(Continued)

Before I finish my saga I thought I would like to mention that my blog hit a personal milestone yesterday with over 2000 views in one day. A year ago I was dancing around and baking cupcakes if 20 people stopped by. But 2000?? Cut. it. out! A special thanks to the beautiful and wonderful Jen, blogger extraordinaire of the ever amazing Green Wedding Shoes for featuring a glimpse of Nikki and Christians engagement session. I am so grateful for her encouragement and support.

Now onto the story. So there I was. Mr. E had just made his exit, leaving “Bratalie” (after all, every power couple deserves a fusion of names) a lot to consider. A single bead of sweat ever so slowly made its way from my forehead to my left eye. It stung but I showed no fear. I glanced down at the bag at my feet. On any other day it would typically hold my laptop, a small calender, and the latest two issues of Grace Ormonde Weddings. But because I had just returned from a working visit to California it held something all together different. Something perfect for a moment such as this. It measured 10 inches by 10 inches and was constructed of black fine Italian leather. I smiled when I read the two beautiful words showcased on its cover. “The Goodness“. Yes, it was my portfolio. Then out of nowhere (and I admit this at the risk of my man card being pulled) I am reminded of all things, lyrics from the musical RENT. “I can’t control my destiny, I trust my soul, my only goal is just to be. There’s only now, there’s only here. Give in to love or live in fear. No other path, no other way. No day but today.”

I gritted my teeth, checked my breath, and with a new sense of determination grabbed my portfolio from my bag and walked…

Well, before I finish that sentence let me post an interesting letter that I received this afternoon. You’re going to love this one…

Dear Clayton,

My name is Jennifer and as you can imagine my fiance Doug and I were quite shocked to visit your beautiful blog early this morning only find that you were speaking of us! And while I am quite flattered to be compared to Natalie Portman, Doug says that the thought of resembling Brad Pitt in anything other than Fight Club gives him heart burn! lol We absolutely adore your work and even though ____(Mr. E)_____does beautiful work as well, it doesn’t speak to us in the way that yours does. I have looked at your website again and again , many times on the verge of tears, and I am absolutely convinced that indeed there is no other that can capture our love in that way that you are able. To think that you were there all along is absurd! I do believe that fate was there sharing a cup of coffee with us. I’m not sure why you didn’t stop to introduce yourself. I can understand why you would hesitate to encroach on another photographer’s meeting, but if I may be blunt here, this is the single most important day of our lives. There is no room for manners or etiquette. We want you. You have captured our hearts. PLEASE contact us to set up a meeting. I can be reached at 512-***-**** or *********@hotmail.com

Holding our breathe,

Jennifer and Doug

So there you have it. With 95% of the votes stating that I should have introduced myself, obviously in the end my gut told me otherwise. And I don’t regret it for a minute. This is how I see it. What if MR. E had only positive things to say about my work. What if deep down he really respected me but had a minor lapse of judgment in an attempt to impress a potential client. Hell, even I have done that. A time or two actually. The truth is that my plate is pretty full. I have been more than blessed and I am thankful that my family is able to see the fruits of my labor. With so much to be thankful for who am I to have anything to prove to anyone? For all I know Mr.E really needed this client. To keep the lights on. To buy milk.  A little girl that needs braces. I may never know. The one thing that I do know is that if I was the right person to document their story the road would lead them to me. Somehow they would find me and it would all work out. And in the end I feel as if I took advantage of a perfect opportunity to be a man of integrity. I could use all the practive I can get.

