looking to learn more about becoming a full time photographer? check out the Branches & Light Workshop i’ll be teaching with my dear friend, caroline joy! just click HERE to read all about it.
what’s in your bag?
2 canon 5d’s
2 5d battery packs
16-35mm 2.8
24-70mm 2.8
24mm 1.4 {a very close 2nd favorite}
70-200mm 2.8
50mm 1.4 {probably my favorite!}
50mm 2.8 macro
what lighting equipment do you use?
while i love (and prefer) natural light, i never leave it up to chance! i use…
2 alienbee b400′s
2 580exii’s
3 light stands
4 pocket wizards
1 small light box
anything else you can’t shoot without?
shootsac
tenba
plenty of CF cards (mostly 8Gs)
a portable hardrive
lowel video light
what is your computer setup?
24″ iMac
15″ MacBook Pro
4 TB’s of External Hard Drives for backup
1 Portable 250G Hard Drive
your editing software of choice?
Lightroom 2.0
Photoshop
InDesign
Bridge
do you use actions?
yes, i use the Boutwell’s Totally Rad Actions. you can do so much with these!
do you shoot in RAW or JPEG?
RAW all the way baby! you can do so much more with a RAW file, it’s incredible.
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my favorite photography vendors
website – show it fast
blog – prophotoblogs
albums – KISS
prints – whcc
gallery hosting – instaproofs
dvd cases – jewelboxing
business cards/stationary – salutations
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recommended books & readings
how to win friends & influence people by dale carnegie {my favorite}
the greatest salesman in the world by og mandino
tribes by seth godin
professional photographer’s magazine (become a member of ppa to receive it!)
stacy reeve’s “the single greatest guide to wedding photography pricing that ever was and ever will be”
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how i stay inspired
i set goals for myself on a regular basis. personal and professional. (to follow my goals, check in the 1st of every month for my monthly goal updates!)
i follow my favorite photographers’ blogs (jose, millie, simplybloom & abryanphoto to name a few!)
journaling. praying. reading scripture.
magazines are full of inspiration! southern weddings magazine, pottery barn, grace ormonde, real simple, anthropologie, j crew
i create a session just for me. i dream about it, plan it, and make it happen… or, i just grab my camera and go. it keeps me loving photography instead of feeling burnt out.
workshops are a great way to learn from other photographers & keep up with the changing industry we are in.
{love affair workshop; lighting the moment workshop}
doing “session swaps” with fellow photographers. it’s so fun and it reminds me how much photos to mean to my clients.
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thoughts & advice for those starting a photography business
{i don’t have perfect advice, but only what i have learned from my own pursuit of my photography business. and if there is one thing i’ve learned, it’s that every photographer’s story is different. everyone chooses photography for different reasons, and everyone achieves “success” at different paces, with different goals in mind. so firstly, ask yourself, “why am i doing this? is this truly my passion? what do i like to take pictures of? what is my style? who would i like to emulate? how can i put my unique perspective into photographs?” and with those questions in your mind, start your pursuit.}
- be yourself. you can’t borrow other photographers’ ideas, thoughts or styles and be genuine. take pictures of what you think is beautiful, because you are the professional. your clients are trusting you to make the difficult decisions.
- always shoot in manual. nothing else!
- take charge! it not only creates the photograph you want but it makes your clients feel comfortable. most people are very uncomfortable being in front of a camera, so if you are telling them what to do, it distracts them from their discomfort. tell your client exactly how to stand, what expression to make. there are no limits except those we impose on ourselves when it comes to making a photograph.
- keep smiling. no matter what happens.
- do everything in your power to protect your clients images and keep your equipment functioning properly. always charge your batteries, clear your cards, & back up, back up, & back up your images!
- become a credible business by paying taxes, insuring your business & equipment, keeping up with quickbooks, and making financial goals and a long term plan.
- know the technical side of creating a beautiful photo. get as much as you can exactly how you like it inside your camera, so you can keep editing to a minimum after.
- don’t go into debt for your business. ever. never ever. i have run my entire business on cash, and it has allowed me to gain momentum at a much more rapid pace than some of my photographer friends who are still in debt. [for more small business financial advice, i go to daveramsey.com]
- learn to say “i am a photographer.” declare it, think it, believe it, and that’s what you’ll be.
- learn to say no. no to clients who want you to bend over backwards, no to new equipment that sparkles (& is usually crazy expensive), no to sessions when you start to over-book yourself. your business will take over your life if you let it; promise.
- yes, the customer is always right, BUT you are the one running your business. don’t forget that. while meeting every clients need as best as you can, don’t go out of the boundaries you’ve set for yourself.
- build relationships with other photographers, vendors, venues, & bloggers in your local community. give to them constantly… they will give back!
- pay attention to your pricing! don’t choose numbers out of thin air, but pay attention to the cost of running your business, taxes, having a business emergency fund, and your profits. make it make sense. i highly recommend stacy reeve’s photography pricing guide. take the time to set your pricing up!
- frustration will come, so embrace it! allow it to push you further. those who do not give up are those that win.
- know the difference between what people perceive photography to be, and what it actually is. since we photographers are visual people, this should help:
