so so so excited to be featured on ever ours today as an #everoursafterhours interview!! Lydia is the sweetest person alive. i'm truly thankful to have been on her blog at all, much less twice.
go check out my thoughts on wedding photography, where we're headed as an industry, and what drives me: CLICK HERE
oh me oh my. i am so behind in blogging!
so, today, i figured it was time i caught up :)
meet logan & madi. you may remember them from my engagement session at her family's home in marshville - click here to check that out! they were wed back in june at the dairy barn in fort mill. it was a beautiful, simple, full of joy kind of day. the dairy barn upstairs is always a little tricky to shoot in, but the gorgeous grounds make up for it.
so here are a handful of my favorite images from their beautiful day. enjoy!
real talk: branding.
if you're a creative, that word will simultaneously make you feel joy and complete anxiety. joy, because there's nothing sweeter than ideas coming together to meld perfectly into the awesome representation of who you are as an artist. anxiety, because there's absolutely no way to pin down your creative spirit - it's always changing, evolving, shifting. it's scary to put down roots, to put stock into something representing you wholly.
i've been struggling for a long, long time to figure out who i am as an artist.
i know who i am, in these sense of both a person and as a business-woman, with how i want to run my company, treat my couples, who i want to work with. who my "demographic" is. to put it simply, it's people who care about photography. and luckily for me, a majority of those people have been fellow creatives that just get it.
images i loved. my pinterest branding/couple/wedding ideas: left image by logan cole, clockwise credit from square images: weheartit, anna sheffield jewelry, tyler french and sfgirlbybay.
but as an artist & their brand? that's the tough one. i've inquired with so many designers, scoured instagram and blogs and never settled on someone that felt totally right. it wasn't to say that i didn't love (and i mean LOVE) other's work, or that they weren't phenomenal. they just weren't right for me. it wasn't until my sweet bff alicia (go check out her awesome work right HERE!) and i were sitting in my apartment that something we dug into really hit home.
what is a brand? a brand is defined as, "a name, term, design, symbol or other feature that distinguishes one seller's product from those of others." - so essentially, it's something that sets you apart from others. as much as i adore eucalyptus, nature, antlers, twigs, wheat, mountains, watercolor, simple script in other's branding - i knew it didn't fit me as who i wanted to be as a photographer. as a person, a decorator, absolutely! but i wanted my brand to personally represent me. and as alicia and i looked around my apartment at the many amazing posters lining my walls for inspiration, it clicked: joshua noom had to be my designer.
a little glimpse into my apartment & inspiration. bottom art is all by joshua noom.
the entire process of working with josh was just a dream. he's quick, incredibly (to put it lightly) talented, and totally feeds off of your creative energy. i gave him my ideas and he ran with it. he's worked with amazing brands & groups like needtobreathe, johnnyswim, john mark mcmillan, ralph lauren, and of COURSE my sweet friend megan (click here, morningwild's site is amazing!)- but even for a small business like myself, devoted time and energy like i'm assuming he would anyone else. i will always be indebted to him for making my brand come alive.
so, meet the lion and the flowers.
two of my tattoos, perfectly blended together to create a logo.
a brand that wholly represents me, as the person, and as the photographer.
both designs by little jenn small at 510 expert tattoo in NODA.
our entire process was simple. i gave him a general idea of how i wanted the designs to meld together, and he did just that! along with some other branding elements (how freaking adorable is the walking lion?) - over the course of a couple months, my whole idea just fell into place. he's since posted me in his portfolio on his site (next to needtobreathe, no big deal) - so check out his favorite pics/pieces there. // http://www.joshuanoom.com/#/emily-chidester/
SO! so many of you have asked "why the lion?" - and it's either because you a) didn't know i have a lion tattoo, or b) think it's aslan (which is what my mom jokingly calls my tattoo). well, as much as i love both CS Lewis and narnia, it's not aslan.
i've always been into the meanings behind symbols, characteristics of animals, weird little things like that. i tend to incorporate those into my tattoos, alongside images to portray chapters in my life to remember further down the road.
