VLV Photography: Featured Photographer, week 8

VLV Photography

Location Photographer

Online: Web, Blog, Facebook, Twitter

Serves: ND, SD, MN, MT

Market: Weddings, Couples, Brides, Newborns, Families and Seniors

Go to Gear: Canon 5DmkII, 24-70L lives on my camera, alien bees with mini-vagabond, reflector.

I'll start how I got into photography. Photography pretty much found me. It was through life experiences and then the eventual birth of my son that lit the creative spark that was already there. I had found something that allowed my mind to wander and dream. I had never experience that before. So my photography journey began. I've now been in business two years and 3 months and it has been the toughest road. EVER.

I have learned much in the year that led up to my eventual decision to build my own website, and the more than two years since. Some of those lessons I would like to share with all of you today. This list is for those who are thinking photography may be a career path for them but haven't quite taken the leap in purchasing a dslr, or for those who have purchased a dslr and are looking to create a side business for themselves. I suppose this could also apply to someone who has been plugging away for a year and may be at a crossroads, after realizing they bit off more than they could chew. Regardless of who reads this, I think something can be taken away from it, or better yet, maybe even shared with someone you know that may have been bitten by the "shutter bug."

So, today I share with you my top ten list of lessons learned since I've embarked on my own photographic journey.

1. Take your time and pace yourself. I understand the hunger of wanting it all and wanting it all...like yesterday. Take your time in studying the art of photography, learning your craft, discovering what it is that you love to photograph, and learning how to shoot on manual. Once you go manual you never go back!

2. Seek education. Soak it all in from every resource you can. Join some free online groups such as www.betterphoto.com (I joined this and it's a good place to start with contests and critiques), or local photography groups. And get a magazine subscription to PPA. This magazine isn't about gadgets and gizmo's-it's about knowledge. You can learn technical stuff for free online on YouTube or just by Googling; however, the articles in PPA are from photographer's who have been there and done that. Ultimately hone in on your business skills. If you don't know business, you can't run a business. Doesn't get any more clear-cut than that.

3. Get legit. If you're going to take money from people get your business registered, get a tax id, and get liability insurance. This doesn't need much explanation but you owe that to your clients. If you're "into" photography as a hobby, you shouldn't be taking money from people. However, if you want to make photography your career of choice for the long-term, number three isn't an option. It's the only legal way of owning a business. And if you have personal assets that you want to keep as yours, take number three one step further and get your LLC. I'm in the process of doing so right now.

4. Invest in a professionally designed website and set up a Facebook business page. I cannot stress enough the importance of a professionally designed website. I thought I'd be an over-achiever and design my own. HUGE MISTAKE. I hated it and really wasn't showing myself to the cyber-world as a professional. As soon as I saved up enough I hired a professional designer. It was the best investment I've ever made and one, to this day, I do not regret. I also had my logo created at that time. I have a Wordpress blog site and I can't say enough how easy it is to manage and navigate. It did take a little bit of a learning curve but if I can do it, anyone can. I still can't stand code so I do still hire her from time to time for maintenance or when I realize ways I want to make my website better. I don't even want to add up how much I've invested into my site but I know ever penny was worth it...and then some! Getting a Facebook page at the recommendation of a wedding client was also a turning point for my business. I cannot recommend this step enough! It will change your business for sure!

5. When you start as a shoot-n-burn photographer, people will know you and remember you as a shoot-n-burn photographer because you'll be cheap. Pricing is hard.....REALLY hard. But being a shoot-n-burn photographer, where you do the session and hand over a disc of all the images for $100 or even a couple hundred more, is not going to help you reach your business goals. There are a few resources out there that are free or close to free, including Stacy Reeves' guide, as well as many that are quite a bit more. The best thing to do is your research and ask around to find the best solution for you when it comes to figuring out your pricing. Ultimately though, you want to price your business for the business you WANT to have in the future. And trust me, handing over the farm isn't going to get you anywhere but "burn-out ville." I never started my business this way and am so thankful I didn't. I've heard too many stories from photographer's who started out this way and hit so many roadblocks when they finally realized they needed to change how they ran their business.

6. Price for Profit. So you are using Stacy Reeve's pricing guide or you purchased one, the next step is to price yourself for profit. Just Google "photographer's pricing for profit videos" and you'll get a ton of hits. After two years I've finally come to the point in my own business where I realize that in order for me to be around five years from now and be able to help support my family, I need to price for profit. Realize in doing so, you will lose clients. But the possibilities of where your business can go, as scary as it may seem, is the constant thought you need to keep at the forefront of your mind. Forget about the naysayers. Understand and study your target market and take a lesson from advertising you watch on TV. Ask yourself how companies are marketing to you or your family.

7. Sell yourself. That may sound funny but you really need to sell yourself. Show people what you're made of, what makes you tick, be authentic in your communication with clients and know that everyone in your target market is your potential client and treat them as such. All the while being professional and know that everything you do, say, or show is a direct reflection of you and your business. If you go to a session dressed like a slob but charge premium, boutique prices, that won't exactly match up to your brand. BE YOUR BRAND through and through and be authentic in doing so.

8. Understand and accept you cannot please everyone. Very recently, a dear friend of mine (I'll call her "Kate") said this to me: "Choose your battles where there is a chance of winning." This relates so much to parenting as well but really hit home for me too when thinking about my business. There will be people that will be less than happy and that's okay. Why? Because sometimes a situation just is what it is. There are things that are out of our control and even the things that are in our control can be simply a matter of miscommunication, which leads me to number 9.

9. CLEAR communication is key. Communication is the fundamental and necessary foundation to your relationship with your clients. If an issue arises, more often than not, it could have been avoided with clear communication. And this would cover having clear expectations laid out on the table, a solid contract, clear and concise marketing pieces, and just the development of trust that can only come with time and conversation. You can't expect your client garden to grow if you don't nurture the relationships you put into it, so to speak.

and the granddaddy of them all......[insert drum roll please]......

10. Take care of you and be sure to always run your business and not let your business run you. Okay, that's sorta two. I have learned this the hard way though, with many nights burning the midnight oil. Running a business is far from easy. And the work doesn't start with the session and stop when the session is over. With every 2 hour portrait session, you can bet you'll be putting in another 8 hours of work. And for a wedding...well, add on at least another 40 hours onto the wedding day coverage time as well. Owning any business is not for the faint of heart. You have to have a thick skin and definitely have business skills. Shooting is only 10% of running a photography business. And if you are burned out and falling asleep at your desk, you can't run your business appropriately. The ones who suffer are you, your health, and your family (if you have one-which makes running a business 10x as hard).

So there you have it. I had a hard time listing only 10...I have MANY more but don't want to be a blog hog! lol! I hope this information was helpful and possibly give pause to someone who is thinking they'll just make a quick buck or two. The only way to have a successful business, and by successful I mean, a profit at the end of the year (being busy does not always equal success), is to learn your craft, be legit, seek education, invest professionally into your online voice and branding, price for profit, sell yourself/market, have a plan of action for the ups and downs, clearly communicate who you are and what you do, and take care of yourself by not allowing your business to run you.