“Photojournalism isn’t just an invitation to sit on the front row of global history, it’s also an invitation to sit on the front row of family history.”
-Rachel LaCour Niesen, Intimate Invitations: The Photo that Changed My Career
In the three weeks that I’ve been married, I’ve had the opportunity to remember our wedding ceremony through many conversations with family and friends. Without fail, in each and every one of those conversations I have been asked about my favorite part.
While I loved each and every part of our wedding day (weekend really), there was one piece in particular that stood apart from the rest.
We called it our “Unity Ceremony,” a time during our wedding where the communities that raised us came forward and gave us a meaningful token—something that we could keep and share with future generations.
One of these tokens was given to me by my Grandma, on behalf of my late Grandpa (my Papa). It was his pocket watch. And while I will cherish this gift for all of my life, by giving it to me on my wedding day, my Grandma gave me more than I think she knew. She gave me a moment—a reminder—that my Grandpa was there with me on my wedding day.
I will always have this pocket watch as a token of my Papa’s life. But this image is a token of that moment, and because of this image I’ll be able to share this moment with future generations of my family.
My Point:
Not every wedding is the same, and neither is every client. The value of an image is most often defined by your client, and whether that image is meaningful to them. There is no magic formula for capturing meaningful images, no top ten shots that will keep your clients happy. There is, however, value in knowing your clients and understanding what it is that is meaningful to them.
After all, that is what your photography business is about isn’t it? Your clients? If you are constantly pursuing the uniquely meaningful for every client, the success of your business will follow.
Written by Elizabeth Villa Ippolito
The photography industry is overflowing with educational opportunities and advice. As Content Curator of The Photo Life, Elizabeth gets to collaborate with a team of photographers and creatives to provide valuable content for The Photo Life readers. Passionate about Content Marketing, Elizabeth spends an embarrassing amount of time researching and experimenting with the ideas of Content Marketing for small business. Follow her on Twitter at @ElizabethIpp