Sooo tomorrow’s my 30th birthday and aside from all the various other feelings that arrive with that (read:my god I’m old) there is one feeling that I don’t think I’ve associated with a birthday since I was 7 and got a Sharkticon and my friend Kenny didn’t…
Pride.
Nana-booboo, Kenny.
(Also a hunger for cake… but anyway)
See, last year when I started Sky Blue Iris, and after enough time that I knew it was something I could see myself doing as a career, I set the goal that I would quit my day job and become a professional photographer full time by my 30th birthday. Well, as of April 30th of this year I left the day job and I’m actually achieving a goal that’s more ambitious than making sure the recycling makes it out on recycling day.
2 years ago I had no idea what I wanted to be “when I grew up”, I was working at a job that paid me but didn’t inspire me, interest me, or challenge me, and if you asked me where I’d be in 5 years I’d have probably started openly weeping.
bbbbbbhuuuuuhhhuuhhuhh
Now, time will tell if I made the smart move or if my family and I will be eating beans out of a tin can, but right now I’m feeling pretty good about this. I love the work, my clients have all been happy (at least they pretended to be :/ ) and I’m developing a network of like-minded people who’ll show me the ropes and also how to tie them to things.
Ah, what can I say about Casey and Stephanie…. their wedding was held in the woods near a swing set at a campground famous for their roaming peacocks, stocked trout ponds and Frisbee golf… their dog wore a black tie to the ceremony… they did a celebratory funky dance as they walked back up the aisle after their vows… they are some awesome people.
The wedding was held in North Plains, Oregon not too far from where I live at a place called Horning’s Hideout, which is basically a campground/park tucked away in the rolling hills northwest of Portland. I used to go fishing there when I was a kid and until I met Casey and Stephanie I had forgotten it even existed. It was great to be able to get back there and relive a little of my own past while sharing in the new future of this lovely couple.
Last month I had the sincere pleasure of being wedding photographer for Jon and Allison of Portland, OR and getting to know them throughout the process has been great. I’ve never had such a great client meeting as when we met the second time and the three of us talked for over an hour about lots of things not even related to weddings or photography or contracts. After the wedding and reception and seeing their friends and family wish them well and learning about how they met and just how perfect for each other I count it a real blessing to call them clients and consider them friends.