Speaking of integrity…

Dear MR. E

I have never met you officially but I wanted to extend an offer to buy you lunch. The one thing about my life is that it has enabled me to take criticism with a grain of salt. I am truly humbled that you would even consider using my work as an example. Perhaps we could spend an hour trading photoshop techniques. I am happy to listen to your suggestions. Or maybe we can just chat in general. I would love to meet you. Please contact me at clayton@claytonaustinlovestories.com I am looking forward to your response. :-)

So there I was. Just minding my own business. Kind of. I had just settled in the corner of my personal studio, otherwise known as Starbucks inc, with my Venti skinny double shot vanilla/caramel two Splenda latte with just a dollop of whipped cream, when I noticed a very good looking couple playing footsies at the table across from me. He sported a very cool beard reminiscent of Brad Pitt in the second half of Legends of the Fall and she was more like Natalie Portman in Closer V For Vendetta Brothers…well, everything Natalie Portman has ever been in. In any case I have a habit of noting couples based on their photogenic attributes. Particularly when said couple has a certain vintage inspired je ne sais quoi. I could tell by their interactions that it was young love. The way he twirled her hair in his fingers. The way she laughed at every single joke he told. Even the corny ones. Especially the corny ones actually. I had just noticed the ring on her finger and the absence of a ring on his finger when the plot thickened further. A man entered the door and after taking a quick look around made eye contact with the couple and mosied toward them. A parent? No, too young.  A sibling? No, too old. A friend perhaps? There was moment of “Do you think that’s him” when he entered. Then it hit me. While many would mistake that nifty bag around his shoulder for a common man purse, I knew it all too well as a Shootsac. Yes, Mr. E was a photographer. After a brief introduction and a few moments of idle (and somewhat awkward) chit chat, Mr. E proceeded to pull out a few albums along with what I am guessing was an outline of the packages that he offered. He also fired up his laptop.  The couple was polite and seemed to enjoy his portfolio and though I strained my damnedest to get a peak myself, that beard that I was fascinated with earlier proved to be quite the adversary. Then it happened. And I just about died. Right there. Died. Forgive me but I am paraphrasing here.

Natalie Portman: “So, we are planning more of a vintage wedding…”

Brad Pitt: “Yeah, we are very NON-traditional.”

They nodded in agreement.

Mr. E: “Awesome!”

Natalie: Your albums, though very beautiful, seem to be more on the traditional side. You know, big dresses, lots of roses and stuff. That’s not really us at all. Is that what your typical clients are like?”

Mr. E: “Honestly those are the types of clients that seem to find me but I have always wanted to be able to photograph something more ‘vintagy”. (For the record, he actually used the term “vintagy”)

And this is the part where I died..

Mr E: “In fact I have been following a photographer who has ‘vintagy’ style that I would love to emulate for your engagement session in particular…

After typing something immediately followed by a few clicks of the mouse, Mr. E turned the monitor to Natalie and Brad and there it was. In all its glory. In colors of gold and brown, first a tree, then six little birds making their way across the header migrating to Goodnessville or beyond. My very own blog staring right back at me. I do have to mention that it looked especially amazing on his MacBook Pro.  I just couldn’t believe it. The next five minutes consisted of ooo’s and awww’s. Each one warming my heart more than the previous.

Unfortunately the conversation took an ugly turn toward the end…

Natalie: “I love the colors in this one!”

Mr. E: “Yeah, that’s all photoshopped…I can totally do that.”

Brad: “Holy sh*t. That shot is crazy…the ones with the birds are my favorite.”

Mr E: “Those birds are fake..also photoshop. (Pause) Those birds are fake too”

The assault on my character and artistic integrity continued for a few more minutes and finally ended and the meeting wrapped up with a quick hand shake, an awkward hug, and a “Let me know if you have any questions”.

And so there I was…stuck somewhere between pride and discouragement. The way I see it I had two options here.

A) Shake it off and boldly introduce myself to the couple as the one and only “over photoshopped and fake bird wrangler Clayton Austin” and inform them that I just happen to be available on their date and would love to buy them a coffee and discuss the possibility of allowing me to document their “vintagy” wedding story…

B) Let bygones be bygones and concede to the fact that It would be wrong and immoral  to trespass on another photographer’s potential client…

Well, I’ll tell you what I did…in part 2. But before I do I would love to hear what you think would be the “high road” in this particular situation. What would you do? I promise that your vote will not influence the outcome. What has has happened has happened. Just be honest!

