People are People | An Education

This month for our educational post we're taking a break from the more technical side of photography to talk about something we've learned and believe in 100%.

It's real simple...people are people.

Now we know that some people have got this down and some people are like what do you mean? Well, have you ever gone into a clothing store and no one says hello or a waiter at a restaurant is rude because maybe they're having a bad day? It's easy to get upset or angry at other people's reactions or emotional states, but what we keep reminding ourselves is that each of these individuals are just people, like us. We all make mistakes and we all have bad days and yes, it totally sucks when it's your teller at the grocery who is grumpy and slow, but isn't there supposed to be a general rule that you treat others like you want to be treated? (Plus, we're actually in control of our own reactions and emotions so we honestly can't blame being upset on someone else if you want to get technical about it.)

In our business we meet new people constantly. We are facinated by new ideas and new people, such as meeting a couple who has known each other since elementary school, or a bride who is doing all the decor from an idea she found in a movie, or a family that has miraculously withstood hard times and is still standing strong together. We know our couples have stressful times ahead...planning a wedding is not exactly a piece of cake. Sometimes our groom doesn't feel like engagement pictures are really his thing even though his fiancé is stoked, sometimes our bride is running late because the make-up artist got lost on the way to the wedding, or sometimes everything is perfect and the family is just so emotional we need to take tissue breaks. The whole point is, people are people, just like us and we need to treat them as such, regardless of their attitude or emotional state.

How do WE make sure we're treating people like people (in our business and beyond)?

1. Be kind, even if it's hard.

2. Be honest, even if it sucks.

3. Take a breath if you're in a tough situation and think, how would I feel in their shoes right now?

4. Sometimes it's better to just listen, even if you're dying to talk.

5. Do what your Kindergarten teacher said (she was right after all) and treat others how you want to be treated.

Lesson Learned: Treat people with kindness and respect.

Life is a pretty interesting journey and we get to live it every day. ~Erik & Marissa