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.

Getting out of The Scarcity Mindset

One of the most common complaints in the photography industry is that the market is over-saturated. You'll hear many laments, "There are at least twenty photographers in my town! It's almost impossible to book anything!" Have you ever shared these sentiments?

Having a scarcity mindset will negatively impact your life and how you run your business. The truth is enough jobs for every price point and style exist. If you view everyone as competition, you'll miss out on the fantastic community within the industry.

Today, we're here to challenge you to refresh your mindset. It's time to move past believing there's only one job for every fifty photographers. It's time to get out of a scarcity mentality and move to one of abundance. This new point of view might change your life!

Each photographer's max number of clients varies, and their ideal client is different than yours. You only need to find your twenty or so clients to have a stellar year's worth of work. Some photographers even limit their bookings to ten weddings, while the US averages 2.4 million weddings in 365 days.

Some photographers will choose a different profession after a few years even though they're at the top of their game, while others will do photography until retirement. New photographers will enter the field while established ones leave. It's an ever-evolving career landscape, which means there's room and a place for everyone.

Having a scarcity mentality can lead to feelings of desperation, and that's never a good place to be. It's hard to operate at your best and make wise business decisions if you're experiencing a sense of panic.

Remember that someone else's success does not take away from your own. With social media, it's easy to be distracted and disheartened when you see your peers booking incredible jobs, but trust that what's intended for you will find you. The comparison game will get you nowhere, so focus on what you have already accomplished and how far you've come. Your moment will come.

Keep putting in the hard work and creating imagery that makes your soul happy. The world is full of countless opportunities and doors that could open if you only knock. 

How To Be a Phenomenal Second Shooter

If photographers had academy awards, there's no doubt winning the best second shooter would be equivalent to winning best supporting actor. Second photographers play a vital role on a wedding day, and being someone the main photographer knows they can trust wholeheartedly is invaluable. We put together our best advice so you can provide the best second shooter experience anyone has ever had!

Be a team player. Remember that it's about serving the couple well while capturing beautiful photos. Take photos you can be proud of and love, and don't worry that your name isn't directly attached to them. When your goal is to serve to the best of your ability, you won't inwardly complain if you don't get to photograph the gorgeous reception details. Your role is to help the main photographer tell the wedding day's story.

Take the initiative. Don't stand around waiting to be told what to do. Clear the getting ready area to prepare for photos without being asked. If there's a lull, grab detail photos of the venue. Know the star shots you should capture and provide direction if you're in charge of certain portions on your own. Help the main photographer keep track of their equipment and phone.

Anticipate needs. Bring water to the main photographer, carry the bride's train from place to place, or assist with boutonnières. Always be aware of everything happening and ways you can help, even if they aren't directly photography related.

Arrive early. Showing up before your start time will be appreciated and infinitely better than being late! An early window of 15 min. is perfect.

Familiarize yourself with the timeline. Having an idea of the flow of the day beforehand will help you prepare and not have to wonder what moment is next. 

Pro tip: Set the timeline as your phone lock screen for quick access. You never know when the lead photographer may need to reference it too!

Study the main photographer's style. It's important to capture images how they would so the whole gallery is cohesive. Do they shoot wide or tight crops? What are their preferred lenses? What poses do they use often?

Capture different angles. Never capture the same thing from the same direction or focal length as the lead. Add variety to the overall gallery by getting artistic with crops or shooting horizontal if they're shooting vertical.

Pro tip: Try to utilize balconies or staircases for an overhead view!

Bring styling supplies and other equipment. Share your styling kit or anything else that could be useful for the day. It's especially beneficial to bring your entire arsenal if the photographer you're assisting is from out of town and unable to pack everything they commonly would for a local wedding.

We hope this article provided some insight on how to be an extraordinary second shooter and asset to a photographer's team!

Networking

It's so exciting when you have the chance to meet vendors you've been dreaming of working with and have the prospect of creating a connection. Networking is a beautiful part of the industry, and working alongside friends makes jobs even more fun.

Fostering work relationships into friendships will not only bring in referrals but makes the industry less of a lonely place. Having friends who can relate to your work experiences and who you can talk shop with is invaluable.

Today, we're sharing four keys to networking to help you create connections and nurture those vendor relationships into lasting friendships. Let's dive in!

1. Put yourself out there. Don't be afraid to send a kind word and interact with someone you'd love to work with on Instagram. If someone you're following will be visiting your area and you think it'd be fun to connect, offer to take them to dinner or show them around a bit. If you're traveling and you have someone in mind you'd like to meet, send them a message to see if they're available for coffee. 

