Our Studio Refresh: A Peek inside our Saratoga Springs Portrait Studio

I can still hardly believe that this studio is mine. It’s one of my favorite places to be in Saratoga Springs, and it’s filled with everything that I find beautiful and inspiring — lots of light, soft fabrics, pretty neutrals, natural wood and rattan, linen, dainty little flowers on itty bitty headbands, and just a touch of subtle sparkle here and there.

With the new year, I’ve been looking forward to spending a little extra time in our Saratoga Springs baby portrait studio getting everything organized. I made some pretty significant changes to the layout in 2023, and I’m finally getting around to photographing the space now so that I can share it with all of you!

We’ve been in this particular studio since 2020, and it has grown and evolved to fit the needs of our clients since then. I’ve always had a knack for maximizing space and carving out little corners to serve a purpose (the toy corner! the snack cart! our prop storage! our new dressing room area! and the secret hiding place for allllll of the cake stands!). Ever since I had my very first classroom as a first grade teacher back in 2009, I’ve enjoyed being able to look at a space and figure out exactly how to configure it so that every space has a purpose, yet it all flows together seamlessly. This studio has been such a fun spot to design and bring to life, and while there will always be more little changes to come, I’m excited to share our 2024 studio with all of you today!

If you’re looking for a Saratoga Springs photographer for your next family or baby portrait session, I would love to chat with you and help you bring your vision to life! We have everything you’ll need in the studio, and I look forward to creating beautiful artwork for your family.

How Hiring a Virtual Assistant Changed My Business: A behind the scenes peek into making big things happen

I remember sitting in a local Tuesdays Together meeting back in 2016 with my warm cup of chai tea.  We were talking about balancing the tasks in your business, and this question came up:

“What is one of the tasks that you hate doing, and that takes all your time away from something that you love doing?”

Immediately, I knew the one task I dreaded most: blog prep.

Resizing images, watermarking them, uploading them to the blog, plugging in the SEO.  For me, it was so monotonous and tedious, and it was the #1 reason I only published a TOTAL of 57 blog posts in 2016.  And even that was a struggle.

Blogging was always pushed further down my to do list, and I wasn’t prioritizing it.  That meant my SEO wasn't optimized, so the chance of me turning up in online searches for local photographers, quite frankly... sucked.

I had recently moved to a new state, so I was new to the area and no one could find me online. I knew I wanted to make a change in my business in 2017, so I decided to outsource a few tasks so that I could focus more of my energy on the parts of running a business that I love. Little did I know that this person would become an essential part of my team and that we’d still be going strong six years later!!!
 

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Hiring a virtual assistant was one of THE VERY BEST DECISIONS I have made for my business. I’ve been working with the same VA since 2017, and it has truly transformed my business and freed up so much time in my week!

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Meet Kristina Dowler of Dot The I’s Outsourcing.  She has been my incredible right-hand woman for the past six years, a behind-the-scenes boss lady who has helped me make big things happen.

Before working with Kristina, I had never outsourced a single task in my business besides web design.  The first time we talked, I remember being so hesitant to trust anyone with the tasks that I had become accustomed to doing on my own for years.  I started off very small with what I asked her to help me with, but I quickly saw how much faster she was at accomplishing some of these tasks than I was, and how talented she was with words and writing copy for me! It wasn’t long before I asked her to handle more and more for me, and felt totally comfortable giving up control of these tasks knowing that she cared about my business’s growth and reputation as much as I did. This freed up hours upon hours of time for me so that I could spend my time growing my business and focusing on the creative things that I love!

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If you’re looking for a virtual assistant you want to find one that is the perfect fit for you.  Where do you begin? 

I put an ISO (in search of) request in the Rising Tide Society group, and I received an incredible response from talented VA's who were taking on new clients.  You can also ask in Facebook groups of local business owners, and you might even know somebody looking for part-time work who you can train and who you feel would be a good fit.

So what should you look for in potential candidates?  Here are some of the must-haves on my list:

• An easy-going personality

• Killer organizational skills

• Familiarity with the software & programs you use

• Clear communication

• A timely response to your emails

• An established method of tracking to-do lists, time on task, and billing information.

• Respect for your privacy, and someone you trust knowing the innermost workings of your business.

Remember how I said that in 2016 I only published 57 blog posts all year?  Well, ever since I hired Kristina I have regularly published 100-120 new blog posts every single year. My SEO is on point and constantly being updated, and I have so much content to share on all of my social media platforms thanks for her awesome blogging skills. We literally have it on auto pilot now with the most amazing system that we’ve refined over the years. Having this organized system in place has allowed me to vary my content, and working with a virtual assistant has ensured that I stay up to date with my end of the blogging tasks so that nothing falls behind for her. 

The end result?  So much more traffic on my website, leading to many more new inquiries and booked clients!

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I wanted to let you in on this little secret today because as we start to move into the slower season, business owners naturally begin to reflect on their year and make plans to streamline and improve their business in the new year. 

If you have tasks that are bogging you down, that are getting pushed to the bottom of your to do list, and that you truly dread doing…. outsource them!  It’s not that expensive, and it frees up so much time for you to focus on other areas.  Truly, what you spend on a VA will come back to you many times over as you’re able to grow your business without wasting time on the tedious tasks. 

Kristina is accepting a few new clients in January 2023, and she’s currently scheduling discovery calls with prospective clients.  I would love for you to have the opportunity to grow your business with someone who is just as passionate about your success as you are! 

Blog prep

Watermarking images, using Blogstomp, uploading images, adding keywords, and scheduling posts. Copyrighting and adding all of the text content for your blog!

PINTEREST MANAGEMENT

Creating graphics to pin, linking back to your blog, scheduling posts, and driving more traffic to your account and to your website.

