Relocating your business can be a daunting task. Like Idon’tevenknowwheretostartmaybeIshouldstaycurledupinthisfetalpositionthisseemsnice scary… if you let it. I should know, I practically just finished unpacking the last of my shoes into a new home on the island of O’ahu. I left a city where my business was established and past clients were referring me for a new home where nobody knew my name. Along with deciding on new curtains, I was left to decipher how to pick my business back up and get to work. Here’s what I learned in the process: Spread the word: Let the world know when and where you are moving. Blog it, tweet it, change your city on LinkedIn. Okay, that last one was clearly a joke. The more people know that
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Wedding Day Portraits, Part 2: Quick & Dirty Solutions to a Common Challenge
Rarely are we handed THE perfect wedding day (at least not in New England!). We’re always going to face challenges. Try as you may to help clients and advise them as they plan their wedding timeline, more often than not, wedding photography is as much about problem solving as it is about capturing moments. As in, how can I make this situation as beautiful as possible, given the conditions I’m facing? Rather than try to think of every possible variable that could go wrong, I’ve picked a common situation that often challenges me and described ways I’ve dealt with it in the past. As with all my articles, it’s not rocket science, but hopefully you can take away one or two tidbits that will help
Price Objections: How to Deal
Statements such as, “Your prices are out of my budget” and “It costs too much” are the number one reasons for stalled sales. Yep, I said stall, not obstruction or objection. How do most of us respond when we hear these things? We get angry or offended or, worst of all, we drop the price! If you go that route, it pretty much implies that you were charging too much to begin with. So not only are you left with a potential client who doesn’t trust you, you lost some of your profit margin. But I digress. Potential clients complain about prices all the time. Heck, we even do this from time to time as consumers. When you realize why you ask these same questions
The W100K Bike Ride: Combining Passions for a Greater Cause
My introduction to photography came from a cycling and photography class in sixth grade. Both have been a constant in my life since then. Most recently, I had the honor to combine both to share moments of the W100K bike ride, hosted by President George W. Bush. The W100K highlights the bravery and sacrifice of warriors wounded in the global war on terror, as well as organizations that have made continuing commitments to support America’s heroes. The ride is 100 kilometers (62 miles) and is spread over three days in the Spring and takes place at different state parks in Texas. I served as Deputy Director of Photography for the White House Photo Office from 2001 to 2007. A mutual love of mountain biking created a
Remote Camera Setup Made Simple
When you don’t want to put your expensive camera far from where you’re working, or prefer to avoid hoisting thousands of dollars of camera gear on a stand surrounded by crowds of people, a simple solution is the GoPro. There are no remote controls, no triggers to plug in, and the camera is half the size of an iPhone. The camera easily attaches to a tripod, light clamp or light stand. While the GoPro can record in still and video mode, I use it only for still images so I can create a time lapse video of the event, wedding, conference, etc. Recently I was asked by a charity group to create a time-lapse of a playground being built in New Orleans. I was also photographing
Best Business Practices – Part 3
Since Spring is here, we’re sharing a series of Best Business Practice posts featuring the team of ACEs. Get to know them and learn tips and tricks that will streamline your studio this season! As any ACE will tell you, you can’t do it all. Successful photographers understand this, which is why they write a roadmap for their business! Write your roadmap… Developing business systems is like writing a roadmap to reach your goals. Once you identify the destination (your purpose and goals!), you need to decide which business systems you’re going to use to get there! You can’t do it all. And more important, you don’t need to do it all to run a successful business! When you have a roadmap for reaching your goals, you’ll be able to
How Photographers Can Use Facebook Timeline
My relationship with Facebook is always exciting because, like most things in life…it’s constantly changing! Photographers be warned: Facebook Timeline for brand pages is live and you’ve got until March 30th to transition. After that, Facebook will automatically switch your page for you – boo! There are some great opportunities with Facebook Timeline, but consider setting aside a few hours this month (if you haven’t already) to create new imagery for your brand page. Below is a breakdown of what’s new and exciting, as well as key items ‘to do’ before March 30th. Let’s start with the exciting new things: 1) Cover Image Size – A Whopping 851 x 315! One of the great things about Timeline is the ability to showcase a large image at the
5 Ways Workflows Saved my @$$…and could save yours too!
Since Spring is in the air, we’re kicking off a series of Best Business Practice posts from the tried-and-true team of ACEs. Get to know them on The Photo Life and learn how their tips and tricks can help streamline your studio! I’ve tried my hardest to keep a mental to-do list. Laying in bed at night, thinking of all of the things that need to get done and promising myself, “Yes, I will definitely be able to remember this in the morning if I just make the list into a rhyme.” And inevitably, so many of my to-do’s were to-forgotten’s! Business can be overwhelming, especially when working with numerous clients over the course of the year. You are in charge of keeping track of new
Five Steps to Powerful Portraits
Within every man and woman a secret is hidden, and as a photographer it is my task to reveal it if I can. – Yousuf Karsh It can be as simple as a photographer, a subject and a window. Or it can be as complex as a photographer, an art director, an entourage of assistants, a gaggle of stylists and multiple strobes. Portraiture, in its varied forms, is one of the most powerful genres of photography. Perhaps it’s because humans love staring at each other? Perhaps it’s because creativity and curiosity go hand-in-hand? Regardless, humans seem hard-wired to engage with compelling portraits. Since Spring’s seasonal shoots are often fueled by portraits, lifestyle shoots and engagement sessions, we wanted to share some words and images that
What Every Photographer Should Know about Pinterest
Here at The Photo Life, we don’t believe in secret formulas or overnight success stories. We believe the only right way of doing business is the one that serves your unique clients and grows your business the old-fashioned way. Hard work and happy clients are your foundation for success. Different systems work for different studios, so the key is finding one that suits your clients and your business! That’s why we’re eager to bring you timely topics that spark debate. Voice your opinion by commenting below! It’s the best thing since whiteboards in college dorms! It’s a breeding ground for copyright infringers! Those strong statements sum up the debate currently raging like a wildfire among creative professionals. Two things are certain: neither Pinterest nor the debate about