Give me the garbage. Seriously, hand it over. Dump it. You know you wanna get it out of your system. Please give me the Mental Dump.
“Look Aleks, I’m going to give it to you straight…I love your photographs, but I’m really weird in front of the camera… I’ve never liked any of my photos…I hate having my photograph taken… What do I do with my arms?… They made me come…
Actually you know, just, ugh… please don’t take my photograph.”
When I was a younger photographer I used to get so discouraged. This is how I’m going to start my job? We haven’t even taken a photograph yet. You love my work but we both are going to hate this? {Yay.} Now I get excited for the mental dump. Get it out of your system. Verbal vomit! I’ll take it, throw it out so we can get down to the magic.
What is it about the camera that scares us? One of my theories is years of awful photography, and the chance that people won’t view us in the same way we see ourselves in our mind. One bad photo session or photograph and that’s all it takes to be scarred for life. That first session where none of the photographs, or barely one photograph came out right. This one session has now set the standard for every future shoot you do. It’s the baggage you carry with you every time you step in front of a photographer’s lens.
Vulnerability isn’t easy. I truly get it. I fight it every time I have my photograph taken. A photographer friend of mine just took a few snaps of me the other day with my own setup and it took a solid chunk of time for me to get there with him. Trust is everything and let’s face it, until you see that first glorious shot where you light up on the screen, you don’t trust me… not yet at least. And it’s OK! I don’t mind. 😀 Until that moment hits it’s the always the same lines I heard from the last session but dressed up differently. And to be honest, there’s something comforting in that human connectedness. My mission … to have you realize by the end of your session that you truly are more than a photograph, you are a work of Art. Be The Reminick… Be (enter name here.)
So the next time you’re in the studio with me, give it to me straight from the get go. Don’t hesitate. I’ll be Frasier Crane to your call in radio listener.
You’ve got Karjaka, and I’m listening….