Creating e-newsletters

Creating the copy and designing the layout for all of your client newsletters!

album design

Beautifully and artfully arrange your client’s favorite images into album layouts that are ready to print.

Workflow creation as needed

And literally countless other tasks. 

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Plus, if you’re not quite ready to hire a virtual assistant just yet and instead you’re looking for some resources on how to get better at blogging and workflows, Kristina has tons of resources and templates available in The Blog Shop that will help your business immediately!

If you have questions about my experience hiring a VA, just ask!  And when you're ready to get in touch with Kristina, you can reach her at kristina.dowler@gmail.com.  Tell her Nicole sent you!

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Meet Kristina,
your lifesaver.

Kristina lives in Virginia with her husband and their little boy, David.  She loves the beach, regularly travels to the Outer Banks, and spends her free time playing the cello in musical productions. She has built an incredible team of copyrighters and assistants who help business owners across the country keep things runnings seamlessly. She enjoys all of those tedious tasks in running a business that you don't have the time or energy for, and she loves helping other creative entrepreneurs grow their businesses by taking a few tasks off their plate so that they can focus on what they love.

10 Tips to Prepare for Maternity Leave as a Business Owner

As a business owner, there’s nothing scarier than the idea of taking an extended time away from your business. Trust me: I get it! I’ve taken maternity leave TWICE now as a newborn and family photographer. After the first time when Grayson was born, I realized that it absolutely was possible for me to and I worked hard to prepare for Adelaide’s maternity leave this summer. While I know the idea of stepping away from your business for maternity leave (or other extended leave) can be frightening, I want you to know that it is possible… and not only that, but you SHOULD also take time off! Today, I wanted to share 10 tips to prepare for maternity leave so that you can prepare ahead and enjoy your time off with that new baby!! 

Plan ahead for your finances! 

Start setting aside money in savings at the beginning of your pregnancy (or before!) to cover expenses during your time off.  As a business owner, your expenses will not change just because you're not working, so plan ahead and start saving early to ensure that you have a steady stream of "income" from your maternity leave savings that you've built up over these past 40+ weeks.  

Set the dates early for when you want to be off! 

Make sure you know ahead of time when you plan to be out of the office. It’s also smart to plan to take more time than you think you'll need.  With my first baby, I took 2 months off, and I was planning to work right up until 37 1/2 weeks, but then I was induced early and I had to reschedule a portrait session, which I did when he was only a few weeks old.  It was stressful and exhausting, and I learned my lesson.  Never again.  

With my second baby, I planned to stop working at 36 weeks to give myself some time to wrap up client tasks, nest, and enjoy those last days with just my son at home, and I planned a full 3 months away from my business this time around.  You have to do what feels right for you but set those dates and stick to them.  At first it was hard turning away sooooo many new inquiries for the dates that I would be away, especially when they wanted something that was technically before my due date.  As business owners, so many of us have trained ourselves to the "feast or famine" mentality and it's hard to turn away work.  But trust me, saying "no" to clients and new inquiries will get easier the more you practice it, and if you stick to your policy and your dates you will be happier in the long run.

Prepare content ahead of time!

When you’re thinking about what to prep before you leave, don’t forget content! Plan for the months you'll be away, but also for the first month back, so you have it ready to go when you're getting back into the swing of things with work. Content includes your blogs, social media, and newsletters – so make sure to think ahead. 

Bonus Tip: Outsource tasks when you can! I have loved the freedom that comes with having a virtual assistant handling certain tasks for me, and it's nice to have them prep as much as they can for you while you're prepping for your leave and delegating tasks as needed.  Get this set up well before your leave so that everything runs seamlessly by the time you are out of the office.

Schedule your clients in advance! 

Reach out early to clients to get everything scheduled with them in advance so that you can fit them in around your time off.  You don't want your planned time off to catch them by surprise, so prep them months in advance that this is happening. 

Let your clients know what to expect! 

Take the time to let your clients know what to expect while you are on your maternity leave -- how much time you're taking off, how long it may take you to reply to emails, your plans for after maternity leave.  If you're using an assistant or if you've hired someone to take over your inbox while you're away, introduce them to your clients ahead of time (a newsletter or a personalized email will do!) so that they know who to contact should they need anything.

Limit how clients can communicate with you! 

I prefer email only, so I have turned off Instagram DMs and Facebook messenger on my business page. While you're busy at home with the baby, you don't want to have to keep track of a million messages coming in from all different channels. Your focus should be on your family during this time off – not answering all your messages! 

Set an auto responder on your email! 

Prep your email auto responder so that it's ready to go live when you are ready to step away from the office!  The last thing you want is to be figuring out the perfect wording while in labor at the hospital, or while juggling a newborn.

Consider scaling back your content during your time off.  

You are on leave and enjoying time at home with your baby, so your business can be a little more relaxed if you want it to!  I plan to publish fewer blog posts each month, and fewer newsletters.  If you don't want to be marketing your business a ton while you're stepping away for a few weeks or months, then don't.  Make it work for you.

Give yourself the freedom (and the flexibility!) to work or not to work during your leave.  

See how you feel, and if you find that you want to get a little bit of work done, go for it!  Have a list of "if I'm up for it" tasks that prepped ahead of time so that you can get right down to business during baby's naptime one day.  For me, these are all non-client related tasks and more focused on the back end of my business because I don't want to have any client responsibilities or client deadlines looming over me when I am trying to adjust to life at home with a newborn.

Plan for what your work schedule will look like when you do go back to work after your maternity leave.  

You may want to give yourself a few weeks to ease into it with a transition period rather than jump in full speed ahead, so plan to take on fewer clients during that time and still delegate certain tasks, in addition to having marketing tasks automated ahead of time for that period and ready to go live without much (or any) effort from you.  Allow yourself plenty of flexibility and grace and know that you're doing your best and that that is good enough.

As you can see, prepping for maternity leave is mostly about planning ahead, clear communication, and expectations for yourself and your clients. Stepping away from your business may seem scary, but I promise you: you’re going to want that time off to adjust to life with a newborn and to help your family through this new transition. You’ve got this!!

All of my maternity photos were taken by my dear friend Lauren Kirkham Photography.

Email templates to help photographers send client emails in 5 minutes or less

As a busy mom and business owner, I’m always looking for ways to save time in the office so I can serve my families well. One of the ways I’ve been able to do that is to streamline my client communication process. I want to keep everything easy for myself and for my clients, so there’s never any confusion… but also so they feel prepared and excited for our portrait session together.

How to streamline client communication.

Streamlining client communication is as simple as using email templates! I’ve created sets of email templates for my newborn clients and my cake smash clients. Because of these templates, I’m able to send the appropriate emails out in less than 5 minutes. I know many photographers hesitate to use templates because they want their correspondence to feel personalized - but that’s the beauty of these. I am able to quickly update and customize these emails with their names, dates, and details about the family and their session. Nothing ever feels like it was copied and pasted when my clients read them. But, I’ve managed to save time in my office that day!

That’s a win-win.

When I can spend less time worrying about the day-to-day work in the office, I’m able to focus on what matters for my photography business. I can spend my time focusing on my client relationships and nurturing them because I can step away from my inbox. I can be with my family and make sure I’m spending my limited time where I really want to be.

I love my email templates…

That’s why I’m excited to share that these email templates are for sale in my online shop! If you’re ready to take back control of your time, while also improving your client experience, today’s the day to grab a copy. All of the templates can be customized to match YOUR brand voice - so there’s no reason not to grab them. Take back your time, focus on what matters most, and keep serving your clients well.

Grab the set you need using the buttons below - and share this with a photographer you love who needs more time back in their life outside of their inbox!

Tips for Photographers: How to make your studio space welcoming and comfortable for your clients

Recently a new mom was in the studio for her newborn session. She was sitting on the couch nursing her two-week old daughter, and her toddler was playing with toys in the corner while her husband hung out and helped hand her a few things from the diaper bag. We were in between setups and we had just finished the family portraits, and she looked around and said:

“Your studio is just so welcoming and cozy!
I feel so comfortable here. You’ve really thought of everything!”

In that moment I was so happy to receive that compliment, and I told her how much those kind words meant to me. You see, I had only moved into my new studio less than 3 months before her session. We had installed new floors, painted the walls, assembled furniture, hung artwork, and organized all of the things. I had worked my butt off to create a space that was calming, welcoming, and versatile while maximizing every inch of space.

It is really important to me that my studio is a space where new parents feel like they can relax. So much about those first few weeks (months, or even the first couple of years!) is a swirling sea of unknowns. But when they step into my studio I want them to feel like they can take a deep breath and let the space soothe them, allowing them to enjoy our session together and enjoy watching their baby at their first portrait session.

So, how do you replicate that in your studio?

What are the things you can keep in mind to create a space that is just as welcoming and cozy?

First, get into the mind of a mom. Whether you are a mom or you’re not a mom, surely you know other moms and you can ask them what would make their lives a little easier. This will vary for every stage of parents that you have in your studio, and newborn parents will need different things than first birthday parents, who will need different things from toddler parents and school-age parents. But start to think what would make them feel more relaxed and at ease when they come to your studio.

Let’s start with right when they walk in the door.

A designated place to hang their coat, leave the baby carrier, and drop their diaper bag and shoes.

A comfy couch to rest on, ideally in a spill-proof and wipeable fabric so they don’t have to worry about their little one making a mess on it.

I write their little one’s name on a chalkboard sign by the entrance, and it makes them smile knowing that I personalized it just for their baby! Right away they feel welcomed and special.

Then show them around and let them settle in. Thoughtful little touches make a BIG difference!

Show them where the snacks are. Speaking of snacks, if you don’t have snacks for families this is an easy place to start! I have a little three-tier cart filled with kid-friendly snacks like goldfish, raisins, and chocolate chip cookies. My studio is peanut-free and tree nut free, and I make sure all of our snacks are, too. I also have water bottles and juice boxes on the cart, and paper towels, baby wipes, and tissues, too.

Coffee & tea! I have a little Keurig machine in the studio with cute little mugs and coffee pods. I make sure to plug it in and warm up the water ahead of time, and I always make sure parents know they can help themselves to some coffee.

A bathroom. Show them where it is, and make sure it’s well-stocked before they arrive.

Do you have a place for them to get changed? What about hooks up high to hang long dresses so they don’t reach the floor? I’ve turned a corner into a changing nook by hanging curtains on a track from the ceiling, If you want to maximize your little studio space, this would be perfect for you! Be sure to put a full-length mirror in there, too, and open the curtains when it’s not in use to make the space appear bigger.

Is mom nursing? Have a Boppy pillow handy to offer her. Bottle feeding? Keeping a bottle warmer in the studio is a great idea! When she’s feeding the baby, try and read the vibe she’s giving off, and if it seems like she might want a little privacy then make an excuse to sneak out for a few minutes to give her some quiet moments with her little one. This is especially important for nursing moms, and some brand new first-time moms can be a little anxious about feeding the baby in public and getting everything in just the right position, and this might be her first time nursing the baby outside of the comfort of her home where she can be walking around without a shirt all day. Other moms don’t care whatsoever and are completely comfortable around anyone else in the room, it just varies from mom to mom! So just read the vibe and give her space if you think she might appreciate it.

