social media – Life, Love & Passion Through the Lens

Photo taken by Tommy Owen of phloridaphoto.com — Photo taken by Tommy Owen of phloridaphoto.us

For the majority of my life I have been a perfectionist. I was that way as a child and a teenager. I was the child who would throw an entire sheet of paper away if I made a mistake instead of erasing it. If I wrote in pen it was even more difficult for me to deal with. As I have matured I have come to realize that I will never be perfect and it’s okay not to be. I have learned to be more lenient on myself and in the realm of photography, after all I can’t take myself too seriously when I am on the ground blowing raspberry sounds to get the attention of the little ones in a family. Because of this I am more relaxed and a much better photographer; I can literally breathe into my photos and know what I do will be worthy of the clients expectations. I never come upon any criticism from my clients. However there are a few who choose to continue to try to tear me down within my social media realm. The ploy to upset me or make me look bad has not been successful, I don’t play the juvenile games of the sophomoric minded. Instead I choose to focus on all things positive and my future as a full-time photographer which is growing daily by leaps and bounds. The extra funds I have, I pour back into my business for equipment, website and domains NOT into my social media outlets. I have not placed one dime into Facebook or any other site, instead I place it where I know it can be best utilized which is in my business. I am actually quite blessed with a very good following on my social media sites and my blog. I also figured out how to tie them all together and utilize the benefits of doing so.

This is an exciting time in my life and so many wonderful things are happening I’m sure there are those who will continue to be small, jealous and bitter because it’s not happening to them, but I don’t have time to focus on the negative as I am too busy focusing on all the wonderful things transpiring within my life. I have a handful of magnificent photographer friends who are guiding me and teaching me the art of the business, I also have incredible friends and family who have my back and are watching me grow and expand into a wonderful person with each passing day. I am learning and gaining knowledge within my field of choice and honestly someone being negative has no real value in my life. The simple-minded can believe and think what they want, I know where my heart is and where my focus is at. I have amazing clients and I know God is on my side because he blesses his children. He knows that adversity only makes me stronger and those that try to claim God is good yet don’t understand the simple concept of “do unto others” can’t claim the blessings. This girl is like the cream and is rising to the top, nothing will stop me from becoming successful and I plan on including my friends and family within my success. God is truly good and I am amazingly blessed.

Thank you all for allowing me to write and to sometimes vent and to share my work with you. We are all in this wonderful world together. I’ll see you behind the lens!

Wow! I cannot believe how much of a turn my life has taken in the photographic world. I am beginning to make a name for myself and it’s spreading beyond the local Fort Myers area as I have just reached the Tampa Bay area by recommendation. My Facebook fan page has exploded and I have a lot of followers on my other social media sites.

I have to take a stand back sometimes to get a grip on how fast things are moving. For most of my life I have doubted myself and my abilities, and I still do that with my photography too. I know in my heart that I am good, but sometimes my head gets in the way and I wonder if I’m good enough. I was called last week about photographing a destination wedding and was supposed to have met the couple on Saturday. That meeting didn’t take place for whatever reason and I had resigned myself that it may not happen. I doubted myself, deep down I wondered if I was good enough. I had met up with a friend Sunday evening and told him about the meeting not happening and that I was Okay if it didn’t, because something else would come along. Our conversation drifted to many different subjects and I really didn’t think much more about the wedding. I had decided that I was really okay if they didn’t call. Well to my surprise I received a text message from the groom to be that they wanted to book me for the wedding, I immediately contacted my friend and told him that the wedding was going to happen, he congratulated me and told me he knew I would be getting the job. I love that I have friends who 100% have my back no matter what. This knowledge makes me incredibly strong and their belief in me and gives me the strength to realize I am good enough and I can do whatever I set my mind to.

We should all be cognizant of the fact that the good people in our lives are the ones who stand up for us and cheer us on. I am incredibly blessed and take none of them for granted. My one hope is I don’t fall short in that area with them.

I admire the work of many photographers as it gives me creative ideas and keeps my own methods fresh and new. I follow several on Facebook, and watch their posts to see what they have going on. I belong to several groups, some promote concert photographers, and some are wildlife related and I am fortunate enough to post to them regularly and I view their work, comparing my work to theirs. I do realize there isn’t any comparison as photography is an art form and art forms are subjective. I view the work of others with an open mind without tearing my own work apart.

This I know; I am constantly growing and improving my craft, and every time I click the shutter my value as a photographer increases. I also know that I am at my best behind the lens.