Photographers are a funny bunch. We crave the interaction with our peers but many of us are incredibly guarded. So many of us have been 'shopped' by other photographers pretending to be clients, or worse, had our images or written words stolen. So, you could understand some hesitancy in sharing all of your secrets with another photographer by welcoming them into your direct world.
Well, in walks the beautiful Marin Kristine. From the very beginning she was so respectful of my process and expressed a real desire to be photographed by me. She even wooed me by sending me a gift of Lush bath products! I was very familiar with Marin. She and I had followed each others work for quite awhile. Well, she had recently made the transition from strictly boudoir photographer to wedding photographer. What impressed me the most with her decision to do this was her determination in finding what speaks to her soul and following her heart with this. She is one heck of an amazing woman!
After months of planning for her session, she arrived in Las Vegas ready for her shoot. I immediately felt like she had been a dear friend for years! Her session was so much fun. She put her full trust in me and I appreciated that greatly. I felt at my creative best with her and our ideas came to life by working together! And she gave her all with posing and expressions and her images are proof of this. They turned out so beautifully! Marin so generously gave me permission to share this image with you...
Isn't she GORGEOUS???? She just radiates beauty, inside and out!
Marin ordered a Tokyo Showstopper album, my personal favorite, with the pretty sequins. And purchased lots of extra images for it, which looked amazing all laid out in her album design. She gave it to her husband last night for their anniversary! I can't wait to hear what his reaction was! She even flew to Vegas for her shoot without him knowing, so I'm sure he is going to be very surprised!
Marin has proven to be a perfect client in more ways than one. She completely threw me off though by sending ME gifts of gratitude! The work of a photographer goes far beyond the photo session. Most of what we do is behind the scenes. Many are severely underpaid because of this. I will never forget a statistic I heard once about the average photographer making no more than $10 an hour after all of their time has been accounted for. Yikes. So, it was refreshing to hear such gratitude from someone who understands the entire process. She gave me a renewed passion through what has been a few crazy months of hard work. Thank you for that Marin!
And look at this sweet note!
Excerpts from her sweet note:
Stacie,
When the 'rubber met the road' it was not a difficult choice choosing who my boudoir photographer was going to be. In fact, from following your work in this industry I already knew 2 or 3 years ago it would be you!! it was just a matter of time and getting into shape, plus those amazing albums you offer just snagged me.
Stacie, your artwork is sooo incredibly STUNNING! From the way you pose your clients to the lighting you manipulate, you truly are a gifted artist at what you do. I completely understand the day-in and day-out a photographer's job can become mundane, but please never stop pursuing what you love. My hopes for you and Haute Shots are continued growth and bringing inspiration to others. You have a knacl at making women feel welcome and comfortable because I honestly felt as if you were a close friend from the first email.
Thank you so much for helping me along in this vulnerable process and getting me comfortable in my own skin. I couldn't have done it without your ideas and encouragement.
Also, I can't thank you enough for working with me, for trusting me, and for dealing with me. Thank you for editing in detail and for designing my album to perfection. Thank you for understanding how important it was to me.
I would not change a single thing about my experience with you. You were the perfect photographer and I will forever be grateful.
Marin
Yes, I pretty much bawled my eyes out when I read this! I am so grateful to have been blessed to photograph this amazing woman and am happy to now call her my friend. What an amazing job I have because of women like you! I am so honored to know you.
By the way, if you are looking for a wedding photographer in the Napa Valley area of Cailfornia, Marin is your girl! I have no doubt she will provide you with an amazing experience for your special day. Check out her website here.
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My workshop for Photographers
March 30, 2012 - 5:32 pm
[...] in my last post where I said I couldn’t wait to hear about my client’s husbands reaction to her gift of [...]
March 30, 2012 - 5:55 pm
Thank you so much for all of your sweet and kind words Stacie!! It was truly an honor working with you and your fabulous boudoir company. I am so thrilled with everything (the photos, the albums, your presentation) and the professionalism of your business. I am truly looking forward to working with you again in the future, cannot wait!