This is probably the mug that most people would expect me to have...all about editing and photography wrapped up in an adorable hand-lettered mug. I love it, but not for all the reasons most people would expect. The first reason I love it is because it was a gift from one of my sweetest brides (you can see her Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden wedding here) on the day of her wedding. That gesture meant the world to me...on the most special day of her life, Kayla went above and beyond to give ME a gift when I was really there just for HER.
Secondly, this is a reminder of all the behind the scenes work that goes into being a photographer. If you have ever worked in a small business you know that your online presence only tells a tiny portion of the story. What we post on social media, the things we blog about...those are all the highlights of our work and take up a very small part of our time compared to the rest of what we do.
So what does my week typically look like? I may have a wedding on the weekend and family portraits or an engagement session during the week. In total this may take about 10-12 hours of time, depending on where the session or wedding is and how many hours of coverage I am providing. For the rest of my time I will spend an hour or two writing blogs, several hours editing (again, this totally depends on how MUCH I have to edit), and many hours networking, prepping details for the next few weddings, sending welcome packets, chatting with potential brides, and answering emails from vendors and other photographers.
This mug, then, shows that being a photographer is not all about photography...but there is no hint of complaining in my voice or in my blog. Because what it's really about, beyond all the hours I put into working, is the relationships that form because of it. It's the friendships I have with my brides who leave a mug (since I collect them) on their wedding day for me. It's the sweet friends I am currently working alongside in Panera as we put community over competition. Work is not all about work...and that is a beautiful thing.
