…You may remember the first chapter of Something Simply Special Sundays, which I posted (funnily enough) last Sunday. If you missed it, you can read it HERE.
Anyway, the concept is to discuss a topic that has been on my mind in the past week under the heading ‘Cognitive Perceptions’. It should provoke you to think about how you view your world. At least, it does for me. The second part is simply a list of things that have made me happy in that past week. Yes, including meals at Jamie Oliver’s!
Before we get started for this week, I just wanted to share with you how easy it is for me to often forget that I’m in my first full year of wedding photography (and be upset that I’m not taking the world fully by storm…yet). I am a newbie. A very much devoted and successful one, but still a newbie. I’ve been spending much more time on Twitter and Facebook to result in my integrating social media as I have done in the past and I’ve really found that I can get down about how many client meetings other photographers have a week, or how it’s the norm for them to be overwhelmed with editing. I want to be at that stage. As in with any new business, you can always find ways to push it forward and develop your knowledge and aims for the business direction so although I may allow myself an extra 30 minutes in bed in the morning I’m always thinking about how I want my business to be. Now.. for me.. I’ve spent years with photography. Coming up to six years. I was the one sitting and reading my camera manual at work and shoving a lens in my friend’s faces. For several months I even developed my own film.
I spent 2011 second shooting for highly established and respected wedding photographers throughout the UK to ensure that I learnt the structure of the day inside out and gave myself the space to put together my business ideals (I cover this somewhat in my previous Something Simply Special Sundays blog post). In 2012 I’m shooting my own weddings as well as continuing to work alongside MG. As much as you can feel ready given the importance of the position, I feel ready. I feel alive and invigorated and inspired by it. And…. I always feel like I can be doing more. Today I stopped to look at what I have achieved, and I’m very happy that I did. I may not be booking at the rate of the more established photographers but the clients I do have thus far are amazing people and I hope to be wonderful friends. The venues that I’m shooting at are all in alignment with what I love about design, architecture and atmosphere and my Brides are all so relaxed.
I wanted to take a moment to share some recent feedback from my pre-wedding shoots:
Helen & Richard – “It was really lovely to meet you and we love the blog, pics are beautiful; we’re so lucky to have found you and can’t wait for April.”
Sabiha & Erkan – “It looks wicked! Love it! So we definitely want to go ahead…”
Catriona & Chris – “Great photos, looking forward to seeing you again in July!”
Right. Now I’ve put a huge smile back on my face, lets begin.
I was sad in the week (see above!). MG sat next to me on the couch, looked me in the eyes and asked me to hold out my hand. Reluctantly (thinking perhaps he’d found a spider), I obeyed. And he went on to speak some words to me that make more sense than anything I’ve heard recently. PS – I want all of you to do this as you are reading this!
“Claudia”, he said. “Hold your hand out in front of me. Clench your fist so tight that you can feel your nails against the palm of your hand”. (At this point in I’m already like uhmm…) “That is everything you are currently holding on to, in that palm. All the emotions that you currently feel. All of the things you doubt and the weddings that you’d love to shoot. Everything.”
Then he asked me to open my palm. “That is you letting go. Acceptance. Can you notice that when your fist is clenched so tight, you can’t let anything else in? Well, open your palm and let new things in.”
Go on, readers, do it.
It makes sense right? You know that enquiry that came in that you want more than anythinganythinganything and you know you can offer them something incredible? Let it go. If it’s meant to be…. and all that. Open that palm and let new enquiries in. You know that house that you really want to buy but the mortgage lenders are playing up? Let it go. Perhaps by letting it go, you’ll find your dream house. The school that you really want your youngest to be able to attend? The promotion at your work? You get my gist…
Acceptance. It doesn’t have to be negative or positive that you worry. This is not about telling you not to worry. This is about worrying with your palm still left open.
What are you holding on to?
Wow. I’m feeling about three stone lighter already! This blog writing is so cathartic. Now, remember, this is the bit with all the fun links. They are all set to open up in new windows so I don’t lose you ;)
Lots of great things have happened this week.
My pre wedding shoot with Helen & Richard was featured on the amazing wedding blog OMG I’m Getting Married. Alexis has been so supportive of me, and I’m ever grateful. See the feature HERE. She will also be featuring Lauren & Adam’s pre wedding shoot next week (isn’t she lovely.)
I found a photograph that I took at Louise and Andrea’s couple shoot (see that here) on Pinterest. There have been so many different opinions floating about social media this week regarding Pinterest and I’d recommend that you read THIS blog post by photographer and lawyer, Kirsten Kowalski. I’m still in mixed opinions about it. I have been using it with a few of my brides which has been amazing thus far and…I think there is always controversy over everything. What do you think?
I’ve made an agreement with my new good friend Bobbi that I don’t check my email, Facebook or Twitter before 11am. Instead, I wake up and have a coffee (this week has been warm enough that I’ve even sat outside in our garden!) and plan out our day with MG. It allows me head space to concentrate on things perhaps left over from the day before, and I find I’m more likely to have an email by 11am than 8am. People just aren’t as odd as me to send emails to wedding photographers first thing. In my experience, anyway ;)
I bought a beautiful new cream lace dress from Primark and some clear Lois Lane glasses from Stratford. I now feel sophisticated, dahling. Simple pleasures.
Shrove Tuesday! Which I utterly failed on as we had no eggs. So, it was Shrove Friday in our house. But wow, they were yummy. I used the BBC food recipe and doubled the ingredients.
I have my Google Analytics set up correctly for my blog. My WEBSITE will go LIVE (!!!!) this week but I thought I’d get everything together. Since yesterday I’ve had 58 unique visits. Here is a website that I found with some useful links to understanding your analytics better.
And…. I’m alive. That’s the happiest thing at all. For good measure, here is a photograph of me in my new glasses.
[...] Wow, this week has gone quickly! You must be getting the hang of Something Simply Special Sundays by now, huh? If not, please see previous chapters HERE and HERE. [...]
^^Written by Gary
Love your happy list… I might join you in writing them each week!
Hey C I am loving these posts.
Stick with it. It’ll be worth it … I promise.
Hey Claudia,
It’s so tough when you want things to be happening quicker but if I learned anything last year it’s the actual ‘getting there’ that’s the fun part. I’m still very much cultivating my business but I’m really happy with my bookings and like you, pretty much a newbie. But that you can say you’re a successful newbie is a great thing, there’s loads of people wanting to be in that position.
There’s so much I want to do in my business but I know I can’t run before I walk. I’d like to expand my business into a bit of teaching but know that I need to go out and get the experience before I’m in a position to do that. So instead I keep a big list of all my ideas so I can revisit when I feel ready. It’s so easy to get carried with seeing what other photographers are doing but try and not focus on that as it will make you feel insecure (I’ve so been there!) and just keep focusing on your clients.
If you’re feeling frustrated creatively, organise a styled shoot – it’s also a good way to keep a stream of work going online. You’ll get there soon and when you do you’ll be looking forward to a quieter period!