Let’s take a trip down memory lane – right back, in fact, to
the birth of my photography business. Back in 2006, I owned and ran my own
graphic design company. And when I say I ran it, I mean I really ran it – everything from setting it up, to teaching myself
how to keep a business afloat, to doing all the admin before I finally brought
in a team to support me in the trenches.
And you know what? It was great fun, and I was able to work
with some wonderful clients on projects I was really excited about, while
travelling to some seriously inspiring places around the country.
While I was running my business and working with these
clients, I started to offer up my photography skills on the side. For example,
if I was building a website for a veterinary client, I’d suggest we schedule in
a photoshoot so we could get all the imagery in order – a much easier solution
than going external. I’d offer this invaluable service for a small add-on price
of £90.
Yep, you read that right – £90. That teeny-tiny price would
include a bespoke set of images, with all the editing included, a fast
turnaround and, of course, curation on their new website. The dream package for
a business, right?! So why was I under-selling myself so drastically? Well, let
me explain…
First of all, it
wasn’t because I didn’t think my images were worth more. It also wasn’t
because I didn’t value my time. Instead, it boiled down to something really
simple – I loved photography and so desperately wanted to spend more time doing
it, so if someone was willing to let me, my creative vision, and my camera
loose with their brand, I was blissfully happy.
I was already being paid to create the client’s website, put
together all their branding, and build an online structure, for which I was
charging a suitable amount, and one I could live off. Picking up the
photography felt like a little treat – a way to gently monetise my down-time,
which I’d have spent with a camera in hand anyway. For me, it was a win-win.
Because I’m a self-taught photographer, too, I’m able to
look back on those £90 shoots with nothing but positivity. I was able to learn
an almost endless number of lessons while making an extra cash injection. For example…
How to set up and capture product shots
How to adapt to different coloured backgrounds
How to use both natural and artificial lighting
How to edit product images, as opposed to
portraits
How to capture lifestyle images for commercial
shoots
How to figure out exactly what the client’s
audience will engage with, and shoot accordingly
How to maximise ALL my camera’s settings (Manual
mode, I’m looking at you!)
How to make my editing software work for me
How to resize, sharpen, and export images for
the web
How to create a bank of images for clients to
use for touch points
How to resize and sharpen for print
How to combine multiple subjects in one shoot
The list really does go on and on, but one thing’s for sure
– if I hadn’t diversified my existing business, with its inbuilt financial
safety nets, in this way, I wouldn’t have had quite so many immediate
opportunities to develop my craft and build a strong portfolio. I would also
have had to work for free for a period of time to build up that portfolio!
I’m not saying you should undervalue or undersell your work.
Quite the opposite – I’ll always push you to charge more than you think you
can, because as creative types, we often make our own businesses unviable by
undercharging. But in the very beginning of your career, when learning and
building is your modus operandi, it pays to be strategic.
The final thought…
Every day really is a school day, but if you’re always open
to networking and creative about seeking opportunities, you can benefit in
multiple ways. Build your portfolio, build your client base, and build your
confidence – all while building that savings account, paying your web-hosting
fees, or investing in a new piece of kit. You’ve got this!
Let’s get real for a second: taking on your first-ever
photoshoot is scary. You haven’t
built up a safety net of confidence yet, and as a result, you’re plagued by
doubts: can I actually deliver images my client will like? Am I going to be
chatty and encouraging, or will we both find it painfully awkward? And what –
heaven forbid – do I do if my equipment malfunctions?
It’s so easy to let these doubts stop you before you’ve even
begun. But here’s the thing – everyone feels them before their first
photoshoot, and 99% of your fears are just in your head. Feeling nervous can be
a really positive thing, too – if you harness it properly, you can use it to
make sure you’re perfectly prepared and ready to perform.
Get Kitted Out
There are loads of little things you can do before a shoot
to make sure everything runs smoothly on the day, and one of the most
straightforward – and essential! – places to start is by checking your kit is
all in working order. Ask yourself a few questions:
Do I have everything I need?
