Taking Risks

Good Morning from your Thursday Ambassador.

I learned a valuable lesson yesterday about courage and self-worth. It all happened because I didn't understand what was expected for the final project for my figure/fashion photography class. With only a few days left before the due date I found out that I needed ten models instead of two for a couture fashion shoot. I had to come up with eight more models and a source for couture clothing for all of them. My searches for models had gotten me nowhere thus far. I couldn't afford to pay professional models. How was I going to come up with eight more?

Desperation can be a force to make to step out of your comfort zone. The only place I could possibly get couture fashion would be a bridal salon. I had done a shoot about three years ago and gotten gowns from one, so I called them, expecting a no answer. I told the gal who answered the phone what I wanted and was passed on to the person responsible for such things. When she got on the phone and I told her who I was, mentioning the shoot from three years ago, she exclaimed, “I thought your name sounded familiar!” It was not the person whom I had worked with back then, but I had supplied them an album from the shoot, which she referenced. She was immediately excited about the possibility of having this shoot going on while clients were coming into the store. So my fears had been for naught.

Image from previous shoot with this bridal salon.

But now I had another problem. I had a shoot scheduled at an exclusive bridal salon in three days, and no model guaranteed. (The two I had scheduled were expecting a shoot on the day before.) I broke down and contacted two female leaders at my church that would know a lot of girls. All I got was their answering machines. Ugh! Don’t you hate waiting! I contacted my two models that were lined up for the wrong day now, and got answering machines. More Ugh! I threw a call out on my personal Facebook page to anyone in my area who knew of girls that would like to model gowns…and kept waiting.

About an hour later my friend from church called back. She listed off several possibilities for girls that could get me around a half dozen that would have been a wonderful help. So she hung up to make contacts for me. Wait some more.

About an hour later she called back. When she described the shoot to one of the girls, she said she thought her cheer leading squad would like to do it. She contacted them and immediately nine said yes. We were put in contact and details were discussed and suddenly I have an entire cheer leading squad for a couture shoot. Beside that I can photograph them and create amazing images and a collage for their use which will spread around their school. This is one of the schools I've been trying to generate senior photo business in.

All of this came about because I was desperate enough to go beyond my fear of hearing “no” and just ask. What I found out was my friends care enough to help me. My work is good enough for top of the line wedding vendors to remember me and want more of it. My fear is my biggest obstacle to overcome.

My advise for you. GO FOR IT! You will probably be successful, if you just try. 

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. ~Muhammad Ali

Ali, Muhammad. Brainy Quotes. 2013. 22 Aug 2013.      http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_courage.html#GwB6BBtU1WvCQqzZ.99