Shoot from the Heart, Things I Learned in 2009

2009 is behind us and 2010 is ahead like a beacon of hope and wonder. After my first year of wedding photography, I’ve learned many things and I would like to share them with you. Perhaps it will give incite about the type of shooter that I am and what I’m able to deliver.

I've learned that:

• I’m a photojournalist, portrait, landscape, architectural, fashion, artistic, product and sometimes even a pet photographer all within any given moment during a wedding.
  
• Capturing moments with real emotions are more important than being technically ‘perfect’.
  
• I prefer to shoot with available light so I’m less noticeable but sometimes flash is the only available light.
  
• My second shooter is priceless!
  
• Most of my time is spent processing the pictures.
  
• It is important to spend the time because each image is an emotion and needs its own special care.
  
• Every wedding I shoot is better than the last.
  
• I love all the couples that I choose to shoot, their love is inspiring and they’re all really sweet and interesting couples.
  
• I cry during the ceremony and during the speeches...what can I say, I'm a romantic!
  
• Every Bride and every Groom gives their fiancé a look behind their back that holds such purity of happiness and love that it can’t duplicated or faked.
  
• Every child looks like a princess or a prince but fortunately they still act like kids. Yay!
  
• I have the honor of being the photographic storyteller of a love story will be shared with future generations.
  
• I do more than photograph the event.
  
• Most importantly, to shoot from the heart, always from the heart, and never from the head.

2010

For the last month I’ve been working at the Walmart Portrait Studios. I took the Christmas job in order to improve my posing abilities and learn a bit about the ‘business’ side of things. Yes, I made my intentions clear to the District Manager…who is a wonderful lady! Practice makes perfect, and this was a wonderful win/win for both sides! My Mom worked at Sears a few years ago in St. Catherines and she used to complain that there wasn’t any creativity allowed. I have to say that here, in Calgary, that isn’t true. You’re encouraged to be creative and as long as the customer is happy, they’re happy. Yay! I’m happy to report that my posing skills have improved exponentially. Just before Christmas I had one customer ask when I was working in the New Year because they loved my shots and wanted to have me shoot their Mom. That was a great compliment.

My last wedding is proof to myself. (Even though I can’t show you, unless you’re a woman and it’s in person...but I love the shots.) It was a Muslim Wedding and after the men left, the ladies took off their hejabs. Needless to say, I wasn’t permitted to do a lot of PJ shots. Basically, I had two hours in a private room with the bride and groom to take portraits. Could click away during the ceremony and take candid’s of family members, which became impossible after the dancing started. I put away my camera so I wouldn’t be tempted! Most of what I took was posed portraits, if I didn’t have the experience Walmart gave me, I wouldn’t have done 1/10 as good a job as I did! Yay Walmart!

2010 holds promise and my goals are;

• Use everything I’ve learned from 2009. Shoot from the Heart!
  
• Integrate more formal, creative, artistic, and fashion portraits into the Weddings I’m shooting.
  
• Improve my PhotoShopping ability to include 3-D manipulation (like Gabriel Rancourt’s Superhero trash the dress shoot…yes, I added another photographer to my ‘hero’ list!)
  
• Shoot with a variety of Models on personal projects, theirs and mine.
  
• Improve my Portrait Portfolio by offering Themed Promotions during the winter months like for Valentines Day and Christmas, perhaps for High School Seniors…or maybe Easter…have to think about that.
  
• Improve my post processing workflow so I can have a quicker turnaround.
  
• Attend more seminars, events and take more classes than I did last year.
  
• BLOG MORE OFTEN!!!
  
• Make Photography my Full-Time bill paying Job!
  

Yes, 2010 brings promise and hope and wonder. I look forward to creating even better images in the coming year! My love of photography will never diminish and my skills will always improve. As they say, “If we aren’t learning, we’re dying.”

I wish you and your family all the best in the New Year and I look forward to shooting you soon! (I love this job, where else can you say, “I’m taking you out back and shooting you” and everyone has smiles on their faces?)

George