Monday, 2 April 2018

Is Not A Professional Portrait Photographer Nanaimo Supposed To Be Glamorous?

By Ryan Graham


Everyone stands up as the organist begins playing Here Comes the Bride. Letting everyone know exactly who the focus of the occasion is, in case they did not already. The guests turn their heads, straining their necks to see the vision of elegant radiance shimmering up the aisle and leaving a procession of bridesmaids, an entourage of angels, floating in her wake. It is your job to eternalize this moment. As the photographer, you feel the pressure mounting. Because it is her big day, and she is expecting a professional wedding portrait photographer Nanaimo.

At the outset, it comes across as quite a glamorous profession. You get invited to events celebrating very special occasions in people s lives. Everyone s dressed in their Sunday best, and you are included as the witness to the most memorable moments. And at the end, you get paid for it! Say whaaat? It is no surprise everyone with a digital camera and a pc are queueing up around the block trying to get in on the action. To some, becoming a wedding photographer would be winning the lotto. Little do they know, the odds of succeeding in the profession are just as unlikely.

Getting work in this field requires recognition. But if you are not working, how are you supposed to get recognized and ever acknowledged for your abilities? It is a standard catch 22. There is no simple solution to this situation. And why every artist knows that unrewarded talent is virtually a proverb. Oftentimes, one will work for years just building up the courage to finally put their work out there. Only for critics to take a savage dump on it from a dizzy height. But, take heed, it happens to everyone. Being criticized does not make you special, just pretty average. Being able to keep bouncing back from the criticism though, that is a sure sign of being on the fast track to success.

Staying committed and refining your abilities, in spite of rejection, becomes an almost alchemical process. One s trials are the flames that transform the lead of one s doubts into gold, the pressure that converts the coals of one s character flaws into diamonds, developing the distinguishing quality that separates the wheat from the chaff of, feel free to insert any appropriately half baked analogy here. In essence, in order to stay ahead of the pack, one has to keep pushing ahead.

For a wedding photographer, the quality of relationships one builds has a direct correlation to the volume and quality of clients one attracts. And when spending weeks and months accompanying people during one of the most emotionally tumultuous episodes in their lives, the bonds formed can last a lifetime. As well as the grudges. But the value of displaying one s authentic self cannot be overstated. Since most people possess an uncanny ability for seeing through false pretences.

Once the business starts rolling in though, the urge to take on every couple due to trade nuptials must be strongly resisted. Every client expects that personal touch, and all the legwork involved is no small feat. Being fully booked, while an appealing proposition at the beginning of your career, does not allow for any flexibility should unforeseen circumstances arise. And as any wedding planner can attest, things do not always go as planned.

It still requires conscientious scheduling keeping everything on track. Apart from the time consuming work that post production entails, a photographer has to be available to respond to impromptu queries, managing expectations, punctually arriving at shoot locations, then editing and arranging the images into the specific packages as requested, before finally forwarding the polished product off to the new bride and groom and all other relevant parties. Whew! That was already a mouthful. Just imagine actually having to do all that legwork.

One of the main perks of being self employed is it affords you the ability to set your own schedule. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. As much as you love your career, there is so much more to life than earning a paycheck. You owe it to yourself, and your loved ones, to dedicate at least a few days of your week to something other than turning a profit. After all, you are an aspiring artist and art cannot be rushed, so enjoy the process!




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