there are two sides to my little lion.
a little over two years ago when i had this tattoo done, i was in a place in my life where i was about to take a giant leap. i quit my retail job, dove into photography as a full time job, was lonely in a city where i felt like i had no friends, or sense of community. i was leaving for colorado to go to a workshop that i didn't know was going to change my life, and i needed to remember to be bold. to be fearless. to be all that we're called to be. i've always loved how lions are protectors. they're loyal. they're strong and courageous. all things i want to embody, not only in my business, but as a person. everyday. i want to be bold in who i am (i.e.: my philosophy), i want to be courageous in taking on jobs that may push me out of my comfort zone. i want to be loyal and gracious to my couples who invest so much in me.
the other side is the side i don't delve into as much, but is just as important. the biblical & spiritual sense of what the lion represents. the righteous are as bold as lions. the lion of Judah, a symbol of Jesus and of the amazing things to come to be upon his return. also, and i've had this conversation with so many friends - but i've always visualized Jesus is our fierce protector. He's there, snarling for us in the face of our enemies. and i just think that's pretty freaking awesome.
so, anyway. without further ado, my new packaging. there are a couple of tweaks to be done here and there, but this is what you can expect from here on out, as a wedding couple.
boxes & engraving by: photoflash drive, www.photoflashdrive.com
postcards & business cards by: moo, www.moo.com
logo & branding work by: joshua noom, www.joshuanoom.com, @joshuanoom on instagram!
prints by: richard photo lab, www.richardphotolab.com
photos by: ME! duh.
hope you guys love it! i would love to hear what you think.
xo, EM!
there are not enough amazing things to say about this pretty little lady.
i shot her wedding over a year ago (click to see that, it was AWESOME!) and ever since then, i've been seeing her grow and grow in her own photography business. so one time, when she came and visited me, we sat down and made it happen. i've never had an intern, and to be honest, i was wary of bringing someone on to help and to honestly, represent me and my brand. but, she has been an exceptional person to have by my side.
here's to you, love. thanks for all the hours talking shop, spilling our hearts, eating dried mangos (and almost breaking teeth in the process) on 6 hour car rides, singing along to sam cooke, calling me on my shit when in get ridiculous (thanks for that) and loving me either way. for sharing your world with me and letting me into the notion that love & partnership in marriage is true, and real, and amazing. for letting me be your friend and mentor.
you should go check her work out HERE! she's pretty amazing. and based in columbia, but will totally travel!
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1. who are you? tell me a little bit about yourself. not just your name.
- I am a young woman who is trying to figure out life, whether that be through the lens, by making genuine human connection, or by wandering the earth to find my place in this grand story. I believe in stories, the unique individual kind, and the overarching, big picture, one story. I've still got a lot to learn, and I want so much from my time here, so I'm trying to take life as a gift with eyes wide open.
2. what do you want people to know about you, as a photographer?
- I want to show you the beauty that is in you and your life. I think we miss a lot in our lives, the ordinary and significant, and as a photographer I want to slow down time, grab moments from your life, and show them to you in a new light. I want to say, "look! look at this! look at this beautiful gift you have been given. see what this moment really means, see the significance. see that you are beautiful and there is meaning in your life." I want people to trust me and my vision, and to know that I care about them. I want to connect with the people I shoot. I want them to see themselves anew and love the art we create together.
3. tell me three things you love about life. people included.
1) I love music, and the way it forces me to feel. I have always been jealous of musicians and the ability they have to communicate in ways that seem so visceral.
2) I love my little brother. He is quite possibly the best person I have ever met. He is incredibly smart, he is kind, generous, curious, compassionate, and so funny. He is my only sibling, and right now he lives hundreds of miles away from me (which is the worst), but as soon as we are together we are instantly in step, finishing each other's jokes, communicating through a single glance. I think our hearts must be the same. He's been my very best friend ever since he was born. When we were children we were, as my favorite author once wrote, "each other's world entire."
