Capitalizing on Your Strengths

We can be so hard on ourselves that we neglect to notice the areas where we excel. We tend to get so caught up in our flaws that we forget to nurture our strengths. Everybody has weaknesses because we're only human, so today, we're talking about maximizing your strengths and talents and capitalizing on them!

Truly capitalizing on your photography and business powers is how you'll be able to grow a strong business and increase income. Tap into those areas of expertise and share them with the world!

What would you say your strengths are? Are you spectacular at marketing? Can you make your subjects comfortable in front of the camera? Do you enjoy bookkeeping, and you're fantastic at it as well? If you don't know where to begin to identify them, what did your clients say in their raving reviews?

Create a list of all of your skills. It'll be a great encouragement whenever you're feeling imposter syndrome or being extra hard on yourself. With all of those talents on your list, there's at least one you could use to create educational content, raise your prices, or diversify your income. What are the other avenues you could take your business down?

How can you play on your strengths to attract your ideal clients? Discover a way your talents can speak even louder to your market, so there's no hesitation whether or not you understand their concerns and needs. Are you great at planning and can provide a seamless elopement experience for your couples? Do you live in a high tourist area and know the best photo spots and things to do? Think about what potential clients are searching for so that you can create content that solves their dilemmas. They'll find your name everywhere and see you're an expert in the field.

Share about your areas of expertise often and include photo examples or BTS footage. Show yourself in action and give viewers a peek into the experience you offer. Communicate your strong points and focus on finding ways to improve those areas to make them shine even more.

Yes, every person has weaknesses, but they also have their strengths! We love to hear your feedback, so drop us a line if you enjoyed reading this topic and found it uplifting

Building A Strong Portfolio

A strong portfolio doesn't mean showing that you can photograph everything but that you're a master of your niche. Beginner photographers may feel a vast portfolio is better, while seasoned professionals will tell you curation is crucial.

A photographer's favorite images will tell you a lot about them and their artistry, so be cognizant of the message your favorites are relaying. Clear brand identity immediately lets potential clients know if you're the right fit for them.

Today, we're letting you in on the secrets for building and maintaining a stellar portfolio. Ready to start attracting your dream clients by wowing them with your work? If your answer is "Yes!”, It's time to start reading!

Consistency over variety. Consistent editing, naturally posed subjects, and thoughtfully composed photographs comprise a portfolio that will stand the test of time. You don't have to show photos from every wedding or job. Only include the best of the best in your portfolio. It could hurt you more to incorporate an image that isn't very strong just for the sake of variety.

Update your portfolio at least one to two times a year. As your style evolves, you may be amazed by what you had considered your best work. It's a constant process of improving and refining. As your artistry develops, make sure your website is current.

Your portfolio should reflect your ideal client. There's a disconnect if you want to attract a formal aesthetic but show rustic weddings. If you're more about the perfectly imperfect candids, show it! Potential clients can only decide if they want to inquire from the work you share, so they need to quickly see that you understand the look and vibe they want. They should be able to envision themselves in your photos.

Your website is not your only portfolio. Before someone even looks at your website, let alone make it to your portfolio page, they check out your Instagram. Draw them in so that they want to know more about your services through your site! Keep them consistent with one another to ensure your IG doesn't give off a different vibe than your website or vice versa. You'll lose a lead if they're confused by which vibe is you.

Get a second opinion. Ask a fellow photographer friend to review your portfolio selections. An extra pair of eyes is great for catching something you might've overlooked and can provide an objective opinion since they're not emotionally attached to particular images.

How do you feel about your portfolio? Are you proud of it, or is it still a work in progress?

Five Things To Do If You Feel Stuck

Feeling stuck feels like no matter how much effort you spend, you're not moving in any direction, not budging even an inch. It can happen to all of us, and its duration varies, but it makes us ask ourselves, "What should I do to move forward?"

Today, we have five actionable steps to take whenever you're feeling stuck and don't know what to do next. Bookmark this one for later because you never know when you might need it!

1. Discover why you feel stuck. Knowing the root cause of the dilemma will help you resolve it. You can't fix an issue before identifying it. Are you unsatisfied with your work? Perhaps you're not booking your dream jobs? Do you want to raise your prices, but you're scared of losing bookings? Reveal what the pain point is.

2. Invest in education. A proven course, group mastermind, or 1:1 coaching are great options to propel your business forward. Directly learning from someone who is where you dream about being can help you reach your goals faster. An outsider's perspective could pinpoint problems sooner and provide innovative solutions you wouldn't have thought of on your own.

3. Learn a new technique. Challenge yourself to master a new skill like learning film, off-camera flash, long exposures, or even building frames. Whatever photo conditions make you nervous on wedding days or photoshoots means those are areas where you can improve. Having a solid skillset gives confidence by knowing you can produce incredible images no matter what.

