I work with cool, friendly, helpful people. So when my coworker who knows I'm doing portfolio building said "I have a newborn for you," I said "Okay!!"
Then I said to myself "omigod."
I haven't even gotten through the user's manual yet!!
The family I shot couldn't have been friendlier. They were excited and eager to help me get ANY shot I wanted. I had full reign of the house and the camera was my license to be creative.
Unfortunately, after hours of shooting (and mingling, and eating!), I came home with hundreds and hundreds of unusable pics.
I was mortified and crushed.
I sat down to sift through the rubble of my session, downtrodden.
Then a nice thing happened. My husband came to peek and told me I was crazy. "Sweetie, what are you talking about?! That's a GREAT shot!"
"Mmmm, yeah... I guess so.. it's not too bad."
This happened for a handful of pics until I came up with a nice selection of the best.
In the end, the parents got some beautiful pics of their son they will cherish forever.
I got some practice with what it feels like to NOT know what I'm doing.
And I realized how lucky I am to have such a sweet hubby.
HERE is where you can find the rest of the pics from the session.
i was recently told, by someone more talented and experienced than I, that it's not unusual to take 100 shots and only walk away with 3 or 4 fantastic ones. It was like a lightbulb went off in my head. Once I accepted that fact it was almost like a relief, a burden off my shoulders. Every one will not be a masterpiece. Sometimes the not so good ones teach you more than you realize. Sometimes the not so good ones actually are building your momentum towards those GREAT ones!
ReplyDeletewe are our own worst critics.
the photos are wonderful.
the family has something they'll treasure!!!
Oh Carolyn, you are too sweet.
ReplyDeleteYes, I beat myself up mercilessly. I always think I can be an expert right out of the gate, and sometimes I can.. Mostly I can't.
I shot almost 700 pics!! So my "fantastic" ratio was far fewer than 3-4 percent.. live, and learn, and laugh.. all that cliche stuff does ring true sometimes. :p
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