It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks. Photography has
taken an unfortunate backseat to the beginning of the Holiday Craze. During the
past weeks, I had an opportunity to take Senior Pictures, photograph a
wonderful family of three and started moving indoors to combat the frigid
temperatures that have recently made an announcement.
And in the same weeks I have made MANY mistakes. Wow. Cold
temperatures and pressure to succeed temporarily allowed a feeling of failure
to seep into my creative endeavors. A friend of mine asked me to photograph her
nephew’s Senior Pictures. I was honored to be entrusted to capture such a
significant piece of history for this young man. And scared to death. SENIOR PICTURES
ARE A HUGE DEAL. The morning of the pictures made me wonder if it was the
freshly turned cold or nerves making my finger shake on the shutter release...
I wonder sometimes if I have gotten in over my head? What if I mess THIS up?
These are his Senior Pictures for goodness sake. Upon meeting this young gentleman,
many of my fears quickly eased. He seemed excited and open to the opportunity
of gallivanting around town with a “newbie” photographer. I realized that
morning that despite needing to respect the place photographs play as a
timepiece in a person’s life, I also need to be true to my artistic path. I do
NOT know everything. I am a work in progress. But, I know I can offer distinct
and personalized images to others that have an impact on their life. This young
gentleman was worthy of having a slice of history preserved. I saw potential in
him and excitement for life that I hope will remain unjaded and steadfast for
many years to come. I wish him luck and thank him for the opportunity to
capture a few memories for him.
Then a few days later, I am certain I made the most mistakes
I have made in a single photo shoot To-Date. I did not communicate clearly how
long a “proper” photo shoot takes, I forgot to turn off my Active D Lighting, I
did not take control of my artistic vision, I tried to rush my photographs and
settled for “snapshots” that any Joe Schmoe could have produced… all because I
was very excited to have the chance to photograph a wonderful family of three.
This mother and two children were so ecstatic to have their photographs taken
that I desperately wanted to produce – so much that I just assumed it would “happen”
within 45 minutes of a frigid evening in a small town. Immediately upon coming
home, I realized the pictures were my WORST batch. I was not proud to show any
of the photographs. I was so disappointed I almost cried. But, the mother
texted in the morning and was so excited to see photos I had to give it a
whirl. Six painstaking editing hours later, I had to admit that they just were
not getting any better. I salvaged a few and promised to have a “re-do” session
as soon as possible. If the weight of a photograph in a family’s life wasn’t
heavy enough, it seemed more so after this experience. But, you know what? The
drive for consistency in producing a good photograph was more impressive than
it has ever been. I want to do this. I want to be able to preserve these
memories and I want to do it in an artistically distinct way. From a technical
aspect, I failed this time. But, I needed this moment to help me remember that
photographs mean something to the people’s hands in which they are placed. They
are not to be taken lightly and I will continue to strive to get better.
