Just a few Wednesday ramblings…..
SOOOOO, today was my last full day of work…my last full 8 hours of my “day job”. I work tomorrow, but it’s only for a few hours so it doesn’t count..but TODAY, I think the panic set in! Incase you missed it, I quit my job-just like that…I quit! I talk a little about it *here*.
Realistically, I know I”m going to be just fine. Anything I’ve ever set out to do, I’ve done well….so in the back of my mind, it is “no big deal”. But this other part of my brain is saying, “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO?!!! You quit your perfectly stable job during a recession to work for yourself and persue your *tisk tisk* photography dream?” In the end, I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter what you’re doing. As long as you are doing something that expresses your passion, you will excel and you will gain satisfaction. I’ve also learned that starting something from nothing and watching it grow is deeply rewarding………and THIS just feels right!
It’s amazing when you become vulnerable and you wear your feelings on your sleeve, so many people step in with such positive and encouraging comments. I believe in myself, I really do and I LOOOOOVE photography more than words can describe. For some of you, photography is a “well anyone who has a nice camera can do THAT”, kind of job-but I assure you it is not! I challenge you to look at other photographers websites and look ( I mean REALLY LOOK) at their images, you will start to notice that we are all different, not only on a technical level but we see the world differently, we grew up differently, we interact with our clients differently AND our personalities are different and it’s then that you will be able to see the quality of everyone’s work.
This is Tara and Craig-one of my favorite weddings I shot! I want you all to look at this image and pretend that it’s a photo of your grandparents… before they had kids… before they were married…. before they had careers… before anything else, beyond each other, mattered. Someday, this young couple will be grandparents… and these images will be loved so much more than they are right now. And for that reason, I take this job so incredibly seriously. What we as photographers do… matters… and it matters a lot.
As I make this HUGE transition in my life, I want to thank all of you who have been encouraging and supportive and for my clients that made my business what it is today! If I could give you’all a big group hug and pinch your cheeks at the same time I would!! hhaha!
I keep a folder in my email for “feel good emails” that come thru from clients, blog stalkers, etc. Today, I went back and re-read some of them and as I was doing so, a former client just happened to email me out of the blue with the following: “…..we were looking at them last night and it reminded me that I should let you know what a great photographer you are!” THANK YOU (you know who you are)!!!!!!!! I love my job!
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What a compliment to have our photos included here, especially since I check in here all the time and see all the beautiful weddings you’ve shot!! So happy for you, I wish you all the best!!