I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane…
I’m actually a bit nervous about flying out to Maui tonight. Not about the flight itself or the maximum distance of 1,000 miles from any land. It’s the fact that I’ve been hired by a friend to shoot her wedding, and it’s been a loooong time since I’ve done any wedding work, let alone any paid commercial work. A decade ago, a photo session with Jonathan Frakes or Jon Levine wouldn’t phase me at all. Now a simple wedding in which they want my photojournalistic style of photographs on a Maui beach brings on butterflies.
I suppose there are many factors: Jonathan Frakes could have cared less whether or not the shots came out. Kym does. Driving to San Jose to a hotel to meet an actor by the pool: low stress. Flying to Maui to shoot a friend’s wedding: high stress. Our financial situation dictated that we wouldn’t be going if I didn’t get paid for the gig, and since if I’m not happy with the results I won’t charge them, that puts added pressure on as well. So if I don’t perform to my harsh (and possibly unrealistic) expectations, I get bupkiss. That and the rest of the trip is paid for by future income from other photographs I plan on taking unrelated to the wedding. Again, more pressure.
We leave in an hour, and I can’t remember how many f-stops to adjust my exposure when using a red #25 filter. Two and a half? What about my circular polarizer? Looks like I’ll be spending some time with my light meter on the plane…
I have full confidence that the pics will be beautiful!! I only hope that the pressure was internal as my first priority was for you and Kimmy to have enjoyed yourselves, REMEMBER?!
Nonetheless, too late now so I hope you had fun and I know I will love them. My family is very much looking forward to seeing them and were very impressed by your “eye”… all that without even seeing one actual picture!