Finding Your Authentic Photography Brand: The Power of Being Yourself
I was looking through old photos the other day to help me put together this memory lane post on Instagram and let me tell you, when I came across this one, I cringed.
Not because it’s a bad photo, but because this isn’t really me.
I mean it is, but only in the physical sense. This was around 2009 (?) and I was in the early days of starting my photography business. I’m around 28 yrs old and living in London. On this day, I took the Northern line from my grubby little flat in Tooting Bec and within the hour was sipping Prosecco at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Bride party. Herein lies the photographic proof of my attendance.
A Glimpse into the Past: The Rock 'n' Roll Bride Party
If you were a wedding photographer or supplier in the mid-noughties, you couldn’t move on the Internet without bumping into Kat Williams of Rock n Roll Bride. She was sassy, original and sure of herself.
Everything I wasn’t.
This photo isn't a total sham, I mean, I liked wearing 1950’s circle dresses, but not enough to convince anyone I was a true rock 'n’ roller. I have no tattoos and I suck at tying hair scarves, frankly. My faithful ukulele is the only core truth about me in this photo.
I spent far too long trying to achieve the “perfect” look that day and in doing so, lost some important, relatable, potentially likeable part of myself.
“Perfection doesn’t create connection”
Comparisons and the Quest for Authenticity
When I looked at Kat Williams of Rock ‘n’ Roll Bride, all I saw was her image. I took it at face value. Looking back now, it’s clear that she must’ve spent a great deal of time, thought and care, peeling back the layers of her life to find the things that mattered and meant something to her.
All this was skilfully crafted into her brand: Rock n Roll Bride. What started as a blog, went on to become a magazine, a best-selling book and the ultimate guide for the alternative bride. Kat’s pink hair was just the icing on the cake.
And there I was, thinking I could fit in at the party, simply by painting the words “Rock ‘n’ Roll” on my spare ukulele and hoping it’d earn me some points.
That evening, I was desperate to hobnob with the cool kids, but my only conversation-in was my tiny guitar, which got borrowed and passed around as I watched from the sidelines. At the end of the night, I found it discarded in front of the backdrop.
And you know what? I felt so low that I left that poor sweet instrument behind. I was too embarrassed to even claim it.
CRAFTING YOUR BRAND
So, why am I sharing this story with you today?
Well, in my photography business mentoring work, one of our very first tasks is to find out what makes you tick, in both your life and work. For example:
What matters most to you?
What’s your Enneagram number? What characteristics ring true for you?
Have you experienced any core-shaking moments that made you want to reassess things?
We get to the heart of who you are as a human being as well as a business owner. We do this so that you can drive your stake into the ground and embrace your truth. We do it so you can begin to find your soul clients. And more importantly, so that you can start to belong, everywhere you go.
We work together to uncover your core, unwavering truths because if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that your brand isn’t something you create, it’s something you find within yourself.
You Will Always Belong
I didn’t belong back there at the 2009 Rock ‘n’ Roll Bride party but I belong here now, as do you, by the way. I’m grateful for my 2023 business because I get to write letters like this and hold my hand up to being a bit of a dork sometimes. I get to share my struggles and my tendency to overthink things and sometimes you reply and say “me too”, which is infinitely more precious than fitting in, I think.
So if you find yourself falling into the dreaded comparison trap this week, let my cringe-worthy photo serve as a reminder that in all likelihood, you may never fit in, but you will always belong. Just keep digging deep and embracing everything that makes you who are: the good, the bad and the ukulele.
“True belonging never asks us to change who we are, it demands that we be who we are.”