My First Year In Business

My  teacher friends are back in school. This causes me to reflect on the year I have had since leaving teaching. Let me say, I have no regrets. I loved teaching and now have been blessed in another career I love.

The summer and fall after leaving school, I worked for another photographer as an assistant. This was a very valuable experience. I learned that I had a lot to learn. It was pretty humbling. Just taking photographs is so different than running a photography business . Since I did not have full understanding of how to process and record photos, it took me too long to accomplish this. I am sure that this was frustrating to my boss. I am so thankful for the experiences that I gained. I loved interacting with the clients and the learning about lighting. School photography and senior portraits were his biggest business and assisting in this was very eye opening. You have to get the shot right because there isn't a lot of time when there is a line of fifty kids waiting.

While working, I continued to take classes at NESOP in Boston, which worked into an assistant teaching spot in the spring for one of my favorite teachers there, Kate Murphy. I LOVED it!

In the fall, I went on my own. I owe many thanks to this couple. Even before i left teaching, they took a chance on me. They hired me to do their maternity photos. Then they  asked me to photograph their baby shower, their newborn photos, and then their son's first birthday party and cake smash. They gave me more confidence and experience. I have really enjoyed working with them and their son.

I learned that I like working with babies and that cake smash photography is definitely right up my alley. It was so much fun.

This family has booked me for their other son's Bar Mitzvah. Photographing their oldest son's was so much fun. He was a former third grade student of mine and a great kid. I just love his family. Their trust in me allowed me to get much needed experience in this area of photography.

I have had many opportunities to photograph different situations. This photo was taken for a friend's son who's band was playing at "The Church", a club in Boston. Getting a good photo in low light is not easy without getting blur.  With no white ceiling to bounce my flash off of, it was crucial that I was up close to get enough light to get good focus.

I had the opportunity to do some sports photography. While I enjoyed it, I learned it's really not my favorite kind of photography.

High school seniors are great to work with.

Finding your style involves a lot of practice, and in my case, volunteers that will let me try things with them. Here is Danielle. She is always ready, willing and able to help me. Above, she is trying out flirty style for me.

 Below, she was tossing the hat above her head and I was trying to capture it so that it looked like it was suspended in mid air. It worked!
I always learn something on every shoot or every time I practice.

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This year has allowed me to go places and meet people and experience things that I never could have done before.

Recognize him? One of my opportunities was photographing him for a day.

Being up in a church steeple with a Paul Revere bell was something I already blogged about.

Recently, I went right on the field at Fenway Park with a baseball lover and his daughter. It was awesome! 

A great deal of time this year has gone into working on a commemorative book for Sharon 250th year celebration. The committee that I work with is fabulous. (Susie Berg,  Marie Cuneo,  J.J. McGrath, Dave Martin, Shirley Schofield,  Tahera Sajid, and Bob Soffer)They are all very dedicated to our town and love Sharon History  as much  as I do. Working with the book's  graphic artist, Cathy Copeland, has been a wonderful experience. It has introduced me to a whole other side of photography production. Learning how to use Photoshop has been a necessary challenge. I have not mastered it, but I am delighted to say, I am lightyears better at it than I was last year at this time. I created the above poster for the book. It took me an entire day, but it won't the next time.

Looking ahead I am very excited about what is to come. In the next 2  months, I have 3 weddings , 2 Bar Mitzvahs, 2 days of mini sessions, a birthday party and several senior portrait sessions scheduled. I am not complaining, I am thrilled! Keep it coming, I am loving it!