Is everything working properly?
Have I formatted my memory cards?
Is everything clean?
Always make sure everything’s packed and ready to go the
night before, to minimise stress in the morning. On a non-shoot day, put
together a checklist of everything you need to have in your camera bag, and
then refer back to it when you’re in prep mode.
If you’re going to be using a bit of kit that you’ve never
used before or haven’t used in a while, schedule in some time for test shots a
day or two before. They don’t have to be the sort of images you’ll produce in
your photoshoot – you can snap anything you like, but preferably in natural
light, so you can be confident that everything works properly.
Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst
Nobody benefits if you go into a shoot blind. Instead, ask
your client some essential questions, preferably at the point of booking, but
anytime before the shoot itself.
What sort of shoot do they want? Are they after
a set of playful images with their menagerie? Or do they want to commemorate a
special occasion – for example, with romantic, equestrian-themed engagement
photos?
How many people will be involved with the shoot?
How many animals? Find out a bit about them all – names, ages, relationship
with the client. Animals have distinctive personalities and back-stories, too –
learn about them and you can use them to your advantage.
Do they have any particular locations in mind
for their shoot?
Get the admin sorted: make sure you have all the
address, phone numbers, gate codes, and so on. Make note of the yard landline,
too – it’s not much fun getting lost down a back road and realising you can’t
get through to your client’s mobile!
Make a list of all the above and, Santa
Claus-style, check it twice. Particularly if you’ve had the pre-shoot chat with
your client way in advance!
Provide an Itinerary
It’s important to remember that your client might be
nervous, too – after all, it can be intimidating being in front of the camera,
and some people can feel quite vulnerable. To ease these concerns, make sure
your client feels as prepared as you do.
Send them an email, ideally when you’ve confirmed the
booking or a few days to a week before the shoot. This email should cover all
bases: when you’ll arrive, how the shoot will be structured, and what they’re
expected to provide for the shoot. How many outfits do they need? How can they
ensure their horse is looking his best?
There’s a lot that might seem obvious to you as a
photographer, but always remember that many people have never had any sort of
photoshoot in their lives, so they need you to be a leader and guide them
through the process.
On the Day: Location-Scouting
We like to carry little palm-sized notebooks and a pen in
our camera cases – there are SO many moments when it’s crucial to jot down a
piece of information or a stroke of inspiration as soon as it comes to you. But
there’s another great use for this essential bit of kit: location scouting.
When you arrive at the client’s property, and after you’ve
had a lovely chat and a cuppa with them, you’ll need to suss out the best spots
to actually take the photos. You’ll be taking notes as you go – jot down the
spots you find, make note of which way the sun is facing, and sketch out your
posing ideas in that location as needed. It’ll be a godsend if you hit a
creative roadblock during your shoot!
Fake it ‘til you Make It
And no, we don’t mean you should make promises you can’t
keep or sell a product you’re not able to deliver on. This one comes down to
confidence – that elusive quality that only comes with time and practice, but
which you must always display to your clients. After all, they’re way more
nervous than you are – so you need to be that beacon of calm and positivity for
them.
Sound like a challenge? It needn’t be. Take a genuine
interest in them, and in their horses – ask leading questions about their
partnership, where they’re located, and their story. All of these things get
the conversation flowing, and will also raise your client’s enthusiasm levels.
We all love talking about our horses, after all!
While the shoot is underway, be vocal and be a leader – make
sure your client always knows what’s going to happen next, and tell them if
you’d like them to try a certain pose.
Keep it Professional
If you’ve booked a two-hour shoot, you need to make sure you
stick to it – don’t short-change your client and stop after an hour, but
equally, don’t drag the process out longer than scheduled. You want to leave
your client feeling happy and excited, not hot, bothered, and wrestling with an
impatient horse. Try setting a timer on your phone that will go off halfway
through your session.
Some photographers are happy to show clients images from the
back of their camera, but this is risky business. If your client is
self-conscious, they might see something they dislike in the image – they might
think their nose looks big, or their outfit is unflattering, and then their
confidence will be shattered.
