In the beginning...

We all have a story, a place to begin. My story isn't exciting or glamorous. I haven't been a photographer for all that long, just a few years really. At least just a few years that I feel I can call myself "photographer". I can own that. Still working on "artist". Wink, wink, that's harder to own. I have always enjoyed taking pictures, often in spurts. I guess you could say I'd be all about if for a while, and then I'd cool off for a bit, but all through my life I have found pleasure in it. So a few years ago, at a time when I was dissatisfied with my corporate job, I decided I wanted to actually like my job. And I wanted to make people happy - ironic when you consider I'm a bit of an introvert and "people person", let alone "people pleasing person", are not words that come to mind when asked to describe myself. Yet here we are.

My brother gave me the opportunity to shoot his wedding, and upon my return from that trip I enrolled in community college for photography. Yes, it took me forever to finish my certificate program. And yes, there are a million and one ways to becoming a photographer, but this was my route, good, bad, or ugly. And yes, there was plenty of ugly. With that said, there are also many ways in which photographers work, and choose to structure the business side of things. None are right or wrong. It's about what you want from your business and the experience you want to provide for your clients. Really.

I was one who always provided the digital images to my clients to do with what they wanted. I am not a sales person. I know this about myself having worked in retail. So I just did digital images so I was done with it at the end of the day, and I didn't feel pressured to try to convince my clients they needed something that maybe they didn't. However, I'm seeing things differently these days. Why?

It's like this. I love pictures; actually touching and holding, examining up close, shoving in a box, flipping through a book, hanging on a wall. When I go to a junk store, I feel like I've found treasure when I see a bunch of old photos. I also feel a bit sad that they were unwanted and have made their way to the junk store but that's a different Oprah. When I look back on it, it only took me like 15 years to come to the realization I'm a hoarder. Ever since digital became "the thing" and it became easy to just have all those files stowed away somewhere, that's what I did. After all, I can take 400 photos at a time with my camera and its ok. I don't have to pay to have them developed. The more the merrier, right?. (Hi. I'm Cherie and I'm a hoarder of digital photos.) Right this minute I have 2831 photos on my phone. I still have disks from back in the day when you could get your prints but also get them on a disk. My family laughs at all the empty frames I have. Seriously, I buy them all the time only to have them sit with nothing in them. I buy them because I have intentions for my photos. Intentions that go unfulfilled because I don't have time, or I am not sure exactly where I want to put it, or I just can't decide which photo...sound familiar?

I absolutely count myself among you who are also hoarders of digital pictures. I own that. Yep, guilty, guilty, guilty. This is something I am working on for myself, and I want to help you, too. I have lost many files over the years, probably a lot I don't even know about. About a year and half ago I lost around a year's worth of work. Nothing of my clients thankfully, but a whole year or more of my personal life. It was stuff I uploaded but put to the side because I didn't have the time to do the editing and whatnot. It was nothing that I did wrong. It was a hard drive failure. They happen every day. Now, yes, as a photographer, there were things I should have had in place to save my ass in such an event, but at the time only my "work" was so carefully looked after. These days that isn't the case.

My point is this: print your pictures. No one knows where the cloud is, if its possible for it to lose your stuff. Don't come after me with a pitchfork. Yes, I use the cloud too, but you bet your booty that's not the only place I have my stuff stored. You drop your phone in the toilet, run over it with your car, leave it behind somewhere, have it get stolen. Those photos are gone. You might have disks or flash drives in a drawer. Those get scratched up, even corrupted, just sitting there, and often as in my case, they can't be retrieved. We've all heard it a million times, if there was a fire in your home, what would you want to save...pictures. That's always the answer right after people and pets.

For the majority of us getting photos taken is an event. You take the time to get all dressed up, coordinate the whole gang. You carefully choose the date and the props you think you need. You have chosen to spend the money to have your pictures professionally taken. You have an intention in mind for these pictures, and its more than just which one will look cute as your profile picture. You intend to put them on the wall, or the Christmas card, or in an album, or mailed off to Grandma. So spend the money to buy the products you need instead of just getting the digitals with the plan to fulfill your true intentions when you get around to it.

This is why I have elected to shift things around, go outside of my comfort zone, and take the leap to become a print artist. Not because I want to get rich selling you stuff, but because I want you to have a ton of photos to touch and to hold, to look back on fondly when you're old and gray. Pictures to pass on to your kids and their kids. It's important. Photos tell our story and remind us where we came from. Everyone needs an old shoebox full of photos. Fill yours up. Start today.