Recluse Photog

I'm a sucker for romance and coffee ... and the combination was enough to draw me out of photography hibernation! When an artistic and gifted photographer in her own right asks me to take her photos, I consider it a huge compliment.

Yes, I often decline photography requests. And if I have declined such for any reader, please don't be offended! If I were building a business, I'm sure I'd have to shed my reclusive comfort zone. But when it comes to people, I don't want my moments behind a lens to be driven by dollars. I have never liked selling anything ... not directly, anyway. And if I do not have the time or energy to freely give myself to a project, or if I feel like people could be better served by another, I feel obligated to direct them to someone else.

The truth is, I purposely shy away from the traditional business of photography. I've been spoiled by magazines. They need photos, work with a budget, have to pay SOMEONE (why not me?), and there's no financial pressure on the subject for the photo session. I can think in terms of print layouts and graphic design instead of framed portraits. And when it comes down to it, even I the recluse photog have to admit that seeing my work massively in print - especially if it was part of a great layout - gives me a charge!

So every once-in-a-while, I take someone up on a photography request ... especially when I can do it in a way that brings my own kind of blessing to them.