2016 HOT Exhibit Wrap Party - 0007 Charity Events

There was a first time for everything in my career journey. Being able to cover 0007 Charity Events in Calgary was a bolder direction than I was used to in special event photography. The challenges from the early events that I covered brought me new contacts, skills, and experiences to help shape my expectations in business.

Many 0007 Charity Events I attended took place at the Gerry Thomas Gallery in the Calgary beltline, which was a very exclusive venue in its day. The venue was an ideal location for art exhibits, fashion shows, up-and-coming performers, and stylish trade shows to utilize the great space in the venue.

Some of my earliest candid photographs as an independent professional were taken during these events, and each event I attended felt more elaborate and exciting than the last. It was through working these events, looking for simple candid moments, that I first discovered my need to create new combinations of wireless, off-camera lighting setups. I would come to rely on these protocols at future events to distinguish my work, and establish the process of how I would tell the stories I wanted to tell through photography.

Abstract belly dancing performance by Aphrodit Espanioli

The quality of my photography began to develop quickly at these events, as I learned to take many professional risks under self-imposed pressure. But, seeing as how I was still volunteering my time with limited expectations for my work, as long as I received good feedback from guests on what I posted to social media, the door to future events remained open. The more risks I took, the more nerve I developed, and the more I began fashioning customized lighting setups to improve my product.

I accepted a few more chances to volunteer at these types of events over the next 18 months. However, volunteering my craft so freely ultimately confused potential and paying clients. They saw conflicting messages about my value and I spent much of the next two years convincing people I was in business, not just in debt. Once I regained my personal equilibrium and the work was valued appropriately I was able to examine the experience. A valuable lesson to take away from it all was that once I volunteered my work for someone, the chances of them hiring me after that were slim to none.