Omigosh, I am so sorry for the confusion! :) I’m soooo still shooting babies, children and families. LOVE IT. I can’t imagine ever not doing that type of photography. I LOVE the babies. I LOVE the kids. I LOVE chatting with the parents while we’re trying to get the 2 year old to not get snagged on the barbed wire (anything for a cute pic! JK (kinda)!). Seriously, I have a blast. I have no idea what the parents say as they are driving away from my house but I hope they had a decent time also…?
ANYWAY! I’ve babbled on about how I’m breathing new life into the biznazz and focusing on some weddingness. Maybe some of you are wondering what in the heck I’m talking about…? I’m referring more to the business side of doing weddings. Like documentation, advertising and whatnot. K, so I got the cute logo. What else?
Re: Weddings. There is just soooo much more that goes into shooting weddings than kids. Shooting little kids just comes easily to me; I’m so, so LUCKY and THANKFUL for that because I know other photographers struggle with it. I really think it’s because A) I’m a mom and B) I’m sooo short (4’11”) so they think I might be around their age. My child-like voice has nothing to do with it… ;)
With kids, though, there’s not that scrolling mental list of MUST HAVE shots that I only get ONE CHANCE to take. And when shooting kids, I (try to) choose the light. At weddings, the light chooses ME. On the flip side, there is just something surreal and immensely rewarding about getting all of those shots and telling the story of such an important day.
Soooo, I’ve been taking a bunch of wedding classes, making lists, plans, reading blogs, etc. It’s not the SHOOTING I’m taking classes for (got that part DOWN – holla). I just like hearing perspectives of other wedding photographers and little hints/suggestions of how they go through the day. I had NO IDEA how crazy it is to be in 7 places at once ALL DAY LONG until I started shooting weddings!! I have no issues with SPRINTING through the church if I find out Dad has arrived to see the bride. So it’s nice to hear things like at what point in the day do other photographers take the flower photos, when they do the formal portraits, how many they take, etc. AND, I love hearing about what information they ask for prior to the wedding day and at the final planning meeting.
Y’all know I like to wing it and just get stuff done…ha. Fortunately, it usually works out. I like to pick my battles: I’ll go sleepless for days over a lens purchase but a camera bag, I just roll into a camera store and ask what I should buy…done. Anyway, so I said, “USUALLY works out!” HAHAHA. So, I needed to “whip up” some wedding contracts for 2011. I thought this would be easy…hello, I’ve signed LOTS of contracts in my life. OMG, I agonized over these contracts for WEEKS, dude. WEEKS. I kept changing my mind, changing the format, changing my mind, changing the format, googling more wedding contracts, searching more forums, changing the font, googling some more. BLAHBLAHBLAH I’ll get to the point…
My BIGGEST FEAR, seriously? I would get into an accident, break a leg, get blown away in a tornado, etc and my bride wouldn’t have a photographer on her wedding day. OM#G. I would DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE. DIE!
I wanted to my contracts to show my brides that yes, hello, she has THOUGHT ABOUT THIS. Not just a flippant, “Yahhhh, I’ll be there…so sign here.” I wanted both of our sides to be covered and show that I thought about all of these things. Over my dead body (literally) will someone I’m responsible for not have a fab photog on their wedding day.
Guess what, I wasted my time. In the midst of this, I started a wedding class a couple weeks ago and the photographer showed us his contract he uses, courtesy of Professional Photographers of America. JOINING THAT ORGANIZATION WAS ALREADY ON MY LIST FOR JANUARY. So, yes, photogs, it’s slightly expensive but it’s one of the best purchases you’ll ever make…tons of benefits with this organization! For the contracts alone, I was THRILLED. They are professional, have been through legal review and very detailed. And, I feel they cover everyone involved. Truly everything I’d been trying to say but less girl-ified.
And yes, thank God, it mentions that if I end up breaking my hip or something (omg), I can and would appoint another qualified photographer to go in my place. Which, hello, I would do anyway but I think it’s nice to have in there so people know you actually care. I also joined PP of Iowa, so even though I have some fab photog friends I would ask, I’d also be likely to find an awesome photographer to help me out via PP of Iowa if need be. :)
So, that’s my photography tip of the day. Join PPA. It’s an amazing resource and I still haven’t gone through all of the rockin’ benefits. Check it out. I mean, by now you know photography is literally, truly, HONESTLY, the most expensive business and hobby on the face of the planet, so what’s another $350 when you’ve spent $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. LOL. And then go spend a little more money and join PP of Iowa. Somewhere in the Quad Cities, my husband is reading this and shaking his head in agreement(pain) with the “$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.” Love you, honey. *smiles sweetly*
Love to all! xoxo!
Ann
AnnStewardPhotography 