I once heard this title for a workshop, and I couldn’t resist stealing it for today’s blog: Sleeping with Your Business Partner…the BEST! 
Brian and I have been married for ten years, and we not only love being parents together and best friends, but we really, really love working together.
Brian’s eye is one that I can only describe as “less is more”. He constantly blows me away at how he frames the least amount to convey the most passion. Faces are often not in his shots b/c he sees the emotion in touch and movement. A great “Brian Exercise” is to try framing a shot without faces and see if you can capture the conflict of emotion. Super hard! I don’t know how he does it every time!
So what is as equally as fun as parenting, being married and shooting together?
Teaching workshops together!
If you’ve spent time with us, you know that we argue quite comfortably in front of any old person that happens to be standing near us–often being comic relief for the bystander. That’s the kind of comfort level you get after 12 years of marriage counseling! Yep, we are the official house of “I feel…” statements. But I got to tell you, we have a pretty good time laughing even more.
The two day workshop we did last week was wonderful in the sense that we got to bring our teaching to the group as a team. We’re definitely going to do more of this in 2008! Look out ladies, Brian’s got some fun surprises!
Even though this was a “photography workshop” we were so honored at the end of the two days during the Q&A when people asked us about our marriage, how we resolve conflict, how we work as a married team, etc.
Goodness knows marriage is hard, but then to work together…you’ve got to work for it to be great just like marriage. But wow, it’s so worth it. If you are considering the idea of recruiting your spouse to join you in your photography business, we say “go for it!” Who better to have with you while your under the many pressures of shooting a wedding than the person you feel safest with?
Is it always bliss? No way! You have to check out the Special Features in the DVD series to hear about some of the good fights we’ve had.
But when it comes down to it, there is no way I’m shooting a wedding without this guy, his amazing personality, and incredible eye for passion in the most simplest forms.
Tomorrow we’re going to do a BIG post on the wonderful people who came to the 2 day workshop. They flew in from MD, NJ, CA, AZ, and TX. The images they captured are awesome! I can’t wait to share! But since we had this rare and wonderful gift of Jen from Memory Journalist shooting so many fun photos of Brian and I working together during the workshop, I had to save these for their own special blog. If you want a peak at some of the fantastic shots taken at the workshop before tomorrow’s post, check out Jen’s blog!
Ten Tips for Sleeping with Your Business Partner!
1. Don’t try to make your “eye” similar. Look through your spouse’s photos. Tell them what you love and notice. Discover what is unique about the two of you and how you see the world around you and then maximize on that.
2. Pick a lead photographer between the two of you, may I suggest the wife? Brian is by no means a second shooter, he gets half the shots on our website. But if there is a lead who is the face and name of the business, it’s me. And people seem to eat it up b/c how often are men okay being in the background while their wife takes front stage? Takes a special guy…:)
3. It’s especially good to have a lead for the client and their family/guests. People always know to look at my camera, and this often sets Brian up for some fantastic shots.
4. Expect conflict but love making up.
5. If you do destination weddings, take an extra day or two and have some time to yourself. It’s hard when the kids are at home, but you both need to fill back up before you go home and give to the kids. Don’t make the mistake we made in the beginning and fly right in, shoot, and fly out. Take a day to slow down.
6. Don’t feel like you have to spit up to shoot. Brian and I rarely split up. When the bride is getting ready, we’re often both there. When the groom is getting ready, we’re together again. We have such a different eye that we like to capture the stages of the wedding day from as many view points as possible.
7. If one of you is just starting, strategies indiscreet ways to connect throughout the day and give each other support so the new person doesn’t fill embarrassed.
8. Talk to each other as you shoot, expressing how you love what you’re getting, it’s great for each other and your clients love to hear how much fun you’re having together.
9. Me Ra’s best tip: “Let him just pack the gear the way he wants. Not worth fighting over.”
10. Brian’s best tip: “She’s always right.”
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Do you have questions you’d like to ask us about working with your spouse? If so, post them in the comments, and we’ll pick a handful and dedicate an upcoming blog post to answering them.
Workshop Waiting List Growing! So many of you have emailed in the last few weeks to be put on our waiting list for workshops. Good news! We’re announcing the dates for upcoming 2008 City Tour workshops in the next couple weeks! Stay tuned!
Yes, yes, post your 2008 schedule!!!! Waiting list? Oh, it makes me antsy I’m missing out!!!!
