So, as you may have noticed, I am not a person who is very fond of blurting out my entire personal life over social media for the world to see...🙄 So, this post may come as a surprise...🥳
As a photographer, marketing is (should be, but isn't always) my number 1 priority. And being in this market, I should not only 'sell' my work, but in a way I have to 'sell' myself. The reason why is because on your wedding day, or any other lifestyle shoot, I - for those moments - become a part of your life. The impact I have on, for example your wedding day, plays a HUUUGE role in whether you actually end up enjoying your day, or not. I’ve heard too many stories from clients that had attended a wedding where they could see the photographer had been too pushy, too controlling, a bit rude, and ended up ruining the couple’s day! It saddened me to hear that because your wedding day should be FUN and exciting!! You therefore have to make sure that you get along with your photographer - it is pretty important. And to be honest, it's somewhat difficult to see whether you will get along with someone when the only correspondence you have is through e-mail, and the only evidence you see is my work, everything but me.
I therefore have decided to make a little effort into 'selling' myself (this sounds so wrong, but let's go with it) 🙈!
My name is Samantha Jade van Zanten. I am the lady in the photo - - hi! This is literally the first time I have been in front of the lens instead of behind it, and I still prefer being behind it! 🙈I promise that if you call me Samantha, I probably won't respond because I am known, by everyone, as Sammy. I am married to my high school sweetheart, best friend, and love of my life - no not three men, but one man who has it all! 😆I am a teacher, a photographer, a dog-mom, sometimes an adventure-seeker, and always a Netflix and Hot Chocolate seeker. I am blessed to have the best support from my family and my in-laws. And even MORE blessed to have started our own little family. This is the reason why I have been totally MIA these last two months! I have been soaking up every ounce of our little guy since day 1, and have been enjoying the off time I have had with him. He was born just over 2 months ago, and my life has COMPLETELY CHANGED, to say the least. Every moment I have with our little guy, is a moment I want to cherish. It feels like time is flying passed us, and all I want to do is stay in this bubble where he stays tiny. It STILL feels surreal, and becoming a mom to this tiny human has been crazy, all in all, crazy-good! But needless to say, motherhood fits me perfectly! (Please don't think I've mastered it, I only mean that I love every moment of it, every moment of the good AND the bad - even being poo'd on).😂
To be completely honest, I have no idea how I am going to manage everything. Even before our little boy, juggling a full-time job and my photography business was a bit hard. However, somehow things always tend to work out. It is in our human nature to adapt to our surroundings, and having the support from our loved ones really makes the difference. Mostly, I am so thankful to my husband who will be spending time watching our boy when I am away, and allowing me to continue to live my dream as a photographer. I know how much he gives up for me to be doing this...
Other than being a mom and a wife to the best husband, I am completely down to earth 🌍and enjoy the little things in life, like watching the sunset and just realising once again how small I am in a universe created so big, and still I am dearly loved by its Creator. This blows my mind every day. 🤯
I am also a person who likes to have fun and joke around. This is what makes it a bit easier with my clients on their wedding day. I make a point of it to be sure that a bridal couple’s day is super fun, and making jokes, and owning bad posing is what makes us all human. It’s the “awkward” posing moments that really brings good laughter, and laughter is what I thrive on - because this is when I capture those authentic and candid images (it’s not always just a fake laugh)! So, when my clients look at their wedding photos, I want then to say: “Wow, we had fun that day!”
Having said that, REAL and honest photography is what I love most. If I am able to beautifully capture a couple’s raw and honest moments with each other, I have succeeded. And when we look at your wedding day as a whole, we realise that your photos are the ONLY thing you can actually take with you. It’s the only memory you can actually look at and show people. That is why choosing your Wedding Photographer might be the most important part of your wedding day — no pressure on me!
However, even though I enjoy being a little silly, I strongly believe in professionalism. I want to make everyone feel comfortable, and treating everyone with respect, does exactly that. I mean, this is my business, after all, and being a boss is all about being professional.
It’s crazy to think how my life is turning out, and this is just the starting line! I can only thank our Heavenly Father for blessing me with all I have. Not many people feel such a great passion toward two different jobs. Being a teacher AND a photographer just proves that one can have more than one calling in life. And I am so thankful, and feel so blessed.
I am very excited about what the future holds, and even more excited to meet new clients so I can turn my passion for photography into a lifetime of moments.
Allow me to capture your beautiful moment while having fun!
With Love Sammy
