Way up North, Stockholm
During the past three days I laughed so much – and – cried my eyes out. I’ve been surrounded with people that do the same thing as I that I’ve never met before. But we still all know what each others go through and can connect.
The amazing experience I was here for just ended an hour ago and I am in my hotel room feeling overwhelmed after these three days. I’ve learned so so much and I am trying to take it all in in the best way possible.
On my way to the warmup event I talked with my sister on the phone and I told her what I was in Stockholm for, and she tried to figure out what the presenters would be talking about and asked me something like: “ So… do you..like… compare lenses and stuff?”.
Yes, we might do that. And talk about our Instagram feeds and compare marketing strategies. But it is something more important. Being a solo wedding photographer means being alone with your work for the remaining 362 days of the year. And that is hard. I am not good with expressing my self with words and explaining why I do what I do. But hearing these amazingly talented people talk about their work and hardship and stuggles openly is so relieving. They are my rockstars and go through the same thing as the 400 of us sitting in the audience do. They talk directly to us and you feel like you are not alone with your work. (Which at first makes you think damn it won’t be any easier in 10 years – but you’ll get over it pretty fast and start to realise it’s okay.)
And the most important thing. The why. You get a reminder of why you actually do the stuff that you do. Why you sacrifice a stable income and crayfish parties with your friends in the summer, and spending weekends with your boyfriend and dog. You get the reminder that you do what you do when you see how happy it makes your clients. When you see the expression of a bride as she puts her hand in front of her mouth and gasps in sheer surprise as she sees a sneak peek of the picture above, or when tears are running down the cheeks of a brides sister when she sees the wedding portraits, or when a bride writes that she has never seen herself as happy as in the photo you took of the couples first dance.
I get reminded that I photograph weddings for these people to have something meaningful to remember ten years, and twenty, and even fifty years from that day. It is for them, and their unconditional celebration of love.
THANK YOU WAY UP NORTH AND
Gabe McClintock
Carmen & Ingo
Sara Byrne
Forged In The North
Erika Gerdemark
Dan O’Day
Danelle Bohane
Benj Haisch
Kristen Marie Parker
We Are The Parsons
…and all my fellow photographers that I met over the past three days!
