On Saturday I had the immense pleasure of photographing the San Marcos Artist’s Retention & Training Orchestra Benefit and Gala. Red carpet and everything. I photographed probably 150 people (some of them multiple times!) before the gala, during intermission, and after the performance – so in maybe an hour and a half?
I learned so much about people and how they interact with photography, how they pose, how they are comfortable or uncomfortable, how they want to be seen, etc. …

But the biggest lesson I took away is that people want to be photographed. We want images created of ourselves, lasting representations of who we were in a moment. We pass these images on to our friends, to our family, down through the generations. We hang on to newspaper clippings of grandparents and frame them. What do we do when the new boyfriend comes along? Yank out all of the dusty photo albums and show them our heritage, our family, our moments.

People want to be photographed and have their memories documented. I came away realizing on an even deeper level what it means to be a photographer – to have the key to creating lasting memories, quality products that will last lifetimes is a worthy, honorable profession I am thrilled every day to have chosen.