|
Back in November I received a phone call that absolutely made my day! I was told that I had just become an "Accredited Professional Wedding Photographer" with the NZ Institute of Professional Photographers (NZIPP) - which is an incredible organisation that provide an amazing community within the industry, support, knowledge and so much more. If you've followed my personal blog posts over the years, you'll know that I've struggled with the concept of being a 'real photographer'. It's stupid to say it out loud, but I've always been afraid to call myself a photographer. Because it's not what I studied in - I just fell in love with taking photographs of people and I started a business based on that passion. Now you might wonder why on earth I would willingly choose to send my work away to NZ's professional body of photographers and ask to have my work critiqued, marked against industry standards and be judged as to whether my work is of a high professional standard?! The answer is simple. I did it for me. I just wanted to prove it to myself. And the self confidence I gained was so worth it! In theory this fancy name means extra reassurance for my clients, but I already conduct business in a way that ensures my clients can trust me. It means I am part of an organisation with professional standards & ethics, but it's my passion to go above and beyond for my clients anyway. It means my work is of a certain level, but all that matters to me is that my work exceeds my client's expectations! While a fancy name doesn't actually make me more professional, what this journey did do is help me learn to believe in myself more. xx  |