Photographing Another Photographer

To say I was excited when Katharyne of Katharyne Dunn Photography contacted me saying she loved my work and wanted to book me, would be a huge understatement. I'm pretty sure I danced around the room while looking at my tuxedo cat and repeatedly asking him "can you believe another photographer likes my work?!" It's a huge honor when that happens.
A lot of the time I find myself taking a photo, editing it, putting it out there for all the world to see, only to wonder 'is this really any good, does anyone really like it?' But when a photographer (and not just your uncle who's got his point-and-shoot) asks you to take their photos, and when that photographer has good work themselves (by the way you should check out her work, it's good; heads up to anyone in Iowa) that's a huge check mark on validating your work, that your hard earned effort is up to snuff (or almost up to snuff, you can never really stop learning).
But right before her session, I got a little clammy and worried. Ok, I'm about to photograph another photographer, that's great. But what if what I deliver isn't what she had in mind. What if she doesn't like it. These thoughts plagued me at the beginning of her session and I must confess it took me longer than it should have to bat them away. Because I mean, scroll down. Yep just a quick scroll down won't hurt you, I'll still be here, I'll wait...
Yeah, she's gorgeous. You can't go wrong when you're photographing such a lovely subject. You really can't. So after a few shots I got into the rhythm and started having fun (because, forgot to mention, Katharyne is also a lot of fun and has a superior sense of humor and that makes for a very fun session). So soon we started cracking jokes about how awkward it is to be in front of the camera when you're always behind it and how to properly caress and sing to one's camera; and you probably get it, we just had fun with it.
So I take these pretty rad images and sit at home at my desk and I'm pumped.
I got great stuff! And then I start editing....and then I start worrying. 'What if she hates them?' 'What if she's just being nice?' I honestly laid awake many nights worrying.
But I came to realize that it wouldn't be the end of the world if she didn't like them (thankfully she has told me she likes them, much to my relief). But even if she didn't, the world wouldn't stop moving, and frankly, neither would I.
I'm an artist. I see something, I photograph it, and I alter it to the way I see it. The images I take and give to people are my perspective on what I have seen. And no matter if it's liked or not, it's a craft I truly enjoy. Now that doesn't mean if someone didn't like their photos I would say "tough cookies." Nah, I'm not a heartless artist. I would certainly try to make them happy (who doesn't like a happy client? No one. That's who.) But I keep in mind my style, my tools, and most importantly my perspective on what I'm seeing. Because part of being a good artist, I think, is having a style, being consistent, and being true to your soul on your perspective on things. Because a lot of those previously mentioned elements can get lost in trying to please someone too much, or worrying too much about what others think and letting that hamper you. The latter definitely happened to me this time around. Thankfully after many nights of apprehension, I was able to let it go and the results from that are what you'll see below. Which I think, are pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself.