a long while. 5 years to be exact...
I
took a break from my business after my daughter graduated in 2013. I took one more senior class, the class of
2014 and then I called it quits. I sold
all of my equipment, cleared all of my archives and it's eaten away at me ever
since.
Now I'm going to get a little bit
REAL. This is not meant to offend. It's my thoughts, my feelings and my fears.
During the last couple of years
in my business, I felt like I couldn't compete with those who bought a
"nice camera" and were giving away images on a disc for $50. I worked my ass off to keep learning, trying
new lighting techniques, editing options, I attended webinars, listened to
podcasts, I was in numerous photography groups putting my work out there for
critic, all the while those with a 'nice' camera were getting all the
business. I busted my ass day in and day
out and I couldn't make a profit.
At the end, I was giving up. I thought why am I spending all of this time
and money to hone my skills and run a legitimate business when people just want
cheap? They preferred quantity over
quality. I thought that this was what
people wanted.
Did they really want out of focus
images, bad lighting, over photoshopped or under developed images? Really???
It's taken me a couple of years of stress, turmoil, discussions with my
husband and a lot of prayer. Finally, I
realized that I had just lost faith in myself.
I didn't think my work warranted the prices I was charging. In reality, I wasn't charging enough.
I was giving away sessions and
discounting prints so that I could get my name out. Really, what most of those people want is
something for nothing. Instead of
spreading the word of mouth that I
thought was going to happen. People took
the free and discounted sessions and ran away with them. This hurt my business, and my feelings.
I've since realized that I need
to market to the people that I want as customers. I need to market to those who look for
someone in the higher end of the market and know that because of the prices,
they value their work. 9 times out of
10, those people are the people who value a great portrait. They value quality and they will value your
time and talent (because they are paying for it).
Now don't get me wrong, EVERYONE
starts somewhere. I started back in the
mid 2000's. I started out with a point
and shoot camera, no editing, no website, nothing. I took on a couple of clients a year. Then in 2005 I got my first paying
client. I charged her $25 for senior
pictures of her son. I wish I could show
you the pictures but those are back in my storage in Michigan. Anyway, they were horrible. You'll just have to take my word for it. :)
For that session, my husband
bought me a Canon Rebel XT. I cried. I cried hard.
Not because the gift was so sweet (and it was), but because he had so
much faith in my growing talent that he took the chance and bought me a 'nice'
camera. FROM THAT MOMENT ON, I did
EVERYTHING I could to learn about photography.
For a couple of years after that,
I still shot in auto (instead of manual).
I still used the on camera flash (instead of natural light or a speed
light). I still shot in JPEG (instead of
RAW). I still didn't use Photoshop. I studied.
I learned that I needed to pull out my camera manual and read it. Your camera manual is your photography bible. It will tell you everything you need to shoot
a great image.
Shooting a great image in camera
is the first step. Nothing should happen
until you master that.
In 2008 I met another
photographer who took me to the next level.
She showed me tips and tricks and introduced me to Photoshop. She took me under her wing and let me ask her
every annoying question I could think of.
But that's how you learn. Ask
questions. Don't be afraid to ask. But you have to put in the work or you're
just wasting your time and everyone else's.
In 2009, I thought I was ready to
take my business to the next level. Oh
boy...
Here are a couple of my senior
sessions from 2009. Notice the vignette
around the images. The over processed
skin, the lack of light in the eyes, the poses, shooting in harsh lighting...goodness. Don't get me wrong, there were some great photos
in the mix back then, but I wasn't CONSISTENT.
Not in my shooting, my poses or my editing.
2009 -
2010 - getting a little better. Still not consistent, but it's getting there.
2011 - More Improvements to posing, lighting and editing - really starting to feel like a professional.
2012 - In love with this business!!
2013 -
2014 - My final year...
And last but not least, a side by side comparison..
2009 v 2013
As you can see I've come along way and the learning NEVER stops.
It's 2018 and I'M BACK! It's kind of like starting over as my name hasn't been out there for a few years. I'll be changing up the way I'm marketing myself and I'll be working on a new website. I have some new equipment to buy as well. I'll also be adding family mini sessions to my services.
We have become 'snow birds', so I'll not only be shooting senior portraits in Michigan during the spring and summer; I'll be shooting seniors in Alabama and surrounding area during the late fall and winter. I'm excited to get back to my passion. NEVER let anyone dull your shine or make you feel like you aren't good enough. Whether you're just starting out in photography, or you're a seasoned veteran, never stop learning and honing your skills!
