After the ceremony and its memorable shots, the final moment of the wedding day is when the bride and groom leave in their getaway car to enjoy their lives as newlyweds. Before this happens, they want to say goodbye to their family and friends and leave the reception together. A creative and exciting way to spice up this part of the shoot is to have a sparkler exit. During the sparkler exit, the bride’s guests stand outside the reception hall, form a line, light sparklers, and cheer the couple on as they leave the building.
How often do you post on your blog? If you are like some photographers, blogging may be your least favorite part of your workflow. In addition to everything else you have to take care of in your business, posting to your blog is another task you have to check off the list (but you may not always have the time or motivation to do so). And what happens when you have writer’s block?
As author Ann Handley mentions in her book Everybody Writes, writer’s block (or as she calls it, “writer’s evasion”) is the reluctance to begin writing. But as a person who has a following of ideal clients, and other photographers in the industry, posting to your blog can help you share your creative thoughts, connect with clients, and provide relevant information to other photographers.
What are some topics you can write about to keep your blog relevant and interesting? Your personal photography story is a great place to start on your blog. If your story is like many others in the industry, you likely had some growing pains in the beginning. But, here you are, posting on your own blog for your business. The journey you took shaped you as a person and a photographer, which makes you more relatable to clients and photographers. Here are a few tips to help you overcome writer’s block on your blog through your personal photography story.
Share How You Got Started
Begin your story by explaining to your readers how you got started in your photography career. Were you a school teacher who took photos on the side, or perhaps you were a stay-at-home parent who loved photography but didn’t have the time? Whatever your story is, share the beginnings on your blog. This will provide readers with an idea of your background, which shapes who you are.
Social media is one of the fastest ways to quickly communicate with your ideal clients at any time. Rather than waiting for the best time to call a client, you can use social media to answer their questions or check in on the process. Although social media should never take the place of personal calls or in-person meetings, it can be a helpful resource to help you stay top of mind with clients (past, present, and future).
Do you currently have a Facebook business page? Not only can you find your ideal clients through advanced targeting methods, you can share relevant content with your audience based on the specifications you choose. In the past, we’ve covered how to share your brand on your Facebook business page through your cover image design, as well as how to double your exposure. What else can you do to make your page a true reflection of you and your business? Since Facebook allows you to customize your business page, we wanted to share 3 fast ways to do so to help you continue to find clients who are perfect for you (and lead them to your website).
1. Set Preferences for Visible Posts
Facebook is a platform where your clients can interact with you, and many times, they like to post on your page to thank you or ask questions. Although you may be fine with a few comments on your page from clients who had a great experience, what happens when an unhappy client posts a rant or a spammer decides to tag you in an inappropriate post? Not only will this damage your reputation, but it can also cause brand confusion for your followers.
Do you recall the moment you knew you wanted to make your photography dream into a reality and start a photography business? Here at ShootDotEdit, we know running a business is a tough for anyone, and especially as a photographer. Not only do you need to take gorgeous photos and interact with ideal clients, you also have to tend to the important tasks that keep your business running and successful. Since there are so many aspects for you to focus on, how do you know which tasks are most important and ones you can leave behind?
Today, Ben Hartley of Style & Story Creative shares 51 things he wishes he would have known when starting a photography business. These items can help you when you are first starting out in your business, as you can skip some of the tasks which are not necessary to focus on. This list can also help you as a photographer who has been in business for years, as you can take a look at your business and decide what you can change to make every process you have streamlined and succinct.
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1. Being a photographer is 1st being a small business owner and 2nd being a professional photographer
2. You will have less, not more, free time as a small business owner
Of the many tasks you have to work on for your business, knowing how to price wedding photography and your services may be one of your least favorite tasks. But, setting proper photography pricing for your business is a crucial part of your overall success. If you decide to use wedding photography packages in your pricing model, do you know how to set it up so your clients are satisfied and you stay profitable?
How often does this happen to you? You take a look at your tasks for the month and schedule time to work on them based on their importance. Then, there are tasks you have that you know you should work on, but never have the chance to. Those tasks begin to pile up and then you have a bottleneck in your business.
