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still marinating on creativeLIVE

Wednesday, September 21, 2011 Posted in business, creativeLIVE, personal, photography, weddings

I would like to first thank so many of you for responding to my last blog post! Your feedback has been encouraging and really invaluable for charting the course of this ship. Plan on seeing a compilation of all of those responses for a future blog post.

Eternally grateful.

So I have continued to ponder all that Tamara Lackey shared with us on creativeLIVE regarding the art of business. One of the pieces that I have really worked to implement right away is the concept of single tasking. It came at a somewhat opportune moment for me as I was already considering selling my iPhone (a beautiful yet social-media-constantly-available device). Went ahead and made the plunge, resulting in a bit of a social media withdrawal complete with cold sweats and sleepless nights. Nah, it wasn’t that bad. Seriously though, I tweeted that I can’t decide if I love it or hate it more. The concept of single tasking in 90 minute increments is so foreign in this age of multi tasking times a million, but I think I like it, and will continue to use it. We’ll see how the next month or so goes. There’s a strong chance I’ll be missing my little piece of Apple so much that the iPhone 5 will be mine soon. Wink.

Also noteworthy is finding Evernote to be an incredible tool. I’m loving then task mode so I can place beautiful check marks upon completion of to do items!

One of my favorite things about being at the class is all the in-between moments. Just sitting around chatting with fellow class mates, creativeLIVE staff or Tamara. I have learned a ton from Tamara just about life in general over the last two times I’ve been on creativeLIVE with her. Two things have particularly touched me. The first is how much she shares about the beauty and joy of her family which includes her three children. Two of them are adopted. I love how he loves her kids so much, and I also love how she talks about “dating” her husband, Steve. I actually got to hear the back story of how Steve and Tamara met, and let me tell you, it’s quite the tale. I have left Seattle both times inspired to be a better person. To be a better husband. To be a great father one day. Thank you Tamara!

As I said, hanging out at dinner is such a cool part of experiencing creativeLIVE actually L-I-V-E! Tamara just kept sharing. I love these shots of her giving Erika what I think was a bit of a pep talk.

These were shot immediately following the second day “that’s a wrap,” (do they even say, “that’s a wrap?”) there was such a sense of energy bursting from the sense of accomplishment of having just finished an entire creativeLIVE course!

The rest of the images are just some random snaps from various times over the weekend. I’m sorry I didn’t get shots of all of you, I really didn’t pull the ol’ Canon out of the bag too much as just wanted to “be there.” Love you guys! So glad I was able to meet you in this life.

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Brittany and Ross

Wednesday, September 21, 2011 Posted in weddings

One of my favorite things to do is go shoot with other photographers! I always learn something from the way another artist works through a wedding day. Cory Callahan is no exception. He and I actually have been going to the same church for years, but had never met (big church = Summit).

Cory and I finally hooked up on a beautiful Saturday a couple months ago as I second shot for him with the beautiful Brittany and Ross. This couple was an absolute joy to work with. Their love for each other was so palpable throughout their wedding and reception. That’s one of the best parts about being a wedding photographer: seeing people’s love so fresh and real that it just overflows onto everyone around them.

Cory is actually celebrating the grand opening of his new studio next friday. You should definitely check him out.

Here are a few of my fav shots of the day. Enjoy.

I just love the look on Ross’ face as Brittany is about to step up next to him to link her life with his forever.

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creativeLIVE, gettin’ real, & pizza on capitol hill

Thursday, September 15, 2011 Posted in business, creativeLIVE, personal, photography

Recently I was chosen to be a part of a live audience for a worldwide class on the business of photography in Seattle, WA via creativeLIVE with Tamara Lackey and five other beautiful folks (Courtney, Donovan, Carolyn Ann, Erika, and Kellianna) . This was to be my second creativeLIVE experience with Tamara (I’d been to her children’s portrait photography class in 2010), and honestly I was feeling a little (ok a lot) scared of going out there live in front of all my peers, and also possibly clients to talk about the things our business is doing well…and some of those things we may need to improve. I’m so glad that I did, and even now wish I would have been more open on the live show, more willing to talk openly with you about the pieces of our business that aren’t always smooth sailing. I watched my friend Donovan “go there” about his business, and what an outpouring of support and encouragement he received. Donovan, your openness and vulnerability were inspiring, and I’m grateful, really grateful that you got the positive vibes of the interwebs working for you!