And just to be clear, Mr. E, if you are reading this I ain’t mad at ya. The fact that anyone would even consider emulating me is the highest form of flattery. I am thankful. And yes, anyone can tone their images in photoshop. The key is to be tasteful. But for the record the first image you pointed out indeed had fake birds. Those birds are my logo and are included in at least one image of every session I photograph. They are not meant to look real. Its my calling card of sorts. However, the second image…well that was taken on a beach in San Juan Capistrano, California. And If I ever have to photoshop a seagull into an image taken at any beach in southern California, I guess I should at least consider a career change. But I aint mad at ya…

And because every post is better with a picture, here is another teaser from a session coming soon. And for the record, both the birds AND the ocean are real…

I recently came across a particular blog that described me as a “Light Catcher” and I have to admit that the term does have a certain ring to it. Though after reflecting back on my own work and knowing what I know about light I’m afraid that “Light Chaser” would be a much more appropriate term. A few months ago I came across a particularly interesting article in Popular Science that stated light travels at 299,792,458 meters per second (in a vacuum), and takes years to travel across the vast distances in space. After all that we have accomplished as a species one would think that we would have found a way to achieve these speeds ourselves. But so far physicists have only actually managed to send electrons flying round at 99.999999995% of the speed of light, which is very close to, but not quite the speed of light. This minor detail makes me smile. Obviously some things are not meant to be caught.

As a natural light photographer I find that like the countless ”togs” before me, I too chase the light relentlessly. Not just because it is detrimental to my craft but more importantly because I love it so. It perplexes me and captivates me at the same time. It demands our respect yet graces us with its presence when we least expect it. Michael Strassfeld, a prominent American rabbi, once said “Light gives of itself freely, filling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished.” Indeed it does not care if I am friend or foe yet it is kind to me. Like a dear friend. Not the type of friend that sends a generic Christmas card of their three chubby kids wearing Santa hats on the beach in Hawaii. No, not that kind at all. More like the kind that picks up a couple pints of Ben and Jerry’s and a bag of Cheetos on the way over for Friday night movie night. The kind gives you the last slice of pizza. That kind.

I thought it would be fun to see how others have chased the light in their own journeys. If you have an image that you feel reflects the goodness of light please send it resized to 800 px wide to Clayton@claytonaustinlovestories.com Please include basic info such as name and website and also a few details about how the image came about. I will choose my favorites and feature them here for all to enjoy!

And because it was my idea I will start by posting an image from a recent engagment session where the light made my heart melt. More to come on this session soon!

 ”He didn’t want to wear the suspenders…” she leaned over and whispered to me. “He says they’re uncomfortable. And he’s worried what his friends are going to think. I think he looks amazing…” she concluded. I glanced over and grinned at Nikki as she played with the flower in her hand, plucking each delicate petal away in her own private game of loves me, loves me not. “Oh yeah,” she continued, “and we think Christian got a concussion in a soccer game this afternoon”.  Just like that. As if getting their oil changed was bigger news. “A concussion?!” I asked, all the while watching Christain climb into a tree. Per my request I might add. Grrreeat. For a moment I could practically read the headlines. WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER SHUT DOWN AFTER CLIENT WITH CONCUSSION FALLS FROM TREE! “He had such potential” they would say. Months later I would be seen on the corner of 6th and Congress wearing an Uncle Sam costume spinning one of those huge “Taxes filed here” signs round and round, shaking my booty to Vanilla Ice. People would honk and throw empty soda cans out their windows at me. My mother would be sooo proud.

