The Difference.

Sometime ago Hubby and I were talking about why clients would hire me over someone else. It was a classic discussion between us because he wanted to find mostly finanical reasons, and I had all artistic and experience-related ones. Hubby spends a lot of time trying to convince me that money makes the world go round, and I spend a lot of time trying to convince him of exactly the opposite. It is an eternal discussion with us. And then the other day we were discussing camera equipment and hubby says "It isn't what camera you have it is how you use it." I quietly chalked this up to a small victory for my side of the eternal argument and I was so proud that he understood that difference. And it is really what I am always trying to show clients in every meeting - how I will use all of my equipment (the real camera kind, and the more undefineable artistic kind) to capture their day.

So I was trying to figure out how to illustrate this concept more literally for the blog. The best way to do so is with a comparison - and I do this with all integrity and respect: I came across these two photos from a friend's wedding of the same scene/moment. The first one is by the pro photographer they hired and the second one is by me using roughly the same "equipment" (I found a few moments to shoot some shots around my wedding party duties). Both are legitimate interpretations and fully competent images. And both tell completely different stories. I'm not trying to say one is bad and one is good. It never helps me to denounce another photographer, and that decision really isn't up to me anyway, it is up to the client. I don't really view other area photographers as competition. I compete with myself enough. Every couple should book with whom they find matches their vision - if that is me; great, if it is someone else; that is also great because I am glad they found a good match for this super important day. My clients are attracted to the way I interpret a scene - and that is part of why I love them.

(the two family names have been blocked out with the black squigly line to protect the innocent)