An Eye-Opening Experience

As a result of this day, I approach my sessions in a whole new light; with an entirely new level of understanding. Experience is such a powerful thing and every day I realize that I am gaining more experience, learning more, and challenging myself to create better images.

But this experience was almost a subconscious one….and one that I wouldn’t have thought would teach me so much. I guess I didn’t really think too much of it until I was standing there:

……nervous…sweating, with my hair curled and makeup on, wearing my favorite outfits, and staring at the lens. (I never realized how intimidating the camera can be!)

My business has been going through quite a bit of growing lately. I’m in the process of moving into my office, and I’ve been working with a web design company for a few months now on my soon to be released website! And so with that new website, I wanted new images and an creative about section… 🙂 More on this when it’s finished. 🙂 🙂

And so, there I stood. And I found myself:

A. Feeling lost and a little nervous….ok a lot nervous.

B. Asking Allison things like: “How does my hair look?” “Should I smile?” “Is this spot ok?” “Should I turn more?” “Do you like this outfit?”

We spent quite a bit of time photographing each other…which I’m sure to the outside viewers just looked hilarious.

At the end of the day, I still prefer to be shooting. I am DEFINITELY not, nor do I want to be on the other side of the camera on a regular basis. So a HUGE thanks to the talented Allison for being so patient with me. AND, as a result, I now approach my shoots with an entirely new level of understanding, including the importance of:

• Planning, even if it’s picking out/coordinating outfits….
• Hiring a stylist for Hair
• Using a professional Makeup Artist
• Getting rest and feeling good on the day of the shoot! 🙂
• Feel comfortable and confident (I asked Brad to come along and it helped a ton…..)
• Trusting in the Artist (Allison, you rock!)

And if you’re a photographer, I suggest doing this as well….even if it’s only once!!! It’s definitely an eye-opener.

If there’s any other tips YOU’VE learned from a shoot, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below!