2011 ~ thank you | Southeastern PA Photographer

I am abundantly reflecting on this past year, and all that it entailed. A need fills me to write, to express my gratitude somehow for all the growth I have experienced, both personally and professionally, this past year. I had so many wonderful opportunities!! So many, I tell you! I met some fantastic people (including reconnecting with past friends), broadened my photography horizons and business, learned more about myself, and pushed my boundaries just a bit more. 2011 was one. amazing. year.

Of course, it wasn't all peaches and cream, or clementines and strawberries, but the hard work doubled the rewards. This past year was sweet and sour. Life is like a bowl of cherries, filled with the sweetness of the fruit, the pulp, the juice, the tasty delights, but we have the pit to deal with, too (not quite as tasty, but needed for the fruit's survival). Overall, the sweet stuff, the goodness in life, the gifts of the spirit, the birdsong came singing through.  

My experience e x p a n d e d …

I not only shot my first official wedding, but I was honored to shoot two, and second shoot for another! Thank you and congratulations to Valerie and Nathan, Sandy and Sean, and Kristen and Cory. 

I shot high school seniors. Thank you Derrick and Jordan!

I shot more families, newborns, and children than ever before. Thank you, my friends!

I shot an engaged couple. Thank you Jodi and Lee!

I even shot a model this year! Thank you, Jamie! 

I shot more - period - And that, my friend, is a very good thing. Thank you.

My workflow is becoming refined. I love to experiment with post-processing, and learn new fangled tips and techniques, and I believe my style is becoming a bit more pronounced, more me. I am finding more ease with my own taste, my own style of photography. Ask any photographer and they'll tell you that this is half the battle won. To find one's own style is truly a gift. It's difficult to look around and see so many talented photographers and then look at your own and find the value in what you see. It can be intimidating at times. But we must push through, push those boundaries because all artists at one time or another have dealt with this issue. I'm glad to know that I'm not alone.

It's an acceptance with one's own work - a feeling that says "I like it. It works for me." I'm getting there. Every shoot I do pushes me a bit further. I wonder if I'll ever be exactly "comfortable." It might be that 'comfort' is not what I am after, rather a feeling that my work is worthy. That is my goal. To be happy with myself as an artist, and as a photographer. To be able to express my feelings with visual power and emotion. That is the cherry on top. ;)

I have come to the realization also that the biggest part of what I do when I am connecting my lens with my subject, and usually that subject is a human being, is to blend technology with tenderness. I always strive to keep my subject(s) 'comfortable' (there's that word again!). If I can not make a connection with my client-friends, I can not do my job well. It's the relationship between the photographer and the photographed that matters the most. Certainly, the science of photographing someone is very important too, but it won't get the best pictures possible. The science of photography is a small portion whereas the relationship, the trust, the laughter, the kindness, the respect - that's where the magic resides. ;)

Thank you to everyone, great and small who allowed me the distinct honor of photographing you in 2011. You gave me an opportunity to gaze into your soul, to capture moments shared in time and I do not take this lightly. You have left your mark on my heart. I am forever grateful to you.   

What a ride! What a year! 2011 was a very exciting year for me. I have learned a great deal, and now I am even more eager to see what 2012 has in store… Because I have great plans for it! ;)

With gratitude and friendship,

always,

Barb

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