Having the right connection can open doors qualifications never could, so initiate the conversation, and you never know what incredible things could happen.

2. Remember community over competition. Photographers need photographers too! Don't limit your networking to vendors who aren't photographers. Having friends who are also photographers can help and be a blessing in countless ways. When you second shoot or associate for friends, it's the perfect reminder that their success also means your success. There's room for everyone to thrive.

3. Find your tribe. Have a base of friends you can connect with regularly, whether in person or via FaceTime or messaging. It means the world to have peers who can offer feedback, encouragement, and support. Knowing you have friends in the industry who have your back and believe in you is an immense treasure.

4. Create a referral network. Once you've established your tribe, assemble a list of favorite vendors to recommend to clients. Your friends will be thrilled to hear they gained a client from your word of mouth and may return the favor. It's important to have relationships with vendors in your pricing market so you can share clients and gradually level up together.

We hope this article empowers you to go out and network! This industry is full of so many amazing people, so we challenge you to DM or email three new people who share your vibe!

Building a Social Media Presence

Love it or hate it, social media is an essential part of a business in this digital day and age. Having an active presence reinforces your brand and encourages engagement with your audience. Think about your ideal clients when creating content, and remember the goal behind every post: converting followers to clients. A high number of followers doesn't mean anything if you're not reaching potential clients.

When someone scrolls through your feed, they're trying to get a sense of who you are while determining if they like your work and can imagine working with you. Put yourself in a potential follower's shoes and see what you can discern about your profile in a minute or less. Can they clearly see what your photography niche is? Would they find your captions valuable and engaging? Are they compelled to watch your story because you left them wanting more?

We know social media plays a vital role in a business, though it's an area where many photographers struggle, so here's our best advice for building your social media presence!

Post often. You don't necessarily have to post every day, but if you haven't posted in months, someone who comes across your account is likely to wonder if you're still in business. Even if you posted on your story yesterday, it could've expired by the time someone checks out your profile.

Pro tip: Your stories are for your faithful followers, and posts are for growing your audience.

Choose what you want to be associated with your account. In addition to photography, what else do you want to be known for sharing? Travel, food, fashion, personal life, etc.? Let your followers know the type of content to expect by selecting a few primary themes.

Study your favorite accounts. Ask yourself what you love about them and what makes you a faithful follower. Even if it has nothing to do with photography, examine what aspects you can incorporate into your account model and content calendar.

Remember quality over quantity. Avoid posting for the sake of posting. Sharing work that isn't your best or off-brand could end up hurting you in the long run. Always ask yourself these questions before clicking "Post."

• Does this photo attract my ideal client?

• Does this post create a connection or encourage engagement?

• Does this post serve my audience?

Share your heart and who you are. You may find it difficult to share personal things, but your followers want to connect with you. Determine how much or little you're comfortable with sharing and decide how you can go from there. Your audience wants to know the person behind the business. Share beyond what you do to establish the know, like, trust factor.

We hope this advice helps you create a new social media strategy and builds your online presence!

Maintaining & Monitoring Growth

Growth is essential in every area of life but especially crucial in a business. A thriving business tracks its growth regularly and knows which steps to take to maintain progress. Your business should be growing to some extent every year, but remember that success doesn't happen overnight. Growth, however small, is still progress. 

Maintaining steady growth will establish your business and expand your brand. No matter your level of business, there's always room for growth. Approach everything with a mindset to learn, and you'll go further faster.

To measure growth, compare where you are this year to the same time last year. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised to see your business has grown more than you thought.

Look back over your years of business and pinpoint the areas of growth that led to where you are now. Was there a breakthrough year or a dream job that opened doors? Did you have a revelation that completely changed how you approach business? Can you remake the recipe that resulted in those strides of growth? 

If you feel stuck and don't see growth, focus on one area at a time to develop. Devote your time and attention to it and consider investing in education or mentorship. Avoid the comparison game, and don't get discouraged. Growth can be slow but stay the course, and you're hard work and dedication will be rewarded eventually.

Once you've started growing, it's time to maintain it! Surround yourself with people who inspire you to challenge yourself and push for excellence. Look for ways to expand your business's market and increase your passive income. Make it a goal to learn something new in photography or business management every year. 

Submit your work to top publications and raise your prices to reach a new clientele. Become an educator and teach topics you're passionate about and have a wealth of knowledge to share. Niche down your brand or pivot to specialize in a new industry. 

The incredible thing about being a creative business owner is there are no limits to the direction you can take! Grow at your own pace and on the right path for you. Know that you're capable of reaching the moon and having the business of your dreams.