articles you might like
Why Bending My Own Rules Cost Me Two Days of Photography Work
Have you ever made a stupid mistake that gets you mad when you think about it even years later? I still get mad when I think of this story. I went hiking with the dogs knowing it was going to be overcast and that the sun wouldn't burn through the clouds. So I decided not to wear sunscreen. My hike was a slow, three-hour, three-mile hike, with lots of stops for pictures for me and water for the dogs. By the time we returned home, the sun was out and I was proud of myself for not having gotten burned. Since it was such a nice day, my husfriend and I went to work washing all three dogs outside...
When to Hire an Assistant as a Photographer
When I was waitressing part time, acting part time and doing photoshoots part time, I hired an assistant. I paid a friend to drive all over town to drop off my marketing postcards to display at various businesses for actors to find me. I had two jobs which meant that’s how I made ends meet but I still hired someone else to drive all over town for me instead of doing it myself. Because I knew that I made more money doing my “high value” jobs of waitressing and photoshoots than I would if I did the low value job of driving around town. Soon after that, while...
Why Your Images Don’t Look “Wow” Right Out of Camera (and How to Fix It)
I recently worked with a student who came into the studio to learn about natural lighting for headshots. As we were going over post processing, she said something that I’ve heard multiple times during my in-person Masterclasses (which by the way is now retired in anticipation of the release of my digital course). It usually goes something like this, “Wow, your images look so good right out of the camera.” At first I didn’t think much about this comment. My images coming out of the camera looking good isn’t really anything special… so I thought. But as I kept...
Get More Photography Clients With “Know, Like & Trust”
But first, you need to understand marketing. What is marketing? Let me guess, you think marketing is an icky thing to do, so you avoid it at all cost. It can definitely feel uncomfortable to market yourself *if* that's how you feel. Here’s the thing. Marketing isn’t about "selling”, it’s about solving your ideal client's problem as it relates to your business. Believe it or not, you're in the business of solving problems first, and then taking pictures. What Marketing Isn't (and I see photographers doing this all the time on social media): Pushy sales tactics Self-promotion Generic,...