The Show Must Go On

Some lessons and snippets of knowledge stick with me long after I’ve heard them. At the time, they may not even seem impressive or very important, but as I go through life, I begin to understand what my teachers were so desperately trying to explain to me.

One of those things I still remember was from my high school speech class. I went to a small school, and our speech teacher was also the drama teacher. Her background was in theater, and I remember most of the kids making fun of her for being a bit round. I liked her though, and I thought she knew a lot about what she taught. I remember her telling us about the time that she was to act in a local play, but on the day of the play she came down with the flu. Unfortunately, there was no one else who could take her place, and without her character, there would be no play. So, high fever, sweats, chills and all, she got through her part. She told us the story not to impress us with her fortitude and strength of mind, but to illustrate that sometimes in life there will be times we must go on with the show…regardless of how we feel. I don’t know why I remember that story so well, but it has stuck with me through the years.

I think it is particularly applicable with wedding photography. Honestly, I don’t always feel like photographing a wedding. Maybe I’m a bit sick, or perhaps I’m really tired. Those are fairly minor obstacles and easy to overcome. But sometimes you are faced with something much, much more difficult. Something personal–a crises in your family–a death, a serious illness, etc. Of course, if an immediate family member dies, it is most certainly understandable for you to not shoot the wedding. If Jay were dying or had just died, there’d be no way I’d photograph a wedding! But what if it were an aunt, a grandparent? What if they were just really sick?

What do you do then? In those circumstances, I recall to mind my teacher’s story…sometimes keeping your word and doing what’s required of you is not easy. Sometimes it’s very painful. But sometimes, you just have to do it.

Photographing a wedding is not like doing someone’s dry cleaning. It’s a big deal. It’s an important day to that bride and groom. Although you may not feel like celebrating when you’ve got bad news at home, that doesn’t mean you can just “take the test on another day.” It’s not high school or college. They may never know your personal sacrifice, but you will know you did the right thing.

Sometimes the show must go on.