Hey, I'm Tammy. This is me:
I recently read a candid post from a friend that got me thinking about my own business. She revealed how surprised she is that her business is flourishing. She talked about how she started creating for family and friends, and then all the sudden a stranger wanted her services. She thought it was a fluke, but then another stranger ordered, and then another. Before she knew it, she had clients in 5 countries and 40 states. To recite one of my favorite quotes, "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity".
I also started with family and friends, as many businesses do, and am continually surprised when strangers find my website or Facebook and request a quote or consultation. I'm humbled and excited that they choose me to tell their family's story. My business may not extend to 5 countries and 40 states, but I'm so grateful how much it has grown in such a short time. I'm learning more about myself and my craft everyday and am constantly trying to improve. I'm learning from my own reflection but also from client's questions.
Almost every client asks me two questions:
1. How long have you been a photographer?
2. What made you choose this profession?
One.
I can't control how long I've been in my craft. I can say professionally four months, hobbyist two years, or can say I've been a lifelong student. All are true. But you cannot definitively judge talent based on a timeline. Plus, they don't really care how long I've been taking photos. What they care about is my expertise. And I think that comes from the second question.
Two.
I "chose" this profession because it's interwoven in my life. When I go for a drive, I automatically look for potential photo shoot locations. When I see good light, I wish I had a subject to pose in it. When I see a couple getting cozy, I wish I could document their story. I wonder what's going on in the life of everyone I meet and whether they need a photographer. I analyze every photo in my mind. I study it to see where the photographer was, the mood it conveys and how I would've edited it. I've loved this field forever. I just hadn't considered it my profession until this year.
Photography is a very competitive field, especially when every new person who gets a camera thinks they're the next best thing (people probably thought this about me too). You have to continually differentiate yourself. Fortunately, photos are not the only thing that photographers bring to the table. When you hire a photographer, you're not just hiring them to take pretty photos of you. You're hiring THEM. Their person. My entire life has prepared me for this career. I've been in customer service positions all my life and am constantly being dubbed "bubbly". I’m bubbly, energetic, and enthusiastic. I’m a happy and optimistic person. I’ll be there to pump you up, to calm you down, to reassure you and congratulate you. This is especially important for wedding photography. You're literally going to spend upwards of 10 hours with a stranger on the most important day of their life.
The next common question is "Why wedding photography?".
I'm still figuring this answer out. I imagine the reason will change with my experience. For now, it's because weddings are fast, and I'm a fast paced person. I've heard countless photographers say "Weddings aren't for me, they're way too hectic". This actually what draws me to them. Anyone who knows me knows I talk too fast, I walk fast, I work fast and so on. So, weddings are my pace. They're not fast. They're perfect. I think I actually make every other session move at a faster pace, and if I'm not, my head is spinning and making a conscious effort to go slow. Sure, weddings are a celebration of love, and it's beautiful to be in the presence of true love, but this isn't what makes my world go round. Maybe one say I'll give that romantic "I love love" answer, but not today. Today, it's because I'm a 27-year-old-hyper-bubbly-energetic photographer. That you should hire.
