let me tell you all about how fun it is to move your business two times in less than three years. it goes like this: you get to your new city. you hustle, you sacrifice, you go to those awkward networking events so you can "meet people in the industry." the bookings start to trickle in. so and so says they'll mention you to so and so. people start to recognize you in the street and beg for your autograph (just kidding, that never happened), and right as the flow of inquiries becomes consistent---right when you start to make a few true blue friends who are also in this crazy photo/wedding business---its time to pack up and start all over again.
from scratch.
when i first started this photo shebang, way way way back in the beginning, and up until about 4 minutes ago, i was of the mentality that i need to make myself sound fancy to my adoring public all the live long day. you know what i'm talking about right? the whole, "i'm so awesome!" "clients are coming out of my ears!" "i am so successful!" "look at my shiny white studio!" giggle. that's what everyone told me i needed to say to pull this whole thing off. to convince the world i was legit. to prove i wasn't just another momtog who bought a dslr with my tax return.
but you know what?
i just don't care to pretend any more. because pretending makes me quiet, and that's just not me. when i'm always worried about how i will come across, i have a hard time saying anything at all. i'm too scared i will tarnish my fragile reputation of "making it." and i want to write and say whole lot more on this blog, whether i'm making it or not.
but don't misunderstand. in many ways, this whole yan photography business has been good to us. for all intents and purposes, we have made it. i mean, we've had just enough business to get us through this time while uncle marty is a student, and just little business to not drive us completely insane. but we have had to work for
every
single
bit
of it.
and we have had to work hard.
there has been sacrifice from every member of my immediate and even extended family. there have been a lot of tears, and not a moment has passed by untainted by self doubt. by the feeling of, "can i really do this?" "am i good enough?" "am i strong enough?"
sigh. sometimes i still don't know the answers to those questions. maybe i never will. i just know that i'm going to try to keep this business going. even in a brand new state. and i know that i'm way better at acting like your friend (i want to be my clients' friends), than i am at acting like an over confident artist/professional. i just can't communicate as though there is a curtain between us and i'm not letting you see the oz behind the curtain. if anything, all i am is the oz behind the curtain. in fact, the curtain is non existent, forget the curtain!
and then there is colorado, all big and new and sprawling in front of us. almost no one in colorado has heard of yan shman photography. the scrambling and hustling is about to commence, heaven help us. and i'm going to ask you to help me spread the word. if at all applicable, please please please, from the bottom of my heart, i ask you, tell people about yan photography.
yes, i realize the 10 people who read this blog are all photographers plus my mom, and it might not make sense to promote another photographer in your area, but if you're not in the area, and you know someone who is, you just might want to drop a yan bomb during the duration of your next phone call or email or facebook chat.
in the last few weeks, there seems to have been some confusion about just where i am at (idaho? utah? colorado?) so let me be perfectly clear:
YAN PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOW OFFICIALLY LOCATED IN THE DENVER COLORADO AREA (PARKER, IF YOU WANT TO BE PRECISE).
what are we doing here in denver? my husband, the infamous uncle marty, will be attending a master of recording arts program at the university of colorado denver campus. I will be tending to the 3 mini marty and me's as well as working working working with my camera to support our not so little anymore family.
questions you might have:
are you still taking sessions in utah and idaho? - for family sessions, on an extremely limited basis - for weddings, yes yes yes. i go anywhere for weddings.
are you cheap? - nope. yan photography cost money. that's right. that's my first dirty secret i want to share with the world. i want my business to make money. i'm not doing this just for fun. i don't relish having to be away from my husband and kids hours and hours and hours just for a little creative indulgence. even though i love what i do, i have to make a profit people. and guess what? $500 for a two hour session that includes a disc of all of your images ain't gonna cut it. it comes down to the fact that i cannot run a profitable business if i operate that way. expect to pay a decent amount of money, and expect to be met with someone who is incredibly good at drawing out the best parts of you for the camera and provides you with a unique, thoughtful, and breathtaking product (i just said my work was breathtaking! and i meant it!)
simple sessions on a regular basis are no more. but next week i will be announcing dates where i will offer several days with mini session slots. and let me clue you in, this is as cheap as you're going to find me. and your second clue, i like to under promise and over deliver, which definitely works in your favor. sheesh, i have to do something to get this colorado ball rolling. so watch for that.
for all i know, this might be your first time reading this blog,. you are probably wondering what i'm all about, whether i'm worth the cash and all that. well kind sir and/or madam, listen for a moment and i'll tell you about the yan in yan photography. i am a lifestyle wedding, child and family FILM photographer. yes, i said film. it is my medium of choice, though occasionally you will see about 4% digital work sprinkled around this blog.
but heck, that description is just words. let me show you some pictures that demonstrate what i mean. here is a perfect example of a yan photography shoot, done in the client's home with the family just being all family like. and let's just call a spade a spade and say that the fact that this family is unusually adorably, with a schockingly well designed home makes the photos all the better.
