On being a hot mess and a photographer

Right when you think you have everything together, get ready to be humbled!

So it all happened when I was asked to do newborn baby photos as a client's house. I am not a newborn baby specialist photographer. I love doing engagements and weddings with some seniors. I love doing families as well, but couples are my specialty. However, if someone, especially from my church or a friend ask me to take photos for them, I am not going to pass them on to someone else. Besides, it's all great experience for me, so it's a win-win.

I load up my car with three cameras, 5 lenses, 2 flashes, one huge pillow, 10 blankets, two baskets and a softbox. Plus, I had to feed my one month old, fix lunch for my two other children (5 and 2) and I had to get my wallet and get directions- in other words, I had SO many things to worry about.

My assistant meets me at my house to car pool. Of course it's raining. We get to the house early and start unpacking the huge amount of stuff. The house doesn't allow as much natural light as we hoped so we start moving the furniture. The only natural light coming in is from a door in the hallway to a little part of the living room. So we had to make it work.

The baby of course is not settling down. My assistant- a college student is magically a baby whisperer and calms the little one down. WOW- she rocks! So All I had to do was to figure out my settings and take pictures. Moving the baby from set to set in a 2 foot by 2 foot area was pretty challenging. Plus, we had to change the baby's outfits and wraps without waking them up!

After about 100 shots, my main camera freezes and I have to pull out my backup. Then my flash starts to fuzz out. Then, my softbox nut falls on the floor and I can't find it- so I have a stand without the ability to connect my softbox.

We do about 100 more photos and it's time to clean up. I get the check from the client and I pack up my car and then I put the key into the ignition. It makes a "chug chug" sound and dead! Oh no! How embarrassing! I have to knock on the door and ask the man of the house (the one that cut me the check) to jump my car with HIS jumper cables. Yes, I know that every adult should learn how to jump their own car, but I am that ONE adult that never learned. In fact, I have road side assistance on speed dial!

Now it had been THREE hours since I left my three kids with my husband. My husband texts me- "THE baby is crying and his needs milk!"

I text him back- "I have a bottle in the fridge." Good thing that I had that!

We finally get my car started and get on our way.

When I get home to start editing the photos, I see one memory card, but where was my back-up camera??? I look everywhere...

I look at my phone after it dings- I get a text from the mom from today's shoot: "You left a camera and a flash at my house."

Ughhh.. My day couldn't get any worse. Oh wait, it can!

I look around my house- toys scattered all over the floor, my one month old covered in throw-up. NICE. My husband leaves as soon as I walk in- he has to be back at work and is late to an event because my shoot went over.

So here I am, blogging after editing over 200 photos for 3 hours straight, posting a sneak peek, cleaning up throwup, putting my kids to bed and sweeping up legos.

Am I the only one that has gone through something similar to this? Do we all have our lives all together all the time? Let me be the first to admit that I do not! Especially now with three kids, running and business and being and wife/mother/housekeeper/homeschooler...

But if we don't talk about our experiences, how can we expect people to be open and honest with us?

Being transparent is the only way to live.

When I knocked on the couples' door to get a jump, I had to be humble and ask for help. I had to admit that I didn't have my life together. When I got the text saying that I left my camera I had to admit that I was literally a hot mess.

We all are hot messes. But that's what makes us unique and beautiful. It makes us rely on each other for help.

Don't be so caught up in the perfection that we tend to demand from our images, our lives, our businesses, our parenting, and our lives in general.

Sometimes it's okay to be imperfect. Sometimes it's okay to admit that you are a hot mess!

On being a hot mess and a photographer

Right when you think you have everything together, get ready to be humbled!

Christal

virginia photos and films, , chesapeake wedding video, chesapeake photographer, chesapeake portrait photographer, chesapeake family photographer, chesapeake videographer, chesapeake wedding photos