Jennifer Williams Photography Blog » The Shutter Clique

McFly Syndrome

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:35:50 +0000

I love this photograph because it was an accident. Sometimes in photography the planets align and we get these totally accidental jems. Timing, lighting, location, moment… Click! And you have your own little masterpiece. However, besides these occassional treasures not a lot about what I do happens by accident.

Where am I going with this? Well, the other day I was having a conversation with Brad about not trying something because of fear of failure or criticism. Cue nerdy movie reference from me…
Me: It’s the McFly syndrome.
Brad: What?
Me: You know, how Marty and George were afraid to go after their dreams because of fear. Like Marty with his music and George with his si-fi stories.
Brad: Nerd.

Ok, so Brad is right. I am a total nerd. But I definitely think I was on to something with this. In fact, I think it was pretty gosh darn clever. Recently, I have been reminded how competitive this business is. What makes it even harder is putting your heart, soul, body and mind into something, and hearing it critiqued. I wish I was tough enough to turn to that person and say, “Oh yea, well what did you create?” And if it’s the Mona Lisa, ok, I’ll hear you out. If it’s nothing… well then for lack of a better term: suck it. No matter what, critique is tough, but no matter what we have to keep creating.

What we do as photographers is done with intent and purpose. The beauty of this, is that when you know what you are doing, you can change what you’re doing. You can grow, learn, evolve and most of all improve. I have to remind myself daily that what I have isn’t luck. My amazing clients and my photos are all products of me taking action. First you have to try. So, no matter what your passion in life, go after it. It could be your density!

oh and that reminds me….

Fellow Photographers of All Skill Level!
The Micro Gallery and Shutter Clique are hosting a Critique Night. All the details can be found here and it will be held in the most constructive spirits. I personally never get tired of hearing how my work connects with people, and if it is being perceived with the intent it was created. Join us! We’d love to have you.

Thursday, Sept. 23 at 6pm!

“Intern Sara”

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 07:10:12 +0000

How long does it take to make a friend? Well, in the case of Miss Sara Dawn from South Dakota… it was nearly instantly. She has spent the last three weeks with me as an intern for The Shutter Clique and I am sure everyone else who got a chance to meet her also instantly liked her. I am so happy to be a part of her future in photography. She came to us with photography skills that were already so solid, and I hope she left with better understanding of the industry and of course, a little inspiration. Sara, I hope you enjoy your 1,699.75 mile drive home. California will always has a place for you when you come back to visit.

Patrick Ang and I took Sara out for her very own photo shoot today. Here are some of my favorites.

Being a “teacher”

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:19:55 +0000

So as you may or may not know I have a little group we like to call The Shutter Clique. It started with a desire to share our passion with liked minded photographers and has grown from there. We even currently have an intern who came all the way from South Dakota to learn with some of The SC pros. She has been writing a series on the Shutter Clique website that is just fantastic. If you enjoy reading my blog you should also go there and check out what Sara has to say. Sara mentioned to me that she really like doing senior portraits. So, I found us a “senior” model for a session this week. Thanks Steven for gracing us with your adorable Zac Efron-esque presence. We had a great time!

The Shutter Clique: Night Shooting Meet-up

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:05:00 +0000

So, the first Shutter Clique meeting seemed to be a success! I can’t believe I never blogged about it!! Go to our facebook fan page here to see pics.
And now, our second meet up is just around the corner! If you want to be on the “exclusive” invite list there are few ways you do it.
1.) Get to know a current Shutter Cliquer and ask them to invite you.

Or 2.) Email me and ask to be on it.

Just a reminder, you must have a manual slr camera to participate in the shoots. Anyone can be a fan of the Facebook page. Until we get our official website up, the Facebook page is a great place to join in on discussions or find some talented photogs to ask for advice.