This month our work is featured on Wedding Chicks, Tacari Weddings and Zola. How the heck does a woman who is ‘Just a Florida Keys Housewife,’ @floridakeyshousewife get here?
Ambitious women who push you to become something you don’t expect of yourself. And a very loving husband.
In 2016 my freelance journalism wound down with my last feature story published in McClatchy Publishing’s Unwind Magazine. A long writing career that began its slow lingering death with the advent of digital technology.
Island Style – Unwind March 2016
Around the same time I met a local Realtor®️ who recruited me to be her Real Estate Brokerage Marketing Director. SEO Specialist. Writer. Film Maker. Photographer.
She was my first visual content production tutor, and she had ambition. She has succeeded in a big big way. When I left her it was because I too had realized my own potential. And I wanted more. I realized it and continued on to establish Skybornvisual a Florida Keys real estate film and photographic visual production company.
She hired me later on to film and photograph her high end listings and make the companies team photograph for their Christmas card. To this day some of my best work. By far!
Whilst photographing these Realtors at Kona Kai I met the GM. A lovely woman who has become a good friend. Also ambitious, she was my tutor in positive attitude.
She pushed me to achieve by attaching to my film and photography a much higher value than I would ever have done, as well as the most valuable lesson in how to move on when things get sticky.
She submitted to Fodors Magazine and several shots for this gem of a Botanical Garden and Art Gallery all within a beach front boutique resort.
We are about to see some of our Kona Kai work appear in the South Florida 2019 Concierge Magazine and a film of the resort is in the works.
In 2017 a fabulous wedding photographer recruited me after seeing the social media I was posting with my films. She said ‘I love what you are doing it is so much fun’ leading me to work with her on several cool projects. She was ambitious and driven and has achieved super star status as a notable international wedding photographer in a few short years.
Four creative styled shoots later and endless amounts of learning by trial and error, and the films I made got close to getting the formula just right. She pushed me to become something else by setting a standard and asking me to achieve it.
Along the way we promoted brands like House Of Elliott Lace Boots, Harley Davidson, Stacia Morgan Photography and Largo Resort and along the way we found ourselves becoming practiced at events, business promotions, ocean and boating adventure as well as a wedding film maker.
New level in film making skill: the ones who pushed me are the ones who were picky. They wanted better, and had a preference. And for that reason I was made to learn and improve. They EXPECTED better. And I pushed myself to achieve their particular wishes to see if I could.
Eventually we consider ourselves graduates from the Did Not Attend Film School (DNAFS) degree with flying colors. And are presently studying the Did Not Attend Photography School curriculum.
Wedding professionals are vain. Vain. Vain. And for that reason we LOVE them! We have to acknowledge our two fave wedding planners but not by name. We love you both. And you are responsible for equally keeping me in projects and keeping me guessing as to what works. You guys bring in some serious customers and are heavy weights around town. I love being a part of the cycle you are in. lol the work we have done together in summary has made me the wedding Pro you are beginning to reap the rewards of assisting in developing my talents.
DNAFS taught me new technical skills with microphones, lighting, dslr’s of all levels, iPhones, drones, multiple editing softwares, effective visual content marketing strategies, social media marketing and website film distribution as well as the reason for this blog: online magazine publishing. Also uncompromising standards. Quality. Your very best shots only. Expensive but worth the money gimbals. Steady, smooth movement, frame rate and shutter speed relationships.
We have also learned that our occasionally slightly terrified, always very trustworthy intuitive creative skills HAVE to be present fully. If I’m walking into a shoot prepared it comes easily, if I’m flustered from equipment malaise it’s harder to get the perspective and make the whole story come together.
Creative is synonymous with ‘having the guts to let that thought become the idea that drives your next shot’ and attempting to convey the idea to those around you swiftly enough before 1) the sun goes down 2) the make up needs re doing 3) the vows are exchanged 4) the couple kiss 4) the senator stops speaking 5) the parade or show is over 6) the dignitaries leave.
Create at your peril. But dare yourself. You can definitely miss the shot when you are dreaming of the end result.
You have to stay focused on the moment. While that creative brain is shouting camera over here, light angle, camera over there, squirrel.
I press ‘record’ for film based on three criteria: 1) Is the moment telling the story? 2) can I sustain interest in post production with this current light, sound, angle and subject? 3) not recording is a guarantee for sure you won’t get the shot 😎
Impressions? It’s all about impressions: and we do think heavily about how this will look to you and everyone else. Is it a human story we all understand? Or garbled? Can it help people towards self realization, nurture, love, hope, truth, compassion. Are those all good goals for the films message.
Well. At this level I say yes. I love the golden hour, to be able to make the permanent memory of a wedding. To steal the magic of the pageantry of the American flag and shining happy faces on July 4th, the drama of a theatrical performance or a struggle between two sporting teams.
Since we left the DNAFS academy we have made a wide array of films. But our love is the beauty and depth of cultures. That is a new genre. We can’t wait to crack. Wedding Film is intensely stressful during the ceremony and vows…ring exchanges, kisses, first this and first thats, all very epic and final. Nothing, in wedding film offers the opportunity of a re-do.
DNAFS graduation was not easy, it was hard, and although none of them know each other well, I consider the people with whom I’ve worked along the way as my professors.
You have taught me so many lessons. Thank you for making me the ambitious woman film maker I am. Well done.
