The Knot...No, THE Knot.

So here are the rules to this game:

1. The event/class/party can't cost me anything.  Whether it is a free event or I have to volunteer at the event, it can't cost me a dime.

2. It must give me an opportunity to make connections and pass out business cards.

....This is harder than you'd think.  However, I already have an event on my calendar that is sure to be fabulous! 

I recently received an email from The Knot (Yeah! THE Knot! That HUGE wedding magazine!) inviting me to a networking bash they are having at The Omni Hotel in Fort Worth (Yeah! THE Omni! Like my favorite hotel!).

People. To say I'm excited about this one. Well, that would be an understatement.

Holy cow!!!  And not only is the event going to be awesome, I have 2 amazing ladies coming with me, who I'm lucky enough to call my friends.  One of them you might know, my oh so fabulous second shooter!  And the other is an amazing up incoming wedding planner!  

Can't wait!!

I have a few other classes I'm considering, but if you have any ideas or suggestions please send me an email at Brittney@BrittneyAnn.com or leave a quick comment.

And since a post is always better with a photo, here is another on from a wedding for Hannah Michele Photography

Operation: Hear Me Roar

Aren't they suppose to send you a rejection letter?  I'd be fine with a standard letter saying thanks for applying, but we don't want you.  But not even acknowledging me?  Not cool.  At all.

I'm not the kind of girl who is cool with being ignored.  No, I'm the "Why hello! Hear me roar!" kind of girl.  I fight for what I want.

So I asked myself why I wasn't fighting for these jobs.  The jobs I should get because business is slow.  The jobs that would be amazing because it was a stable income.

But it wasn't until tonight that I asked myself why I wasn't fighting for my business.

Somewhere in the craziness of life, I think I forgot.  Forgot that I'm not powerless because there isn't enough in my bank account.  I'm not powerless because the economy sucks.

On the contrary, I'm the only person in the world who can make this business work.  And I refuse to let excuses get in my way.  It simply means I'll have to get more creative.  It's nothing more than a challenge.  And I can handle a challenge.  Challenges are nothing more than puzzles and I can figure out puzzles!  

I have dreams and I'm too young and stubborn to let a stupid thing like the economy get in my way.  I refuse to be held back by such a stupid excuse.  I want to be able to live off of my photography business.  And I want to start a non profit business.  And at least 2 more for profit businesses.

But for now, my goal is to be able to live off of my photography business by this time next year.  Yes, let's just start there.        

So my first plan of action for Operation: Hear Me Roar will be to network like crazy.  I'm looking for groups, monthly meetings, and networking parties!  I love meeting people and hearing their stories.  And basically the only expenses are business cards.  I can afford business cards. :)

Worth remembering.

A deep breath and I remind myself to remember this.  Remember how this feels.  Right now.  This is worth remembering.

~~~~~  

I was always the one that was different.

Never quite fit in.

I was homeschooled growing up and I loved it.  But to my friends growing up, I was different.

I was the back-up friend.  They only had time for me when they made the rest of their friends mad.  Always last in line, never worthy in their eyes to be at the top of the list.  So many tears wasted on them.

I would suggest something, but my opinion never mattered to them.  I never got a vote.  I was homeschooled.

Therefore I was different.

Wild parties and drugs never mattered to me.  I never saw the appeal of getting drunk.  I still don't.  I've never felt the need to act like a complete idiot in public or give a beverage such control over me.  But I obviously just didn't know how to have fun.  

It never really bothered me, but I knew what they thought.

They figured I would be screwed up.

How could I possibly handle going to a large public college when I'd never been in a real classroom?  And really, photography? What a stupid dream.  I bet she changes her mind in a few weeks.

They bet I would be socially awkward.  They bet I would never be able to make friends.  They were so sure I would be the lonely wall flower in that dark corner of the room.

~~~~~

I'm a few weeks away from my 22nd birthday.  And I can honestly say, "Hell yeah. I turned out different."  I thank God for it everyday of my life.

