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johnandchels
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Name: Chelsea
Interests: Hmmm, lets see.... travel, peoples and cultures of the world, ethnic food, photography, my husband and daughter, photography, mountains, travel, friends, photography, 24.... oh wait, did I mention that I love photography? Oh yeah, and travel too... don't want to forget that!
Occupation: Wife, mother and photographer.
Industry: Life
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
7/18/2005
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| Artist's Statement of SortsNot mine, but I did add some thoughts... the original article is from Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai ~
I think you could apply this to many different creative professions, but it was created with photographers in mind... As I was reading it I found myself nodding a resounding YES! to most of the comments... and processing my difference of opinion on others and thought I would post both the article and my thoughts as well here. My response is in italics. Curious to know YOUR thoughts on this, too?!
What Every Aspiring Photographer Should Know:
These are my thoughts, nothing more and nothing less.
I get asked all the time, during workshops, in e-mails, in private messages, what words of wisdom I would give to a new and aspiring photographer. Here’s my answer.
- Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don’t look outward for your style; look inward.
i agree with this mostly.... look inward first. shoot from your heart. shoot how you want, what you want, no matter how lucrative or not lucrative at all it is. however, along the journey, you may find some actions, props, etc. that really help you define your style. my suggestion is to modify as you go, though. buy the action set if you want, but tear it apart and make it your own, according to your own formulas. this takes time, practice, patience and lots more practice. it takes trying something for awhile and then deciding it isn't your thing afterall. personal example: i thought i would really get into textures. i do love me some jesh de rox action... i love the look. but it simply didn't work for me. every once in a while i see an image i took that i think "ooooh, this would really work with such and such texture," and i try it. and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. but the fact is i had to go through a stage of texturing everything to realize it wasn't my style. bottom line is that your style will evolve and it may include things you can buy, borrow or download. don't let those things BE your defining style, but don't be afraid to modify and recreate them as a means to enhancing your style.
- Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It’s like money; you only have it when you don’t need it.
absolutely. and again, this is a process.... if you do get lucky, go home and backtrack to figure out how you got that lucky image/look/effect and learn how to do it again on purpose. :)
- Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a concensus.
again, absolutely agree! this is where i struggle with the whole idea of "networking: in the photography world. everyone tells you to network, network, network, and yet i have found in many instances that there is a herd mentality in specific networking groups. everyone is trying to do everything like everyone else. because "everyone" has already defined what is beautiful, what sells, what pricing strategy is best, what angle works and what action set is the best... and "everyone else" is expected (subconsiously) to agree and do it that. network and learn from each other if you can do it without losing your own passion and love of what is beautiful to YOU.
- Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don’t fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you’re stressed and anxious.
Yes, yes, yes. say no. if your gut tightens up after talking to a potential client and you wonder "hmmmmm, not sure about that," say no. i have turned down jobs that i know i "could" do but that were not my strengths or passion. i knew i could have made some money, but i would have stressed about it. and i knew other photographers that DID excell in that particular kind of session or shoot that i could confidently recommend. win win on all sides.
- Learn to say “I’m a photographer” out loud with a straight face. If you can’t say it and believe it, you can’t expect anyone else to, either.
yes.
- You cannot specialize in everything.
yes and no. you cannot "specialize" in everything.... but you can try anything and everything you want. i am not just a wedding photographer, or just a children's photographer. i know many who have been able to stick to one or the other and build incredible businesses around it. but i prefer the diversity and enjoy it. i also love fine art photography. i find that if i am in a rut in in one camp (people or wedding photography), i go to nature and fine art to find inspiration and to be renewed. and vice versa. i don't do commercial work. i don't do editorial. would i like to try it out sometime? sure. and hopefully i will someday. don't be afraid to try things, and don't feel like you have to do them all just because you have the equipment to do them.
- You don’t have to go into business just because people tell you you should! And you don’t have to be full time and making an executive income to be successful. If you decide you want to be in business, set your limits before you begin.
couldn't agree more. i find it hard to relate, again, to some of the networking groups out there because they are mostly about doing the biz full time, bringing in as much money as possible, shooting X amount of sessions or shoots, and making X amount of profit from them. i have set my limits, i know what i want to shoot for at my maximum and i am willing to work towards that, but hopefully i will know when to say no if i am presented with more than i need or want to do. money is tantilizing, but i have other goals, other priorities that trump my photography business. they actually come in the form of a husband and two little princesses at this moment. i am blessed with a husband that has a good job and i don't have to go out and support the family with my business. i am thankful for that. i know that in the future that could change in a heartbeat, and if that were to happen, i would then rethink my goals, limits, priorities and figure out what is best. but until then and even then, outside influences and other photographers are not going to make those decisions for me. my definition of successful doesn't include a dollar sign. i get to do something i absolutely love (take photos, create imagry, design) and bless others with something they want/need/love. i have been given gifts and talents to do this and i get to use them for myself, my family, my friends, my clients.... that feels pretty darn successful.
- Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don’t, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that’s tough.
i tell my clients all the time... BE YOU. BE REAL. you can have the best looking family, with the most stylish outfits, in the coolest poses, and best locations and still get horrible images because if that is not THEM, they will be uncomfortable and that will be glaringly obvious in the images. that being said, part of the way i define my style is REAL. so i may get a diverse set of clientelle and yet i still feel that i am shooting MY style by doing my best to reflect THEM in their session. i have clients, usually men, walking away from shoots saying "Wow, that was actually fun. She made us feel so comfortable." and i count that as a high compliment. now if your "style" is edgy and funky, then yes, you want to attract those clients that reflct that style in their own lives. but for me, i enjoy diversity and don't feel that my clients dictate to me how i shoot. i find that adaptability to my clients and discerment of their style and what makes them who they are IS my style.
- Accept critique, but don’t apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn’t not make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.
this is crucial to healthy growth. people can be harsh and so narrow minded in their perception of beauty or a good photo (technically) and will tell you like it is. what Cheryl says above "consider the perspective of the advice giver" is HUGE. HUGE! once you do that, chances are you can understand why they said what they did, give them credit where credit is due and take it or leave it without having a personal or emotional breakdown. i remember a male client looking at one of my images of him and his fiance. the image was just of their midsection, with arms wrapped around their waists. he asked me if i actually meant to cut off their heads. i smiled and said yes. he was even more confused. once he saw the image in his guestbook album, he got it. and loved it.
- Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business “Precious Chubby Tootsies”….but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?
ha ha!
- Remember that if your work looks like everyone else’s, there’s no reason for a client to book you instead of someone else. Unless you’re cheaper. And nobody wants to be known as “the cheaper photographer”.
agreed for the most part. during the journey, your work may indeed look like many other's work. you get inspiration from here and there and you see angles and poses and perspectives you want to try and inevitably the images look similar to many others. that is ok. its a journey. how many photogs use totally rad actions? even with adaptation, there will always be overlap in how an image looks post production. practice those new looks and ideas... chances are that as you try to set up a shot you saw elsewhere, you will see something new and different along the way and you can eventually make it your own. its a journey.
- Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.
true that.
- It’s easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you’ve got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. You need a decent camera, a decent lens, and a light meter. Until you can use those tools consistently and masterfully, don’t spend another dime. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you’ve outgrown your current equipment and you’re being limited by it. There are no magic bullets.
absolutely! this is some of the best advice you could possibly be given as a newish photographer. marketing is good these days.... you read about this photog or that photog getting this new lens, camera, bag, action set and SWEARING their lives on it and you think, well if it has helped them do the work they do (which is impressive), then maybe I will get the same results, the same recognition, whatever. use what you have. master it. and like Cheryl says, when you have outgrown it or feel limited by it, upgrade.
- Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.
AMEN! i think i could sum up my style and process and goal in my business to this very thing - the human connection. you can't fake or set up connection. you can't pose it or prop it up. you capture it. and you only capture it when your clients give it to you. and they only give it to you when you create an environment and opportunity for them to do so. thats your job. thats my job. their job is to connect and be real and be themselves. i just get to sit back and capture what is already there.
- Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself. Never let your technique upstage your subject.
for sure!!!!!
- Never compare your journey with someone else’s. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does.
again, some of the best advice out there. i find myself wistfully looking at this photog's journey or that photog's journey and wondering "how? why? what about me?" and i have to stop hard and quickly. i am on my journey and enjoying it. i am doing what i love. my clients love what i do. as long as those two things continue, i am running the race just fine.
- Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacency.
VERY true! find someone to go out and shoot with. jump in the car and look for some inspiration. if you shoot people, go shoot buildings. if you shoot commercial, go shoot your sister's baby. do whatever it takes to push through the season. you will get there.
