Sum of things to come!

Firstly, Happy New Year, everyone!!  A Big thanks to everyone who aided me in developing my career, clients and Pat.  Without you all, I would probably be traveling around the world looking for money.  Wait…

In any case….

Wow!  What a year this was!  The global markets were still in turmoil, Barack Obama took office after a landslide election, the crazy bankers still gave huge sums of bonuses to their bosses, …

But for me on a personal note, it was a great year!  Aside from worrying about my day job, haha!  I got a grasp of engagement, weddings, and boudoir sessions, went to Italy and then to Florida.

Best of 2009s:

• eSession slideshow
• wedding slideshow
• Wedding Photographs of 2009
• The entire gallery
• LifeStyle Sessions
• Travel Photographs

I am getting closer to having my travel photography exhibit like I planned to do way way long ago.  I have been and will continue to blog the travel journal entries to be a supplement to the photographs that will be in display along with the photo books and post card sized photographs.

• Travel photograph blog entries.

I know where I want to host it, by work, haha!  I just need to get all the materials done.  I am sure my write up proposal would work, along with a proof CD, however, I rather be ready with the actual prints (or Flots) and books ready for the viewers.

2010

I am really looking forward to 2010.  Oddly.  Not just because I will be closer to being able to find an apartment closer to PU, my nascent business will be growing!  I have my own weddings to shoot, I will be traveling to Oregon [Or to Asia, if my bro + Sis in law, finalize the Asia journey], and I will soon be doing a 2010 recap!  how exciting!

I am especially, well I am sure a lot of Americans are as well, looking forward towards an economic recovery.  so that is something we are all really looking forward to.  *Fingers Crossed!*

Some of my New Years resolutions are: to grow my business exponentially, lose fat and gain more muscle, get better with my travel writing, get even better with wedding photography, and well be a better human being.

Specter of the Past

I remember my father’s obstacles and tribulations as he worked his ass off to be the best damn mechanical engineer.  Along the way, he had us, his four kids, a loving wife, and lots of lay offs.

My awesome dad. Sure he currently has “issues” to contend with, from before and after his devastating car accident, from high blood pressure to his brain injury.  He’s still my pops and I love him to bits.   Of course actually telling him that is a little different.  I guess I am not very openly expressive..

(My first watermark… pretty ghastly huge I know.)

My father’s path and the obstacles he had gone thru, is I guess, one of the implicit motivations to keep pursuing my career(s) no matter what.  Currently, Princeton Unversity will be conducting a large scale layoff of its employees to help further weather the economic storm.

Which is the reason for this blog entry.  I, and I am sure many individuals, would not like to hear that they got laid off.  I particularly like the place where I currently work, for my day job.  Enough for me to want to create my “base” for my photography business.  Why don’t I just take that oppurtunity to go full time?

Well because I like having a day job and photography on the side to cover two sides of a coin.

I know that I am going to have hiccups on my way, I already had some during my course of my photography pursuit, and god knows how many hiccups I had on my way towards my grad. school pursuit.

The Infallible

This one time I went into Best Buy to buy my first laptop.  I bought a Sony Vaio, for $400.  Then it met my fist.  Mistake.

I was in the Sistine Chapel and took a photo.  Another mistake.

I quickly booked a hotel stay in London when I didn’t have a place to stay without looking at other options.  Another mistake.  (course, afterwards I found out that all the other cheaper options were pretty far out..)

I goofed up on some poses for my boudoir sessions.  Another mistake.

What I am trying to get at, not to list my list of mistakes, but everyone makes a mistake.  Even professional photographers make mistakes too.  I was reading blogs, forum posts, and there ones that really got me thinking.  This one bride to be had this photographer, who she really liked, who had a possibly corrupt SD card losing the photographs.  Those kind of failures happen to everyone.  The said photographer told them, and requested a re do to make up for that situation.

It was not that the photographer had memory card issues, but it was the responses that raised my inquiry.  ”A professional would never do that.”  Etc.  What they do not mention is that that happens, and can happen, to professionals too.  They need to mention that a professional does this, a.) have back up bodies and tons of extra memory cards to prevent further loss of photos and/or issues, b.) spot their mistake and c.) quickly rectify and learn from it.

There is really no point for “professional” photographers (or professionals of any field) to get on their horse and make holier than thou responses.  It’s one thing to say, “Well, he is growing to be a professional photographer, so this should be a lesson for him.  Insist that he carry back up bodies and cards to prevent any mishaps.  Please don’t have any hard feelings, as this can literally happen to any one of us photographers.  What differentiates, us, is our back up plan and capability to learn and fix it fast.”  And it is entirely another thing to say, “that would not happen to a ‘professional.’ Period.”  I mean come on!  Everyone makes mistakes, even with big things like weddings.  Why do you think we are in this real crappy economic mess, well aside from greed?  There were mistakes made!  What defines a professional is not just the quality of work (s)he presents, but also making mistakes and learning from them to do better the next time!

My real stickler was the tone of the responses made towards that situation, where the said photographer owned up and informed the client AND requested a redo of the engagement session with added goodies!  The said photographer looks to have learned his mistake, but yet those responses were still made in condemnation.

I donated my Sony Vaio to a charity who took it and repaired it for those who are in need.  And bought a macbook pro

I put my camera away whenever I am in a delicate place.

I learned new boudoir poses.

To the Uber Professionals:  How do you not make any mistake in your career from start to finish?  Please enlighten us lesser folk of your mistakeless ways.

Wedding Photography. Ideals and Thoughts.

I sent a message to a member on Weddingbee, which concerned her wedding photography from a said photographer in STL.  And all the issues she is facing right now because the lack of professionalism.  Whether or not that photographer realizes it, but we, as in all the vendors that participate in creating these weddings, are really in this together.  The fact that she is having issues surrounding getting her proofs is disappointing and that her album, if things go the way the are going, will be ways off.

Why do some people choose to get into wedding photography?  Cause they have a decent setup and think they can do it?  Is it because they want to also participate in the celebration of life?  Is it because they love to capture people and their emotions?

There are probably many questions, profound or not, when asked about wedding photography.  Among them is why be a wedding photographer.

Today as a non – jaded wedding photographer, I can honestly say that it is earnestly about capturing the emotions people give off during celebrations.  But what will happen when I get to say 40 and shooting weddings?  Could I say the same thing?  I wonder what my life will look like when I am 40.  I sure don’t want to know.  Heck I don’t want to be 27 in 17 days!

I think it would be interesting to know why people choose to shoot wedding photography.  I am sure brides and grooms from all over hear all sorts of various answers.  But I guess I am not looking hard enough to read them all.

Buying souvenirs?

Souvenir shopping?

When you go traveling abroad or to a different place, do you buy souvenirs?  That entry from Frommer’s, is a pretty interesting way of segmenting the souvenir purchasing people into different categories.

I usually don’t buy anything when I travel, well.. I did buy a hat at Yosemite, two wall decors from Ireland, a picture of me kissing the Blarney Stone, and a shiny laser engraving shamrock from Ireland.  I like to use the money to travel around, so I tend to purchase souvenirs during the very last stretches of a trip.

I am probably a practical souvenir shopper according to Frommer’s.