Thoughts: Entering My First Slow Season

When I came home from college on breaks, it always took me a couple days to get a grip on this new, slow pace I was living. I would feel EXHAUSTED for the first 48 hours, like I couldn’t make myself do anything, even though a few days prior I was running around like a crazy person getting stuff done. My mom always used to tell me that it was my body relaxing and I needed a couple days to recoup. The last couple weeks I’ve felt the same way, but … I’m not in college anymore. Instead, I’m entering my first slow season as a photographer and it’s like I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m finishing up editing my last few weddings and sessions, but somehow not having a mile-long to do list is unnerving.

Weird, right?? I’ve waited all this time to be slow! Having things to do allll the time seems to motivate me to keep things going. But now that I have some down time, I’m talking myself into skipping blog posts and I’m moving slower on end-of-the-year business stuff.

I think I need to listen to my body.

Once I’m accustomed to this new pace, I’m really looking forward to reviewing my 2012 season and working on improving things for next year. This first year in business exceeded my wildest expectations. I can’t wait to see what 2013 has in store!

101 in 1001: #36 Get Published.

I opened my eyes and contemplated going back to sleep, but as soon as I remembered that it was 11/12, I jumped out of bed and ran to my computer. Today is the day I get my first photography feature, and I couldn't be more excited about it! When Lauren from Every Last Detail e-mailed me back to say yes, she'll publish Elizabeth and Kevin's beautiful backyard wedding, I did a little happy dance and ran to tell Nathan. I still feel like a newbie in this industry and sometimes I'm completely hard on myself, wallowing in self-pity that I will never be as good as X or I will never be as successful as Y. Today I'm going to forget that negative stuff and just be giddy that I see my fabulous clients and my name on a big-time blog.

If you have time today, head over the Every Last Detail and check out how good Elizabeth and Kevin are making that blog look!

10 Things I've Learned

If I'm being honest with myself, I'd have to say I was terrified. I was excited about officially starting my own photography business, but I was also terrified. I thought I had a good idea of what to expect since I'd been working with Amanda for two years, but I knew that doing something even a little bit new has a tendency to throw you for a loop once in awhile. And, of course, this first year in business was no exception for me. It's been unbelievably great, and I've also learned some lessons along the way ... some funny, some embarrassing, some just plain good practices. If you're just starting out in this crazy industry, here's my advice to you*:

1. Always smile! This is #1 because I think this is most important. Putting a smile on your face makes you more approachable and shows that you really do love what you do.
2. Switch your camera bag from shoulder to shoulder throughout the day. I wear a Kelly Moore Posey bag allllll wedding day, and I've learned the hard way that if I keep it strapped on one should for the entire day, I may look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame the next.
3. Be flexible! I'm just going to say it: nothing ever goes exactly as planned. People run late, it rains on an outdoor wedding day, the bride's shoes are missing. Stuff happens and you can't always control it, so I say embrace it. If you're calm, you'll help others stay calm too.
4. Don't be afraid to ask people to move. What I mean is, ask the bride to move closer to the window when she's getting the dress on. The light will be so much better and you'll thank yourself when you're editing. Same thing goes for family formals. Don't be afraid to ask people to move a little to the left or right to keep everything centered. Everyone trusts your judgement and will more than likely be happy to comply.
5. Drink tons and tons of water. I have a hard time doing this when I'm not in the middle of a wedding or a session, so remembering to drink water when I'm running around thinking of 101 other things isn't easy. I generally get SO thirsty I can't go another step without water or I come home realizing I drank half a glass of water all day. Yeah, not good. I'm working on it, and I'm learning that staying hydrated makes a big difference the day after the wedding.
6. Keep the ring bags CLOSED. OK, here's my embarrassing story. At my last wedding, my second shooter and I were taking all of the details outside to photograph them in natural light. Well, unbeknownst (who says that?!) to us, one of the bands had slipped out of the bag we were carrying outside. Yes, THE ring that would be exchanged at the ceremony. Thankfully, 1) the groom found it and 2) he wasn't freaked out about it, but I was still 100% embarrassed that it had happened. What if it hadn't been found?! This is all to say you can never been too careful when handling details or anything else. I can guarantee you THAT will never happen again!
7. Go above and beyond. You should treat your clients and your clients' family and friends as kings and queens. If they ask for a photo that wasn't on the list, take it for them. If you see someone that needs an extra hand, help them. It's good business practice, but it's also being a good human being.
8. Gas your car up the night before. I'm one of those people that lets my car go down to the line (maybe even below) before I stop for gas. It's not a good idea, however, to test your car while you're driving around on a wedding day and don't have time to stop. Do yourself a favor and gas up ahead of time. You'll avoid lots of freakout moments this way.
9. Embrace the embarrassing moments. Guys, being a photographer is not always glamorous. You dance around to get kids to look at the camera, you crack stupid jokes to get people to laugh, you trip while walking backwards (or forwards!). Embrace the embarrassment because the results are worth it.
10. Treat your clients as friends ... not as a business deal. I have been lucky enough to work with fantastic people. People I want to be friends with. Treating them as such will help you create a bond that will last past the wedding day.

*These are just my experiences and observations. I know that not everything that works for me works for every other photographer!

And because I can't post without a picture, here's what I'm working on ...

Katie and Tim's engagement session

Baby Lane's 6-month session (dog included)

Sarah and Jon's wedding

FAQ: Organizing the Schedule

I definitely don't have everything figured out when it comes to running a business, but one thing I do feel fairly OK about is my calendar. Before I went out on my own, when I was still working with Amanda Donaho Photography, I researched, scoured the Internet and read everything I possibly could about photography. I started following photography blogs and to this day, I still read blogs for the first 15 minutes of my morning. I've always been drawn to lists and keeping record of what I do, so when I saw Katelyn James' blogging schedule, I knew I had to try it. As soon as I started booking weddings, I went to Target and picked up a Real Simple flexible planning calendar, which is basically a fancy way of saying that you get stickers with the calendar. I assigned each of those sticker colors a task on my list: blogs, meetings, shoots, admin tasks.

For the last year, all my photography "to dos" have lived on that calendar, while I've also kept a shorter-term to do list on a regular, old piece of paper. I found that the calendar was great for big, black-and-white things, but when I had 15 task items from a wedding, I had nowhere to keep track of each one. Enter regular, old piece of paper.

Once I had booked half of the 2013 season, I decided it was time to make the trek to Target and get another calendar. Only one problem: I couldn't find my beloved calendar anywhere! I've checked the Internet and everything and it's nowhere to be found. Sad.

So, new solution: The Simplified binder by Emily Ley. While I've had my schedule pretty well figured out this year, my client organization needed some help. I've kept contracts, lists, etc., in file folders in my desk, but workflows and receipts stayed in folders on my computer. While I was trying to be green with the whole computer thing, I've learned that if each client's workflow isn't at the tip of my fingers, I don't think to open it and update it. I needed a simpler solution.

In 2013, I'll keep everything in my binder. My calendar and also all my client documents. And because the sticker thing worked so well, I created my own stickers with washi tape.

I still need to figure out a better system for the day-to-day to do lists. I keep a schedule on my iCal, but I get a lot of satisfaction crossing stuff out, so I'm looking for something hard copy. Maybe a planner? What's worked for you? Any recommendations?