Sunday, January 8, 2012

What's In A Name

So, yes. I am so totally late on this blog post for today - 3rd day in and I am already a screw-up! :) Posting at 12:34 has got to be good luck, though, right? Even though it's more than a half hour late, and I am exhausted from a fun day - reason for being late, so I guess that is a good thing - I will take it. I have a post, more serious and thoughtful that was about half-finished as of this morning, but the day tumbled into a serendipitous shopping/dinner/Playstation Move kinda night and even though I thought and stressed about this post many times throughout the night, I knew I would end up here sooner or later, and the fact that I am still doing it makes me a tiny kind of proud. Even though it's late.... really late. :)

So, instead of the more thought provoking goodness that I tried to get to today, I present you with my first filler post. lol Yep, I said it. You're about to read filler. :) Hyping this down, aren't I? Thank you for staying with me and even continuing to read... I love you all the more for it.... Laura. <3

Some people have no idea how the name of my business came to be - some faithful readers (Laura and Mom and Mom and Beth and MJ and Erin and Lisa) who have been with me from the beginning know what I started this journey out to be and some of the whys... but here's the story:

I love animals. Especially dogs. Especially my dogs. Our two dogs were our wedding presents to each other, so you know where we both stand on dogs and family right off the bat. Cody (The submissive and highly snuggable Golden Retriever) and Ruger (The aggressive and highly loveable German Shepherd) were our world for 8 years until the triplets came into our lives and we vowed never to be the family that forgot about them once kids came into the picture. Well, with 3 demanding babies at once, they certainly were overshadowed for a few years - not much extra ball playing or floor snuggling time. Oh, we tried - we did! - but we never felt like they were getting the full attention they deserved. I remember saying to them, just wait a few more months, buddy! We will all be a family again, one where everyone gets equal mommy/daddy face time - we're so much closer now! Any time now, and we'll be able to spend more time with you!

And then there was the day Ruger collapsed on us... and we lost him 4 days later. And after that, so "close" to our goal of being able to spend more time with them, all of us together, it was gone. Game over, plan shattered. We had Cody for another year and a half, and I am happy to say that he did get much more snuggle time, many nights reading together in bed (well, I did the reading, he did the spectacular sleeping and snuggling next to me), because I realized it could be any minute and he would be gone too. I cherished him, I can say that, definitively. No more waiting until the time was right. And we did lose him too, soon after that, both gone way before their time. They were both a huge influence in my life, they were akin to my first children - I felt like a mommy... and they taught me so many things. I owed them so much, but I knew I owed them enough to share their lessons with the world.

The thought for as to how I stumbled upon photography through them is part of what I was writing in my post today, so I won't get into it here... but I intended to write this post after that one, so some back story became necessary.

The basic part of that back story that is important today is that I originally started out intending to get into pet photography and only pet photography. I wanted to spend as much time with other dogs as I could, to bask in their simple, happy peace. So after I came up with that plan, and started to teach myself the technicals of a camera, I sat up groggily in bed one night, totally half asleep - zapped with the clear idea for a business name. It was like, delivered to me, handed over on a silver platter - and I think I may have an idea who may have delivered it. :) It was before we lost Cody, so only one recent doggy angel may have been the culprit - but I was dreaming about him, as I often still do, and it just felt like a message of some kind.

So, Fetching Prints Photography was born, the play on words for both dogs and photography too perfect to resist. I captured a few doggies, but before I knew it, I started photographing people for practice too - and I realized as a shocker, that I really, really liked it. I love being around dogs, and I connect with them so much better than humans - ask my sister which one of us never cried during Beaches, but sobbed during Benji, oh yes, that was me (blushing) - so it was totally surprising to me that I would love to photograph people as much, if not more than, dogs. Engagements soon became my swooning hobby - the emotion! And I still loved to photograph dogs, but the opportunity for practice on people was so much more prevalent that my new path was born.

I have often wondered if I should change the name for my business, to something more suited to the all-encompassing nature of what I am pursuing now - not just pets anymore! But every time I consider it, I remember my dream, my start, my inspiration... and it feels too right to let that reminder of why I began slip away. So, I keep it simple... and I go with my gut feeling... and always it says, "Stay."



My first sons, and my inspirations for all this - I miss them, and I think I always will...

I will see you tomorrow, bright and early, lesson learned!

4 comments:

my stay-at-home-momma drama said...

Great post, Cheryle. Your business is such a wonderful tribute to your first "sons." The name is perfect.

Dana T said...

This was a great post to explain the beginning of your business. My first 2 sons, also have 4 legs and fur so I can totally relate! Through photography you can capture that special moment, that you might never see again, in person, but you'll always have that picture to bring you right back to it and remember it like it just happened. Dogs are special "people". They gave so much of themselves, but ask for such little in return and you capture it all so beautifully!

Laura said...

never change the name! it came from inspiration and love, its perfect!

Erin Oveis Brant said...

That was hardly filler! You never have to apologize for staying true to your roots...your "right" clients will love you and your brand more for it <3

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