During our time together, she talked about how her heart would "sing" when she saw certain photographs.  That's exactly how I felt too.

During the course of most sessions, I'll take a slew of photos, but it's only a handful of images that will make my heart sing.  I can't always explain why and sometimes, other viewers of the images may not get it.  The image may not be technically perfect, but there was a connection made in that moment that touched my heart and makes me want to look at the image over and over again.

In the past couple of weeks, I've deliberately not scheduled many sessions so my kids and I could get into the swing of summer.  One of the sessions I did put on the calendar took place yesterday morning and it was pretty much a perfect session, in my opinion.  The weather was NOT perfect...it was 9am and already 85 degrees and ridiculously humid.  But, the family was perfect...very relaxed, so friendly and easy going.  The subject of the session was a 9 month old baby girl.  She was simply amazing.  Happy and smiling, this rolie-polie baby had beautiful eyes that the camera loved.  The photographer loved her too.  Oh, and I can't forget the dog, who was also fantastic, even in the crazy heat.

We were all sweating about 5 minutes into the session, but it was so easy to get the shots we needed.  The shots that make my heart sing weren't planned, they just happened.  Those are my favorite kind...sort of accidental beauty.

Believe me,  not all sessions go smoothly and the accidental beauty is harder to obtain.  I can still find it and capture it, but it takes a while to get there.  This time, the magic happened right away.  I think that sometimes, God knows I need a little reminder of why I LOVE my job and HE pushes me forward, despite my worries (financial worries, creative worries, etc.).  In the midst of my doubt, he gives me the accidental beauty I need to make my heart sing...do you see it too?

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Beginning the Business - Part 2

Ok, so I've created a photography business, complete with a business license and a really nice DSLR. Now what? The questions buzzing around my mind were many. How do I attract new business? How to do I get my existing clients to place bigger orders? What is the best way to advertise on a small budget? And the biggest question of all: How can I learn more and make myself FEEL like a REAL photographer?

At this point, I was still so excited and just thankful every time the phone rang or someone sent an email to inquire about a session. Outwardly, I was confident...I set up sessions, invited clients to the studio, spoke at length to clients about what they could expect at our session. But on the inside, I was still struggling with that very important question...WHO AM I as a photographer?

I didn't even realize that this was an issue until one night as I sat with my kids and watched American Idol. Don't laugh, but seriously, this is how my transformation into a confident photographer began!!

So, I'm watching American Idol and the performer sang, then waited for his critique. Randy, Paula and Simon started speaking, and I realized that their words were speaking to me and could be applied to ANY artist, not just to a singer's voice. They were saying things like: "Dawg, until you figure out WHO YOU ARE as an ARTIST, you'll always struggle" or "You were really connected to that song...it came from your heart" and "A real artist FEELS the song and doesn't apologize for who they are."

Over the next few weeks, I watched AI and listened intently as the judges spoke to the artist. I took their words to heart and began the internal search of WHO I AM as an ARTIST. Some individuals feel that photography, especially digital photography, isn't an art anymore. I couldn't disagree more. It's a creative gift, it's subjective and, in my case, when I connect with a subject it touches my heart and fills me entirely. Singers, dancers, sculptors, painters, etc. would all tell you the same thing. They are wholly happy when they are immersed in their art and that's how I feel when I have a camera in my hand.

I did a ton of soul searching and it sort of consumed my every thought over those weeks. Slowly, it started to appear to me...the pieces started to fit together. I started to understand WHO I am. This realization felt incredibly good.  I felt relief and comfort and could finally say with confidence "I AM A PHOTOGRAPHER!!!"

The process will be different for everyone. Maybe you are fortunate and already know who you are as an artist or maybe you are not. I believe it's critical for your success to know the answer to your individual question: WHO ARE YOU AS AN ARTIST? You can't force the answer...you have to be open minded and let ideas flow through you as you put the pieces to your puzzle together.

If you know me, you know who I am: I am authentic and warm.  I value family, good humor and happiness. I am enthusiastic and natural, organized and reliable. These are some of my personal core values and talents. Once I discovered that these personal traits were the same traits that my business clients valued, I started to understand the REAL me as an artist.

In this process, I read an amazing book that helped me understand myself, as a woman with a business perspective. While wearing my "Office Manager" hat and buying file folders in Office Max one day, I stumbled on the book called "Make a Name for Yourself: 8 Steps Every Woman Needs to Create a Personal Brand Strategy For Success" by Robin Fisher Roffer. Read it. You'll discover youself and the keys to success in the process.

My transformation took place in the Spring of 2009.  I can see a vast difference in the photos I took before this time and after I became comfortable with the type of artist I am.  Before, I wanted to emulate other photographers because I believed I needed to do work that was similar to theirs since they were (are) successful.  After, however, I don't want to be like them.  I want to be like me and find my own path to success.  It's my journey and it will be different from everyone else's...and that's just fine with me.

Below are images taken in the Summer of 2009.  These make my heart sing and my clients were pretty darned happy too.  Knowing myself as an artist made all the difference in the world.  I'm still growing and learning and will always be a work in progress.  But now, I'm true to myself...always.