I’m going to tell you something that might make you think I’m crazy! I don’t get offended AT ALL when my family and friends choose another photographer.

Don’t get me wrong; the biggest compliment is when people I love trust me with their pictures.

Pictures are so precious. Your wedding day only happens once! You put so much work into all the planning and your pictures are some of the only physical memories you get to keep. Some people only get family pictures once every five years. Wives usually bribe their husbands to be nice and cooperative during family pictures.

I’ve captured brothers and sisters finding out they are going to be aunts and uncles. I’ve captured the last picture couples have of their grandparents. I’ve capture couples becoming parents for the first time. I take my job very seriously and think I have a position of impact for a lot of important events in peoples lives.

Which is why I don’t get offended when people don’t choose me.

These events in peoples lives are HUGE! I want people to know EXACTLY what they are getting when they hire me. I want people to know how much I value relationships. I want people to know that I love natural light. I want people to know that my editing style is bright and creamy skin tones. I want people to know that they can count on me for their entire wedding day.

Here’s the thing. If I brand myself correctly then I will be repelling some clients. I’m not the photographer for everyone. That’s okay. I should be attracting the right client and repelling the wrong client. That only makes me a stronger photographer for my tribe.

So what do you do when someone you love chooses another photographer? Be grateful that you didn’t work together and clash! Be grateful that your clients know what you value and what your experience you give is.