Portrait Photography - A Week in Reflection

Thought for the day: "No man or woman is an island. To exist just for yourself is meaningless. You can achieve the most satisfaction when you feel related to some greater purpose in life, something greater than yourself."- Denis Waitley (Quote courtesy of Thinkexist.com)

As the traditional work week winds down, I sit down to reflect on all I've accomplished. And although, for me, shooting will continue on into the weekend I guess it's become something of a habit this Friday reflection.

Overall, when I sum it all up, I feel blessed. I've met some wonderful people (I call them my models) this week.

There was a beautiful family with three spunky children--each with his own look, style and energy. How I love letting children dictate where and how the photo session will go. I'm finding that when you follow the children's leads, you're just about guaranteed photo magic.

I also met strong women - each beautiful in her own way and each seeking something different out of their photo session experience.

But no matter the reason for their shoot, in just about every scenario I found myself playing the same role: the enthusiastic cheerleader. How I love encouraging those who stand before me to shed their defenses, and to reveal themselves, their natural beauty--both inner and outer. This is what drives me most in this work.

Sure, there were frustrations this week: for example, on Wednesday I rushed breathlessly back from location scouting and a beautiful outdoors to setup for a mid-afternoon studio shoot. I like to have lighting and backdrop details ready to go when my model(s) arrive. I'd quickly showered and rushed to set everything up, only to wait for a model who would never arrive. No phone call. No email. No courtesy.

And then on Thursday I woke up feeling crappy. But, while I ended up shooting that night anyway, I was certainly glad I did. My model was a beautiful young woman and aspiring model/actress. As I reviewed the many gorgeous shots of her, I was sure I detected that "special something" along with a fire and determination to succeed. I found it interesting that her looks recall a certain supermodel from the 90s (Stephanie Seymour--the siren who pretty much made the George Michael video for his popular song "Faith"). As I reviewed our session, each image was more beautiful than the one before.

Now, Friday evening, I look forward to the three family shoots I've lined up for the weekend as much as I look forward to the time I'll be spending with my husband, spunky 7-year old and feisty 1-year old twins.

And while managing the building of a portrait photography business along with household duties and child-rearing is certainly a major juggle, I truly feel I wouldn't trade this particular challenge for the world.

Warmly,
Susan
www.liartphotography.com


Thought for the day: "No man or woman is an island. To exist just for yourself is meaningless. You can achieve the most satisfactino when you feel related to some greater purpose in life, something greater than yourself."- Denis Waitley (Quote courtesy of Thinkexist.com)