As we sat around the table, eating Casey’s pizza with our fingers, we tried to remember how it was that we all met. We pinned it back to PPI when we first all met each other, but the intricacies of who met whom when were much harder to figure out. Sarah and I had met online very randomly; Laura and Sarah had met through a volunteer program; Cara and Laura had met each other because Laura had taken Cara’s photos…and somehow, we all ended up together.

It was only after a bit of debate that we realized it’s only been a bit over a year since that happened. It was kind of a dumbfounding moment of, “Wait, we’ve only known each other for a year?!” I suppose our connection must have been rather instantaneous for us to work hard enough to merge our schedules so that we could all get together. During the busy season, we don’t get together as often and during the slower season, we get to pencil in extra girl’s nights…and it always includes Casey’s pizza and some sort of delicious homemade dessert.

We never have an agenda for these get-togethers. We are, first and foremost, friends and confidants. Yes, we always end up talking business and maybe it’s simply for the fact that we all get equally excited about shutter speeds and prime lenses and white balance, but it’s also because we get each other. We support each other. We motivate each other. We respect each other. No two of us run our businesses the same and we know that it’s okay because we love that we’re all different. Cara likened it to have coworkers; we don’t have an office like a “normal” job, but this is our safe place to bounce ideas around and be real about our struggles, our accomplishments, and our goals.

Our latest girl’s night involved testing out new white balance tricks, new cameras (yummy Mark III), and delicious, golden backlight. Valerie Duvick of Photography Faux Pas was there to film and interview us so, after playing around with shooting and eating our fill of pizza and chocolate cake, we settled into Laura’s studio for some questions. It took almost 20 tries before we could get through our first task: saying our name and photography specialty. Cara got the case of the giggles, which sent me into a case of the giggles and we figured that we’d be there shooting for 2 hours at that rate.

But it made me appreciate these friends even more because nothing could’ve portrayed us better than laughter and loud voices.

One of the final questions Valerie asked us was what we would say to other photographers who want to be part of a group like ours and, even though we never actually finished that question, my advice would be simple: take down your guard, be willing to be vulnerable, and approach photographers with honesty. For us, we were blessed to have our group form very organically, and if I didn’t have this group of ladies, I would feel lost in this industry.

So please, take that step, find other photographers in your area, reach out to them, and maybe a year later, you’ll be just like us wondering if it’s really only been a year. (Here’s the proof: a photo from the first time we met in February 2011.)

Video by our newest friend, Valerie Duvick. (Original video posted here.)

Sarah – Photographer/Owner of Sarah Nebel Photography, specializing in families and children

Cara – Photographer/Owner of Cara Hocking Photography, specializing in babies and children

Laura – Photographer/Owner of New Creation Photography and Design, specializing in births, babies, and children

Emily – Photographer/Owner of Emily Crall Photography, specializing in weddings (photo below by Laura)

Near mishaps…