After my post about turning a corner I soon after hit the wall! The thing about being owning your own business is that even when it is someone else's fault, it is YOUR FAULT. I don't mind failure, it helps keep my head level. I can tend to get big headed if i am not checked by life once in a while. Little life checking failures help your business grow, so you have to enjoy them.

When it comes to photography you have to shoot your vision. No matter how new you are to the medium you have to do what you feel. My recent failure had to do with three things I ignored; my gut, my goals, and the customer.

Let me take you back to the day I found my vision. I had learned this summer that a good friend of mine and his wife were expecting. Now everyone knows that his wife has very high standards. She is a very down to earth person but you have to bring it when you work with her. If you bring it she will be a loyal customer. So she is a loyal customer to me. Now, after learning of the news I was excited because I knew this was my chance to take some bomb ass maternity pics. Not only is she not shy but she loves the camera.

So as I worked on my business I got a call to do a surprise engagement at a fancy hotel on Clearwater Beach. As I scouted the place the day before the shoot I was excited that this way my first call from a stranger. After taking some notes on poses, light reading and areas to shoot my attention turned to that customer and the shoot I wanted to do. This place was perfect. The kind of place that makes a photographer go from $50 started shoots to real money. This was the opportunity I have been working for.

Now fast forward to December. I tell ya, I totally let go of my focus with this client. We set out to do the shoot at the beach. The first few were nice but the beach ones didn't have the pop I was shooting with the day before. Truth be told, the day after the shoot my pop came back and I delivered some nice newborn images. I knew it as I was shooting. It was just wrong. The lighting was perfect, the sky was beautiful, the client was posing perfect and I was pointing it and setting the camera exactly but the shoot was just off. As I worked to force the shoot a cold wind came in and the client got too cold to relax and shoot. THANK YOU Mother Nature for the bailout.

After looking at the pics and trying some Photoshop tricks I knew I had to fess up about my vision for my client. We both had expectations that weren't met. You can't do that to anyone especially ones that support you. The next day I shared my vision with her and the location. Too crazy that the place is one of her favorite hotels. Getting a room and doing the shoot right was no problem. I felt relieved. I also had to note that I turned my back on my gut, goals and client.

So we rescheduled at the location of my vision and all is back to normal.

If you are a photographer with big dreams don't forget to cherish the creative visions you have. Things will line up and the perfect opportunity will come along and become a large stepping stone to your next opportunity.

In the summer of 2011 I decided to try some off camera lighting. Instantly my photography moved in the direction i had been seeking since starting Pierce Brunson Photography. As I shot images throughout that year things were good but not great. I was hitting and missing. Then the last few months happened capped by this weekend's two shoots in one day.

Doing off camera is pretty cool; I like the inexpensive remote that I use. With refreshed rechargeable batteries these remotes are ready to go. I usually have the help of my wife but with our 13 month old son i now have to set things up by myself. Not that is such a big deal but being able to exactly place a person with verbal cues is so helpful.

After a decent shoot at the University of Tampa the month of December arrived and I started to pick up more jobs. Saturday December 15th will forever be the day where i truly controlled every aspect of the camera. This morning shoot was scheduled for 9:45 but the fog pushed things back an hour plus. That hour plus pushed into my graduation shoot which was scheduled to start at 3:00. I guess knowing I really wanted to deliver great pics to the family really helped me visualize the outcome.

Here is the morning sample.

And here is my favorite from the evening.

Excited as all get out for the future.  Keep shooting and you will get there. Have a good day, Pierce.