Way back in 2014, I had the opportunity to travel to St. Louis for a photography conference. This one photographer I had been following online for a while decided to break the system and put together his own conference. That photographer was Sal Cincotta. The conference was Shutterfest.
Sal was this photographer I discovered on Creative Live when I got thrown into the world of wedding photography. I liked his style and the way he carried his business. The guy was just way cool! So he put together this conference with the intention of creating a community of photographers that would help each other grow. He was so serious about this, he made the conference FREE. And the lineup of speakers he gathered was incredible!
I knew I had to do something to move my photography forward, but other photography conferences and workshops were so expensive, and I really didn’t have that kind of money at the time. I jumped at the chance and got a ticket to this conference that sold out within minutes.
And then I got pregnant.
I was dealing with a high-risk pregnancy. I had already paid for my flight and reserved my very expensive hotel room, so I couldn’t cancel my trip. Mostly, I just DIDN’T WANT TO cancel my trip.
On April 21, 2014, I hopped on a plane to St. Louis and didn’t look back. Going there, I was scared out of my mind. I was such a newbie to the world of photography. I had no idea how to run my business. I just knew I wanted to be a better photographer. Other photographers around me that I’d asked for help in the past, had always made me feel unworthy because I didn’t go to school for photography and I “had so much to learn.” They made me feel so little because I didn’t have money for fancy gear, and I didn’t have amazing connections. I was scared to be going around all these “real” photographers. I didn’t want this trip to be a waste of money because at that time we were soooo broke.
Before I headed out, I had reached out to people in the Shutterfest Facebook group letting them know that I was going alone and would love to have a friend to meet up with so I wouldn’t feel so lost. Some people responded and this little group would later become my Shutter Sisters. I also got to make friends with other photographers around the country, but my Shutter Sisters were my people!
When I arrived to St. Louis, I immediately found my little group and we ventured out to the famous Arch. When we got back, it was time for registration. We were some of the first people to show up. Sal and his team were there running registration. Now, Sal was this huge photographer with a business I could only dream of ever having. So when we saw him, it was a little intimidating. But, he and his team were all so incredibly nice! They made us all feel so welcome and chatted with us like we were all friends.
By this time, lots of people were making their way to the rooftop bar of the hotel. I was pregnant, so I ordered food while others had drinks. We got to meet some of the other attendees and everyone was so fun.
Afterwards, most attendees were hanging out in the hotel lobby. My little group found a spot to chill at. I was so amazed at the amount of people who would just come up to us, introduced themselves and chatted it up. One of those people was Blair Phillips. He was another amazing photographer who I followed for a long time. He was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. Having this photographer that I wish I could be like, just hanging out with us like we were friends, totally put my mind at ease.
The next day began the learning overload! Just within the opening session, I learned how to rework my packages. Throughout the day I learned so many new skills and tiny hacks to make my photography so much better. I bonded with photographers of all levels. Everyone was so encouraging and helpful to each other. There was truly zero egos. I felt I was around my people.
By the time the conference was over, I felt like a whole new person. I learned so much about how to run my business and things I needed to work on to improve my photography. There were so many goals to work towards, and now I knew I could do it!
I learned the difference between being a person with a camera and being a photographer. I learned why I don’t want to be an “affordable” photographer. I realized I have my own vision and voice. I didn’t need to do the same things everyone else is doing in order to make it in this business.
Going to Shutterfest that year catapulted so many things in my life. I can honestly say, taking that trip to St. Louis gave me the courage and mindset to make other decisions that would get me to this point. While I’m not in the wedding and quinceañera world anymore, I’m doing other things that began with the seeds that were planted in 2014.
More than anything, I learned that I was worthy. The people who made me feel like less were sucky people who I didn’t need in the first place. I found an amazing community of people that I wanted to learn from because they haven’t forgotten what it’s like to start from scratch. They remember the struggle. They are they people I want to be like. Other photographers aren’t my competition. They’re people who have a passion in common with me. And that should be celebrated and shared, and we should all help each other. There’s more than enough room for all of us to grow in this business.
And I found ME. I have something to say and that’s okay. I am here to create. I’m not here to fight for what’s already been created.
Midnight Revelry 
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