I used to think that the non-cohesiveness of my work meant that I was somehow less or flawed. That I couldn’t pick a style or a genre was a problem, and a big one. How are people going to recognize your work as being yours? How else are you going to have that signature style that people clamor for? And to be honest I still feel this way sometimes when I spend too much time scrolling Instagram.

But when I picked up my camera again after my two year hiatus…something was different. I didn’t really care about a signature style so much. I was creating for the FEELING of it. And in the process I was unwittingly drawing up a blueprint of what I wanted a photoshoot to look like for a client instead of trying to fit myself into what other professionals describe as a client experience. (I’m still working on it, slow and steady.)

In the world of Paige Thomley that means you’re going to get a mix. It might even look like different photographers took your images. And that’s because I’m big into letting the outfit and the space and the way the light hits and the emotion that is being given dictate how I direct the posing and how I edit or crop an image. I contain multitudes, just like you. I like moody shit and emotional stuff and I like the ugly, gritty, rolling-around-on-the-floor images just as much as I like fashion and glamor. I like blurry and I like focused. I like saturated colors, I like light and airy, I love a strong black and white. What we end up with just depends on the mood we are trying to portray. It’s all just curated creation between the client and myself.

And so what I thought was a deficit is actually my superpower. (That’s usually how it goes.) I don’t have a recipe and my ‘style’ is all over the place. But I’m leaning in and I’m following that proverbial inner voice. It’s a little (a lot) scary to do things this way. But I know there are people out there that resonate with the frequency I’m putting out. I know it with every ounce of my being that the way I’m doing things now is the right way for ME. And that’s all that REALLY matters.

I need to be able to sit with myself and feel genuinely good about what I’m creating with and for a client. And for me the ONLY way to do that…is to actually be in the act of creating. You see, there is a difference between taking a photo and creating a photo. The difference is magic and presence. And I think it’s tangible. I think people can tell in a way that most can’t articulate other than ‘you’re good’ and ‘I love your work.’ What I hope is that it moves people. It makes them stop scrolling for a second and sit with it. It makes them say, “I want that for me.” It might be the heart-wrenching one that stops you. Or the flowing gown. I might be the one that looks like a fashion ad or the one that’s nude. Whatever one you see yourself in I’m here for.

Alright, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. Here’s Maeve Act 2.