Month: June 2013

  • Experience and the Best Type of Friends to Have

    Junshien recently posted this status update on facebook:

    “I’ve been doing this for so many years, which makes me better than (insert name)!!!!”

    Whatever the industry, that’s pure nonsense. I know photographers who, within a year or two after they first picked up a camera, were creating mind-blowing work. And I know photographers who’ve been at this for more than a decade, and are still producing the same quality of work they did years ago.

    It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about programming or business or music or writing. If you’re new, don’t let others look down on you for it. Work your ass off and earn your place at the table. If you’re an old-timer, don’t get complacent, and never hide behind your “many years of experience”, because it alone doesn’t mean jack in the big scheme of things.

    RESULTS is the name of the game.

    - – - – - – - – -

    Bold and encouraging words. There have been times when clients did not book me after asking questions like “How old are you?”, “When did you graduate college?”, and “How many years have you been doing photography?”. People DO care about how long you’ve been in the industry and how many years of experience you have under your belt. I know I look young and I know I’m not a seasoned pro… but I show up at meetings my game face on and portfolio to back myself up.

    On the other hand, there is something to be said about experience. Yes, maybe “it alone doesn’t mean jack in the scheme of big things,” but it sure as hell has some weighty importance to it. Let’s face it – I have not shot hundreds of weddings like many of my friends in the industry and therefore haven’t been exposed to as many challenges as they have.

    And that is why I am SO grateful for my wedding photographer friends. It is energizing to be around them, converse with them, and learn from them. Junshien and Sarah came over to my place on Friday night and though it was just hanging out with friends, of course we talked about business. I always laugh and tease Junshien about how my one-year mentorship is up and how he can stop with all the serious business advice (for the record, I don’t want it to stop; he just gets very serious when he’s in the zone and I have to remind him to lighten up!). To be honest I have always had an attitude towards authority and to my surprise, this indeed carried over to my mentorship with him. I hate being told what to do. But I am obsessed with pleasing people. So when it comes to authority, my behavior falls somewhere between those two.

    Anyway, Junshien if you’re reading this, I do appreciate you shaking your finger at me and giving me stern looks about how to improve my business. Hahahaha.

    - – - – - – - – -

    Sarah slept over on Friday night because we were shooting a wedding in Yosemite the next day. She’s a Xangan too, but I never crossed paths with her until much later (after she had long stopped using it). We spent the entire weekend together and again, I am just incredibly happy and grateful and blessed to be surrounded by friends who have the same profession/lifestyle as I do. Not only that, they’ve been doing it for at least twice as long as I have… AND they’re kind enough to pass along some of the knowledge they’ve picked up on the way. Over the course of the fun-filled weekend we chatted about clientele, posing, pricing, customer service, and challenging yourself as an artist, to name a few.

    My advice to you, especially those who are just starting out as entrepreneurs: surround yourself with people who are more experienced than you. You will gain so much from it. I’m not saying to seek out others to use them, but rather to have a mindset of challenging and improving yourself to be a better person. And being humble enough to ask for help.


    Junshien and Sarah on our Hawaii birthday trip, August 2012.

    More to come on the wedding we shot on Saturday! :)