It’s always best to keep the surprise until the viewing. Or
you can compromise – tell them you’ll send them two teaser images that evening,
making sure they’re processed as final copies.
A Final Thought…
Above everything else, it’s so important to make the
experience as fun as possible for everyone involved – and that includes you!
Remember, this is your dream job, and for many of your clients, being photographed
is a dream experience – so manage all the variables and you’ll have the mental
space to enjoy yourself.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your shooting style, images,
and business won’t be either. But if you can tick all the boxes, you’ll invest
as much in the journey as you will in the destination – and that’s the key to
standing out!
Okay, fellow creatives, hands up if you’re guilty of
project-hopping. You know what I mean – you start working on something, only to
be struck by a new idea or a burst of inspiration for one of your other
projects. You change tasks – just briefly, you tell yourself – and before you
know it, you’re two hours into a Pinterest rabbit-hole, gathering tutorials and
inspiration for a stylised photoshoot you’re planning with three racehorses, a
castle, and Madonna, if her schedule allows for it.
It’s not exactly the most efficient use of your time, but as creative types, we can’t help it – we’re hard-wired to follow those flashes of motivation as they appear. Who knows when you might be so inspired again, after all?!
But as much as the word might make your skin crawl, it’s important to exercise some discipline. By turning your workflow into a funnel of productivity, you can put the muse to good use – giving you way more time and freedom to pursue your next projects.
I’ve spent years running my own business, and honestly?
After a while, you learn a few things, mostly from trial and error. In my case,
I learned from filling too many of my waking hours, busting a gut trying to get
through everything. The problem? I hadn’t streamlined my workflow.
It took a while, but I learned how to do it – and now, I
have something dangerously close to a work-life balance. Weird, but so not impossible. Want to know how I
did it? Read on!
Step One: Learn the Art of Leveraging
Leveraging, or outsourcing, is one of the most important
things you’ll ever learn to do as a self-employed creative. You might be able
to work 80 hour weeks right now, and you might be able to juggle everything in
your life while you’re doing it, but sooner or later, something’s got to give.
Running yourself into the ground means that eventually, the quality of your
product will suffer, too.
So how do you fix it? First of all, you start with a
spreadsheet – those colour-coded bastions of joy and organisation. For the next
week, I want you to document everything you do for your business, every day.
And I do mean everything – jot down the time you spend replying to
emails, the time you spend making and answering calls, ordering prints,
editing, doing your accounts…
At the end of the week, you’ll not only have a comprehensive
list of the essential tasks that make your business function, you’ll also know
just how long you spend on each of them. Chances are, a lot of your time is
wasted on admin tasks that just about anyone could do. The great news? It’s not
that hard to find someone to do them.
I’ve always outsourced my accounting. It only takes me one
shoot to make the money that a bookkeeper costs me, but the hours I rescue every
month allow me to spend an afternoon really fine-tuning my marketing – a job I
actually like to do! I can get creative with marketing, but I can’t really get
creative when I’m trying to figure out how a latte at Pret should be filed in
my expenses.
There’s loads that can be outsourced. Social media, for
instance, is a really common one to send elsewhere – it takes up a tonne of
time, and there are loads of students who aren’t just willing to do it, they’re
really good at it, too. Or you could outsource your mailing list maintenance,
your bookings…the list is basically endless.
Step Two: Select the Right Software
Rules are made to be broken, but there’s one I’ve stuck with
for years: Keep It Simple, Stupid! (Rude, but fair.) Never has this been more
apt than with software. As a photographer, you’ll be bombarded by adverts for
new, expensive software constantly – software to file your images, to edit
them, to create slick albums and web portfolios out of them.
Great. But do you actually need all the functions in these pieces of software? And is it
really worth remortgaging your house for them? Probably not. In fact, going for
the all-singing, all-dancing option can dent your productivity – you’ll start
to wonder, and worry, if you ought to be using more of the features.
