In every business, and every industry, a decision has to be made as to what value a certain product or service holds and what the consumer should be charged. As Wedding photographers, we are often blasted with the stigma of over charging for what “seems” to be an easy and enjoyable job that takes only one day to complete. Obviously we know how false that is, but how do we logically and honestly figure out how to price ourselves?
It's that time of year when we're gearing up for the shoots to come, and we're focused on making this the best year we've ever had. It's also that time of year where we can get rid of some of the distractions and clutter that slow us down every day. It's spring cleaning time! Here are what I consider the 5 most important things for you to start cleaning up right away so you can feel better about yourself and your business this week!
The brand new book from commercial photographer David Molnar "iPhone Only Photography" is FREE for the next week, so grab your free copy right away! I had an interview with David this week about the launch of his book and I was thrilled to hear his responses! This book is put together so well, and would be a great gift idea as well!
When is the last time you visited a website and thought that there were ways they could improve it so your user experience was better? Do you think it’s possible that the same is true for your website? Maybe you’re losing potential clients because of a small oversight in your website. Here’s how to find out…and it’s FREE!
Many photographers and business people would argue that branding is by far the most important aspect of your business, and in some cases even more important than the quality of your work. Now of course this becomes controversial really quickly, especially with us creatives, but it’s worth considering when it comes to establishing yourself in your market.
In just over a week this film has received well over 250,000 views on Vimeo and Youtube, and seems to be going viral on Facebook right now. Nathanael Matanick, also known as "Heschle", has pulled together an incredibly emotional story to bring awareness to the importance of the foster program, and the need for quality foster parents. Please dedicate 13 minutes of your day to watch this straight through without interruption, and I suggest in full screen mode.
For those of you who are new to PASS, and even those who have used it for quite a while, you may have come across an issue with uploading once or twice. Usually this issue is related to damaged images, faulty internet connections, or just unexplainable computer errors. There is a really quick fix for this problem, so I wanted to share this with you before you pulled ALL of your hair out!
The United Conference in Santa Barbara has just come to a close, and I am filled with inspiration, excitement and joy from the speakers and attendees. Everyone at the conference was so passionate about helping and serving each other, and our own communities and clients, it was contagious. I’ve come out of this week with a few things on my mind, and I want you to benefit from them as well, so here they are!
If you’re coming to WPPI for the first time, you’re in for a treat! A mind-blowing, feet-aching, swag-carrying treat! In order to get the most out of this years amazing lineup and extensive events selection, consider sharing and searching the hashtag #SpoilerAlertWPPI on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
If you know Katelyn James - you'll know that she has enormous talent, but more importantly, she has an enormous heart for photographers and her clients! Photographers from across the United States come to Richmond, Virginia to take advantage of her information filled, intimate workshops and coaching sessions. She is an expert in branding and building a community with her brides.
PASS has positioned itself as a leader in the image storage and delivery market since the beginning of digital delivery. With the launch of the Shoot and Share business model, the team has quickly created a product that both photographers and their clients have been asking for. The new PASS mobile app is sure to bring even more joy to those photographers and clients!
Have you ever setup a meeting with a potential client, only to find out close to the meeting date that they’ve booked with someone else? If only you could have found a way to be in the same place at the same time as them to make the meeting happen earlier, they could have seen that you are clearly the better choice. With Skype and FaceTime you have that ability, and you should use it!
Being an avid iPhone shooter myself, I'm always looking for more ways to make my images better without adding the computer to the process. In this quick video tutorial, David Molnar shows you how to use the app TouchReTouch to clone out distracting spots in your iPhone and Android phone photos.
If you’re a checklist kind of person and you want to know what you’ve already done and what’s next, then Terminl is the product for you! All of your progress is tracked and accessible from wherever you are through this new online system. This complete workflow management system is just as slick as it is useful.
When it comes to marketing yourself, there’s no better time than on the job. There’s also no worse time to be slacking off and looking like you’re not working. This tip will kill two birds with one stone, giving a huge benefit to the couple and their guests, as well as bringing in great leads and spreading your name.
If there’s one thing we know about the Holiday Season, it’s that diamond rings seem to be a popular gift! These few weeks usually end up being the highest proposal time of the year, quickly followed by Valentines day only just over a month away. This means that there are thousands of people around the world, and in your area that are looking for a photographer. How do you make sure they can find you?
Most of us have run into a situation where we find ourselves scrambling to recover files from a flash memory card, or a hard drive. I’ve found myself running into this issue a few times in my career, and it’s something that comes when you least expect it, and always when you’re in a rush! When you are in that predicament, relax and get Data Rescue to help you out, but don't shoot over those files!
Sometimes the one thing holding us back from bigger and better things is actually ourselves. Yes you CAN do everything, but SHOULD you? Many successful photographers have found ways that they can specialize their jobs within their own businesses so that they can do what they love and do best, and outsource the rest.
Sleep Cycle is an amazing app that helps you to get the best out of your morning by waking you up at the right time during your sleep cycle. Using a standard alarm clock is like a lottery every morning, if it wakes you up in a light sleep you win, if it wakes you up in a deep sleep you, and everyone around you, lose!
There are more than a few ways to go about advertising on Facebook, and with Facebook’s increased attention to paid advertising you need to know what you’re spending your money on. Here are the 3 best ways to advertise on Facebook that you want to make sure you’re doing.
Location, Location, Location. We've heard that for years, but if you're in the right place with the wrong message and the wrong means, then you're doing more damage than good for your business. Wedding Photographers know that our target demographic is on facebook, so let me show you why they are and how you can use this to your advantage.
*** UPDATE - Facebook has just removed the reviews tab as of November 5th *** You may have seen the reviews tab that Facebook recently came out with for business pages. Some people got it automatically, and others have spent hours trying to figure out how to get it on their pages. If you want to get the reviews tab on your business page, look no further.
This may not come as a surprise to you, but the more you interact with your fans, the more they will interact with you! Using the replies feature in Facebook pages allows you to easily comment back and forth with your fans and encourage loyal readership, but first you need to turn the option on!
When you’re looking for a familiar brand, it’s amazing how quickly your eye can spot it! Even though there may be dozens of other things to catch your eye, you are drawn to the distinctive colors and look of the brand you’re looking for. Is your brand easily recognizable?
One of our favorite places to grab food on the go is Subway.
With so many options out there for off-camera flash gear, how do you know which is best for you? More importantly, how do you learn how to use it in a real life situation? Maybe my techniques and approach are just what you've been waiting for!
Do you remember the last time you were shooting at a less than ideal time of day, or maybe a less than ideal location for light? Think back to it. What did you do?
Facebook’s insights for business pages is not a new thing, but they’ve redone it and now it’s better than ever! It can actually teach you how to engage your specific audience better. On October 8th, it will be released for everyone, but for now you can check out my results from two tests I recently ran on my page.
It's a growing trend in wedding photography these days to do photos with sparklers, and yes, you can blame Pinterest. Whether it's sparkler exits, or long exposure sparkler photos, your brides will expect you to know how to do these and will very likely ask you to do them on the spot! With this system, you'll be able to nail them every time!
You may have heard the term "Hot Thread" by now, and with regard to Facebook, this is the best way to get more interaction and reach for your posts. This system engages your viewers and their friends so you can use Facebook's algorithms to your advantage.
Martin Gregorian from Butterfly Photography was shooting a wedding ceremony in an outdoor park in Vancouver B.C. last weekend and became the victim of an increasingly common crime. His camera bag was stolen by a thief posing as a tourist right in the middle of the ceremony! Now, don't just brush this off as something that could never happen to you; let's learn something from this so we don't find ourselves scrambling during a wedding as well.
What makes music and photography both so exciting to me is that they have such a beautiful mix of artistic talent and technical skill. Some would say that you can be "born with talent" and that you can "learn a skill". I agree with both of these thoughts, and I think the great thing is that they can both be honed and mastered as well.
If there’s one thing we know about Robin Thicke, it’s that he recently put out a VERY controversial music video, and he’s taking over the radio waves with this sexy song! To many people he’s an overnight success, but he’s been in the business for over 13 years! How can you become an “overnight success” like him?
If you've used Dropbox, then you're probably going to love Copy! Ultimately, it's an almost identical product, but with a few features that will have you ready to switch by half way through this article. I like to think of them as Space, Interface and Sharing, even though Sharing doesn't rhyme. As far as online storage and backup goes, Copy seems to have raised the bar in many areas, and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.
What does it mean to have a successful business? What does it mean to have a successful family? What does it mean to have a successful life?
Obviously, there is not one definition for success, although there may be some social norms that we base our definitions on. Maybe it's making a certain amount of money. Maybe it's staying married for a certain amount of years. Maybe it has nothing to do with either of those!
At first, the idea of marketing to people at a wedding seems tacky and unprofessional. After all, you're being hired by the Bride + Groom to photograph their wedding, not to try to drum up more business for yourself. That is why "intent" is so important when marketing at a wedding. You should be doing everything possible to ensure your Bride & Groom enjoy their day and feel great about themselves, and in turn, about you!
If you're like me, and you upgraded your camera body and Lightroom version before updating your RAM and Processor, you've probably experienced speed issues with your workflow. Lightroom 5 has come to the rescue with the amazing addition of Smart Previews. This is going to revolutionize your workflow!
