Sunday, June 5, 2011

A Quick Holiday, Some Volunteering, And It's Back To Work...

I suppose it's been too long since my last post. However, in my defense, there was a holiday weekend mixed in there somewhere, so I feel little remorse. I decided to leave my Memorial Day weekend open to spend some quality time with the family and work in a bit of volunteering. Then it was back to work.


That's right. I said volunteering. After all, I'm not completely heartless. I'm sure by now everyone has heard of the complete devastation that occurred when an EF5 tornado cut through the center of Joplin, Mo. It was, and still is, a tragedy that will be felt for years to come in Southwest Missouri. Living less than 30 minutes away, I felt I had to make an effort to help in some fashion, so I took a day to participate in debris removal. It was an experience that words can't describe. Seeing it first hand is not comparable to pictures or videos that have been shown. Sadly, I can't give as much time as I would like, but I do plan to return in the near future and I would encourage anyone sitting on the fence about helping to stop thinking about it and just go.

But enough with the sad stuff, this is a work blog after all. Since my last post I have been moderately busy. I've helped shoot two dance recitals and a wedding. I think I have a preference towards dance recitals, but then again who wouldn't. You sit in one place, record what happens in front of you, and then pack up and leave. Weddings... Not so much. They go more like; Find the church, unload everything, shoot exteriors, picture sessions, and the ceremony, load everything again, find the reception hall, shoot 100 different things at the reception, then pack up again and drive home. And on top of all this, you are at the mercy of the family's organizational/scheduling skills. Thankfully, this weekend involved a family that was on top of their game.

The wedding cake is NOT a lie.
Don't get me wrong, I love weddings. You get to jump right into the middle of what some people consider the most important day of their life and give them something they can watch and cherish forever. So any negative thoughts I have about them are the result of the rare bad clients or photographers they hired along the way. I think what I am trying to say is that out of all the things I shoot, nothing is more nerve-wracking and stressful than weddings. Though it can be said about any live event, the fact that everything happening will only occur once in the lifetime of everyone involved is never more present than at a wedding. So, is it nice to sit behind a camera and film a group of 3-year-old girls kicking their feet once in a while? You better believe it.

So, what's on the horizon? Weddings, of course! However, in addition to those there are a couple fun things coming up. The first is yet to be confirmed, so I can't really talk about it (don't want to jinx it), and the second is my first photography booking. It's still a few weeks away, but I am still pumped for it. Hopefully it will be a launching point for more jobs, or at least good portfolio material for the blog.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading!
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2 comments:

  1. I think back to what I put my wedding photographer through, and I just feel like I should apologize to photographers everywhere. Sorry. :)

    Also good on you for volunteering.

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  2. Thanks Lynn. Photogs have it a bit easier than us videographers, but since we are drifting towards the same cameras these days, the load is getting a bit lighter.

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