My Struggle

Two years ago I made a goal to post to my photography blog (what you're reading) every week. A year and approximately 52 posts later, I was so proud of myself for achieving this goal. I haven't dropped the goal, in fact I've posted every week of this year as well.

Photography is my love, my passion. And it's not just the going out and taking pictures that I love so much, it's the people who I photograph, the connections we make, it's the refining of the images after they are processed and sent back to me, it's delivering the photographs to a client and having them contact me saying, "I'm so grateful you were there to take these photographs, I wept after looking over them, I love them so much. Thank you, thank you." The very most rewarding part of photography is when a family tells me they love their pictures. I know these families are growing and getting older, I know what happiness can come to families when they have permanent, tangible memories.

However, my passion and talent for photography does not guarantee that clients will come. This past year, though I have been fortunate enough to be able to post something every week, has been a big struggle to get clients.

In 2010, when I was 20 years old, I decided to get a business license and practice photography professionally. Everyone who knows I have the business will ask, "How's business?" or "How's the photography going?" How am I supposed to respond?

Do I respond so truthfully that I'm pouring my soul out to the inquirer?
"Well, most of what I've done in the past year has been personal work." ?
"I haven't had a client in weeks." ?
"Not very well." ?
Shrug my shoulders and droop my head?

No.

I wouldn't want to burden anyone with my own struggle, so instead I respond:
"It's going." or
"I'm really working on sales and marketing right now."

And yet here I am on the World Wide Web pouring my soul out letting everyone know that I am having a hard time keeping my business afloat.

(Insert tears here because that's what's happening behind the scenes)

What can I do? I have awesome business cards, I network with new people several times a week, I'm easy to work with, I am accommodating and loving to clients, I provide people with great products and results.

(tangent) There are lots of "photographers" out there who make horrible photographs. HORRIBLE. And yet they make loads of money. (okay, carry on, end of tangent)

So now what? The holiday season will soon be over and a new year will begin. 2014.

A year to have a better business, a better life, a better me. I'm determined to make it happen.

But there is only so much I can do. I can tell every person on this earth that I do portrait, family, and wedding photography, hand them a business card, even show them my photography, tell them to give me a call when family is in town, and bid them a happy rest of their day. What more can I do? Nothing.

So here is my plea to you, my dear reader. Hire me. I can give you more than you thought possible with an image. It is not just a face on a shelf. It's a memory, it's remembering your child at that age forever, it's remembering the touching and loving feelings shared at your mother's funeral and viewing services, it's celebrating one-day wedding events for the rest of days.

And now I'm at a loss for words. I've said everything that has occupied my brain on this topic. So now I will leave you with a picture from a family session a year ago.

Thank you,
Shaylee