Ten Things I Have Learned From Being A Photographer: Part 1

Everyone has a story, right? We all come from somewhere. We have all been damaged or hurt in some way. And we all have experienced love! Our daily life, the people we encounter, and our experiences are what make up who we become! I have learned many lessons about life after becoming a wife and a mother. I have learned much about friendship, honor, and prioritization. But today… today I want to share with you what I have learned after becoming a professional photographer. Becoming a professional photographer has opened up my eyes and my heart in a way that only another passionate photographer could understand. Woop?

Ten Things I Have Learned From Being A Photographer:

10. Serving Others: Since becoming a photographer I have learned that it is important for me to use my talent  to serve others. Volunteering for events such as Photos For The Flood and Images Without Borders… or even some of the behind the scenes work such as that of Hope, Faith and Photos For A Cure. Being a photographer has allowed me an opportunity to give back to my community when it is in need, and I have learned that serving others in this way is extremely rewarding and necessary.

9. Showing Kindness: Every since I became a photographer, I have tried to surround myself with other photographers simply because I love making friends with people in which I have so much in common. I have been lucky, for the most part, to only encounter others who are positive and uplifting. But I have also seen the negative side to this where some photographers are just plain nasty on certain forums and around certain groups. I have to say that I avoid these people at all costs, and choose to surround myself with positive influences, where I too, am allowed to be a positive influence on others. I do not know what I would do if it weren’t for my Pursuit 31 ladies and my Showiteer family! So I have learned that it is important to just show a little kindness. There will always be new photographers entering the industry. And it is important to remember that I was once a newbie as well.

8. Live Life: All too often I find myself still wearing the same pj’s at 6:00 pm when Scott gets home that I was wearing when he left for work. My hair is usually pulled into a ponytail, and I am wearing no makeup. I found myself going to bed every night thinking about what I was able to get accomplished that day, and usually ended up feeling very empty because my accomplishments end up being simply Facebook conversations, Twitter messages, and blog posts. This got old very quickly! And I am reminded that my family and friends need to take priority over my laziness.Learning to make a TO-DO List and stick to it has allowed me to get out from behind the computer and actually live my life. And hiring Photographie Boutique to do my editing hasn’t hurt either. As a matter of fact, they showed me how to feel LIBERATED! I can’t tell you how amazing it felt knowing that the wedding photos I sent to them were getting edited while I was spending time with my girls!

7. Be Proud: I have always been my own worst enemy. I have always doubted myself, and never felt like I was worthy of becoming part of a profession that I had so much passion about. Work is supposed to be meaningless and boring, right? WRONG! I learned to be proud of my accomplishments and to take ownership of the talent that God gave me. And I am blessed to spend my days working in a job that I actually love and enjoy.

6. To Simply Love: Every single time I shoot an engagement session or a wedding, I am reminded to love others. When I place my Canon 5D Mark II viewfinder up to my eye, I see a couple looking at each other with so much love and intensity that I usually end up lost in thoughts about my own husband. And that’s pretty awesome because my hubby rocks!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post. For now, enjoy the first five lessons I learned as a photographer. Until then… what about you? Are there any other photographers who want to share what photography has taught them about life? I’d love to hear them. Photography is such a passionate thing to take part in. I would find it hard to believe that anyone who spends any amount of time with a camera has not learned something about themselves or the world around them. So come on… share peeps!

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UPDATE: To Read Part 2 of this post go here.