April was a very busy month for me! I had a wedding, a birth session, a few family sessions and events... you get the picture! One of the coolest things I participated in was Collected 2017. Collected is a collaboration, created by the wonderful Mallory + Justin, that brings together photographers and wedding professionals, including florists, stationers, bakers, etc. It was a fantastic event where photographers were encouraged to try new techniques and styles, and to truly make work that they loved.

Here are a few of my takeaways from this awesome day!

Confidence in posing.

Posing is consistently one of my biggest concerns. It's not something that you can practice outside of sessions or a few friends who really love you (or owe you a favor). It's nerve-wracking trying a new pose in a paid session because if it doesn't look natural, or doesn't give you the emotion you were hoping for you've wasting time. This gave me an opportunity to try out poses I've seen but haven't been able to direct. It also gave me a chance to watch other incredible photographers give direction. (SIDE NOTE: The models for Collected were fantastic and understood flattering poses far better than I could have hoped. Having them know where I was trying to go with certain ideas was a huge help.)

Everyone has their own style.

This learning is valid on SO. MANY. LEVELS. Photography truly is an art. Each photographer has a favorite lens, a method for working their way around a room, a way that they move from idea to idea. This was brought to life in so many awesome ways at Collected! A dozen photographers took photos of the same details (think: table settings, rings, stationary) and it was incredible seeing how each photographer styled and brought these pieces to life. Some photographers ran all over creation, grabbing extra details to put into a flat lay; other photographers tried angles I never would have thought of! When it was all said and done, we all shared our edited photos. It was incredibly humbling seeing how other people took the exact same scene and pulled an entirely different moment from it. It's an awesome reminder that there isn't one right way, and your style is part of your business.

Collaboration is key.

Looking around Collected, I was able to see how each detail was perfectly styled. From the bourbon bar to the wall art. Florists, chefs, designers and more all came together with their perfect piece of the puzzle. "Community over competition" is a common idea in this industry, and I'm SO grateful for that. This was the perfect showcase of how people in the same business can come together and make great, collaborative work.

Food vendors are the best.

The perfect day can only be made better with awesome food. This day was no exception. There was a wood-fired pizza truck, delicious hors d'oeuvres and cupcakes! Sometimes food plays second fiddle to the rest of the planned details so I wanted to give it its own shout out here!

From this experience I've made friends, gained confidence and have even been motivated to set up a styled shoot! I can't wait to use these lessons to continue an attitude of learning and exploration so that I never let my work get stale.