A client once told me that the photos I took of her changed the way she sees herself.
She called me specifically to tell me that. Apparently, after looking at the photos over and over, she was inspired, for the first time in her life (in her late thirties), to put together a portfolio! She said, "I like the way YOU see me! And, I am starting to see me through your eyes!" That made me cry. As you can imagine, now, each time I drive to a photo shoot, that statement often pops into my head. I like the way it feels inside my brain. It inspires the work that I'm about to do. I took the photos my client was referring to a few years ago, and, I often go back to look at them and muse to myself, "I wonder how she DID see herself before?" To me, she was always stunning. And I love that capturing that for her changed her self-image. That's also why I don't heavily manipulate and edit photos.
My clients can look at a photograph and tell whether what I see in them is something that's really there or something I imagined. I sort of base my business principles around that. There's a time and place for 'artistic impression', and I understand the conecpt behind heavy editing, I even do that to some photos, for the "art" of it...... but to make someone look false, to me, is a dis-service to everyone.
Being a mother to an almost-11-yr.-old daughter, I truly get what it means to have a healthy self-image. And I can't very well teach my daughter that she is beautiful just the way God made her, if I constantly manipulate God's work. So, when I'm often asked what I use to edit photos, if I could answer honestly, without someone thinking I'm being a smarty-pants, I would say, "beautiful, glowing sunlight". And maybe a little color-correction, put a little frame around the edge and the Strawberry logo, and voila'!
I'm not speaking down on anyone who chooses to do their photography differently. Truthfully, I know I would end up losing business because of the fact that I don't like to heavily edit. That's okay, because there's enough business for us all. I just remember the feeling I got from that phone call. And how I know that those photos wouldn't have changed the way she sees herself if I had taken off 30 pounds and removed all her smile lines. Because, at least to her, all I would have done is made her look like something she never sees in the mirror.
While my photography technique has changed and improved since these photos, they're still some of my favorites. And still, three or so years later, these photos still get mentioned to me by new clients. They can see the genuine quality and they love it!
For now, this is where my blog will live. Nothing fancy. I have ALMOST started a blog at least a dozen times and when I get into the "fancy" of it, it makes me get behind in other things I want to get done. So, for now, simple it is. Stay tuned for more. I'm thinking I need to share some tips I have learned in my experience, about making sure you look radiant in your wedding photos. There are things to do and NOT do that make a huge difference in how your wedding photos turn out.
So, make sure to visit back.