3) I love second chances. I realize that life can be incredibly cruel and that not everyone gets a second chance when they need it most, but I stand by the answer. I guess because I have been given so many, and I see so much grace in that. I see grace in everything, really, when I look for it. Each day I get a second chance to love my husband better, care for my friends, learn how to be a more skilled photographer, know my God more. I survive by second chances; if it weren't for grace I would be quite lonely.
4. why are you a photographer?
- I had no choice in the matter. I have been an extremely visual person since day one. I used to steal my parents magazines and hide them up in my room, then cut out my favorite photos and fonts and glue them down in a book, a collection I kept for myself. When I was younger I would hear music and see things - I don't know how to explain it without sounding crazy, but I would see visual expressions of the music I was hearing, in my imagination of course. It wasn't until high school that I really started to notice good photography. I had a friend who took amazing photos of me and my friends when we were on trips. I remember looking at them and thinking, "these are different than just the average facebook photo. We look important. We look like our real selves, but extraordinary." Once I made that connection, that my friend was showing us how we really looked, that he made life look interesting and beautiful and extraordinary, I was hooked. I had to do it myself. Because I could see glimpses of what he was seeing, glimpses of glory I guess, and I wanted terribly to share that with the people I knew. So my junior year of high school I was given a DSLR for chirstmas, and I guess it's all history from there. I just keep falling more and more in love with it.
5. gimme a favorite memory.
- Well I would have to pick one from my wedding day. But then I couldn't just pick one. That day was one of my favorite days ever. And honestly I didn't expect it. I think because I've been to so many weddings, I didn't romanticize the process, so I had sort of low expectations for the day. But man was I blown away. I woke up that day so at peace. All of my favorite women were around me. I felt so loved by them. And we had SO much fun getting ready and hanging out. My wedding dress felt like something I might wear in heaven, and it made me feel beautiful, which isn't something I feel very often. And then I got to see Andrew, and I looked at him standing with his back to me, waiting in a field for me to arrive for our first look, and in that moment I knew I was looking at my husband. My one. The one I would spend the rest of my life beside, come what may. Being in his arms that day felt different. All of our best friends cheered when we returned to them, and I cried as they prayed over us. Then I went down the aisle to my love, and with my brother as my "maid" of honor, and my young life leader as my officiant, I made a covenant with Andrew and God before all of our favorite people. We read vows we had written ourselves, which originally stressed me out, but as usual Andrew was right, and it was so much more meaningful for us. I meant what I was promising, every word, my life to my love. Gosh, and then came the party. We danced like we were mad, like it was the end of the world. And at the end of the night, when we had our last dance to "Young Forever" by Jay-Z, I looked around and saw all my best friends dancing around us and singing along, and I honestly could have been content if the world really had stopped turning that night. I don't know if I can think of a happier memory.
6. finish this sentence: I'm the happiest when...
- When I am truly connecting with another human. when I can share my humanity with another person, and they are kind and brave enough to be vulnerable and share their true self with me. There's nothing quite like it.
7. favorite time of day?
- Well I am a photographer, so I would have to say the golden hour. That hour or so just before sunset, when the sun spills its long golden rays across the horizon, coloring everything in rich hues. I see it as a sort of dramatic last act, the final flourish of the day before the sun leaves the stage. If you look for it you'll notice that the light looks almost looks like it's desperately clinging to the earth, just touching the last tall trees before it slips away completely.
8. what gets your heart racing?
- Freedom. I mean it in the patriotic sense because I LOVE america and fireworks and everything this crazy country stands for (from mountain dew to mount rushmore). And I also mean freedom in a more personal way. I love when I have a free day that I can fill by seeing my friends. I love the freedom of walking alone in the woods. I love the freedom you find on a real adventure, when you cast yourself into the unknown trusting that you will find a way. I'm not talking about the freedom that our culture parades, "freedom for freedom's sake." I'm talking about a truer freedom, a deeper one. The freedom found in a love that is without expectation, a love that simply loves. The freedom found in healing. The freedom that comes with accepting who you are meant to be and living that out. That is a freedom that really gets my heart racing.