Instead, stick with what you know, and make sure you know it
inside-out. If you’re a die-hard Lightroom user, that’s great! There are loads
of ways to simplify your editing process, organise your files, and publish to
the web from within the programme. Find some tutorials and make sure you know
all the hacks, before you’re persuaded to spend money on something you don’t
need.
Step Three: Commit to a Task
Alright, Pinterest rabbit-holers and project-hoppers – this
one’s for you. It’s going to be painful, but this is the tough love medicine I
know you need – because I’ve been there, too. You want to get things done?
You’ve got to learn to pick a task and stick with it – all the way to
completion.
Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying you need to edit
all 2,000 photos from a shoot in one sitting. But at the beginning of each day
– or the end of the day prior – you need to make a list of your Most Important
Tasks (or MITs). This should include 3-5 jobs, which could include selecting
your final images from those 2,000 starting files, or writing a blog, or
following up on five leads.
If you have a longer list, prioritise your tasks by writing
A, B, or C next to each job. A jobs are your most important tasks, so complete
those first, and then move onto the Bs, and so on. But resist the urge to do a
bit of one, and then a bit of another – do a job in its entirety, stop for a
coffee break, and then do the next job. Compartmentalising will help you focus,
which means the job will get done twice as fast.
Before I implemented this system, I could start an email at
10am, and find it unfinished, hidden by 35 other browser tabs, at 3pm.
Suddenly, the thought of trying to get that email finished – and I mean, what
was it even about? – was the most
overwhelming thing ever. Now, I just feel focused, uncluttered, and
delightfully productive – and I can finish working at a decent time, too.
Step Four: Work ON Your Business, Not Just IN It
Don’t quite follow me? No worries. Picture this: it’s a busy
day in your studio, and because your kids need to be collected from school
later, you’ve got to try to get through your list of jobs between 10am and 3pm.
How are you going to plan your day?
Your priorities are probably things like sending orders,
designing albums, and ringing clients. All essential tasks, yes, but unless the
deadline for them is today, they might not actually be the best use of a
limited working day. On these short days, I actually find that it’s most
productive to working on building my business.
First, split that time in half. Until noon, I want you to
make those important calls, close sales, and hit send on that order. Then, I
want you to down tools, take half an hour to breathe, eat something nice, and
refill your mug of essential caffeinated nectar. Refreshed and reinvigorated, I
want you to devote the final two and a half hours of your day to growing your
business.
What sort of tasks will you be doing? It’s all the
forward-facing stuff: social media scheduling, sending press releases and
images to local press, applying for a stand at an event, putting an advert in a
magazine. Anything you can do to get your name, and your stunning images, in
front of new faces.
You can spend all your work hours producing your clients’
images, sure. But unless you commit to working on your business too, eventually
you’ll run out of clients.
Step Five: Embrace the White Space
I have so many
conversations with photographers that go a little something like this: “well,
I’d love to do X, Y, or Z, but I have five shoots booked in this week, and then
a wedding at the weekend, and then I have to fit client meetings in on Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Friday, and I’ve got a set of images to deliver on Sunday, and…”
Honestly, I’ve been there. I’ve been that person who thought
that constantly working meant that I was a success, and having an afternoon off
meant that I was a failure who wouldn’t be able to provide for my family. But
you know what? It’s crazy. It’s foolish. And it leads to burn-out, which can
kill off your inspiration and make you resent what you do.
The cure? Leave white space in your diary, even if, at
first, that white space just represents time spent in the studio. Even better,
make it represent movie night, or a day out with the kids, or a weekend away,
or two hours to just sit with a good book. You are an essential part of your
business, so you need to make sure your headspace is a happy one. Life’s too
short for 80 hour work-weeks.
Back to You:
Have you been a victim of your own workflow? Or have you
suffered from burn-out? Do you have any of your own miracle cures for bossing
your to-do list? Drop them in the comments!
No matter who you are or what you do, if you’re
self-employed or own your own business, you absolutely must have a website.
