How to be a happy & successful photographer.

I see so many articles about how to be a successful photographer. But what about being a HAPPY AND Successful photographer. This will be my 11th year taking pictures...that is crazy to me. In the last 4 years, I have made the transition from casual/hobby to serious business. And I have found the secret to a happy & successful photography business...

Yes, you should be good with finances

Yes, you should pay your taxes

Yes, you should be a good person in general

but none will sky rocket you in epic proportions.

Here is the secret...ready for it......

{SHOOT FOR YOURSELF}

Yes, I still please my clients wishes...but I encompass their requests into my vision. Like Picasso, I approach my pictures as if they are subjective art; Picasso simply painted something without any vision for the person who will see it, without any idea of the person who will look at it. My goal is to keep that mind-set...to bring my clients into my world-my mind and photograph them.

My vision is not the same as another's...and vice versa...In the beginning of my photography venture, I copied others work, I'll admit it. Of coarse it was pre-facebook and pre-pinterest age and it was much harder to copy. I would find photography books and book mark the pages I wanted to copy. Or google ideas and attempt to duplicate the approach/idea. Years of this form of plagiarism left me empty and bored with my work. And in 2012, I was DONE...ready to leave it all behind. I was attracting clients that were telling me where, what and when to shoot sessions and my work was no longer my work, but a vision of someone else using me to push the shutter.

If you are wanting to try this approach of shooting for yourself, making your work subjective, this means you will have to say goodbye to the masses. No more creeping another local photographers website to see what they charge. Or trolling their instagram to see what location they were at...

It means doing your own work, being the one green apple amongst the red. Being UNIQUE and DIFFERENT will bring a WHOLE BUNCH of NEW clients who adore your photos and value your time and effort!

I don't care what other photographers do, I don't care what other photographers charge, I don't care what camera they use, clients they shoot or locations they go! I really don't care. I use to spend SO MUCH OF MY TIME checking out other pages and websites, I thought I was doing myself a favor by competing with other photogs. But after 11 years of this, I just don't care. I DO NOT want to be manipulated by pinterest and I do not want to copy other's work. I DO want to be inspired by life, nature, fashion, relationships, hair, personality, colors, weather, seasons...you get the point!

I now have clients who contact me and say "whatever YOU want...I TRUST YOU completely!" How amazing is that!!!!??? As an artist that is music to my ears! It allows me to be free and make amazing images! It allows me to post what I love...not what I think my clients and page fans will like. I know that seems backwards, but I only want to show what represents me and my vision.

But the most valuable gift you get from focusing on you and making your own work, is the sense of pride and love you have for your craft. Success is not measured by the amount of money you make or the amount of followers and likes, it is measured by the amount of happiness it brings you! And I believe that my clients can see and feel my enthusiasm and joy for what I do! So don't just be another photographer...be an individual artist people seek out and love!

Be a HAPPY Photographer and then success will easily follow!