You know, it’s funny what extremes you can find in this industry, and I’m not talking about styles or skills – although that’s true as well. I’m talking about the people themselves. It seems to me there are two types of photographers. There are photographers who’ve been in the industry for a while and are concerned and maybe even threatened by this sudden increase in photographers. The other type, which span the range from newbie to experienced successful photographer, don’t feel threatened and are eager to make connections, improve themselves, help improve others, and find friends who share their passion and profession.

I was lucky enough to have lunch with one of those non-threatened, friendly, passionate photographers yesterday and it was wonderful. I met Rachael of Rachael Marie Photography at Escalate Live in October last year, and I was excited at the prospect of meeting a friendly photographer who lives fairly close to me. It was wonderful to catch up and discuss some of our thoughts and ideas since the conference. What’s fun is while Rachael and I both consider ourselves lifestyle photographers, I feel like our styles and hopes are still quite different. So it’s fun to get each other’s perspectives on where we want to see our business go and how we would like to evolve.

And that’s the wonderful thing! With all the new photographers joining the industry (ourselves still being fairly new), there are so many choices for people who really value photography. It gives everyone a chance to find someone whose style they absolutely love, whether that’s traditional static portraits or completely unposed candids. Plus, there are enough people shooting similar styles, you can shop around and find a photographer you feel completely comfortable with, which I think is incredibly important to getting quality photos that really reflect you.

The reason I get so excited about this is because when I started out, I had trouble finding people who shared my passion and were open to connecting. But over the last six months, I’ve come to see how incredibly giving, compassionate, and helpful the photography community can be if you take the time to really look for others who give off a similar vibe. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to do what I love and that people like what I do – it truly amazes and humbles me! And now to have discovered just how amazing the photography community is – how many good, Christian people are a part of it. It just warms my heart the more and further reaffirms to me that I’ve found my place in the world.

And because every post is better with a picture…

Contact Me | Visit My Website | Join the Facebook Fan Page | Follow Me on Twitter