Now I look back at the photos I thought were freaky awesome, and have a shamefaced chuckle. In a couple of years I will probably look back at my photographic efforts from this year and do the same. I hope so! I hope I continue to improve, evolve and grow.
But the story of how I have progressed to the point of having the confidence to photograph others can sort of be summed up in one word.
www. : instant access to information and people in just countless ways. My favourite way of connecting to people via the internet has to be Facebook....
Corny? A little I guess, but having grown up in Kenya and with most of my childhood friends important people now spread across the globe, I have slowly lost contact with nearly everybody (ok, EVERYBODY!) I knew before I was 19.
But through Facebook, I am now back in regular contact with a couple dozen of my old friends. Nothing in depth. A little comment on a status here, a brief reminisce there. It isn't about clinging to the past, but about knowing how those people who were such a big part of my childhood are going as adults.
(be patient, I am getting to the point) A high school friend sent me and maybe all of his friends a link to his nephew's partner Shauna's new business Milah's Tutu Closet. I accordingly became a fan (look at her stuff;wouldn't you?), and wrote her a message- something to the effect of "Those tutus are so gorgeous. They would be awesome photo props for a shoot."
No sooner had the words left my 'comment ' button, than I recieved a friend request, from Shauna (but sent from our networking mutual friend!)
I remember chuckling a little to myself, thinking 'aha, he senses a sell!' And with another click of a button, Shauna and I became 'friends'. For several days, I would comment on her daily status and she would comment on my photo albums.
I messaged Shauna that I would be ordering a few tutus in the near future and all was good.
And the likely path would have been suchly:
1. I would have bought the tutus
2. I would have set the tutus aside,stored all frothy and fairylike in a special box so as not to squash them, for that photoshoot op that would probably never happen..... do I lack confidence...um....GUILTY!
But then...
THEN one day I got a message from Shauna that changed everything..... She wrote: 'What is your mailing address. I think I am going to ship you some tutus! On the house! If you get some photos taken of them do you mind if I use them for my website?? Just a thought! '
I freaked right out!!!! No-one has ever, EVER given me free stuff. I tried to talk the girl out of it...but she would not back down, and when I emailed Troy to get him to do something about her stubborn refusal of my business, he backed her decision.
So it came about that I got a package of 4 (not the 2 I was expecting, but 4) of the most beautiful tutus ever. Tutus with ribbons that tie in a delicious bow at the back....Tutus made uniquely, with little bits of tulle woven around the ribbon in such a way thatf they froth up and sit perfectly around a child's waist, sit in a way that the ones from a dept store never would. My inner child fell in love with these tutus.
And then I did the only thing I could....I got on fb and called out for little girls to shoot tutus in.
The fallout? From Shauna's generosity?
-Photots! Shauna now has a wide range of photos of cherubs wearing tutus from Milah's Tutu Closet . .
-A name! I was forced to create a name for my photography to put copyright on the pictures. I came up with the Swahili word Kazuri which means 'small and beautiful'. Kazuri pics.... :) It sounds right to me.
-Experience! I got invaluable experience photographing and working with children other than my own.
-Confidence! I did 3 photoshoots in one week, and I had to learn to improvise and be creative and cope with lighting disasters. And I was happy with a lot of the photos. I actually said outloud to someone...." I think that after today's photos, I might now call myself a photographer."
-A logo on its way! Another FB friend (a second cousin I have met only once, and then for less than 10 minutes) messaged me to ask if her new graphic design company could design a logo for my business to help get their name out!!! I have a business? Woohoo!
-Paying work! I have continued to recieve offers of photo jobs that otherwise would never have been sent my way!
Want to see some of the tutus? Thought you might!
But before I do, I need to send a big thankful shoutout to those FB friends, some of them professional photographers, and some who I have never even met in person,who have really encouraged me to pursue photography. Thankyou, thankyou!