Thankfully Christian didn’t fall and in the end that glazed over expression on his face wasn’t as much a brain bleed as it was love. The truth of the matter is that he is crazy for her, and if wearing suspenders and climbing trees will make her happy he will gladly do just that. And pray that his friends will still think he’s The Man tomorrow…

“Hans Christian Andersen: The Life of a Storyteller”  I know, I know. Doesn’t really sound like a page turner. But I’m a sucker for a good biography. Besides who couldn’t benefit from reading about one of the greatest children’s author of all time? Case in point. I was sitting at the San Diego airport yesterday evening about to board my flight to home sweet home when on page 236 I read something that caused my heart to laugh out loud. According Mr. Andersen “Just living is not enough… One must have sunshine, freedom, a little flower, and someone to share all three with.” Well said. Well said indeed. I just had the honor of shooting 4 engagement sessions in 3 days and have 3 more before the end of the week. And even though I am exhausted, I am thankful to have been blessed with the opportunity to witness all of these things through the couples that have invited me to bask in the sunshine of their affection for one another…

I was a firefighter since I was 20 years old. I’m 30 now for those of you who may make the mistake of assuming that I am older than I really am. For four of those years I diligently served my country as a combat medic for the 3rd Infantry Division, the most deployed unit in the entire armed forces. I think I’ve proven my “manhood” many times over and in doing so have earned the right to enjoy a good old fashion bubble bath. So there. In any case, tonight as I was so bravely exercising this God given right I had an epiphany. I want to be successful. No, I WANT to be successful! Well, at least I thought I did. But then I realized something. Who is to know how a man (or woman) is to measure his (or her) efforts in terms of being successful or not. If a man earns a million dollars a year yet hates his job is he “successful”? On the same token, if a college student is able to paint an amazing landscape from just three primary colors yet is unable to make her rent because no one will buy them is she “unsuccessful”? It was in this frame of mind, somewhere between the shampoo and conditioner, that I realized that because success can not be determined by money or talent or even efforts alone, it was not success that I sought after all. It was awesomeness. Whether people want to hire me or not, I now know that the most important thing that I can do as an artist is strive to produce images that I alone am simply proud of. Not by how much I can justify charging for them or whether others will think that they are even worth buying. I love what I do. I am blessed for even the opportunity to do this for a living. My camera is more than a tool, it is an extension of who I am. And in that love I hope to one day be successful. To truly be successful by producing  images that will make a bride cry. A mother weep. A father get choked up. But above all things I want to produce work that whether I do well in this business or not, I will look back on as a proud moment in my life. Orison Swett Marden, an early century writer, once said “When a man feels throbbing within him the power to do what he undertakes as well as it can possibly be done, this is happiness, this is success.” In that throbbing I hope to one day find my success…and hopefully my awesomeness too. And because every deep thought aquired in a bubble bath is better with a picture, here is one from a recent engagement session. Success? Check. Awesomeness? Check.

When I first began my business in early 2009 I was beside myself ecstatic to have even a few weddings on the books.  The extent of my organization back then it seems consisted of 3 stacks of papers on the corner of my desk. Stack one: Inquiries. Stack two: Booked. Stack three: Shot. That was it! Not rocket science I know, but it worked. For a few months at least. Now that I have over 40 weddings in 2010 along with several inquiries in any given week obviously my ”stack” process has gone out the window. Now, I’m really not one to promote vendors on my site because what works for me may not necessarily work for the next person. However I am so pleased with a few of my vendors that I felt compelled to do a series of “shout outs” to those who have helped bring my business to the next level through incredible customer support and more importantly, amazing products. First up: Shoot Q.   I want to begin by stating that I am no way obligated to feature Shoot Q nor do I receive any commission from clients referred by me. But honestly, this program has done wonders for my business in too many ways to mention in one post. The most important aspect of Shoot Q is that it not only allows me to send proposals to prospective clients but it also allows them to electronically sign their contracts online. Because the majority of my wedding commissions are from out of state/destination weddings, getting contracts signed and returned can prove to be quite the daunting task. Now with Shoot Q the clients receives their own personal web page that allows them to review the contract and sign it electronically. They are also allowed to fill in any pertinent information such as contact info as well as details concerning the  bridal party. Another great function of Shoot Q  is that I was able to set up automatic invoices to be sent 14 days prior to due payment. Its genius really.

I will say that it has a slight learning curve as well as takes quite a bit of set up time to include inputting your contract template and automatic emails but once that is complete everything else is a cake walk. I really feel that all photographers can really benefit from the program. So head on over and check it out!