4. Create personal work. If you have an idea for an extraordinary photoshoot concept that would attract your ideal clients, it's time to bring that vision to life. Devote the time and resources necessary to build a portfolio you love and are excited to share while elevating your brand. There's no reason not to be in love with your portfolio!

5. Expand your niche or market. Branching into motherhood or product photography is a great way to increase income without taking up weekend days if you're a wedding photographer. If you feel your ideal clients aren't in your local area, expand your market reach to other cities and focus on being a destination photographer. 

Wait for the breakthrough. This period of feeling stuck could be the catalyst that brings you into your greatest growth. Consistently put in the work, and don't get discouraged. Ambition isn't stagnant and propels us ahead, so we don't stay in the same place forever. 

Valuing Your Time

You can recoup financial losses, but once time is gone, it's gone forever. Some view time as an unlimited supply, but it's precious and fleeting. You'll never get the hours back you spend working, so any time spent on your business is time away from your family or personal life. What is that time away from loved ones worth to you?

When you start your business, time feels like the only resource freely available. You might not have minded adding additional hours to a wedding package to book it because more time didn't directly raise your cost. But as you continue your business, you'll see how much that viewpoint truly costs you.

Have you ever thought about how much time you spend on a single job? Calculate emails to phone consultations to preparing contracts to commute time to actual shooting time to culling and editing. It's a lot of hours! Say your standard collection price average is $500 an hour for a wedding day. For an eight-hour wedding, that's a total of $4,000. Now, divide it by the total hours spent on one wedding. It ends up being much less than $500, right?

Destination weddings sound glamourous, but also factor in the time on the plane, waiting at the airport, and packing. You can basically lose two whole days between traveling to your destination and back. So would discounting your services to book a destination wedding be worth it to you in the end? 

Another viewpoint on time is to allow yourself to spend money if it saves you time or frees your time, so you have an opportunity to focus on something else. Outsourcing tasks in business or something like housecleaning takes items off your to-do list. Is it beneficial to spend the money to gain more time? By spending money to accomplish an aspect you don't enjoy, you'll enable yourself to maximize your time and even broaden your workload capacity. 

Start guarding your time and understanding its value. Ask yourself, "What amount of money is this job that takes X hours worth to me in exchange for my time?" Some jobs sound spectacular, and FOMO can set in when you think about the opportunity passing you by, but if you're not being paid accordingly for your time and talent, you may regret having accepted the job in the end. 

There are only twenty-four hours in a day, and the calendar only moves forward. If you can spend more time on jobs as an investment for your future business, and it's worth it to you, that's great. If you'll only work for your set price because you feel time away at weddings is a sacrifice because it takes you away from your family, that's great too. Value your time and do what is best for you and your business. Just understand what it means for you and your personal life.

Community over Competition

Community over competition is a buzz phrase we've all seen a hundred times, but do we fully understand the concept? It's a positive mindset to keep and one that can revolutionize how you view your creative community. When you see other photographers as real people instead of competing businesses, you'll want them to succeed too.

So, how do we go about practicing it? Today, we have five actionable steps so you can live out the motto. 

1. Compliment and encourage one another. A thoughtful comment on Instagram or an email to let someone know how much you admire their work could make their day and start a beautiful friendship! A kind word goes a long way. You never know what someone is going through and how much an uplifting message could mean to them.

2. Celebrate their wins. If you can't share the joy of someone else's successes, how can you expect others to share in yours? You'll walk a slippery slope if you feel others' victories rob you of your own. Someone else's success doesn't prevent or take away from yours. There is more than enough room for you and others to succeed.

3. Remember that sharing is caring. Share your knowledge or resources whenever you can, in generous amounts. Be an open book, and don't be afraid to share freely. Imagine yourself in their shoes and how helpful it would be if someone took the time to answer a question or to lend a hand.

4. Be genuinely kind. In-person, online, and at the job, always treat people with kindness. It's one thing to post about being nice to others and promoting community over competition, and another to actually live it. 

5. Stay humble. Give back as often as possible, and remember where you started. Inspire others with your journey and help others in theirs. Continually learn and acknowledge that you don't know everything. Befriend everyone from newbie photographers to those very renowned. Everyone was a beginner at some point.

Valuing a community mindset over profit will get you further in the end. When hard times come, it's the community of kindred spirits you fostered and invested in who will be by your side to help you through. True friends are a rich blessing in life and the industry.

Better Getting Ready Photos

The getting ready portion of a wedding day can be one of the most stunning parts to capture. Yards of gorgeous fabrics and stylish details make the perfect eye candy! You may believe you can only create gorgeous photos in a beautiful room, so we're dishing out all the tips to equip you to create magic anywhere.

