Yesterday was amazing. 

This was my fourth year teaching a wedding workshop. Each year that I have taught has been so enjoyable. I love seeing people learn and then go out and apply it. I've never been one to withhold info when I teach. I always give out all that I know and do. Why? Because I believe that if this is your calling and you are meant to be doing this... and more importantly you are CONFIDENT in your calling, you will have plenty of work. I also believe there is enough work for everyone. Community over competition is something I speak about and believe in 200%. 

When I shot weddings years ago I shot alone much of the time which forced me into every role. This was good for me, but I realized as soon as I started using a 2nd shooter that it made my job much more effective and concentrated. I have learned a lot in shooting over 200+ weddings over the last decade. I've learned that being an emotional person serves me well - because weddings are emotional. Documenting from my emotional heart makes me capable of great things. Some of the images I have taken over the last decade can still make me cry.

Yesterday was perfect. In just about everything. Weather could have been a little warmer BUT we did get out and shoot a little bit outside. I tend to favor our indoor shots though! Coppes is such a splendid venue. With old brick walls and incredible metal sliding doors... Built in the mid 1850s I'm sure many have passed through its corridors. The smell of the wood floor and the sound of it creaking just added to the charm. Most impressive is the light in their event room - incredible!! As you can see - the indoor photos and the light.. just ethereal. Thank you Coppes Commons for allowing me to host this workshop in your beautiful venue. Gloria was INCREDIBLE to work with and made sure I had everything I needed - literally went above and beyond.

I hope everyone walked away with useful knowledge in shooting weddings - but beyond that I hope they walked away with more confidence because weddings are a lot to tackle. I remember when I first started shooting weddings over a decade ago now scary it was. The responsibility factor alone. Truth is I initially hated weddings. The exhaustion is real. The stress is real. I wanted to quit initially. But I am tenacious. I told myself try shooting 10 and see how you feel. And before I was even half way in I fell in love with them. We fear what we don’t know. But as we start to understand and we acquire knowledge - we can learn to love what we used to fear. I’ve had amazing wedding clients over the years. So thankful for each one. And truly honored to get to teach about something I love.

Lastly, I felt SO incredibly proud to see both of my kids there. My son took the workshop to learn more about wedding photography and I am really proud of how he is applying himself - and my daughter was there to assist me - incredibly proud of her as well. They are both so freaking talented it blows my mind. Just proud. So. Freaking. Proud. Of them both. Photography is a skill they will always have no matter what they do in life. \