I’m still pretty tired as I barely slept the night the creativeLIVE show ended because Tamara, Donovan, Kenna and I went to see We Are Augustines saturday night, and I had a 5:30am alarm to catch a flight.

I’ve been marinating for a couple of days now on all the wisdom that Tamara shared, and will be re-watching to actually do all that crucial homework. Here are a few of the nuggets that have stayed particularly sharp with me over the last 48 hours:

Know who I am. In three to five words. That’s my brand. Show that. Shoot that. Love it.
Fear is part of it. Don’t expect it to go away because the bar will keep raising. Push past it, watch it fade, and feel the rush.
Have affection for the art of running my business. Of serving the needs of my customers.
Make the interactions with our customers about them. Completely.
Am I the visionary? Am I the manager? Am I the artist. There is an answer of my primary role…this one’s still a bit hazy.
Pay attention to my energy, both spiritual and physical. Be responsible for my energy. It bounces back.

Please let me shift gears and tell you a little more detail about a pivotal moment in the class for me.

So there I was, coasting along, absorbing the above fantastic info, and then we were asked to tell Tamara our “who we are” words.

Uh oh

My heart started racing as Courtney began to talk. I had jotted a few things down earlier when it first came up, “But…are they really truly my words??” Words that are supposed to encompass me to my core. To describe who Jesse Clements is all the way to my soul? I nervously rattled off a few of the words I had scribbled earlier, and then started talking about shooting style. Tamara firmly reeled me back in, and pinned me down,”Jesse, what are your words that describe YOU?”

I think I said, “I believe in love. I’m sensitive, thoughtful. Simple/clean.”

Then the bottom dropped out of my sense of security and confidence. Tamara didn’t think my business name communicated my true self.

I felt the heat rush over me, my palms started to sweat, and I could’ve sworn that I was a kid back in middle school turning red in front of the whole class. It probably seemed like a pretty small deal to the majority watching, but inside of me, waves of emotion were pounding through my consciousness as I processed the feedback I’d just received. ”Really?? The name I’ve been working on developing since the last class isn’t me??!!” ”Oh no.” ”What am I going to do?” ”I just had a logo developed.” ”This is live right now!” ”She must be confused.” ”Maybe she didn’t get to fully hear my explanation.”

So many things were rocked in that little exchange. My pride was shattered. You know what? I’m grateful. If I hadn’t been to creativeLIVE, and been exposed like that in front of thousands watching, I may have continued right on down my merry little path, and failed to CONNECT with clients who appreciate the real me.

So please allow me to change tactics a bit from the live class, get vulnerable, and ask you all, my peers and clients, for your opinion. I’d LOVE your REAL feedback!

After much thought, here are my five words of things I’m drawn to over and over:

Beauty
Romance & Love
Dramatic
Emotion
Laughter

Here is my board on Pinterest, if you’re interested in that sort of thing, where I have simply re-pinned images that “talk to me.”

Would you be willing to leave me a comment or shoot me an EMAIL / tweet / fb message with your thoughts on our current name, www.RealWeddingPhotos.com, and suggestions for a new name if you don’t like it? I’d be so grateful if you’d take a minute to read the “about us” on our website so you could give feedback accordingly.

We really want to name the business something that speaks “us”, and it’s ok to use our names (Jesse & Amber Clements) or my name. I see a lot of successful wedding photography couples who include both their names, and then I see some with just the lead photographer, which is me in our case. Anyhow, open to any of your feedback on the website, name, photography, whatever. THANK YOU!

I did take a ton of pics this trip, but am out of town without a card reader, so this weekend I’ll post along with some more notes.

Enjoy these shots of my last creativeLIVE experience for Tamara’s KIDS WORKSHOP. The images are from our last night at Via Tribulani (Capitol Hill location for my Seattle friends) with Tamara, Chase Jarvis, Kate Jarvis, Nikko, Kenna, Susan, Jim, Sarah, Nikki aka EpicDanger, Alison, Katie and many others of the creativeLIVE crew. What a blast, and wine glass stem(s) may or may not have been broken. As you can see, I really do love shooting the emotion and laughter in an event.