It’s totally and completely non-negotiable – but if you outsource the job, it
can also be eye-wateringly expensive. Fortunately, site-builders like
Squarespace make it easier than ever to build your own – and I’m here to help
you get it right.
Your website has one primary purpose: it’s there to convince
potential clients that they shouldn’t look any further than you for their
photography needs. Your Instagram feed, your Pinterest pins, your Twitter, and
so on and so forth, should all just be the delicious breadcrumbs that lead your
customer back to your website – and, ultimately, to a sale.
Basically, a great website is the machine that converts
punters into profit. Done well, it’ll work for you 24/7, promoting your work –
and your charms! – and filling your diary. But first, you need to make sure
you’ve got the right stuff on it. Here are the seven essentials your
photography website NEEDS to succeed…
Essential Element #1: Simplicity Is Supreme
You’ve heard me say it before, and you’ll hear it again now:
Keep It Simple, Sweetie! Once you’ve written the copy for your pages, take a
step away from them and read them as though you’re a potential client.
Is it straightforward, easy to understand, and quick to read? Or is it a bit, well, loud? By that I mean, is there so much information that you feel a bit overwhelmed trying to absorb it all? Or is the wording aggressive and a bit too pushy? Remember, the people reading it won’t have any background knowledge on your or your business. And right now? They don’t need it!
If you Google some of the world’s most famous photographers,
you’ll end up on very simple, stark websites – there’s not a lot of textual
information, and probably not a lot of design trickery, either. Instead, their
sites are aimed at showcasing a selection of images as best as possible. It’s a
bit like entering a gallery.
At its core, that’s what you need: your photography website
is your personal gallery, and you need to let your gorgeous images speak for
themselves. Yes, you can add backpages with a short bio, and information about
your packages. But let your clients navigate to them when they’re ready, and
keep the front page simple, beautiful, and effective.
Essential Element #2: Be Authentically You
First impressions are crucial, and these days, your website
is your representative. In fact, your web presence is the first chance your
client will have to ‘meet’ you – and if they don’t like your vibe then, it
could be the last.
Think about it like this: before the internet took over our
lives, equestrian photographers would have spent much of their time on the
road, at photography shows and exhibitions, at horse shows, and popping to
local yards, meeting people face-to-face and handing out brochures.
If you had to do that now, how would you go about it? Well,
you probably wouldn’t put on a fake voice and adopt someone else’s mannerisms,
that’s for sure – it would feel weird, and smarmy, and you wouldn’t be able to
maintain it.
So why do so many people hide behind turns of phrase and
flowery wording that just doesn’t sound like them? Lack of confidence is
probably one of the big culprits, particularly if you don’t think of yourself
as much of a writer. But here’s an idea: instead of writing your web copy down
straight away, turn on sound recording on your phone, and try describing
yourself and your business out loud.
Okay, so you might feel a bit silly at first, but the very
best and most inviting writing is the writing that sounds like you. It’s the stuff your best friends
could read and actually hear your voice in their heads. It’s chatty, and it’s
natural, and it’s like sitting down with you for a cuppa and a catch-up.
Another great exercise to try is to write an email to a
close friend or family member, describing your business as though they don’t
know anything about it. Explain why it’s great, and what you have planned, and
why you’re excited about it. You don’t need to send it – just save it and look
at it the next day. I guarantee you’ll find some sentences and phrases that
work wonderfully on your website.
It should go without saying, but all the images on your
website need to be your own – except the image on your About Me page, which can
be taken by someone else, but needs to be of you! Photoshoots are so personal,
and your clients aren’t just booking a product – they’re signing up for an
experience. Letting them get to know you will convince them it’ll be a great
one.
Essential Element #3: Good is Good Enough
Writing might not be your ‘thing’ – and hey, that’s totally
fine! You’re a photographer, not J.K. Rowling, and no one expects you to be
amazing at everything. Yes, it can be intimidating writing copy for your
webpage – but honestly? No one will scrutinise your writing as much as you do
yourself.
