Changes

It's raining again - Stockton actually had a Spring this year! In the 6 years I've lived here it's always gone from winter (winter being a relative term, it doesn't usually get below 30 degrees) to the hot 90+ summer weather we get (again, hot is relative). This year it's been a mild 70-80 degrees and sometimes getting around 65. It's been windy, but it's been Spring and that makes me happy.

Though Spring does give me allergies. I've tried several over-the-counter stuff and although they all seem to help my symptoms, they give me new ones. The side effects always outweighed the benefits so I stopped taking them. All of them. Alavert seemed to work the best but it really dried out my throat and it hasn't stopped hurting since then (that was... almost a week ago?). I miss the days when I didn't have allergies!

So my homework this week (yes, I'm such a nerd that I assign myself homework when I'm not even school. Can we say SCORE?!) is to follow some advice of a certain successful photographer and try to develop my brand. I learned a teeny tiny bit about brands in the one business course I took on campus, though I'm having to learn through other avenues to help me figure out what my brand could or should be. The best advice I've heard is to be yourself, get a brand, a logo, a website that truly reflects who you are. Now, I've got a pretty good handle on who I am as a person but I don't see how it'll help me in photography. For example, some photographers have assets such as a great personality and great writing skills. I have a personality, but I'm not quite as vibrant as I think would help me in selling myself as a photographer.

Anyway, the homework was to find words that describe me as a PERSON, not as a photographer, and then find out how that helps define who I am and what my style is. The other part of the homework was to find things that I enjoy and list the reasons WHY I like it. It was interesting but I got some good insight into myself. The third part of the homework was to list my liabilities. That was a hard one, no one likes to spell out the bad things about yourself. I do get stressed when my plan doesn't see action all the way through. I am a bit shy when I first meet someone or when I'm in a big crowd of people (but I think we can all agree that I don't shut up once you get to know me).

So, I'm asking a favor. If you could help answer any of these three things for me, please put a comment below!

As for the picture, my friend Jessica Moores and I were talking about senior portraits - we both decided to share ours from "way back when". Anyone getting the subtlety???? :-)