A Windy Path to Commercial Photography
My journey to commercial photography has taken many twists and turns along the way. After 17 years in the advertising industry, you would think commercial photography would have been a straight shot from where I started.
But I would be missing a huge, seemingly out of place, piece of the puzzle if I completely ignored the large chunk of time I spent in the middle of my career as a wedding photographer. In all honesty, this is where my photography really began to flourish. My business was published in a TON of blogs, including a huge feature in The Knot’s 50 weddings in 50 states. Honestly, if it wasn’t for this detour, I wouldn’t be the photographer I am today! And just like my career itself, my photography style and skills have a few unique twists as well.
Most notably: I’m always prepared to get the job done. No matter the circumstances, I WILL GET THE SHOT. I’ve shot in any possible circumstance you could imagine. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor dark of night will keep me from delivering professional final images. I’ve hung off of 10 story balconies, jumped into the ocean with my camera, and shot in literal pitch darkness more times than I can count. I’m not sure if these skills are really resume builders, but you can guarantee that I will NOT let you miss a tight deadline because your shoot day circumstances were unexpected.
Also, I know how to take product photos that tell stories. When submitting wedding photos for publications, you have to make sure to include LOTS of details. But the publications aren’t the ones paying for your services, the bride and groom are. So you have to make sure that the detail shots (which are basically lifestyle product photos), are something meaningful to the couple as well. This skill has taught me not only how to take amazing product shots, but how to take them in a way that really grabs your audience’s attention by telling them a relatable story.
I’ve also learned how to see the potential in any location. I can make any location look amazing. You wouldn’t believe the weird places I’ve shot in! Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather work in a nicely lit, fully air conditioned studio - but if you were to throw me out in the middle of nowhere with nothing but my camera, one lens, and a subject of any kind (model, product… you pick), I feel confident that I could make magic happen. Hey! That sounds like a fun reality show actually!! If anyone decides to run with this idea and create a show, I want to be a contestant!!
And the most useful skill I learned as a wedding photographer is how to make ANYONE feel confident in front of the camera. Even seasoned models work best when they feel comfortable with their photographer. When a subject is able to connect with their photographer, you end up with photos that are truly next level amazing!
Overall, I’ve found the experiences that build our professional backgrounds are what make us uniquely qualified as entrepreneurs. I know that the path I took to become the photographer I am today was exactly where I needed to go to find my ideal clients. Thanks to these past experiences, I’m able to offer high impact small businesses a unique blend of advertising and artistic expertise to create images that tell their brands’ unique stories.
If you’d like to take advantage of my creative expertise, I’d love to set up a brainstorming session with you to help plan a shoot for your brand’s next marketing campaign! Click here to find out more about these exciting sessions.