My journey continues...!

Has it only been 8 months since this entry?  Unbelievable...!

I have so many posts to write, but somehow this is the only one I want to write today.  As you may or may not know, I just celebrated Skyla Arts' 2 year anniversary. If you look at the beginning of my blog, you will notice the first post is June 30th 2009 - that's when I first started building my portfolio - every photo you see on the blog was done between June 2009-today. I used to have a tag line on my website along the lines of "Providing 100% client satisfaction since 2009" and I was advised by a photographer to remove that line because the last thing you want is for your clients to think you are NEW or GREEN. I talked about this when I was taking private 1-1 classes with 2 amazing hair dressers earlier this year...and the one in Taipei said to me: "I hear you say they think you are like a little kitten, shinny and new? hahahaha" It was also super funny because I am born year of the Tiger - I prefer to be a Tiger over a Kitten any day! :P 

I was throwing out images from my print book (11x14) - okay not throwing, but basically updating it and I felt like time really flied by...where did the time go? Did I really do this photo in Feb of 2010?! That's 1.5ish years from today - what the hell?!?!  Never did I think that I would be training assistants this year - in March, Erika+Melissa approached me at the same time.   I remembered what it was like for me when I first started, and I am forever grateful for the people who helped me along one step at a time.  But...when I first started I never ever got to experience these shoots or assist like this.  I certainly tried contacting artists, but they didn't write back, but every where I went, I brought my book with me, anyone who had years on me (photographer, hair and makeup artists, wardrobe stylists) I would ask for their feedback.  

Anyways...to make a long story short, on Sunday, my assistant Erika Taniguchi flew solo on a job!  I was so proud to see her bring her kit on set, pack it neatly and cleanly, show up right on time despite the marathon going on in San Francisco, be prepared to take over my post so I can rush home for gig#2.  I made sure she had everything, and I took off knowing she will rock it!!  I met Erika at the Tommy Hilfiger gig Fall 2010,  where she was an assistant, she didn't assist me, but that was my first time ever having an assistant, and at the time... I had no idea what to do with an assistant because I never had one.  It really wasn't that big of a deal but afterwards when they approached me, I thought about what I would have liked to do if I were an assistant (when I first started out), and I tried to do it with that mindset in mind!  I still assist if someone gave me the opportunity and I was free that day...! I assisted artist Lena Chavez last fall, and she told me after 10 years, she still assists, and I find that incredibly inspiring and I completely agree with her, and I hope that I will have more opportunities to assist as well!   

The clients on Sunday (where Erika took over, flew solo!!) had nothing but great things to say about her professionalism and skills, and I can't feel happier hearing this! ! ! *wipe tear* lol j/k~ lol definitely some happy tears.  Because Erika does not have a makeup and hair portfolio *yet* as she has a graphic design background and her port is awesome there,  we all took a risk of sorts - since it's her first time flying solo on a job (without a portfolio), client hiring her for the first time on a job, and me leaving her allll alone for the first time on a paid job~ I felt like I needed to push her a little bit to build her confidence. There are some things you need to figure out all by yourself and  and I think it all worked out in the end!! One big happy story woohoo!!!! *HIGH FIVE* I can definitely relate though......... after leaving my brief assistance-ship or internship of 3 weeks July 2009... I felt really scared to be out there all by myself in Los Angeles, going to strange places, meeting strange people (also known as networking lol...) this is probably more entertaining for people who have been doing it for 10 years but...these past 2 years felt like an eternity. I can't believe it's only been 2 years!! what the hell!  lol....!?!?!?!?!?

Okay okay...I blabbed enough for today...some new work to come next post, I promise!