Five years ago, I walked into a local camera shop to buy my first flash. I told the salesman I wanted to start shooting weddings. I’ll never forget his response, he looked at me and rolled his eyes. Then he raised his voice and waved his hands in the air, “Lady, who do you think you are? What makes YOU think you can be a wedding photographer? I love how people think they can just buy a camera and flash and start shooting weddings. You have no idea how technical this business is, and you want to risk ruining someone’s wedding day!”

Needless to say, I bought my flash somewhere else. 🙂

Six months later, I was at my first photography workshop taught by Bambi Cantrell. I’ll never forget how much Bambi inspired me as a woman and as a photographer. She talked about the photography industry still being a “man’s industry”. Bambi told us to be ready for that particular battle as a woman photographer, and to remember that the battle to be a part of the industry was worth it.

Well, I’m happy to say I don’t meet or know many men like the one at the local camera shop. But every once in awhile, I do have the pleasure. 🙂 This morning in particular… I had the pleasure of reading what thirty or so men thought about me and my technical knowledge/capabilities on a photography forum.

In my “Momma’s Wish List” post, I said the Canon 5D is something I wouldn’t recommend for wedding photography. Wow! Apparently, this opinion caused quite a stir!

But you know what? I’m flattered so many looked at our blog and website, expect for the fact that most of the posters think I’m a man. 🙂 And I especially have to give a shout out to Jason Stone for going against the tide. AND…we had an extra 300 unique visitors on Sunday due to the forum’s post! Can’t go wrong! 🙂

It’s threads/posts like this that make me smile. If it was up to a couple of these men, I wouldn’t ever hold a camera as a professional. I’m so glad it’s up to me, and what I believe I can accomplish (and goodness knows the support of Brian is detrimental too!). If I had a dime for every time someone made me feel like I didn’t belong or wasn’t capable of doing something I’d be so stinking rich. You’ve got to figure in a water ski accident that almost paralyzed me and took close to 15 years of rehabilitative work for me to be running again, Dyslexia, an Audio Deficit Disorder, and somehow still finishing Graduate School with a 3.9, being sexually victimized in college, writing and publishing a book on a “keep quiet” subject of date rape, this list goes on and on, as I’m sure it does for many of you too.

All that to say, this post is for those of you (men and women) who have been told you can’t do something or “don’t belong”. I encourage you to take it as affirmation that you’re probably in the right place, doing the right thing. It seems there is always resistance when we’re onto something really good.

And I have to end with some really GREAT NEWS!

This last Friday I had the privilege of talking with Lexar. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Lexar, they are the makers of the BEST memory cards on the market, among many other “must haves” they provide. During our conversation, they offered to sponsor our Mom Workshops and our NEW Professional Photographer Workshop in 2007. It’s huge! Lexar gets a handful of calls a week to work with professional photographers, but they said Brian and I stood out to them. The honor is beyond words!