A business bottleneck is something that holds you back from completing the work you know you need to do, but are not excited about. Maybe you feel guilty about pushing it off, or maybe you just dislike doing it altogether. Do you sometimes feel like you are the only photographer in the industry that has business bottlenecks? We have good news; you are not the only one! We have a few photographers who are ready to reveal their largest business bottlenecks, and chances are – they are similar to yours!
Publishing and Sharing Images
Much of the traction you receive for your images happens after you share them on your website, blog, and social media. A few other ways to gain attention for your photos is to publish them on a wedding blog or in a magazine. Also, sharing images with vendors means your work can be in front of their entire audience (who can be ideal clients you have yet to reach). Often times, publishing and sharing images takes many steps, and if it is not currently part of your workflow, you may not get it done.
“Sometimes, I get so busy and move on to the next wedding that I forget to submit the images to a publication or share them with every vendor. It’s huge to share photos with vendors of their work because I couldn’t create those images without their talents. I want them to know I appreciate them after the shoot is over.” – Terra Cooper
Here at ShootDotEdit, we believe “Fast is Best.” We know that one of the keys to success for you is to find ways to speed up various parts of your business. Whether you trim time from your shoots, regular tasks and projects, or post-wedding workflow, you should always think of new ways to become faster at what you do. As well as the tasks you take care of for your business, you spend a lot of time with your camera. During an engagement or wedding shoot, you likely spend hours shooting and adjusting settings on your camera to capture images for the bride and groom.
How well do you know the current camera you use? Have you discovered custom settings on your camera to help you quickly shoot during an engagement shoot or the wedding day? Custom settings for your camera can differ depending on the model, but all achieve the same goal: to eliminate time. Here are 3 custom camera settings you should use to speed up your shoots.
1. Use Back Button Focus
Does this sound familiar? During a shoot, you take multiple images in a row of the bride and groom, and in between each shot you pressed the shutter button halfway down to properly focus the image. You are confident you captured the best photos; however, when you take time to review, you realize that half of the photos are out of focus. Not only is this frustrating, but you risk on missing some of the best moments during the day.
Are you currently working with a partner in your photography business? Having a teammate on your side can be a great experience for you, and can help you become more productive and profitable. Often times, it can be difficult to work with someone in your business, especially if you share a personal life together.
How often do you work with second shooters during a wedding? Second shooters can be a positive addition to your business, and can make the wedding day shoot a bit easier on you. Sometimes, though, working with another photographer can cause challenges. Have you ever had a negative experience with a second shooter who didn’t represent your brand message or photography style? If you train your second shooter correctly before the wedding day, they can be an asset to you and your business. If you do not take the time to train them to understand your unique brand and style, your reputation could be at risk.
Because you may have so much already on your plate, we know adding another item (like finding and training a second shooter) can seem impossible. That is why we are excited to share a resource to help you simplify the process it takes to develop a second shooter to accurately reflect your photography business. In The Ultimate Guide to Second Shooters, created in conjunction with Showit, we share how you can quickly find, train, and empower your second photographers to be a perfect addition to your business!
Our free guide also includes:
– A 10-step process to onboarding successfully
– Simple techniques for training your second shooter
– Strategies to maintain creative control and vision
– Quick tips to hand your second shooter for success
When you shoot an engagement session or wedding, there are elements you look for to ensure you can create the best photos for your clients. From lighting to posing, to location, you make sure that you and your clients are set up for a successful shoot. In addition to the elements you look for, how much attention do you pay to select the perfect background?
The background can help you make a stunning photo, or can turn your shoot into a nightmare if you don’t use it to your advantage! So you can always find a background to suit your shoot, here are 7 tips for selecting the perfect background for your couples.
1. Look for Something New
As a photographer, you may spend time shooting the same locations over and over. While this is fine, don’t be afraid to mix it up. Look for backgrounds that you have not shot before. Perhaps you have always wanted to shoot your couple in front of a busy city or in front of a legendary monument. Find ways to incorporate backgrounds that differentiate your images from past ones. This creates stunning photos for your couple and also keeps you motivated to take dynamic photos.
