This one might get a little heavy, but most important very real.

With technology now a days, allows businesses to use many tools like the internet to market themselves and showcase their business. Things like twitter, blogs and facebook have allowed word of mouth to be a large tool. I’ve noticed that over the past couple of years this has been extremely huge in the photography world. Everywhere you look is another ad for that great photographer in your area. You get to see all of their number 1 images, you get to read about their great achievements when they update their status, and you get to see all of the great comments that their clients leave them. What I want to talk about is what you don’t get to see by following these pages.

“there are good days and there are bad days, and today is one of them!”

I absolutely love this quote. One day I was processing images while logged on to facebook. A friend of mine that is newly into photography started messaging me and was having a hard time. She actually had someone close to her tell her that she wasn’t good at what she was doing (meaning her photography). So I did what I love to do and gave her some advice, helped her where I thought she needed help and told her that that person was a jerk. But more than that, I told her this. “ Today I received an email telling me that I was a terrible photographer, the day before I was told I was a terrible person, and yesterday someone told me I had no character and was in it for the money! There are good days, and bad days, its what you do with them that count the most.”

Now don’t get me wrong, following photographers pages is a fabulous idea. I think it is really important to have a good understanding of the person you are going to work with and build a bond. I operate my business page in a  very personal matter. I suggest to all my clients that if they found me any other way than facebook to make sure that they join my page. Not only do they get to see my most recent work, but they get to interact with me, if they choose, and they get to feel me out as a person instead of “just their photographer”.

But with that being said, like any other job there are good days and there are bad days. In customer service you get those grumpy customers yelling at you, and out in the field you get those days that are -35. Well with photography you get the following (to point out just a few)
:shoots that don’t go as planned

:camera malfunctions

:uncontrolled weather conditions

:immense competition

:struggles with technology

:struggles within yourself

Now this post wasn’t to make you not follow photographers pages because they may appear to be deceiving  and maybe it was more directed at those entering the photography world, but it was to make you understand that the photography world is a tough world. Even the best of photographers have those bad days and have their struggles. There are ups and downs, but what I have learned from all of the downs is that a UP always seems to follow very shortly. For an example, I was having a really down on myself day, thinking this maybe wasn’t for me. As I sat there and cried to my mom (yes mamas girl I am) my cell phone rang and it was a client asking if I would go to Florida to shoot their wedding. The tears stopped, and the smile came. The down times are definitely very heavy, but I can tell you that being a photographer is one of the most rewarding jobs out there. Seeing my work displayed all over facebook, or having thank you cards sent to me by clients and having images from their day on them, it brings the good tears back to my eyes.
So I leave you with this, remember that there is and always will be a light at the end of the tunnel. You and only you are in control of your success and failures.
~N~

~www.nc-photography.ca~ nc.photography@live.com~