I’m sure some of you heard me talk about how I was going to Justin & Mary’s What’s Next tour in DC. Well this happened last Thursday and it was beyond amazing!!! I was lucky enough to travel from Richmond to DC with four wonderful girls and amazing photographers. Mary kicked things off with her INCREDIBLE talk! That girl knows how to speak and I’m still blown away by all she had to say. I feel even more motivated and more ready to see what’s next for Brittany Claud Photography in 2013! My business is still new and that can be really scary and stressful at times. I’m a planner and a perfectionist. And this combination is probably not always the best. I am constantly making lists and posting sticky notes all over my desk. I want every aspect of my business to be perfect…and I want that right now. However, that is not reality and this is when the stress starts to kick in. Then, I have to take a moment and realize that nothing is perfect. One thing my Dad has always instilled in me is to not sweat the small things. He may not always think I’m listening when he has his talks with me but that’s because I’m taking it all in…I’m processing everything. And one thing that I am really striving to be better at is not stress over the little things in life or business. Everything takes time and I’m slowly starting to understand that and become okay with it.

Another thing I tend to do is compare myself to every other photographer and how they run their business and what defines their success. This is NOT a good thing. Mary actually talked about this and I loved that she brought it up. She said, “Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.” This is SO true for me…my business is still so young and it’s silly of me to compare myself to photographers that have several + years on my business. Everyone has to start out somewhere and I need to learn to stop comparing and start growing.

A huge portion of Mary’s talk was based around one word…FEAR. I’ll admit that I’ve feared so many things in starting this business and moving forward with it. But I have to learn to accept fear and always keep striving for what I want and keep moving forward.

I thought this quote was appropriate for this post and the fact that it was MLK Day on Monday

Another thing that Mary said that really stuck with me is, “It’s the work that makes it WORTH it.” This is so true…I love what I do and it was so important to me that I found a career I truly enjoyed. All the long hours on the computer, all the 1,000s + photos I edit is worth it because I LOVE what I do. Mary’s talk is still blowing me away and I could probably go on and on about it!

We had an hour break for dinner, photo booth pics, and mingling! I loved meeting everyone and it was so great to meet and see the people whose blogs I’ve been following in person! After our break Justin WOWed us with his insane lighting knowledge. Justin started out with a quote from one of his professor’s in school…”A good photograph either tells a story or is beautiful. A GREAT photograph does both.” I love this quote so much because it is so true and these are the images I strive to create.

Justin talked a lot about their setup and uses for OCF (off camera flash) and this was so helpful to me! OCF and studio lighting in general can be so intimidating! There’s just SO much that goes into it but Justin explained things in ways that make me feel more comfortable about using it and less intimidated to experiment with OCF at wedding receptions!

I’m still in awe by Justin & Mary…they are truly amazing people, photographers, teachers, and they continue to inspire me as I move forward in this industry. Here’s just a few photos from this AMAZING opportunity!

These girls are SO great!!!

Of course they had their own “cafe!” 

Whether you’re a photographer, business owner, or just trying to get through life…take a minute to sit down and figure out What’s YOUR “next” for 2013! Here’s a few more of my favorite quotes that inspire me!

Obviously I had to include a quote/lyrics from Dave Matthews! 

Here’s to a Happy, productive, and inspirational Wednesday!