the right fit | on hiring an artist
In most of my bio’s I write that I am an artist. It’s my way of saying that I’m not your by the book kind of photographer. My work doesn’t fit in a box. When I’m photographing, I’m playing, experimenting, creating and making something that I hope no one else can capture the way I can. I want people to feel something when I’m working with them, and I want them to feel so much more when they look at the photos, every time after, for the rest of their lives.
A couple years into my career I wanted to quit, I wanted to completely walk away from what I loved. I had to look at why. When I did, I realized two things that were big factors contributing to the desire to walk away from this thing I loved, and this thing that was something I had worked so hard for.
I was burnt out. And, not all the people I was working with were the right fit.
The right fit.
You hear that a lot in my world, the world of wedding photographers. And it’s generally when you’ve come across a photographer who sees themselves as an artist. We are the kind of photographer that is aware that anything we put online is like saying “give me more of this” and our “about me” page, and “our process” is there to guide people towards us, or get those that aren’t the right fit, to run in the total opposite direction.
In order for me to keep loving my work, I needed to be working with the right people and I needed to not burn out. But, by working with the right people, the people that feed your creative soul, you don’t burn out. Those shoots that are right up your alley, feed your heart, they get you squealing from the inside out and get you creating work you are so darn proud of you could scream.
Every single photo I post has a reason. The thought behind it has me becoming a crazy person because I only want to do more work I’m proud of. I only want to work with people who love my work and inspire me. I only want to be around nice people that respect me. I want to make art that makes people experience complete happiness when they see an image and are brought back to that moment.
When people stifle your work, when people are the wrong fit, when people run you dry before you even started, this leads to things like wanting to give up.
I know I’m an emotional person, but that’s why my work is emotional. That’s part of who I am and what makes me an artist and makes my photos more than just point and shoot. I don’t do “event photography” because it bores the shit out of me, and I don’t like working with couples who are cold to one another because it literally makes me want to run away. I’ve been told that I’m too picky and that it’s silly to care so much about having the “right fit” be the only people I work with, but with me, I think it’s important to know yourself and give the best version of you.
I’m not the best version of myself when I’m working with people who aren’t the right fit. And, that’s not fair to them, either. With over twelve years of experience, and over 20k on my person when I come to a shoot, with a few hours of work pre shoot, a few for the shoot and a few hours after the shoot; I’m not going to charge something below what I think my craft is worth. There are SO many photographers in Toronto that belittle themselves and don’t charge what they are worth, and it breaks my heart. Every day I get emails from people telling me I’m too expensive, but I also get emails from people who think I’m exactly the worth I say I am. And, afterwards, I get the email saying how much more I should be charging with how much I actually give to my couples. So I sit at the cost I’m at and I hold steady.
My advice.
I thought I knew how to attract the right client. I’ve been spending every breath making sure I only attract the right people. Especially since becoming a mom, I’ve been extra careful because now my time away isnt just away from my husband, but my baby too, and my baby who’s only 6 months old.
Artists tend to be bad at saying no.
We have no idea what we are walking into sometimes. But there can be warning signs. It’s hard to see them sometimes though. And I’m sad as I close this season, this insanely long, emotional year, that I’m kind of closing it on a bad note. But, as I drove home from probably one of the worst shoots in a my career (in a long time) I decided not see it as something bad, but something that I can learn from.
Lessons I need to be reminded of. Clients who do not respect your time, do not respect your time and probably you. Clients that act like a hot mess, are probably a hot mess. Don’t ignore the warning signs and don’t let them ruin it for everyone else.
To all my clients, couples and the families who make me love my job, who inspire me endlessly, who keep me smiling, who make me feel like this is exactly where I want to be…. endless thank yous. Thank you for trusting me, thank you for supporting me, thank you for believing in me, thank you for letting me into this world of yours and completely allowing me to tell your story. You give my work all the emotion, beauty and life I always hoped it would have.
