This week has been a weird and exciting one. Weird because it’s been filled with some growing pains. I’ve had a chance to chat with several wedding professionals who have been in the field for a while now. Some over a decade. And they are all professionals I respect. Many of the wedding photographers I've connected with are artists that inspire me.
The exciting part about this week was that I finally feel like I’m making a bit of a breakthrough, pushing through this stagnant fog I’ve been swimming in for a while. Yes, I love the redesign of the sight. Yes, I've shot several wedding now. Yes, I’m booking more. But I’ve felt this kind of mad, crazy discontentment lately. And I think it’s because I knew my business was ready to grow, but I wasn’t sure how to go about doing that.
So, I went online :)
I started ravenously reading the blogs of wedding photographers that I admired and that led me to the blogs of photographers that inspired them. Turns out a lot of the other wedding professionals I’m meeting all run in the same circle. They know each other, they go to lunches together, party at the same places, etc. To me, that’s a good sign. I’m building my brand and I’m moving to a marketing space I want to be in, filled with professionals that are role models for me.
Here’s my conundrum. All of the photographers that really inspire me have a style. A feel to their images. Some are light, airy, almost ethereal in nature with the way they play with light and capture the softness of their brides. Others are dramatic and edgy, with images that kind of make your draw drop when you initially see them.
Everyone has told me the same thing over the past several months:
“Yeah, you’re growing. You’ve got some good images. But pick a style. You have to have a consistent feel to really create a brand.”
I completely agree. But how!? When the images and styles I really love are all so drastically different, how can I pick just one? Maybe this is something that will evolve naturally over time? Maybe my photography will just start to lean in one direction rather than the other? I suppose from a marketing/business standpoint, I really hope it does. But the artist in me, kind of hopes it doesn’t.
