I have a potential client that asked me to sell myself to him over the phone the other day. Make the pitch like the other studio did, he said. I was an agent in San Francisco, fashion model in NY and Paris, restaraunteur, I am an artist, fine art photographer, mother, wife, I am not in sales. I have always believed in making the best product, presenting it in a clean way, being open and honest and making a human connection. For me , this style wasn't pulled out of the latest business book. It's what I live. So when he asked me that, my knee-jerk response was "If you are in love with the work I do then it's obvious why you would book me and if my work doesn't have an impact on you then it's obvious why you would go with someone else". I completely bungled it. Obviously I didn't pitch. That began a line of thinking for me for the last few days. Why didn’t I pitch. Am I arrogant? Do I think I am above it? What is it that matters to me? So this is where I landed with it and before I go on, I do think that my potential client totally fits my criteria. The following is actually based on a conversation with another potential client that called right after and out the gate started heckling the price before he even knew it.

This is what matters to me and what I think matters to my clients.

I want to have a giant stop sign on my site that says.."Don't enter unless you LOVE art and photography and it is a priority to you! If you are here to find the cheapest deal, I am not it!" Although my average wedding runs in the 3000.00 range. Par for weddings. I have a family to feed, bills to pay, kids that need college, I need to make a living, not a killing. But what I really need is to collaborate with people who believe their lives are worth documenting, who know that life isn't a dress rehearsal and you get one shot at capturing it unfold, that realize, that each shot represents a moment and it must count.

I guess the next time someone asks me to sell myself I am going to ask them these three questions first.

Is honesty important to you? In photos, in connecting with people, in business? Because that's me.

Is your life worth documenting? Are you going to hand your guests instamatics or are you going to do what it takes to be able to ARCHIVE this moment, reflecting your tastes, for your family line that comes after you?

Are you stylish? Do you care about and appreciate fine art?

If it's yes to all three of these questions, then the next line of questions after we meet is....

Did you feel a connection with me?

Did I help set you at ease?

Do you feel you can be yourself with me in front of my camera?

If it's yes to these.......then we talk about money. Because if it’s yes to all these questions, usually to my financial demise, I will negotiate on your behalf. I want to work with and for people that are stylish, take their tastes seriously, care about fine art imagery and value their lives, how they live them and especially how they want them documented. My clients live well.

For me, if it's just about the money I’d be in a different line of business. Art and photography are my passion and my life’s work. I am committed to them and the people that love them.

My intention, when I entered into human photography capture was to create emotionally charged images that emanated beauty and movement, always with the 6 Elements of design in mind. Am I a little overzealous about art. I am. I can't help it. I want to create art in every image I capture. DAMN IT!!!!