Big brother or sister? You want to have ways to keep them entertained. I ask about their interests ahead of time and I try to keep toys in the play corner that will occupy them. I have board books, blocks, little horses in a stable, cars, trains, and some manipulative activities and puzzles to keep them busy. I bring in new toys from my son’s toy stash based on their interests. One little tip: avoid crayons or markers, especially if you don’t want to have to worry about their drawings accidentally ending up on the walls!

Display samples of all of the products you offer, showcasing different types of sessions and portraits. Let them see your newborns, cake smashes, outdoor family portraits, and more! This gives them inspiration for upcoming sessions, and they’ll know without even asking what types of portraits you offer!

Get them involved and let them select a few items for their session! Have your wraps, headbands, and little outfits displayed in a way that clients can look through them and choose a few favorites. This helps them be more invested in the session and more excited about creating personalized portraits!

Create an overall feeling of warmth and space.

Even if you have a small studio space, there are still ways you can create a welcoming atmosphere for your clients. I use a cohesive color palette throughout to make everything flow together seamlessly. Those colors fit my brand, so for me it’s all white, cream, muted gold/champagne, and natural unfinished wood. This helps the space feel airy, even though it’s in a basement with low ceilings.

Wipe everything down with a lightly-scented sanitizing wipe before the session, but make sure there is not an overpowering smell in the studio when they arrive. You want it to be clean and fresh, but not so much that it’s all they remember about their session. You don’t want them going home complaining about the photographer’s studio that stinks like too much lemon lysol. ;o)

Create space. Try not to have anything crowded around the seating area/couch so that families have space for their bags, toys, clothes, and room to move around. You don’t want them to feel like they are tripping over everything when they stand up to get a snack.

Turn on all the lights when you can so that it’s not dark, and make sure to keep the temperature comfortable! Keep a space heater in there, and also fans or AC for the warmer months.

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Did you notice that I haven’t said a thing about props? Having a studio isn’t all about having, storing, and displaying your prop collection. A studio is a space where you can welcome your clients. It is a space they come to for their portrait session, and while yes, props are important, they are not the ONLY thing to think about when you are setting up your studio.

You want to be the photographer who keeps the client’s comfort and needs in mind first.

Make sure you are welcoming them into your studio, helping them feel comfortable, and doing everything possible to give them an extraordinary experience. Then those will be the clients who can’t stop raving about how wonderful you are, who are eager to come back for another session, and who tell all their friends about you.

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Download our freebie checklist!

Now it’s time to refresh your studio space! Download this checklist to help you create a client-focused studio that is just as welcoming & cozy!

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Are checklists totally your thing?

Check out our Cake Smash Prep Bundle for more tools to help your business!

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Tips for Photographers: Where to buy backdrops & what to avoid

Hey, photographer friends! 

If you’re new here, you may not know that I created a Facebook group three years ago for cake smash photographers.  It has turned into a huge global community filled with inspiration, crazy amounts of talent, plenty of questions, and insightful advice.  If you’re not in our Cake Smash Inspiration for Baby Photographers group on Facebook, go join now!

One of the questions we see most often in the group is, “Where should I buy backdrops?”

This question is often followed up with, “I don’t have a lot of money to spend on these, so where can I get something cheap?”

There are so many options for backdrops besides purchasing a pre-made backdrop from a company.  Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• seamless paper

• paper garlands to match a theme (make them on a Cricut or buy them from Etsy)

• ribbon garlands

• crepe paper walls

• floral walls

• greenery

• hanging branches and hanging flowers 

• hand-drawn backdrop on seamless paper

• watercolor backdrop on seamless paper

• fabric

• print an original image on a fleece blanket

• balloon garland

• shower curtains

• tapestries

If you’re looking to build a collection of actual backdrops, you can start by searching destash groups where photographers are selling their gently-used backdrops.  There are groups like this for most of the major backdrop company brands on Facebook, and your local photography groups will probably have people destashing a few times a year, too.

And then when you’re ready to start purchasing your own brand new backdrop, PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST.
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As a small business owner yourself, you should always support small business backdrop shops.  

I spoke with the owner of a reputable backdrop company, and she told me that “as the owner of one, I can ensure you that we all pour our hearts and souls into our business and supporting companies such as Amazon, Ali Express & Kate is truly a terrible disservice to the industry.”

Wait, what?  You might be confused right now because you thought that that backdrop you bought from Amazon or some other site was such a bargain, that how could that possibly be wrong? 

Take it from this backdrop company owner:

“What many photographers do not know is that these companies steal original designs from small backdrop businesses such as my own, and sell them for a fraction of the price. They are often stealing them off of websites & editing out logos. Additionally, they are messaging customers and offering to pay them to sell them an image of their backdrop hung and then turning around and printing that file. The hard work that goes into each of these designs is then instantly degraded and sold on these platforms. If we could all ban together and educate the industry on why it is wrong to support these companies, recommend them, link them etc we could make a huge impact on stoping these thieves from profiting off of hard working small businesses.”

Before you click “Add to cart” on some too cheap, too good to be true replica being sold online, stop and think about it for a minute.  If this backdrop is a mere fraction of the price of what the backdrop companies sell theirs for, there must be a reason, right?  Very likely it’s stolen and being sold without consent or profit for the original owner and designer.

Think about how hard you work on your small business.  Think about all of the effort that goes into creating each setup, executing each session, editing the images, fostering that client relationship, and creating those beautiful products and heirloom artwork.  Now imagine if someone just steals all of that from you with the click of a button, doesn’t get your permission, and starts profiting thousands of dollars from your work with no commission coming back to you.  That’s just wrong!

Here’s how one backdrop designer feels about it: 

“So - the truth is... as a creator of any kind, seeing your work taken without your knowledge and then sold for money makes you feel like you’re worthless. Income aside, you feel violated. I work incredibly hard on my sets and sell them because I know people benefit from having sets already pre-designed... but it makes me not want to design anymore. Just like when your words on your website are stolen - you feel helpless and hopeless and nothing is worse than someone taking the fire inside you away. Forget the fact that they are also taking money away from you and your family.”

Please, please, please.  We see it too often that photographers say they didn’t know a backdrop was a stolen image and replica.  That they had never heard about this problem in the industry before.  That they can’t afford $80 for a backdrop so the $14 will have to do.  But just stop and think about it before you purchase that and support a business that is stealing from your peers, a business that is stealing from YOUR INDUSTRY.  It is so incredibly damaging to the entire industry and to our entire creative community. 

If you can’t afford the $80 backdrop, take a look at your cost of doing business and adjust your prices to be more profitable so that you can start buying a few drops for your business.  Find a destash group and purchase a used backdrop.  Create your own backdrop with the tips at the beginning of this blog post.  But just don’t hand money to companies that are preying off of talented individuals without their permission, taking their designs right out of their hands and stealing money from their families.  

Wondering which backdrop companies are legit? Check out this doc in our Facebook group with a list of reputable backdrop companies. When you buy from these companies, you are supporting small businesses, designers, and their families.

The IPS Series: How to get your clients to love their artwork as much as you do

We’re starting a new series on the blog for photographers all about focusing on giving your clients gorgeous heirloom products that they are going to LOVE. 

You’ve seen the endless discussions and debates in online groups of photographers debating the two most popular business models in the industry— an all-inclusive model with the digital images included in the session fee, or a product-focused model where clients can choose their prints and albums through you and it’s often done as in-person sales (IPS).

I’ve seen photographers have tremendous success with both models, and it really is all about which one fires you up, which one you can get behind 100%, and which one makes you feel like you are providing the very best experience possible to your clients.

Personally, I’ve been using the IPS model for 5 years and it works wonderfully in my business.  I love getting together with my clients for their gallery reveal appointment after the session, playing their video slideshow, and watching them fall in love with the images we created together.  I love to see them get so excited as they choose their favorite images and decide where to enjoy those portraits in their homes.  I absolutely adore their reactions when they unwrap their packages and exclaim that it is so much more beautiful in person than they imagined, carefully turning the pages of their new linen album or unveiling their gorgeous new wall art.  

They come back for their next session, and before we’ve taken a single photo they are already talking about the album that they want to create or the new canvas they want to hang in their living room.  They realize that their portraits bring them so much joy where they can see them every day, and they don’t want to have them get lost on a hard drive somewhere where they will never see them or never get around to printing them.  They value the products and they value the service that comes along with it.  That is why I do what I do.

Whichever model you offer to your clients, you have to love what you sell.  If you love digitals, sell them!  If you love tangible keepsakes that you can see and feel, go with that!  That’s what it is all about.  If you love it and you are passionate about it, they will love it, too.

Me?  I looooooooove albums.  Some of my favorite memories growing up were sitting behind the sofa and poring through boxes of photographs and countless photo albums with my sister.  Now as an adult, I love being able to look through my grandparents’ albums that are many decades old, turning the pages that so many hands have turned and enjoying the stories that unfold on the pages.  So when I start talking about albums with my clients, they get excited right along with me and it makes them love these albums for their families, too.

I offer a few different types of albums to our clients.  These are the exact same albums that I print for my own family, so I really do stand behind their quality and beauty.  There is the fine art album, a beautiful linen album with ultra thick pages printed on photo paper with two different finishes on the pages.  The storybook album is a smaller album with press paper pages.  And finally, for a fun little gift I have added on the mini accordion albums that many families love sharing with grandparents.  

When I share our sample albums with the families that I work with, they get so excited to see the quality of these keepsake books and they immediately start imagining their photographs on the pages of the album.  We talk about sitting on the couch with their little ones, turning the pages and telling them their favorite family stories about when they were little.  These are not meant to be tucked away in a drawer somewhere, but to be enjoyed and to become a part of their daily life.

One of my favorite client stories recently was about Baby Blake.  She came to me for a newborn session, and returned for her first birthday session.  Her mom and dad told me that she was obsessed with babies, and that she loved looking at pictures of babies.  They had an album from her newborn session, and every morning she wanted to look through the book at all of the babies on the pages — she didn’t realize that every single photo was of Baby Blake!  This became her favorite book, and it’s going to become a memory that she has forever as she gets older and continues looking through the pages of her baby album.

I could say that I am so lucky that the families I work with value these products just as much as I do, but honestly, I don’t believe it’s luck.  I talk about our keepsakes all the time.  They are displayed prominently on my website, there are a ton of blog posts with product features, and I share these product photos all over my social media pages.  During the initial inquiry stage and during our first phone call, we start talking about which products will be the best fit for their family and get them dreaming about the new gallery wall they are going to create or the album that they will share with their children now and pass down to them 20 years from now.  They are excited to have tangible keepsakes before they even book their session.  I really do believe that when you are passionate about the experience you offer to your clients, you are going to get the type of clients that value the same things you do in their portrait experience. 

Stay tuned for our next post all about choosing products that complement your brand that your clients will love!

Rocking your business & your baby: Planning for maternity leave as a business owner

Hey, mom-preneurs!  

This one is for you.

We’re starting a new series on the blog called “Rocking Your Business & Your Baby.”  As I enter into motherhood with the arrival of our baby boy this spring, I am excited to connect with so many other mamas out there who have learned (and are still learning!) how to balance business & babies.

