Trying to find a balance in the midst of it all

Trying to find a balance in the midst of it all

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Oh my goodness... I've become that person who neglects their blog! I used to be really good at updating my photography blog, but.... that was before the twins and before I started Southern California Bride. I need to get back in the habit of blogging consistently even if it's just once a week -- I need to be consistent about it.

I've reached a point where I feel like I'm I don't know which direction to look anymore. So much to do and deal with -- and -- not wanting to disappoint anyone. Trying to do it all and royally failing at it. But I'm constantly picking myself up because I don't have the time to sit in the dust. So I have changes to make in my life -- changes to create a balance -- to prioritize the important stuff and to stop stressing about things that don't even matter. To create a system that works for me. I don't know what that is going to look like but I'm sure eventually I will find some sort of balance -- whether that means blogging for SCB only on specific days during the week, exercising on certain days, etc... I need to find a balance. Or else I will end up going crazy!

Anyway, here is a sneak peek from a recent shoot I did. Cannot wait to share more!

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When your best isn't the best... for some.

When your best isn't the best... for some.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

In addition to being a wedding photographer, I am also a wedding blog editor for the popular Southern California Bride blog. I go through a lot of submissions monthly and reject a lot of them because I like to feature fresh, new, and beautiful content to my readers. I haven't had that sense of being on the other side of things for over 5 years and with this recent shoot I did, I finally felt (again) what it's like to be rejected.

It sucks big time. 

It's no fun being told that "your work isn't quite what they're looking for" or they were expecting more "unexpected details" or they simply reject you without even giving a reason as to why (guilty of these three responses myself). When you're already in a rut and doubting yourself -- wondering if you are good enough despite the encouragement and praises you get from friends, family, and clients -- getting rejected makes it a little worse. I remember just being really bummed when the shoot I felt was one of my best ever got rejected not once, but twice within a couple of days.

After chatting with a good friend of mine, Heather of The Editor's Touch, (and after much thought), I found a home for my shoot -- on Southern California Bride, my wedding blog. It's going to be featured tomorrow and I cannot wait to share all of my favorites from this shoot -- it truly is one of my favorite shoots I've ever participated in and I'm really proud of how everything turned out. Stay tuned!

But in the meantime... dealing with rejection sucks but from what I've learned, it's not the end of the road. There are so many options out there -- people who will appreciate and be excited to share your work. It's not always the biggest or most well-known blogs... you just have to look and find the right one. But don't give up. ever.

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The reason why my heart is so full right now

The reason why my heart is so full right now

Thursday, August 6, 2015

The last full styled wedding shoot I did happened over 5 years ago so I was pretty nervous going into this shoot that happened last night. I don't know why but up until this shoot, I've been really tough on myself when judging my photo taking skills. At times, I feel stuck and like I just cannot get it right. The images turn out great but I always feel like I could do better and even better. So with last night's shoot, I just felt an immense amount of pressure riding on my back because I was working with over 15 wedding professionals from Southern California and I just couldn't screw up. I had to do my best to photograph what they contributed to the shoot in the best way possible and being that it's been over 5 years since I did my last big shoot as a photographer, I was simply nervous. 

But here is the thing when you work with such amazing wedding pros who are so good at what they do -- who go above and beyond what they're supposed to do -- just so they can help bring your vision to life... it's amazing. 

My heart is so full right now because the whole shoot felt like a dream. All the vendors who contributed to the shoot were just so wonderful and did an amazing job. I got to meet and make new friends and become even closer with vendors I already knew. I got to meet a truly wonderful couple who drove from Arizona just to participate in this shoot -- like, WOW! And they were so incredibly sweet. This shoot went above and beyond what I had envisioned. Looking through the images I took, I'm just so proud. Proud of myself and proud of my team. Without them, this shoot wouldn't have turned out the way it did and I am so thankful for each and every one of their contribution to this shoot. I can't wait to be able to share the images!!

Until then, here is a sneak peek :)

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Doubts + Fears + Goals

Doubts + Fears + Goals

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

It's scary jumping back into something you've been gone from for so long. Doubts and fears start to seep in and you begin to question whether or not this idea of restarting your business was a good idea at all. It's scary for sure. I'm good at what I do and I know that and my friends and family do a fantastic job at reminding me but sometimes it feels as though sometimes it's just not enough to hear that. Isn't that crazy? It's insane, for sure. So with the mid-year coming, I've decided to set myself some goals for the remainder of the year. Why? Well, I hope that with setting myself these goals and striving to achieve them, I would feel a sense of accomplishment and in the end feel better about not shooting since getting pregnant with twins. So here we go:

1. Second shoot 3 weddings between July-December.
2. Photograph 3 couples.
3. Photograph 2 big styled shoots.
4. Do 2 styled bridal shoots. 
5. Blog at least 2 times a week.
6. Re-do my website.
7. Connect with other wedding professionals.
8. Buy the 5D Mark III.
9. Buy the Canon 50mm 1.2

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