I don’t know about you, but I struggle with a pretty significant fear of rejection. As a unit, Erik and I hold ourselves to very high standards and it can start to feel overwhelming. Today’s society creates the perfect storm of self-doubt based on the constant comparison of yourself or your work to others. No matter how confident and in love with the quality of our work I am, that comparison monster is always in the back of my mind.
So, when Erik suggested that we submit the photos from our recent destination engagement session in the mountains of North Carolina near Asheville for publication, I would not be exaggerating when I say that my heart all but stopped. Wait, you mean you want to post our images to be judged, weighed, and deemed worthy of a wedding publication?! If you say so Erik, if you say so. Click. Submit. There was no going back. We were proud of those images and excited at the possibility of sharing them with a larger audience. Then came the days of silence. Crickets. Re-fresh. Re-fresh. Re-fresh!
Then it came. The e-mail we had been waiting for. I read it and re-read it at least three times. Our images had been ACCEPTED for publication. What?!?
The rush of excitement and relief that washed over me didn’t last long because it was immediately followed by “OH.MY.GOSH I have to call Erik!”
It is truly a wonderful experience to have all your work, vision, and passion recognized for everything you have put into it. As much as I’d love to let it get to my head and just bask in the excitement, all I am able to do is express my gratitude. Moments like this in our career remind me to believe in myself. To recognize the fear and harness it to create something positive. It reminds me that we are so much more capable than we allow ourselves to be.
We love the attention and excitement as much as the next person, but that’s not at all why we do what we do. We want to be that spark of light and inspiration for others. With all our gratitude to Tacari Weddings, our little light has been able to spread that much farther to inspire other couples in the process of planning one of the most important days of their lives.
About Ashley and Erik Photography
We are a family of like-minded creatives in Miami serving South Florida and various destinations, who wish to be a spark in the lives of the clients and families we serve. We are dedicated to loving and serving our clients as if they were our own family, and elegantly preserving their stories to be shared with future generations. We’d love to grab a coffee with you and discuss any questions you have about our Wedding Photography Experience. Please feel free to contact us anytime.