I learned a lot from shooting this event. Being a photographer is about so much more than just standing behind the camera. A photographer needs to be assertive. I felt a little bit like someone who isn't used to having photos taken of themselves; it took me a while to warm up. Once I did, though, it didn't seem like such a big deal. Where I'm used to one on one sessions, I don't have as much experience taking photos of a group of people I don't know. I felt vulnerable. I had to remind myself that I wasn't being intrusive, that I had been asked to be there. This dinner taught me that if I'm going to pursue this as my profession I'm going to not only need to push myself more in the technical skills, but also in my ability to put people at ease. Personality and confidence need to be as much a part of my brand as anything else in order to accomplish what I'm setting out to accomplish.