Wednesday, November 28, 2012

rambling

This time of year is always the same for me; I go more inward, I make plans, I journal, I reflect, I dream, I re-evaluate. I think about my personal life, as well as my business, and I decide what I want to change, how I want to evolve things, and what I want to keep the same. As a very head-strong Aries, I am always looking forward, thinking about what's next. It takes a very concerted effort to be in the NOW, but I try to do that, too.

Photobucket

In all my musings, I have been thinking a lot about how I want this space, this blog, to look. I always stop people when they refer to me as a blogger. I am not a blogger, but I have a blog. There is a difference. I started this blog when I was still shooting weddings, and it was basically a must for every wedding photographer to have a blog that showed their current work. It was just a smart business move. Then, the direction of my work changed, and the blog became a handy place to share some of the projects with which I became involved. Unfortunately, due to the nature of this type of work, I often can't share photos because of contractual agreements with my clients. In addition, I have found that somewhere along the way, I created some very limiting parameters in my head about what I should or shouldn't post on here, and those self-imposed "rules" are incredibly constricting. And, because of those rules, I am less and less inspired to come here and post.
I follow a very small number of blogs and the ones that most inspire me have nothing to do with food photography or recipes or any of that. The blogs that inspire me are more open-ended, less defined. They have great writing, art in all mediums, funny stories, and always honest words.

I am not too fond of writing so I don't envision a blog with more of my words, but I am motivated to shift this blog into something a little different than what it has been. As I write that, all of my inner voices get louder, reminding that I have always made this blog whatever I have wanted it to be-- sometimes very personal, sometimes all about business. So maybe the change will only be noticeable to me, and that's okay. I think the important thing is that I am deciding that there are some things that are changing for me-- about how I brand myself, about how I share who I am, and about what I want to share.

I am not a food blogger, I am not a writer, I am no longer a wedding photographer. I am a food photographer, but my passion definitely lies in telling stories more than just taking pretty photos in my studio. I want more of those stories here, on my blog. I want to share work stories, of course, but also personal stories, stories that involve collaborations with other artists, quiet stories, and moody stories. And, because I am a photographer, these stories will be primarily comprised of images which is, hopefully, why you come to this space in the first place. :)

Photobucket

4 comments:

AmyRuth said...

Clare,
Your voice has spoken so clearly. Personally I have struggled with the commitment to a blog, both the time and the constant need for acceptance, Revealing personal stories and wondering who really cares anyway what I'm doing or thinking. I love beautiful photographic stories and so that is a more comfortable way to share in my estimation. Perhaps a photo is a way to break the ice and show your heart. Thank you for sharing your beautiful heart.
Amy

Vera said...

Looking forward to seeing more of you in this blog. thanks!

Anonymous said...

Yes! That is absolutely how I feel. When I first shifted to food photography I was told a food blog was an absolute must. I love shooting food, and it pays the bills, but I consider myself a story teller as well. I am most definitely not a "food blogger" either. I am first and foremost a photographer and I have considered shifting the focus of my blog to be more open as well...although non-food posts definitely get less traffic and/or comments, but that's not the point of my blog. Oh, I wish we could have a glass of wine and just chat. I think we're very likely in the same mindset these days...

Nelson Leonard said...

Such a beautiful photo looking so great image.Thanks a lot for sharing with us. I'll visit your blog again.