What has been your most challenging photo shoot?

I waited to answer this question until I could post Pastor Debbie’s pictures. This was by far the most challenging shoot I had done for multiple reasons:

- The expectation was very high. She is my pastor’s wife! I didn’t want to get excommunicated or shunnnnned.
- The art direction was very specific. And it not only had to please Pastor Debbie & the women’s department, but it also had to be good enough for the media department (and outside media agencies).
- It was cold. And windy. And NOT during the hour of optimal golden sunlight goodness that I prefer.
- Pastor Debbie does not like to be photographed.

 The last one was the biggest challenge. Sure, everything else was kind of a big deal, but I knew that the last one would make or break the experience. If I didn’t make her feel comfortable, the other factors wouldn’t even matter.

This is where teamwork came in.

There were a few extra people who tagged along for the shoot whose sole purpose was to make her feel comfortable and relaxed. People who knew her well. People who knew what to say to make her laugh. People that she felt comfortable joking around with. Those people were Chelsea & Jan (her assistant and another women’s pastor). I was there to photograph, Marsia was there to style, Faith was there to make sure her makeup was spot-on, Tia was there to oversee everything. But Chelsea & Jan were really the key people to making it all work. Jan is very comfortable in front of a camera (any camera!), so she gave awesome posing ideas and egged her on when Pastor Debbie struck a good pose. Chelsea made sure her iPhone was playing fun music and even did the Running Man to make her everyone laugh.

It was a dream team. It wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without all of them. Marsia always insists on a group shot at the end of a shoot, but we were all so busy that we forgot. These were the only ones I got.

Teamwork, baby! Woohoo!

Happy Tuesday!

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I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since she was born. Correction: ever since I found out I was having a girl.

Happy Tuesday!

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I recently had to ask myself this question: what inspires me? 

Every creative person faces this question, because it is their inspiration that fuels their work. My answer is the following:

SIMPLICITY

After all, it is much harder to do simple things well.

Which is why I adore Elizabeth Messina‘s work. No fussing, no crazy textures. Just photographing what she sees in front of her. And she shoots film, so you know she’s goooooooooooood.

Love, love, LOVE.

Happy Tuesday!

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It’s been a rough week. Just one of those times when you don’t really feel like you’ve got a firm footing on anything. So many questions in the air. So many times wondering, Am I doing this right? How can I get through this a better person? Is that a sign from God or an attack from the enemy? Why is she eating the dog food?

For the past few months, I’ve been in limbo about my business. It plateaued after Anna Lynn was born (understandably), and it has never been the same since. There was no more steam to carry the train. I wasn’t inspired anymore. I never wrapped my identity around photography, it was always meant as a creative (and very expensive) outlet. Did this mean it was time to stop? Are people no longer interested in what I’m offering? Would people think I was a flake? What else could I do? I suck at crafts that every other stay-at-home mom excels at.

If I kept going, what changes would I make? Do I still even want to shoot weddings? Do I need a new website? Should I start offering prints? Do my pictures suck? Do I need the new D800? Who’s my new competition and how young are they now? Why do I care so much what people think? Maybe I should get into shooting film? Do we have an extra $10,000 laying around? How am I going to run this business with more than 1 kid?? I’m not pregnant, people – just thinking about the future.

Even blogging has been difficult, mainly because it doesn’t feel personal anymore. I’ve realized that I edit myself WAY too much. That little “Publish” button gives me a panic attack because I always think, Is what I’m about to publish going to offend anyone? Will it drive business away? Will my husband come home and say, “Honey, about that blog post you wrote …” I would just DIE. But why do I feel like I have to apologize for being myself? It’s a very thin fine line … I hate fine lines.

I realize that there have been many factors that have brought me to this intersection, but regardless, I’m here (and besides, the factors are called LIFE). And I don’t really know what to do. Slow and steady wins the race? Or change it up? Or stop and find my inner Martha Stewart and see if she’ll come out and teach me how to make a bird feeder with a pine cone and some peanut butter?

So many questions. But I suppose it’s all good. It’s encouraging a lot of deep thinking on my end, which I don’t like to do a lot. A lot of soul-searching. And the realization that yes, this is a first-world problem. I am blessed, no matter what the decision is. It all comes down to this:

Happy Wednesday! And check out Lauren Clark‘s amazing work.

Just click on the “Publish” button, just click on the “Publish” button … you can do it, Natasha.

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