How a Wedding Photographer gets Ready for An Arts Festival
Lets talk about how much work being a photographer is and how much taking pictures is not part of that work. You may have heard this lament before but I would like to share a recent experience I had, with my kids, who were tired, bored, hot and hungry.
My photo booth has become my whole world. I am trying so hard to get established, to be remembered and to boost my name in this town of Whidbey Island as a great photographer. We have a festival coming up called Choochokum that I am trying to get into. Its past the entry date, its 3 weeks away and I do not have the $350 they may want me to pay to be officially part of the festival. I am going rogue, trying to be in the festival without being a part of it.
I went to a business in Langley and asked them to host me. They were very into the idea, and told me to email them right away to get a paper trail started. I was so elated and relieved. I went some, fired off the email and waited. A week. I called them and I never heard back. I was now frustrated, panicked and desperate. I went back into Langley and asked another business to host me. This time I went with my kids. Our 2nd choice said yes but sent me to City Hall to make sure it was Kosher. We walked to City Hall where I was told NO and that I needed to contact the festival people. I gave in, I contacted them and explained my story. We are waiting back from them at this point in time to hear their offer. With my two kids we went back to the 2nd choice. She sent me to a 3rd business to get contact info for a 4th business that could possibly host me. On our way to 3rd business we stopped at a 5th business that was recommended earlier in the week. 5th business turned out to not be a possibility and 3rd business would not provide the contact info for 4th business so we went to the Langley Main Street Association where finally we got contact info for 4th business. All the while my poor kids scared business owners up and down Langley by arguing on fine art furniture, jumping on oriental rugs in dirty bare feet, threw themselves on the floor in tears, ate their snacks on business floors and dropped a few crumbs. I was trying to talk shop and in the few minutes in took me to explain why I was there utter destruction occurred behind me. This is #hownottorunabusiness. I did my absolute best to handle the situation. However, when we originally came to town to visit one place and it turned into walking all over town and talking to many people I was over it too. When we got home, I found an email in my inbox from business #1 saying we are a go.
Well, it is a relief. I have to tow my poor kids back into Langley today to work out details but I have a venue. I can now start to make my booth, which is a relief as well. I am still waiting to hear back from 4th business and of course the festival itself but I now get to at least do some work somewhat related to taking images.