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| adventures in house sharingweeeeelllll folks. hi. i've missed blogging here... just haven't had enough time to sit down and really collect my thoughts and actually get it all together.
the last month and a half has been a blur really.... arkansas trip, wedding, tiling the house, working on the endless ENDLESS amounts of finishing up projects after said renovation, and finally, moving some friends into our house with us for a month.
yup, we have housemates now. and its fun! tonight we made dinner together, salmon with mango and blueberry salsa and cumin quinoa. yummmm. it is so much more fun to eat/prepare healthy, good meals when you do it with someone else. i must admit, its also really nice to have someone else empty the dishwasher - one of my least fave jobs.
matt and christi are in our sunday school class and they have a 5 month old, Camden. he is adorable and adelaide especially is totally smitten. she lays on the floor and coos and "reads" to him and generally entertains the both of them for long periods of time. sydney just tries to crawl into his jumper with him. mia is thrilled he can't walk or sit on her. the grove fam will probably be with us for just a month, so we are going to really try to make it count and have some serious fun together.
matt and john are proving to be more like college roomies. they went out and bought a larger tv tonight. as most of you probably remember, john and i have a love-hate relationship with our tv's. we periodically go on tv fasts when we feel the need. apparently this is not one of those times. i think matt and john are going to have many a late night movie/sports night. john and i had this conversation when he got home:
me: well, so much for your canoe
john: i know. but i will use this alot more than i would a canoe.
me: sadly, i know.
me: but lets make a pact that if we ever move somewhere where the weather is actually liveable in the summer, lets spend our money on things that actually get us outside. until then, i am down with the flat panel tv.
john: we could watch canoeing on tv....
me:sigh....... how far we have come....
and that about sums up what i think of the summer here. 108 today. oh but its a DRY heat, you say..... its FREAKING 108 people.... and bound to get much hotter in the coming months. it doesn't matter one iota whether it is dry or wet at that point. the fact is i am a heat wimp. and my kids just have to live with that this summer. no, we are not going to the zoo at 7am because it is 101 already. no, we are not going to the pool because i only have two arms and two kids trying to jump out of those arms are one kid too much. we venture outside after 4pm when there is shade from the house on part of our yard. and i still just bake. we don't go out unless there is water involved. we drive around just to stay in the car with ac and we eat out more than we should just to find "free" indoor play places. and we generally just climb the walls for a few months. we pay more for gas than we should because we drive north ever possibly chance we get to escape the heat. but those 3 hours in the pines and cooler weather make the following week just a tad bit more bearable. a tad.
and that is our life in a nutshell. a very tiny nutshell.
hey, have any of you read the blogs/books called "stuff white people like" and "stuff christians like"? i was thinking it would be really fun to start a "Stuff Homeschoolers Like" ... what do you think? :) somehow i think i would be murdered in my sleep by some offended "sister" or "brother" but i still think it would be a great way to unpack and process some things, and also step back and laugh where there has only been frustration/hurt because, really, there are some seriously funny things we could write about. yes, it would be offensive to many. it would also help us all, hopefully, step back and see the big picture and how infinitesimally small these things that have become full blown issues, movements, cults really are in the light of eternity. just a thought.
**EDIT** so there IS a "stuff homeschoolers like" out there, folks..... not exactly the direction i would have taken the site, but you know, to each his own, or her own, or their homeschool group's own, or their home church's own, or whatever. denim makes the number 1 slot.... i guess i would have to agree there.
time to hit the hay.... i've got coconut oil lubing up my hair tonight.... maybe it will help what seems to be my helpless hair.
ps - did this fun shoot the other night.... you can see more on the other blog - just click HERE for more - this is one of my favorites of the night.....
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| Co-Op LOVE Can I just say how much I am loving the co-op thing? I don't do it every week, but I plan to start getting these baskets more frequently.... For those of you who live in AZ, CA or Utah, check out the website: http://www.bountifulbaskets.org
Can you believe the amount of stuff I got here for about $45?? The basket of just fruit and veggies is only $15, and then I paid extra for an "italian pack," 5 loaves of locally baked whole wheat honey bread, and a box of 8 1lb bags of cherries (at less than $1 per lb I should add). Here is what I scored:
 
Italian Pack:
bundle of fresh herbs like rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme
parsley
1 eggplant
2 zuccini
2 red onions
1 white onion
3 garlics
5 loaves of fresh honey whole wheat bread
Cherry Box:
8 1-lb bags of cherries (YUM!)
Basket:
12 bananas
7 apples
6 oranges
2 huge cantalope
10 plums
9 apricots
1 celery
2 bags of carrots
1 head of lettuce
6 cucumbers
1 bunch of broccoli
Pretty dang good, huh??!! Ok, so now... if anyone has any good recipes for some of these, please pass them on to me.... like for eggplant, cucumber, cherries, fresh herbs, red onions (recipes for dishes, sauces, sides, desserts... whatever!) Thanks a bunch!!
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