T H E M O N T H LY
#ISSUE 12
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A NOTE FROM BETSY: THE FACEAPP FREAK OUT
AU G U S T 2 0 1 9
the stories our clients are able to tell because of them. Your photo could be technically perfect in every way, but you’ve GOT to remember: your client isn’t looking for technicals, they’re documenting moments.
By the time you’re reading this, chances are you have already forgotten about FaceApp - the app that went viral for painfully aging all of our faces with a single snapshot. (Take a look at mine - it’s a geriatric nightmare. Someone send me copious amounts of wrinkle cream and a medical-grade hydration plan, STAT). I know, I know. You guys are like, “Betsy, that was so July 17th!” But - the fact that this craze is over and we’ve all moved on by the time this article goes to print proves an important lesson for us photographers: Your pictures don’t matter as much as you think they do. OUCH. Sorry. That was harsh. Let me explain. I’m certain that each of us would argue that the photos we provide to our clients are highly valuable; priceless works of art, even. After all, generations from now, that’s all that will be left behind, right? But maybe that’s not the whole truth. Sure, photos will be passed down. But it’s not the photo alone that carries value. What brings those photos to life are the stories behind them. Two weeks ago, the internet was bursting with millions of geriatric faces because of a single photo app. But today no one really cares, because while it was fun for a hot minute, those photos don’t actually represent anything. They’re fake, without any real history or story to tether us to them for any length of time. And so, we all moved on. If we aren’t careful, our photos will have the same result. The reality is that the photos we provide to our clients will only be as valuable as the memories we capture and
Never settle for merely taking good technical photographs. Dig deeper, learn how to put your clients at ease, and capture stories. Commit to cultivating an environment in your sessions where clients can create memories instead of just snapshots; study ways to evoke emotion so you can capture your client’s truest selves. Because the photograph by itself doesn’t matter. But what your clients feel and the stories they remember when they see it DOES. A photograph without a story will be tossed to the side, no different than the viral app you had already forgotten. But documented memories are held onto, cherished, and relived for generations. Betsy