… in being a witness to other’s special moments. i will be very honest with you, when i started to get really into photography, i was into taking pictures of landscapes and things. back then the thought of being paid for the pictures i took was completely out my mind! so opening an etsy shop was a huge step. i still remember what i felt when i made my first sale! it was of an orange vespa (obviously there would be a vespa somewhere!) and three weeks later when someone bought four prints… boy i was feeling like dancing all day long! so much money for four pictures i had taken. that blew me away!
let’s fast forward a few months and i was left unemployed, but the truth is that i felt excited, because this was my chance. if i wanted to make my very vague plans of creating my own business come true, this was my chance. the idea of being a photographer of people started to become something that could be possible, who knew?! it would be very hard, i would have to practice a lot, but who knows? i might enjoy it! fast forward a year and i shot my first wedding, assisting two professional photographers. and i arrived home that day with the feeling that weddings and i were not meant to be. too much pressure, too many protocols, a lot of technical gadgets… and the whole church thing didn’t convince me. the fact that you need to connect with people that you’ve never seen in your life was tremendously hard. and the kind of photography i wanted to make was an emotional one. i needed to connect with the ones in front of me.
but… on the other hand, it was something so unique and special. these persons are complete strangers, they have their stories, their families, their taste, their sense of humor, and they are having their very special day, because they are getting married with the one they love. and they make the vows in front of their parents, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. they cry, they look at each other and need to say nothing at all. they have their hearts filled with joy and warmth. they smile and feel tremendously happy for such a beautiful day with the ones they love. and they have invited you into their intimate day, their home, their family, themselves. and this is unbelievably special and unique.
i’m not a wedding kind of girl in the sense that i never thought of getting married, and still don’t. however i’m always all emotional when it comes to witnessing other’s weddings. love is all around and it needs to be celebrated. i want to shoot weddings that are exactly this – a love celebration, an ode to love. it may not last forever. but while it lasts, it’s a damn good thing! it makes our life balanced and more fulfilled. it literally fills our heart with good things and butterflies in our bellies. love simply rocks and i want to be a part of it – always!
this was not a wedding, but a baptism back in december and i’m still so grateful for being asked to be a part of this. i felt that i was a guest, instead of someone working on something. i felt among friends, though i had never seen them. i felt their joy and blessings! and i arrived home really late, but so happy because this is what i’m supposed to do.
will share more next week!
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