Why I do this.

Despite how it must look, being a wedding photographer is not always that glamorous. I know, I know, I make it look like it is. But in reality, it is long days. Working Saturdays nearly all summer when everyone else is having fun. Pressure. Being nice all the time. Bridezillas (not that I have EVER had one) And sure, I’ve heard it all. Usually it is from well-meaning guests…

“It must be great to work only one day a week!”
(Ever notice what time my blog entries go out? It ain’t between the hours of 9-5)

“Wow, so you get to have a good meal every Saturday?”

(Yes, and it’s almost always chicken.. For me, it’s fuel, it’s not a night out)

“How much did that camera cost?”

(More than my first car. And I have three of them. You want a real freak out? Ask me how much some of my lenses cost)

“What’s a little girl like you doing with a lens like that?”

(FYI, have you looked at me? I’m not so little. And what kind of a freaking question is that?)

Don’t get me wrong, those of you who have hired me and have worked with me know how much I love my job. When I am shooting, my life is all good. It’s what I love to do. But once I get home it’s a job with deadlines and things to be done, and there are days when I am in editing hell, when I have album designs piling up, sales tax to pay, a bridal fair looming ahead of me, and it’s just like all of you feel when you are at work some days. But at the heart of it, I feel blessed that I have found my calling. Some days it’s harder than others to remember that. I get crabby. I look at all my work and find it all to be crap, I beat myself up for not shooting things at a different setting, why didn’t I frame this differently, what the hell were you thinking, yadda yadda yadda.

And then, I get an email like this:

“And just a note - the photos you took of my flower girl clutching her locket and showing her locket are unbelievable. In the locket are pictures of her mom (my cousin who passed away a few years ago (cancer -

tragic) and her dad. They are going to be especially treasured shots.

Thanks”

And this, my friends, is why I do this. This is why my job is so important to me. To capture a moment like this for a little girl and her family makes it all worth it. I had absolutely no idea why she was showing everyone that locket, but I knew it was important to her. These photos won’t win me any awards or bring me photographic acclaim. But they are at the heart of what I do this.

Thanks for the email, Mary. And thanks to all of you for allowing me the honor to photograph your weddings.