I’ve been a business owner for SIX YEARS.  Think about that for a second — my very first newborn clients are going to be first graders in the fall.  Wow.

For 6 years, this business has been my baby.  It’s held my hopes and dreams, it’s connected me with so many amazing people, it’s been the big thing that I work hard on every single day.  I’ve truly loved watching it grow and evolve over time, and seeing how I have grown and changed as a business owner in that same time, too. 

And now I’m adding on a new role, the most important role of them all: MOM.
 

I know that things are going to change for me as a business owner with the arrival of our baby boy.  This little business of mine won’t be my only "baby" anymore.  Working from home will hold a whole new meaning, and my time is going to look a lot different moving forward.  I’m excited to connect with other business owners who are rocking their businesses while rocking their babies, and to share some insights with all of you as I learn as I go!

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Today we’re going to talk all about preparing for maternity leave as a business owner.  If you’re waiting on your little one to arrive — CONGRATULATIONS!  You must be so excited as you count down the months and the weeks until the day you finally get to meet your sweet little baby.  But if you’re anything like me, you might also be a little bit nervous wondering,
How in the world am I going to get everything done? 
How will I continue running a business with a baby at home? 
What will happen if I just drop off the face of the earth for a few months when the baby arrives? 
Can I even afford to take maternity leave?

I have had all of the same thoughts, worries, and concerns over these past 9+ months, so I’m sharing a little insight into a few things that helped me prepare for maternity leave with the idea that hopefully they will help you as you embark on this new adventure, too!

It’s never too early to prepare.
 

I hired a virtual assistant long before we even decided to have a baby.  Kristina started working with me a full 16 months before my due date.  I knew back then that there were so many things in my business that I could outsource to free up my time and attention that would be better spent focusing on other areas, and I found the perfect assistant to do that for me.  

We spent more than a year establishing a solid workflow where she completely took over some of the behind-the-scenes tasks that allowed me to focus on growing my business in other areas.  For example, because she took over social media and blog prep, I could streamline my marketing to bring in even more clients, and my sales to bring in even more revenue. 

Which leads me to number two…

Save, save, save. 
 

Save up as much extra income as you can before you go on maternity leave to cover your expenses so that you can enjoy some downtime at home getting to know your new baby.  You’re going to want to take time off to rest, bond, and find your groove at home as a family of 3 (or 4, or 5!).  Having the financial freedom to do that will give you one less thing to worry about.

As soon as we got pregnant, I started saving every penny because I knew that I wanted to take a few months off once our little one arrived, but we would still have bills to pay.  Actually, you’re likely going to have even MORE bills to pay than you do now because of hospital bills, baby items, formula, diapers, and all of the other expenses that come along with bringing a little 8-pound human home with you.  So plan to grow that business well before your due date so that you have enough saved up to cover at least 2-3 months of expenses during your maternity leave.

Automate your business as much as possible.
 

Preparing for my maternity leave felt a lot like what it was like to prepare to take a sick day when I was a teacher, times about 1,000!!!  I wanted my business to continue running, so I scheduled blog posts, social media posts, and newsletters that would go out automatically during the weeks I planned to take off.

This way, I can be out for a walk with my baby and a new blog post goes live.  I might be struggling through a sleepless two-day stretch, but my social media posts are still fresh and my followers see that we’re still an active business with a lot going on.  We could be visiting with the grandparents, and  a newsletter will go out advertising our summer sunset sessions.  

As a business owner, you are always marketing and reaching potential clients and past clients.  It's important to stay fresh in their minds so that they remember, "Hey, I really want to work with you!"  Automating some tasks to keep your business running even while you're taking a break will help to do that for you.

Your business can run itself if you prepare ahead of time.  IT’S A LOT OF WORK, but it’s worth it not to have to worry about a thing when all you really want to do is stay at home and marvel at how perfect your baby is. 

Block off time on your calendar, and stick to it.
 

I stopped traveling for sessions 1 month before my due date.  Since I drive back and forth between two states for sessions, I didn’t want to worry about going into labor while crossing the Berkshire Mountains, so early on in my maternity leave I planned which weekends would be my last ones in Massachusetts, and I made those dates known to all of my clients, stacking them full of sessions to save time and maximize profitability.

I also planned to stop working around week 37, so I wrapped up all of my client work by then.  All orders from sessions were completed, albums were designed, print orders were placed with my labs, and everything that I could package and deliver was sent out so that I wouldn’t have to worry about anything being left unfinished in case the baby arrived early.

I knew that I could still do behind the scenes work after week 37 (blogging, social media, newsletters), but it was important to me that all client work and obligations be done to have one less thing to worry about.

Plus, you’re going to want to take it easy before the baby gets here!  I was in full-on nesting mode and I spent months looking forward to having a few weeks “off” to clean, organize the nursery, prepare food for after the baby arrived, and spend some extra time with just my husband.  We fit in a few extra “date days” and other little things that we wanted to do that would be so much easier without a baby in tow, so take your time to relax and enjoy that end stage of your pregnancy without working up until the end!

Have a plan in place in case your baby arrives early.

It happens.  Babies arrive whenever they are ready, and if you’re counting on your little one not making an appearance until you’ve accomplished x, y, and z…. well, you might find yourself in a sticky situation!  So be prepared to be flexible and just go with the flow.  

If you allow yourself enough time to wrap things up before your due date, hopefully you won’t have to deal with too much of a surprise and be scrambling to get things done.  But let those clients towards the end of your workload know that you’re approaching your due date and that it’s possible you might need to reschedule their appointment if the  baby arrives early, or mail their order to them if you can’t deliver it in person, or that you might wind up meeting through video chat or FaceTime if you can’t be there in person for an appointment. 

