KEEPING IT REAL WITH JASMINE STAR

I walked into the conference room, giddy as a little girl on Christmas morning.  I was 45 minutes early and practically running up to the front of the room to get a seat in the first row.  It was finally time to meet Jasmine Star, Top 10 Wedding Photographer in the world and basically my idol ever since I got into this business.  I took a seat next to Janelle Rodriguez, an amazing photographer from upstate New York who looked just as excited as I did to hear Jasmine speak.

As Jasmine Star came on the stage, squeals of excitement could be heard throughout the room.  Jasmine told us she had flown from California to speak at WPPI NYC (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) and that she was here to KEEP IT REAL!  A loud applause and a couple of AMENS resounded in the room.  Throughout her presentation on "Untold Stories", Jasmine explained how she got started in the wedding photography business only five years ago.  She told us about important events and life realizations that make her who she is today.  One thing she said that really hit home was this. "You have to dare to succeed.  Everyone wants a success story, but without sacrifice, there isn't a story. You must figure out the story you want to tell, the life that you want to live, and then MAKE IT HAPPEN."  Whoa...talk about keeping it real!  Then, she showed us this video short by Ira Glass.  Check it out.

For me, this is so encouraging.  I know to get where I want to be, I am going to have to do a lot of work.  I don't want to be just another wedding photographer, I want to be the best I can be.  I want to use photography to capture the love of those around me and to tell their story in a way that makes them proud every time they look at their pictures.  Thank you Jasmine for inspiring me to put myself out there and be confident in being me.  I can't wait to see what this next year holds.

"Big results require big changes." -Jasmine Star

Oh just hanging out with the amazing Jasmine Star and her husband (and second shooter) JD.  Thank you for taking time to talk to me and answer my many questions.  You both have such beautiful hearts.