April Inspo Round-up
In the last week of March 2022, I put in my three weeks notice at my day job. I anxiously counted down the hours until 5:00pm on April 14th, which would be the official end to my time as an administrative assistant. That day could not come soon enough. The first two weeks of April were an odd mix of slow, endless days at the office and exhausting and exhilarating weekends at the studio.
I shot back-to-back sets for five different clients on April 2nd and spent the next week frantically editing photos on my lunch breaks and after work. I shot as often as I could in the evenings, making the most of the dwindling first-wave of cherry blossom season. The second weekend in April was an incredible four-day hustle, as I spent 12 hours each day from the 7th to the 11th at Vancouver Fashion Week, photographing street style, behind the scenes, backstage, Runway, and a few impromptu photoshoots. Stay tuned for a more detailed blog post about this experience coming next week.
The day after my final day at the office- my first day as a full-time photographer- I woke up at 4:00am and embarked on my first ever solo road trip across British Columbia. I stopped for hours at a time in several small towns along the way for street photography walks, and documented the experience in a video for my YouTube channel.
By the time I returned from my trip, the second wave of cherry blossoms had begun to bloom. I booked the following week solid with blossom-themed shoots with folks I had met at Fashion Week. I packed a bag full of pink silk costumes and floral motifs, and carried it around to every shoot for quick and easy styling options.
Near the end of the month, I photographed a large event for the Pacific Screenwriter’s Program, which gave me a great opportunity to try out my portable photo booth. The results were fantastic, and I will be offering my photo booth services at more events this summer.
In the 24 photoshoots I did in April, I learned a lot about how to pose models under cherry blossoms. More importantly, I got my first taste of life as a full-time creative freelancer. I learned how easily a passion-turned-job can consume every waking moment, and I am developing strategies to avoid burnout and overwork. I have such an intense love for photography, it’s hard not to say yes to every opportunity to shoot. I am coming to understand how important it is to balance work with rest, and I am looking forward to a much more laid-back month of May.
