Being On The Other Side of the Lens

I’m much more comfortable being behind the camera. That’s why I am a photographer and not a model. Ok, there’s so many more reasons as to why modeling is not my career, but we’ll leave it at that. I like to work behind the camera; to look through the lens and see things that others would otherwise maybe miss. I love to take photos and I’m very happy doing so. The downside is that I’m not in very many photos because well yeah, I’m always the one taking them. I’ve made it a priority to hand off my camera to others and to get into the frame, for Matt and my memories and photo albums sake.

Quick snaps by a family member aren’t quite enough though. And working with a tripod and using the self timer gets the job done, but gets old in a hurry. So this fall, Matt and I decided to step on the other side of the camera together and get our photos taken.

There are so many amazing local photographers, and any one of them would have done a fantastic job. We picked Tim Larsen to take our photos because I love his work and he’s a really nice guy. The date was set, our session fee paid – we were ready.

Except.

I had nothing to wear!!! My clients are always asking me what to wear, and I always tell them the same thing. That it doesn’t really matter much what they wear, as long as they are comfortable. Because of the authentic nature of my photography, I tend to like color and patterns, and I love when a family shows up with a mix of color and patterns in their wardrobe. It adds visual interest and fun into the session right from the start. As long as things coordinate and you are all comfortable in what you are wearing, we’re good!

Well, taking my own advice proved to be harder than I though. A look through my closet was followed by a frantic trip to target and two new shirts for the occasion. On the day of the session, I agonized over my hair, my makeup, the pimple I just couldn’t hide…

Clients, I GET IT. I get how uncomfortable it is to be on the receiving end of the camera; to be on the receiving end of a photo session. To have all the attention on you, and to feel like you’re under a microscope. I also understand being uber critical of yourself, and not being satisfied with how you look. I get it. I felt it all.

Needless to say, Tim did a beautiful job and I love the photos from the session. They capture Matt and my relationship and our spirit. They now hold a prominent place in our living room where we can look at them often.

I am thankful for obvious reasons that we decided to get photos taken of us by someone other than my mom or dad. I spend all year taking photos of other people; it’s natural that I’d want beautiful photos of us to hang in our own home. But it was a great experience for other reasons too. I now, more than ever, identify with the insecurities that being on the other side of the lens provokes. I know the anxiety that goes into the preparations for the session, and the anxiousness of waiting to see the images. All of the things my clients experience every time I do a session, I get it. I like to think that I’m a better photographer because I get it.

With any luck, I think Matt and I will make it an annual tradition, or at least every few years, to get our photos taken by another photographer. It’s good for us and it’s good for me as a photographer. It’s good to get on the other side of the camera.