: )
Graet post & very inspiring.
COME TO TEXAS!!!
~pretty please~
hahaha i love love love this blog…mostly cause i can see my hubby and i working together in future…and we have totally different views…but we KNOW we work good together both in life, in marriage and in future…BUSINESS! haha!! peace out.
I e-mailed this to my Hubby! I adore the 6th picture! The way Brian is looking at you… so precious!
Hey Me Ra!
You guys are awesome. I am so impressed when I have had the privelege to see you two shoot. I tell everyone that “they seem to have so much fun at every shoot” “they get so excited about what they are shooting!” I remember walking down the isle at Brittany’s wedding and seeing Brian at the end of the isle by where I was going to sit and seeing the hugest smile on his face! It made me laugh! You make you clients have fun and get excited about what you are seeing through your lense. You guys are the best!
Love, Sue
Waiting list? So much anticipation!
Great tips–I found myself laughing at the “find discreet ways to help the beginner” comment. It’s so funny because Gerald and I definitely have some secret communication that we’ve made up to communicate with each other without letting anybody else in on what’s happening. We always talk about it on the way to the wedding and it really does crack me up!
After shooting weddings on my OWN for 10 years and after being with my husband Jon for 12 years we decided that this summer Jon would start to help me out. It started out that he would be my assistant but he is meant to be more than that! He quickly became my secret weapon as a great second shooter. I am still working on teaching him the in and outs of aperture and shutter speed. But if someone has the eye…the rest will follow! He’s got it! It hasn’t been easy to let go of some of the control but I am working on it. I loved this post and it helps me think about our great future together working as a team. I now always say on your way to a wedding GO TEAM ONE LOVE! It is fun to be a team. Thanks for reminding me of that!!
HA! I had to read the first sentance of #6 a dozen times before moving on and realizing you meant “spLit up!”
Good post though, I’m so jealous of you guys – you always look like you’re having SO MUCH FUN!
… and then I go and mispell sentence…
I cracked up when I read the blog post name today! AWESOME! And such a great post! So often Chris and I have talked about how many aspects of our business reminds us of yours. I set up the business first, Chris joined later. We considered changing the name, but Chris is confident as it is, and didn’t want to change it.
I am constantly amazed at Chris’ work, he approaches photography so differently than I do, and it adds a beautiful balance to our work at weddings.
We were concerned about getting into business together, and what that would do to our marriage adding an additional stress to it. But praise God, it has strengthened it considerably this past year!
I can’t wait to see what your tour schedule is (please northern california!!!), hopefully Chris and I can make it to one of your workshops………… hmmmm maybe one for along this lines, sleeping with your business partner!
Heather! They are totally the secret weapon!! No one ever expects Brian, but he’s out there–sometimes even lurking in the beach grass (imagining himself in a National Geographic safari shoot)
Denise! That’s hilarious on the misspelling. I have to leave it for the double meaning!
Jen, we’ll come to Northern CA if you want to help us set it up! And wow, we’d actually get to hang out in person!
I’m going to be posting some details soon on “how to bring us to your city”. You never know!!!
Oohhhh! You have to check out Airika and her “business partner’s” new site. It is fabulous!! http://www.geraldpope.com. But with a cool spelling for the name we often know as Erica, but instead “Airika” don’t you think it should be “AirikaPope.com”?
LOL you two!
Sue–your are the sweetest in your coments and love for us.
And YES, YES, YES!!!! 2008 Workshop dates and cities releasing soon!!! Yeah!!!!!
Me Ra,
You are so sweet! I love all the pics I captured of you two. More will be coming soon in snail mail – you never know how you can use them in your future endeavors. Let me know when you have time to chat about Grace – I’m dead serious about the next step.
Much love,
Jen (The Memory Journalists)
Loved this post, Me Ra! Somehow it reminds me of that quote…That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
Andy and I love working together and it is funny that one minute we are furious with each other and the next we are totally cracking up!
And the beach grass thing was so funny because everytime I turn around when we’re taking relaxed portraits, Andy can be found laying down in leaves or hidden behind the grass.
Love it!!! And yes, let the man pack the bag and the woman is always right! So true.
Thank you guys for your tips. You are truly inspirational!
Me Ra,
I had no clue you did a website shout-out for us. Thank you so much! We are so excited about our new website and so grateful to YOU for all that you’ve contributed to us, bother personally and professionally.
Thank you!
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