| nd now, for something a little different… earlier this summer I had the privilege of second-shooting two back-to-back weddings for the very talented Jon Cancelino. Second shooting these weddings was special to me for many reasons; having the opportunity to work with and learn from a seasoned pro in the field was ah-mazing. Seeing all that goes into a wedding from the back of the house perspective was eye-opening (side note, wedding photography is one of the most exhausting things… 12 hour of non stop on-your-feet-time, crouching, moving, and being completely “on” and focused is no joke! I woke up the third morning wondering if I had done nothing but squats and lunges for the past 48 hours!) And through it all, you are surrounded by love, excitement, and over-the-top happiness. Not a bad way to spend a day. But there was another reason this weekend was so incredible for me… and her name is Jamie Delaine.I have never met Jamie Delaine. I HAVE cyber-stalked her from afar for many years (wait, it’s not creepy, I swear.) Jamie Delaine is a truly gifted wedding photographer from Vancouver whom I discovered on the inter-web about five years ago. She was SEVENTEEN at the time, finishing the twelfth grade, and building a hugely successful business out of thin air. I was blown away by not only her raw talent, but even more so by her insane work-ethic. She knew what she wanted to do and she did exactly what she needed to pursue it. And oh how I looked up to that seventeen year old (and um, really wanted to fly to Vancouver just so I could buy her lunch, listen to what she had to say, and soak up some of her general awesomeness.) I followed her blog obsessively (in the beginning hers was the only blog I followed, and she was the only photographer I consistently followed) and I tried to learn from her… not just for how to be a good photographer, but how to be good at building a business.
Jamie has gotten a little older in the last few years (as have we all) and her work has remained consistent, while ever-growing. Her ongoing mantra and advice to others that has always inspired me still rings true- go out and do it! What to learn something? Figure it out! Read, study, shoot, get your hands on everything you can and and just do it. Of course it’s hard, it should be hard, but “too hard” is a horrible reason not do something. Oh and she writes posts like this that make me want to jump through my computer and hug her because I swear she wrote them just for me (for the record, writing this post was actually one of my small boulders… I have put it off for so long. For unexplainable reasons it has daunted the heck out of me. And Jamie, I now walk around on a daily basis reminding myself “that’s just a pebble Julia, put down that pebble and go move some of those boulders.” Yes, friends, I talk to myself a LOT.) I fully agreed with her for years, often nodding as I read her posts, but never really knowing if I would ever choose to do anything about it. Fast forward five years… my business is growing(!) But, with my focus solely on child and family photography, second-shooting a wedding never crossed my mind as something I would experience. But Jon had faith in me and gave me a chance to do something new… and so here I was, like a (terrified) freshman on the first day of school. Following him around (while trying to, at all times, stay out of his way… second shooter cardinal rule #1), watching a beautifully happy couple, looking for the perfect shot, (apparently crouching and squatting a lot) and all the while slightly channeling Miss Jamie Delanie. Which leads me to my happy place… a realization of something that is so incredible about this industry. Yes, it’s saturated and competitive and professional photographers can sometimes even be downright mean to one another, but, for those who rise above all of that, this industry is also a family. A family consisting of both those that you have met personally- those which have gone before you and are happy to help out a struggling newbie by giving you a chance; as well as those whom you can only dream to one day meet and who keep pushing you forward to do bigger and better (and to move more boulders.) I have learned so much from Jamie from afar and it gives me a sense of excitement (and a small panic attack) to be able to finally kind of tell her that. So thank you Miss Jamie Delaine, from the bottom of my heart. You have inspired me, and so many others, to dream big and move forward. So here we are, a look at wedding #1, ceremony at Old St. Pats and reception at The Rookery, both in downtown Chicago. Nope, not a bad way to spend a day at all… |
Great work Julia. And thank you so much for being there to help out that night. Fantastic work. 🙂
Julia, so proud of you! You did an awesome job 2nd shooting, it had to be such a workout 🙂 Gorgeous setting, these are such classic, clean images. Love.
Julia – these are awesome!
these images look BEAUTIFUL, julia. like jess said, very clean, classic style. and that bride’s dress is phenomenal.
These are beautiful. Absolutely stunning!
[…] few months ago, I posted about my exciting experience second shooting this beautiful wedding for Jon Cancelino. I also had the honor of second shooting a second wedding for him that same […]