I have a confession...
...I’ve been feeling burnt out with photography for the last couple of months. Now I know what you are thinking, how is that possible when we are only a quarter of the way into the year. So, here’s the thing…I really do love photography and every one of my clients. I always looked forward to going over the photos and hearing how much clients loved the photos we captured together. As I’m sure you’ve realized by now there hasn’t been an answer to why I’ve been feeling burnt out.
Around a month ago I set out to figure out why. It was easy to list out all the things I enjoyed about photography; working with the client, editing the photos, checking expenses, creating invoices, pretty much anything to do with running my business. But one thing kept nagging at me about the whole process until finally I realized what was causing the burn out. It was the client experience!
I’ve always felt that the work I was providing to clients was great but the experience of working together wasn’t the best. What I was providing was shoot and burn, whereas we briefly discussed the session, then shot it, then delivered it. That was it, click, edit, deliver, click, edit, deliver. It just was not the luxurious experience that I envisioned when I started on this journey.
After coming to this realization, I started working on coming up with ways on how I could enhance my clients experiences before, during and after our sessions together. And here is what I came up with:
1.Taking the guesswork and headache out of ordering prints!
2.Removing the stress and adding fun back in by planning outfits!
3.Getting you camera ready with hair and makeup!
So, let’s talk about prints, and be honest with me, how many of you have had a session with a photographer, received your digital files and not printed out a single picture? I am guilty of this myself! I admit it, it’s a giant pain in the butt, first you must figure out what size you need…8x10 or 11.x14, then find a place to print them. Do I frame them or not? Canvas or regular print? Do I have the right resolution? There are literally millions of combinations to choose from. My head is spinning just thinking about it. I reached out to a few past clients, a few of my photographer friends, and what I came up with is that most everyone was like me. It was too hard and inconvenient to order prints. When they did order prints they ordered them from places like Walmart, Walgreens or Target and what they received did not capture the quality and beauty of the digital negative.
I started doing my research, ordering test prints, checking labs, calibrating monitors and I am finally able to start offering fine art prints, canvases, metal and heirloom albums! A couple weeks after each session we will sit down together, go over each glorious image from your session, look at examples, and then I will help you make decisions on what images you want printed.
One of the most frequently asked questions I get before a session is “what should I/we wear,” my usual answer is wear something nice but shows your personality and is comfortable. Honestly, I have no idea what that means or looks like. I am terrible with planning outfits, I can barely get myself dressed in the morning! I knew I had to do something to help seniors, couples and families look their best. This was a tough one to nail down, I looked high and low for some inspiration…a lot of people were using Pinterest boards but that still required a lot of guesswork on my part and we couldn’t have that! But, then I found it, or should I say them, Melissa and Holly of Style and Selecta online boutique styling tool!
What I love about the boutique styling tool is how simple it is. I send you an access code, you fill out a short questionnaire (number of people, ages, size, vibe and color combos you like) and boom it gives a bunch of different outfit examples. The brands they are pulling from are H&M, Zara, Target, Old Navy, Torrid, Modcloth, and Free People. You can also use this tool as your own personally stylist, if you see something you like, you can purchase it directly through the tool, or you might already have something similar in your closet. You are under no obligation to buy anything and the tool is completely free for you to use! I really feel that partnering with Style and Selectis going to make your lives so much easier when it comes to picking out outfits and hey you might even find something new for the closet!
This is the moment I am sure most of you have been waiting for…hair and makeup. One of the things that has always stuck out to me when my wife and I were getting ready to have our pictures taken was how much she dreaded doing her hair and makeup. I think it’s a safe assumption that most of you feel this too before a session. That anxiety and frustration almost always shows up in the session; did I get my hair right, is my eye shadow enough or too much, etc. Well, that anxiety and frustration is no more,
I am pleased to announce that all sessions will now come with professional hair and makeup at a reasonable price of $0.00. That’s right free!! I have partnered with the talented Lou Stevens who along with her team is going to make sure you look and feel your absolute best on the day of your session!
So, what does this mean for you? You will be receiving the same great photos just like before, but with better benefits!
I just want to thank Style and Select and Lou Stevens for making these enhancements possible and of course, I want to thank all my clients for making this the best job ever!
So, are you ready for new and improved…if so, mention the word “enhancement” when booking your new/next session and you will receive a $50.00 print credit!
