Today I start another new blogging topic called What is it Wednesday?! Basically it’s just a way for me to consistently blog on Wednesday about pretty much anything. I have so many things I like to do that I really couldn’t just decide on one thing.
So, What is it? What is it that has the wheels turning today? It is my photographic journey, from where it began to now…
When I first started out on this photographic journey, I had a Fujifilm S5000 digital camera. It had digital zoom and I shot on auto. I didn’t even know you could change the settings on a camera. In 2004 Justin had left to go to Afghanistan via a Med float with the Marine Corps and I was pregnant with Kylie. He was gone while I gave birth to Kylie, and didn’t return home until she was 3 months old! One of the things that got him through this – were all of the pictures I sent him. That camera become an extension of my right hand. I didn’t go anywhere with out it. I took pictures of Kylie, pictures of me, pictures of the land around me… things to remind him of the comforts of home. I took so many pictures, a love began to grow for this thing called photography.
He returned home, but not long after left again, for Iraq. I once again found myself taking pictures of everything. Once again falling deeper in love with photography, and the need to tell the story of everything around me. When he returned home again in 2005 he got out of the Marine Corps and we tried this thing called civilian life. Although we really were happy to be out of the Marine Corps, there were certain comforts of the Corps that we never really realized we would miss. Things like the housing allowance, and the health care. Over time we realized Justin had gotten out, no degree, and really couldn’t get a job. EVERYONE wanted someone with at least an associates degree!! We struggled for a while, and he finally was able to find a good job with the power company – but it still was tough. I knew I needed to help out. But we already had Kylie Anne, and by this time Katie bug was on the way. We would soon have 2 children. Sure I could find a job, but would I be able to find a job AND really make something after paying for childcare??
One day a light bulb came on. I could be a photographer!! Oh my heart just leaped out of my chest. I could do this, and LOVE it. In April of 2007, while pregnant with Katie, I enrolled in the New York Institute of Photography. I read, read, and read more. I learned about my camera, and that it had settings – and what those settings were. I learned to control my camera and take some really cool shots of flowers! haha I chased my kids around and took lots of pictures of them too. I begged people to let me take their picture for practice. And after a couple months I decided I would start charging. I started out charging very little – barely anything at all. But it felt so good to finally be making money! Little by little I would raise my prices as I felt my skill level had increased. I can’t tell you how many times I would have fellow photographers tell me I was worth much more than I was charging – but in my heart I just didn’t feel that I was worth it. I was so insecure with my own talent that I didn’t feel it was right to charge so much money. Only you can make that choice – because you have to completely believe it. You have to have faith in yourself. 2009 was my AH HA year. It was the year that I realized, I’m good. I have some serious talent. And that’s not being conceited, its having faith in myself. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will. You must have a back bone, and stand your ground. I really had a hard time keeping a back bone. “Yea that’s my price, but I’ll charge YOU this.” Well if I am going to change the price for everyone why have a set price at all? Why don’t I just throw up there contact me for the price Ill charge YOU. That’s not fair – not fair to my clients, nor to myself. I pour my heart and soul into this business. Sometimes too much. When I go to a photo session I normally spend about an hour in the car riding to and from the session, around 2 hours shooting, about an hour for uploading and backing up images, 4-6 hours editing the images. Then there’s the ordering, shipping or dropping off product, blogging the images, and facebooking the images. Not to mention all the back end business stuff – emailing, updating the website, marketing, keeping up with social media. I think I am missing something here, OHHHH right I have a family. A husband and 3 children!! I can’t spend all my time doing this business. And to make it worth my time away from my family – I need to be paid. Yes, my prices increased significantly from last year to this year. I know that I risk losing clients, and dear friends I am so thankful to have had the pleasure to be your photographer. But its what I need. It’s what I deserve. It’s what my husband & children deserve. I am SO excited to see what 2010 holds for this journey, and I pray it includes YOU.
-R
by Rachel
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