I thank God I have parents who told me when I was little that I could be anything I wanted to be.  And more importantly, I thank God they never stopped telling me.

They taught me how to fight for what I want.  They taught me how to work and work hard.  They taught me how to find information when it's not handed to me on a silver platter.  

They taught me impossible is nothing more than a challenge.

And this so called wall flower, well she can walk into a room full of strangers and walk out with friends.

And the girl who would never have any friends, has real friends now.  Amazing friends.  Who stand by me and support me.  I'm no longer the "back-up" friend.  They listen to me and my opinions.  And we can go out and have fun without being so drunk we can't find the car.  

So to everyone who doubted me.  To everyone who thought I would turn out so strange.  To everyone who never cared to listen to my opinion...

~~~~~

A deep breath and I remind myself to remember this.  Remember how this feels.  Right now.  Because this... this moment in time...


This is worth remembering.

(a photo from a recent wedding with Hannah Michele Photography)

The Way You See.

"I've found that photography has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them" - Erwitt

 

Meet Tara.

My old tennis shoes step on to that green baseball field and against my protest my eyes start to fill with a tear or two.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. 

First, I want to introduce you to a lovely young lady.  Her name is Tara.

This beautiful baby girl went to heaven after just ten short years with us.  

She loved playing baseball with her brothers so since she passed her amazing parents have held a baseball tournament in her honor every year.  

I believe the first year there were 28 teams.  206 teams participated this past weekend.

All the proceeds from the tournament go to the Tara Sawyer Foundation.  This foundation has helped over 1,000 children afford to play sports.   

But back to what I was talking about, what makes this year different from the rest is that they had a special needs buddy ball game. If I could only bottle up that enthusiasm and passion for life that was on the field that Saturday morning. 

Sunshine.

 "Can’t you feel that sunshine telling you to hold tight?

Things will be alright."

I was oh so lucky to find myself in Hawaii this summer!  These are a few photos I took at Iolani Palace.  And while the palace was cool, I found myself not wanting to leave these trees!  I know, I'm in Hawaii and I'm taking photos of trees! Don't judge. That's just how I roll, what can say?! lol! 

Run.

He is standing beside me and I hear him say take a deep breath.

So I take a breath that is a little bit on the shaky side.  I keep my arms by my side, scared they will show the nerves that I've been trying to hide.   

I hear him say I'm going to count to three and you need to run.

One.

Two.

Three.

And I run. I don't think about it.  I run.  I don't think about everything that could go wrong.  Or the what ifs.

Or how insane I am for having just ran off a platform 100 feet off the ground.  I just ran.  I didn't even hesitate!  I trusted everything would be ok.

And there is a moment before the zipline catches you, where you are just falling.  Its just a brief moment before I'm sliding down, but it feels like forever.

(Notice the exit sign at the bottom of the photo!)

~~~

So I'm now a college graduate.  I've picked up the diploma and everything.  It still feels so strange!

I'll never forget sitting in halls with my friend after my last final.  I was still worried.

I kept saying how I was done, wondering if maybe the next time I said it I would actually believe it myself.  I didn't.

I was mostly thinking of things that could go wrong, you know, natural disasters and such.

Maybe my crazy journalism teacher would decide to fail me or maybe I didn't study hard enough for my business law final.  I obviously didn't know enough about Billy Bubba Hawkins and his legal troubles.  What if there is a tornado and all my grades fly away!

My friend confidently said to me that he was sure everything would be just fine and that what was the worst that would happen? I go for another semester.

My first thought was that we obviously disagreed on how devastating going another semester would be. :p

But by my second thought I decided to be a little more rational and saw his point.  So then I let myself believe, that maybe, just maybe, I really was finished.  That that really could be my last day as a college student.

~~~

So here I am.  Having just ran off the platform, waiting for the line to catch.  Not knowing what's next in my life.  Maybe everything will work out and it will be a fun ride.  Maybe I'll hit the ground and have to come up with a plan B.  

All I know is I just ran.  I didn't even hesitate!  And I'm trusting everything will be ok.  :)