June was the month of education. There were so many things happening and going on I feel like my head was constantly filled with new perspectives and ways to grow and enhance my business. It started with a night of Mexican food with other photographers talking about life and new ideas at our Tuesdays Together night, then there was the Come Together Event, a webinar on working smarter not harder in the 90 day year, three other photography webinars from marketing to why your business isn’t growing, and overarching all of that was a 30 Day complete wedding photography class. Whew. There were so many things that I heard or re-heard and have started implementing in other ways. I was stretched, challenged, grown, and humbled. There are so many things I could share, but today I want to start with the three standout themes.

1. It’s about service.

This business is a blessing and I don’t do it for me – ultimately I do it to serve you, the bride (and groom!). I get to give you the amazing gift of memories to show your children and your grandchildren. But beyond that, I can also help you navigate the ins and outs of wedding planning. In a time that is stressful and can be overwhelming, when it feels like the price triples when you add the word “wedding” it’s nice to have someone who knows the industry, the norms and can help you make sure your wedding is everything you imagine it to be. Whether that’s finding the right vendor or just bouncing color schemes off of – I can be that extra set of ears for you, because I care about your wedding as much as you do! And as a bride myself. I’m experiencing first hand what you are going through! It is stressful, but it’s also wonderful. And so beyond being your photographer my goal is to serve you and make this process that much more fun and that much more memorable.

2. It’s also about style.

One of the days in my class was all about finding your photography style. And while I don’t need to find my style – I realized that it’s important for brides to find a photographer with the style they want, even if they aren’t sure what that is! It’s ok if I don’t book every inquiry, because we may not mesh and my style of shooting may not be what you are looking for. Everyone has a different way of approaching and shooting a wedding day, but there are some catagories we all fall into (there’s a great article about that here). But basically you have dramatic, documentary, artistic, lifestyle, and classic. I tend to fall in the lifestyle and classic styles, but you may want a photographer who does dramatic things with lighting or pushes the creativity envelope with an artistic style. So I want to shoot the weddings with the couples that share my style and am going to strive for that. Not just shooting anything that comes my way, but find brides that love the classic style. So start to look at images you love and see why you love them – that will help you decide what type of photographer you want on your big day!

3. I have a story to tell.

If you remember my blog post after the Come Together Event, you’ll remember that Katelyn James inspired me to blog more and share my story. Well that seems to be a reoccurring theme this month. I’ve heard over and over – that your story is important and you need to live it! There are a lot of photographers in this world, but we are all unique. We may have the same equipment and the same education, but no one is ME. No one has my perspective in life. And this is a good thing. We so often try to be like each other, fit in, be in style, emulate the behaviors we see around us, but only when we are truly ourselves do we thrive. God has given each of us a story to live and if I’m trying to live someone else’s story I’m doing myself and my clients a disservice. It’s not about me trying to copy someone else, but by being unique that I can make an impact in this world, with my camera and without. One of by dear friends started a blog recently called Flourish (it’s amazing…seriously click over there and check it out – then come back, I’ll wait). Well there was an article on there by Tiffany Farley and she what she said resonated deeply with me and what I’ve been learning this month. She says “As you find your voice as an artist – stop and ask yourself if you are free to be your truest self.” Wow. In a world of do-it-this-way and comparisons how powerful is it to stop and ask if you are being your TRUEST self? Or are we just trying to fit in and do it the same way every one else is? I want to celebrate uniqueness!

And so here is my pledge to be truly me, to serve you and love your wedding details, and be excited about the planning because that’s who I am. To express my style and shoot how I see the world, because that is who I was made to be. And to tell my story, with my voice as an artist, staying true to myself, because that is how I will thrive. Thanks for being a part of the journey!