Okay, real talk time? They will notice bad spelling, poor grammar, and broken links. But those
are three issues that are so easy to tackle – use a spell-checker, ask a
particularly literary friend to give it a once-over, and always, always triple-check your links. When it
comes to engaging copy, though? Good is good enough.
There’s no magic combination of words that converts leads
into customers. There’s not a certain ‘level’ of writing competency that’s
going to make a sale. Ultimately, the bottom line is your images – you just
need to be your likeable self and get the job done with the copy. Perfection is
overrated.
Essential Element #4: Only Show Your Best Work
This is so, so important – and it’s going to save you a
tonne of time, too! I’ve spoken about this phenomenon before, but it’s well
worth repeating. Basically, when faced with multiple options, people will
always subconsciously look for a reason NOT to choose something.
For example: you’re looking at a selection of hotels for an
upcoming holiday. One of them is well within your budget, has a view of the
beach, and the rooms are beautiful and airy. The only issue? You’ll have to pay
an extra daily charge for breakfast and wifi. Are you going to commit? Not
likely – you might keep the tab open, but you’re going to keep scrolling,
right?
It’s exactly the same when people shop for a photographer.
All it takes is one image that they don’t like, and they’ll move onto a
different website. Seems a bit harsh, right? Most people don’t even realise
they’re doing it – but if you know, then you can game the system.
Picking 10-20 images for your website is a savvy move for a
few reasons. First, it keeps the overall impression clean and uncluttered.
Second, it forces you to objectively pick out the very best work you’ve done.
Third, it gives a potential client a much smaller chance of seeing something
they don’t like.
Need some inspiration? Go through your images as though
you’re putting a selection together for an enormous, one-million-pound
photography prize. Which photos are you the most proud of? Display them loud
and proud and let them represent the wonderful work you do.
Essential Element #5: Links (They’re Not Just For Sausages)
Ready for some short and sweet information? Of course you are! I mentioned this in point three, but actually, it’s so important that I’m going to mention it again as its own point. Go check the links on your page. Every last one of them. Right now!
There is nothing
more off-putting than finding a beautifully put-together site, which appears to
offer everything you want in a photographer – only to click through to the
booking form and wind up at a dead-end. Unfortunately, most people won’t search
for another way to get in touch – they’ll just move on.
Make it seriously easy to book you by making sure every
single link on your website leads where it’s meant to, and make your booking
information and price list really easy to find from every single page. People
are fickle – so don’t give them any excuses.
Essential Element #6: Don’t Play Hard-To-Get
Following on from the last point, your contact information
needs to be super easy to find. You can – and should – have a contact page
linked in your navigation bar, but it’s also incredibly helpful to put your
phone number and email address in your footer, too, so it appears on every
page. Catch them at the very moment they decide they love your work, and
they’ll be yours.
Essential Element #7: Become a Blogger
I mean, not as a career choice, unless that’s what you’re
really into. But blogging is free to do and can make such a huge difference to
your online presence. Not only does it give your clients the opportunity to get
to know you, it also drives new leads back to your webpage from social media
sites like Pinterest.
Plan to blog at least once a week, although you don’t have
to write the pieces every week – just as you can schedule social media posts,
you can write a bunch of blogs in one go and then plan to publish them each
Saturday, for example.
You can write about anything and everything on your blog –
that’s the beauty of it! Write about something that’s inspired you, or a funny
moment from a recent shoot, or somewhere beautiful you went with your camera.
Write about your dream photoshoot, your favourite competition to snap at, your
biggest editing revelation. The more you write, the more inspired you’ll be!
Back to You:
Armed with inspiration? I hope so! I’d love to see your
website – and I’m always on the hunt
for a great new blog to read! – so drop your links in the comments and share
your hard work!
Hello there!
Forever taking out together her neutral , honey dreamland the being. Romantic like hers roses always duo art this, baby Beach blush antique sweet sunrise, cashmere spritzer closet quartyz.
