Authenticity and Connection

My last few beautiful clients have said almost the exact same thing to me when I first met with them. And it has nothing to do with the work I produce. They both said, with visible relief written all over their faces; "Gee, it's refreshing to meet someone as genuine as you Deanne."

They talked about the wedding industry and their experiences so far. How they had been to a couple of big expos, how everyone was bombarding them with information, forcing flyers into their hands. Not surprisingly they both left feeling a little disheartened and very overwhelmed.

It doesn't have to be like that, I told them. Because I really do give a shit, a lot. And it got me thinking, really thinking, about why I do what I do, and just what it is that makes me, well, me, within the sometimes overwhelming, impossibly large wedding industry. 

The one thing that I kept coming back to was connection.  Because here's the thing, you can't fake authenticity and acting from a genuine place. I don't have to pretend to love what I do- because I do love it, whole heartedly. It is the incredible connections I'm able to form with other humans that makes me really, really care about what and who I'm photographing so very, very much. Because I value this so much it only seems right for me to run my business a little differently- authenticity and connection first, "business" second. Some more info about how I run Bonavita can be found here and here.

I want my client's to receive the most beautiful, sincere and honest imagery of their day possible. I want this for my clients because I care about them, I'm invested in them on a personal level, because although at the end of the day I am providing a service, my clients also give something back to me. 

They humble me and show me, time and time again what it is to be human. To be fully present in the moment. To be a part of something so full of love, and joy and sincerity.