How can I be bragging if I really am that good?

When you have a business like mine, all the “experts” are always telling you to market yourself. Marketing, networking, blogging — I know some people who are really, supremely good at this. I am not one of them. I rarely talk about my work when I’m with people (and not working); when I’m in a room where I should be making connections, I’m in the corner having an iced tea and people watching. And my blogging…oy! I always think of things to say when I’m not at the computer. By the time I am at the computer, I’m thinking about something else.

Ok, well this post is specifically about me. I’m going to network, marketing and blog in one sentence: This is a fantastic concept for a bridal portrait and I thought of it.

Yep, that’s it. I’m sorry, but I’m always telling other artists, “if you don’t think you’re the shit, why should anyone else?” And it’s true, but it’s hard for artists to say that (at least, for most of the ones I know, including myself). But I *love* this portrait and I’m going to tell you that I think it’s the shit!

I got this idea right after Erica and Andy met with me. A few weeks before their wedding, I started to collect cans. Then I put them in a big tub in the backyard and filled it halfway with water so they would rust up a bit. Every day I’d go out there and stir them around like a big soup so none would be left with that brand-new look. A little twine from the hardware store and voila! It was done.

We had to put this prop in a big garbage bag to keep the clanking to a minimum, and I was squealing when we brought it out to finally shoot. So worth it.

So yeah, this is my one big post where I’m going to tell you how freakin’ awesome some of my ideas are, and also how I really try to do different things for different portraits or weddings so the photos that Erica & Andy get are different from the ones that Caroline & Matt got.

Now I’m going to go chastise myself for bragging. Enjoy.

(ps: you know this is tongue-in-cheek, right? If you don’t know that you haven’t been paying attention and now I’m wagging my finger at you)

(pps: oh, and my god, major props to Erica & Andy for pulling this off! It was hella hot out there and walking back and forth in the heat, in a suit or heels, was not easy. I think they look amazing here; their wedding clothes totally make this shot. So yay for E and A.)