As these photos are often a priority, today, we're talking about how you can make them even better in any situation. Sit back and grab your coffee because you're not going to want to miss this one!

Tight, small rooms can be a common problem, so invest in a 35mm lens when you need a wider angle or those full-body frames. As portrait photographers, it's easy to forget to take horizontal images throughout the day, so mix it up and play with composition in a different orientation.

If the space allows, bring a backdrop and stand for studio-style portraits. It's a trend we've noticed in celebrity weddings (most notably Paris Hilton), and we are here for it! There are limitless backdrop options, so you have a huge variety at your fingertips for every style. You could even set up in a shady area outside for optimum light!

A neutral, empty wall can be a lifesaver. Place your subject against it, and it's perfect for grabbing closeups of buttoning the gown, putting on the earrings, and adjusting the cuff links and tie. Do be mindful of extreme shadows and bring a reflector to minimize them!

Don't be afraid to rearrange the room or move to another one. Be proactive and take the extra couple of minutes necessary to do whatever it takes to create a cover-worthy shot. In the end, you'll be thankful you did when you see the results! Sometimes, it may be moving a table or taking a photo off the wall. It's the little things that make a big difference.

Show up early, even if it's on your own time. Some couples opt for coverage to start right as the bride gets into her gown, but if you feel arriving earlier is beneficial, it's certainly worth it. Consider how it would add to the final gallery and if it's a wedding you'd love to share with potential clients or if it's at a venue where you want to become a preferred vendor.

Don't forget about the groom! Groom portraits and getting ready shots sometimes seem like an afterthought, so step up your game and make his photos stellar too. It's an element that can set your work apart and be an incredible addition to the full gallery. If you need inspiration, look at GQ!

Longevity & Sustainability

You can only burn the candle at both ends for so long, so you need a sustainable and profitable business model for longevity. Even those who thrive on a packed schedule will eventually need a change of pace if they're in it for the long run.

Loving your job as a photographer is a blessing but comes with downsides. It's often difficult to separate work from your personal life when they're so closely connected. No matter how much you enjoy your profession, working more than you live is not a routine you'd want to keep forever.

A sustainable business model will ensure your business can consistently thrive without interfering with your personal life. A 24/7 working window is not sustainable and will only lead to burnout. Seasons of constant hustling are inevitable but not meant to be maintained. Figure out a system you can be excited about to live with long-term for longevity. 

Running yourself ragged could sacrifice your health and force you to take a step back anyway. Before you even reach that point, be aware of when you need rest and pay attention to signs of burnout. Study your business model and notice what areas give you life or leave you drained.

The ultimate goal is to make more income while working less. Can you increase your prices? How can you diversify your income? Can you build a team to lighten your load? If you feel you're always working, do you need to set boundaries between business hours and off time?

There are moments when it can be beyond tempting to throw in the towel. You wonder how much longer you can go on at this nonstop pace. But when you have an efficient workflow that saves time and enables you the freedom to live the life you want, you'll never wonder why this is the career you chose.

Longevity and sustainability are a necessity if you want to hit the double-digit years of being in business. Envision your dream work/life balance, then implement whatever changes are needed to make it a reality. As CEO, you have the authority to change anything you don't like about your workflow model or workplace environment. You are capable of having the business of your dreams!

Making Business Moves

Whether it's raising your prices, niching down, or deciding it's time for a rebrand, making your next business move is exciting but scary. You never know which step could be your breakthrough! Always check with yourself that every move you make gets you closer to your end goals and aligns with your vision for your life. Motivation and commitment are slow to come when you're not 100% passionate about what you're doing.

There are hundreds of great business moves to be made, but just because it's great doesn't mean it's good for you. Know your priorities and know the why behind your decisions in business. Intentionality fuels every step with purpose.

Figuring out your next move can feel like navigating a ship without a map. How do you arrive at your desired destination without knowing which course to take? Think about the big picture and where you see yourself in the next few years. What steps can you take to get you from where you are now to where you want to be? Build the metaphorical bridge so you can cross that chasm!

Actionable, consistent steps, however small, will be what pushes the needle forward. Do you want to expand your brand into education? Take on more weddings through an associate team? Book international destination weddings? Each ambition has a pathway to make it possible. 

Time is precious, so be sure you're pouring your energy and efforts into what matters to you. You may find you're using up your resources in areas where your ROI is lowest or in places that don't fully serve your mission.

Understand the outcome of the move you plan to make. Recognize its meaning to you and what importance it holds for your business. Change can bring fear and uncertainty, but on the other side, your best life yet may just be waiting! Push through the doubt and remember that you're not alone. Believe that your hard work and patience will pay off eventually.

Being a business owner is not stagnant. With every decision, you'll gain experience and wisdom that will lead to growth. Each business move's results may vary, but as long as you maintain a positive attitude and persevering heart, you'll win every time.