being robyn

I have a confession....I'm a stalker....but not your average stalker. I don't stalk celebrities or rich people or sports heroes or famous people. In fact, I don't 'technically' stalk people at all. I stalk moments. It's just that people are usually in those moments. I don't consider it a bad thing to take pictures of random people doing random things. Sometimes the greatest lessons are found in the most unusual circumstances. Here's a little example of my latest life lesson.   

A couple of days ago I was looking online at some photos that somebody I know took. They were beautiful photos. Perfect in every way. Great focus, cute subject, great color. The editing on the pictures was especially perfect. The skin was so smooth and flawless and was the color of porcelain. I stared at the images with envy (I admit it). I found myself questioning why I couldn't get my photos to look like that. What did this photographer know that I didn't. I started to feel a little discouraged and, if I'm being honest (which I am), I was a little depressed about it for the rest of the night. 

Fast forward to the next day, I'm at the hair salon, sitting under the hair dryer. I hear some noise and giggling behind me. I look back and see this cute, bouncy little ball of energy jumping up into the chair across the room. I didn't recognize this little girl, and, for the sake of concealing her identity, I have covered her face. She was glistening from head to toe. Completely 'blinged' to the hilt and not an ounce of it matched (other than the fact that everything sparkled). She had a McDonalds Happy Meal in one hand and a Taco Bell drink in the other. It was clear that she was a little girl with her own ideas and sense of style and she didn't care one bit about what anyone in that salon thought of her. She was full of confidence and completely comfortable in her own skin. 

Needless to say, this was a moment that just had to be documented. I slipped out my cell phone and tried to snap a shot without her seeing me. The angle was horrible and the picture is blurry, but I think you can get a good idea of what she looked like. She had on the shiniest silver sequin boots I had ever seen, and her visor was all decked out with lace and feathers. She was also carrying a hot pink shiny purse that I'm sure was stuffed with all kinds of lip gloss and nail polish. Definitely all girl, this one was. 

I spent the next half hour thinking about the night before. Why was I so envious of another persons style. It was very good, but it wasn't MY style. I tend to like a more natural, realistic look. It was way over-photoshopped for my taste and a little too perfect. It was great for that photographer, but it wasn't me. I want to be me. I want my work to reflect what is really on the other side of the camera, not what I can make up in post-processing. I want my photos to be genuine representations of real moments, not staged events. I like being me, and I don't like feeling envious. I want to be confident in my own work, and at the same time appreciate the talents of people who have other styles. This little girl taught me more in 30 minutes than I could have imagined. It's good to be reminded every once in a while to appreciate your own uniqueness, and sometimes that reminder comes from the most unexpected places. From now on I'm just going to be Robyn, not Robyn trying to be someone else. Thanks to the little princess who taught me a priceless lesson. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go put on my hot pink sandals....