So I am driving in my car, and I guess I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. Now, normally I use my drive time to formulate plans, pray, listen to podcasts or audiobooks on business or personal growth, catch up on phone calls, etc. I guess you might say I use my time constructively. Not today, today is different. So I pull over to the side of the road, pull up a classic rock ballad on my Spotify account, and so begins my musical journey into yesterday.
I pick and choose my way through several songs, skipping some and settling on others, until I stumble upon "Sweet Child of Mine," a Guns N' Roses classic.
In advance, I apologize to anyone out there who takes exception to my taste or lack thereof in music, but the honest-to-goodness truth is I enjoyed the lyrics, I enjoyed the guitar riffs, and I enjoyed Axl Rose's unique and raspy vocals. I already stated that today I was in a different space, and that space was reflected in the music I chose. In fact, I found myself comparing the pleasure I derived from my music to the pleasure some people get from viewing a Picasso, the point being that there is no accounting for personal taste.
How does this tie into choosing a photographer? Easy, you see, while I enjoy the occasional Guns n Roses song, I would not choose them to sing at a wedding ceremony, nor would I choose a Picasso-style photographer for a boudoir portrait.
Personal taste is extremely subjective, and I believe that when choosing a photographer, you should look at their body of work and decide based on whether YOU enjoy it. If it's your wedding photos, choose wisely: one day, these images will become family heirlooms. If it's merely an art piece for your wall, live dangerously, as it can be easily replaced or even discarded.
My advice would be don't pick a photographer because they are willing to hand over a thousand digital images, or because they are throwing in a kitchen sink. Don't pick your shutterbug based on your friend's, your mom's, or even your great-aunt Mabel's opinion. Choose them because their body of work resonates with YOU. Choose them because they can capture your breath-taking moments and turn them into Timeless, one-of-a-kind works of art.