This actually wound up being a blessing in disguise since our little one arrived THREE WEEKS EARLY, as soon as I had finished up many of those loose ends with my business tasks!   I had to reschedule one gallery reveal appointment, and one cake smash session.  Thankfully those clients were incredibly understanding and knew that my due date was right around the corner back when we booked, so it was no issue marking a new date on the calendar for them.  I was even receiving messages from them "just checking in" while I was at the hospital with our baby, and I thought it was the sweetest thing that we were on their mind!

Give them enough heads up, and thank them for their flexibility.  They’ve been in your shoes before, and they will definitely understand and be accommodating!

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The most important thing is don't stress too much about stepping away from your business to focus on your family for a bit.  Your business will be there when you're ready for it, and you're going to find a whole new balance to your life as you adjust to being a mom AND being an entrepreneur.  

Do you have other topics you'd like to see in our "Rocking Your Business & Your Baby" series?  Let me know by sending an email to education@nicolestarrphotography.com.  I'd love to hear from you!

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Creating an Email Newsletter List: A Game-Changer for Your Business

Hey, photographers!
 

You’ve been working so hard on building up your business, connecting with new families, and improving your art AND your business sense.  You have all of these big plans for sessions this spring and summer, and you’re eager to put them into place and get started.

All you need to do is some marketing. 

BAM!  It sounds so easy, right?  But you and I know that it’s never as simple as it sounds, and that some of the platforms that we rely on for marketing our businesses actually seem to penalize small business owners, making it nearly impossible for us to connect with potential ideal clients.  

We see it all the time in Facebook groups for business owners — people complain that no one is seeing our social media posts anymore, the algorithms don’t work in our favor, and everything is constantly changing so that people barely even notice business pages in their newsfeed these days.  

Social media has become a “pay to play” game, and honestly, sometimes when you pay to sponsor a post it doesn’t even get you the results you want!  You can have thousands of followers, and if you’re lucky your post will get seen by a few dozen or a few hundred people.  

There has got to be a better way.  And there is.

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Let’s talk about reaching your clients.  

You don’t own your likes and followers on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.  If those platforms disappeared tomorrow, what would happen to your business?  Would you have a way to connect with your audience?  Or would you be starting from scratch again, building it up from nothing?

Today we’re going to talk about the importance of building an email list for your business.  If you’re not already collecting email addresses, this is something that you really should put on your to do list this week and start prioritizing.  Once you have a client’s (or potential client’s) email address, you are guaranteed to always have a way to reach them.  Most people check their inbox every single day, and that is the perfect way to stay fresh in their minds with an occasional message or newsletter letting them know what’s new in your business.

Now, I don't recommend overwhelming them with multiple messages a week, but sending one or two a month is a good way to stay fresh in their minds and let them know what's new, what's coming up, and what they don't want to miss out on.

I use Mailchimp to organize my clients into different email lists.  You can sort them and create new groups by location, type of client, when the babies’ birthdays are — the possibilities are endless depending on how you would like to target your marketing efforts!  Then you’re able to create beautiful, professional newsletters that will be delivered straight to their inbox, reminding them of everything that’s going on in your business and encouraging them to book another session with you.

I’ll be honest with you — sometimes even those emails get filtered into the Spam folder, or they simply get clicked on and deleted.  It happens.  But the bigger you build your list, the greater the chance of reaching more of your potential clients. 

Mailchimp even gives you feedback on each campaign that you send out telling you how many people opened your email, who they were, and what they clicked on.  This is invaluable in helping to guide you with targeted suggestions to keep improving every newsletter so that it is more user-friendly and more engaging. 

So, what are you waiting for?  This service is free (and I am not getting paid to promote it — I just love the platform!), and it’s perfect for a business owner like you.  Ramp up those marketing efforts this spring and create an email list that will help you to reach even more potential clients -- keep doing your thing on social media, too, but add in this one extra platform and you'll see a big difference in no time!

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Did you miss this recent blog post for photographers?
Learn all about reaching your ideal clients through VIP Client Groups on Facebook!

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6 New Ways to Connect with your Clients through a VIP Facebook Group

Hey, photographers!

It’s officially the “slow season” for portrait photographers, which is the perfect opportunity for you to spend some time working ON your business rather than always working IN your business.  These couple of months are always my favorite time of year because I get to reflect on the past year, figure out what worked & what didn’t work, make goals and plans, and dream big for the 12 months to come! 

One item you might want to add to your business to-do list this winter is to create a VIP client group on Facebook, and to invite your clients to join.  This group is separate from your business page, though you can link it on your main business page so that clients can find it easily. 

A VIP client group provides extra value to your clients.  It enhances your marketing efforts, shows your clients that you value their input, and adds to the high-end experience that your brand has become known for. 

What are a few other reasons to consider creating a VIP client group?

1. A private VIP group has more effective reach than posts on Facebook business pages, Instagram, and even your email newsletter with the way that all of the algorithms prevent people from seeing your posts and messages.

2.  It’s a great way to gather your clients together and make them feel extra special.  Come on, who wouldn’t love being a “VIP” of something really cool?

3.  This is a place to give your clients input on upcoming sessions.  Make a poll and get their opinion!  These private, informal posts will get them involved in helping you decide on a theme, pick dates for special events, and gauge their interest in a new type of session that you’ve been thinking about.

4.  Reward your VIP members by giving them first dibs on booking upcoming events and mini sessions.

5.  Offer your clients booking incentives that are only available for members of the VIP group.  This might take the form of an extra print, a mini accordion album, a product credit, or a print bonus with their session.

6.  Regular posts will help you stay at the front of their minds in between sessions.  When they don’t forget about you, they’ll remember to book their next session!  Happy clients are loyal clients, so use your VIP experience to make them happy!

