5 Confessions of a Photographer
Is it ok with you if we get real for a second? In January, we will have been "professional photographers" for three years; and in those years, we learned a lot about ourselves. We've seen each other grow in so many different ways, both as photographers, but also as business owners. And yet...we've learned some OTHER things about ourselves that might need a little bit of explaining to our average follower. As we look back over the last three years, here are just a few of the facts that, like it or not, are here to stay in our lives!
1. We will most certainly freak out about the "light" 5-100 times during your session...
If you have ever been on a session with us, you have probably heard us talk at some point about the "light" of an area and how it will affect your portraits! And there's a simple reason for that: we believe that the light is, and will always be, the most important aspect of our style! Good, clean light simply brings life and joy to a portrait that editing and photoshopping simply can't recreate. Does this mean that we might encourage you to walk a little farther than a normal photographer would, just to make sure we get to the spot where the light is the best? 100% Does that also mean that you will love the image we create in that spot 10x's more because of the light? We certainly think so!
2. We might have an unhealthy relationship with camera lenses...
Forgive us for "talking shop" for a second... but there is nothing more beautiful than the rich, creamy bokeh that a 1.4 lens can bring to a portrait! Ok, the "geek-out" moment is now over. Our first adventure into camera lens came almost 3 years before we started Josh and Andrea Photography when Josh bought Andrea her first "official" camera lens, a canon 50mm 1.8. Since then, we've learned very quickly that "the gear doesn't make a good photographer; it simply allows you to find new avenues to create stunning portraits." However, "good glass" is still one of our favorites parts of working in this business and our collection of lens continues to grow as we continue to grow our business! (Plus, since there are two of us, this collection probably isn't going to be shrinking anytime soon...)
3. Over 90% of our work is not on our camera...it's on our computer...
When someone tells you that "running a small business is 10% what the public sees and 90% what they don't see," they are lying. (It's more like 5% to 95%) Although running our own business and being our own bosses is one of the greatest adventures we've ever been on, it is certainly not a job where you "show up to the wedding, work for 8 hours, and then kick back at home for the rest of the week." (If only it were that easy!) We have had to learn to become incredibly intentional with our time and our commitments, as we've seen days and weeks go by where we spend most of our time answering emails, creating new content, running the business aspects, and editing weddings.
4. We don't "compete" with other photographers...
(Photos by Chris Kimball Photography)
Maybe we just have it exceptionally good in Michigan, but we love when people comment to us about the wedding industry and how many photographers we have to "compete" with. In all honesty, it's such a sad truth that a few wedding professionals give the rest a bad name, because in our experience, one of the best aspects of being wedding photographers is getting to meet, know, and become friends with other wedding photographers in our area! Not only does this help each of us grow and become better at what we do, but it also enables all of us to serve our brides and grooms even better on their wedding day!
5. Yes, we enjoy other things than photography...
As we finish up this blog, one of Michigan's first snowfalls of the winter has come and gone and left a beautiful, white layer over everything in our town. Since the cold weather is here to stay, our schedule has become quite empty, which means that we get to turn our sights onto other interests! So far, rock climbing and game nights have begun to fill up our calendar, and we've already created a 'Winter Bucket List" for us to try new things all throughout the next year! Because at the end of the day, we are still people who don't eat, sleep, and breathe photography; instead, we are people who love other people and the experiences we get to share with them.