This blog title was created thanks to me caving in and purchasing the book entitled "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck". Read on to see why I say "caved".
I can honestly say that 10 years ago when I decided to go down the ISC and register a business name, I had no damn clue! No clue what I wanted to do, no clue how, just no clue. I just new I wanted to take pretty pictures and meet some cool people and learn some new photoshop techniques. BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA.
I digress... 
I just wanted to set my own schedule, make as much money as I could, answer to nobody and be my own boss. Isn't that the Canadian Entrepreneurial dream? WRONG. ( oh so so wrong)
Okay, enough negative thoughts. I'm blogging to you today to tell you what being an entrepreneur means to me, It has taking me 10 rough, long, up and down years to figure it out. No, I am not setting my own schedule, I live Loonie to Loonie, and have many bosses. In this day and age there are so many self proclaimed books, podcasts, Social Media groups and blogs ( yes even blogs ) from people claiming they will help you. They claim they can help you earn 6 figures in a year if you just make your insta feed pretty like theirs. They claim they have increased their followers 10x in 7 days, just sign up for 10 easy payments of 1 million dollars and they will share their secrets with you. They want you to buy their books and if you follow their 12 steps to business recovery you will never work a day again in your life. But hold up, wait a minute...
Why do you want to do what they have done? Why do you want your feeds to look like theirs? Isn't the whole point of going into business to go into business for YOURSELF? ( See what I did there? ) I could never figure that out. Until last year. 
I started to see that after every shoot I was mentally exhausted in the best way possible. I started to get amazing feedback from clients saying that they appreciated the extra time I took with them to ensure that their photos turned out perfect for them. I also started to realize that I could give 100% to my craft AND give back to my clients, my family and my community. Oh My Gosh. What an amazing feeling!  I realized I could just do me, and still run a business. I could run my business true to my heart and live every day like I never had to work a day in my life again. I could give all the F*cks! because that is what working true to your heart means. It's so freeing. Sure, I have times I want to go buy those books, times when I pick the shit out of my instagram feed and wished for a million dollars to invest so I could be "just like everyone else". I still get inside my head and forget what my purpose is. My purpose is to give back 100% using my gift of photography. If you just read this blog and could relate to anything I said, or if you are just starting out on your amazing Entrepreneur Journey, join me and many other like minded ladies May 12th at the Hotel Sask for the Boss Babe Gala. 
I'd love to share more wisdom with you all about how to live your best entrepreneurial life.  
See you there!
Get your tickets here till 3pm May 4th.  

I have had the privilege over my photography career to be a team photographer on a few different levels.  The short term team photographer usually only covers a team with the job lasting a day or two. During those days you may briefly meet a few key team players that the press would need images for to help cover a story. Or, you might also cover the game and submit images after. Whatever the case is, even in that short period, you would see the team bond and could feel their passion in your images. In all teams there are your characters. The jokester or the clown, the scholar, the leader, the enforcer and the Golden Child.  Capturing those characters, as well as the action of the game, has always thrilled me.

In an entirely different class is the team photographer. This photographer gets to spend game after game in the nitty gritty with the team. 
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Between the benches, or "suicide box" is were the action really happens! From the team banter, coaching encouragement to all the smells and thrills, this is a prime location to get to "know" the teams, players and coaching staff. Most of the time, you will also be down and around the dressing rooms with the team. ( ya, more of those wonderful smells). Honestly just treated as one of the team. You can capture a lot of great candid images this way! When you are part of a younger aged team, like an SJHL or WHL team, you have many wonderful families all cheering for their favorite player. As the team photographer, you will get to meet them. I have had the honour of creating lasting pieces of art for my team. These art pieces are loved by the billet families, player families and the players themselves.  

As the team photographer you will get to capture the highs and lows of your team. When they are winning and when they are losing, you and your camera are there for it all. 

The team photographer will attend every home game and capture the love of the fans. You will see them wearing their hearts on their sleeves... and their faces....and even sometimes permanently... 

Recently our province, and one of our teams, has been hit with an unexplained tragedy. The world has seen the faces of 16 team members that have lost their lives. The world has seen team photos, everything from action shots to the classic team photo and our hearts hurt for them. 
As well as the players, the coaches, the trainers, the parents and billet families, my mind thinks of the team photographer. See, this person was there at the home games and captured the fans showing their love for their hometown heroes. That photographer was there by the benches getting to know those players when they were doing what they love. That person has sat for hours in front of their computer wondering if that image does that player proud. That team photographer has most likely met and talked to most player families and most players billet families. 
Let me just say, that I know that you are not just the team photographer. You are also one of the team. 

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