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Looking for a few more ways to take advantage of the extra time you have in your business this winter?  Click on the photos below for other popular blog posts that will help you take advantage of your time and give you plenty of inspiration for the months ahead!

8 Gratitude Ideas for Every Business Owner

As we move into the holiday season and start looking forward to Thanksgiving in just a few days, now is the perfect opportunity for us to pause and reflect on the businesses we run and the relationships we are building.  Today on the blog we’re talking all about showing GRATITUDE in your business.

You have the best job in the world.  Seriously now, think about it for a second…  

You have been so lucky to work with all of these amazing families this year.  They have invited you into their lives, handed you their babies — their most precious gifts, and asked you to capture their story in a way that only you know how.  You have fostered relationships with these people who are not just clients, but now your friends.  You have so much to be thankful for!  Have you slowed down to acknowledge that this year?

Today I want to share a few ways that you can show gratitude in your business every single day.  These are small steps that you can implement, but that will have a big impact on how you perceive your business, how you perceive the work you are doing, and how your clients perceive the experience they are receiving from you. 

In the end, the most important thing is that they feel valued and appreciated.  Here are a few tips to make that happen!

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Never underestimate the power of a thank you.

I was raised on handwritten thank you notes, and I am so glad that it’s something I have continued doing all these years.  Everyone loves receiving mail, and it’s so much nicer to open a beautiful notecard with someone’s heartfelt note scrawled inside than it is to open a stiff, typed form letter.  

Build it into your work flow to send every client a handwritten thank you note.  This can be after they sign their contract and book their session with you, letting them know how excited you are to work with them in a few weeks.  Or it can be included with their print order, thanking them for such a wonderful experience and telling them how much you hope they enjoy their new artwork. 

Buy thank you cards that match your branding, or get them printed in bulk through your lab.  Use a nice pen, and your very best penmanship.  But most importantly, put your heart into it and send them a meaningful note.

Surprise your clients with a gift.

Whether you’re giving a new mom flowers at her newborn session, bringing a swaddle to the hospital for their Fresh 48 session, gifting them a mounted print at their gallery reveal appointment, or getting little onesies made for all of the babies your work with, do something to make your clients go, “WOW!” 

These are small gestures that don't cost much, and you can build the cost into your session fee.  Show them that you’re thinking of them.  Show them that they matter to you and that you appreciate them inviting you into their lives for this photo shoot.  

Show your clients that you’re listening, and that you value them & their story.

If they mention what they do for work, where their favorite vacation spot is, or that this is the first granddaughter in their family in 26 years — remember that!  Bring these connection points up in conversation when you’re with your clients and show them that you care about their family and their story.  Mention small details in their blog post or social media posts, and they’ll be surprised that you remembered something that they only mentioned in passing.  When you show them that you're listening, you're showing them that you appreciate them choosing you as their family photographer.

Comment on their social media posts.

If your client reposts your images, leave a nice comment about what a great experience you had working with them!  Become friends on Facebook or Instagram, and interact with their day to day posts.  You’ll stay at the front of their mind, and they’ll feel like you’ve become a small part of their lives and that they matter to you — they weren’t just another customer or another paycheck to you.

Thank your referred clients, and the ones that referred them!

When you give your clients an amazing experience, they will want to tell their friends.  Implement some type of referral program with rewards.  Surprise them with a little thank you gift when they send someone your way -- a print from a recent session, product credit, or a mini session at the studio are all just a few ideas of ways that you can thank them when their friend books with you!  Never take word of mouth marketing for granted, and always show appreciation that they are helping your small business grow.
 

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There are many facets to being a business owner.  One of them is, of course, how you present yourself to your clients and your potential clients.  Another is how you present yourself to your peers. 

Just as you take care to put your best foot forward with the clients that are paying your bills, make sure that you’re also putting just as much effort into the relationships you’re building with your peers in the photography industry.  Remember that they are just that — PEERS.  Not competition, not enemies.  We’re a community and we’re here to help each other and build each other up.  Here are a few ways to show gratitude in this other side of your business.

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Respond to messages & questions from other photographers.

Everyone has to start somewhere, and we all have questions.  If someone reaches out to you in an email or with a comment on social media, don’t leave them hanging!  Take a moment to send them a quick reply and answer whatever it is they’re asking. 

I have made wonderful connections all across the country (and even around the world!), and I am so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to “meet” these amazing business owners all because one of us asked the other one a question.  This truly fosters a sense of community, and soon you’ll see that you’re all helping each other out and sharing each other’s names and business pages in groups where people are asking questions, looking for a photographer, or needing inspiration for a session.  We all have something to offer — what will YOU offer to others this season?
 

Be active in the photography groups online!

Don’t be a lurker!  You have something to share with others, so get out there and help them!  Start commenting on posts and asking questions.  Share your tips, images, positive CC, and inspiration online.  We all learn from each other, and we all have so much to give to help others. 

Just remember one rule that applies to all groups — if you want CC, ask for it and humbly accept whatever advice you get.  And if someone didn’t ask for CC, don’t be the one that gives unsolicited and unwelcome advice!
 

Choose positivity.

Embrace a positive mindset in all areas of your business. This is one of the best ways for you to be thankful for what you have, and for what you have achieved.  

So you don’t have the fanciest equipment or the biggest studio?  That’s okay — make it work with what you’ve got!  You can still create beautiful images that reflect your unique style.  

Maybe you aren’t booking as many sessions as you’d like just yet?  Take this extra time to love on the clients that you do have, giving them an unparalleled experience and paying extra attention to them.  It will pay off in the end when they can’t stop talking about you to all of their friends!

Swamped in work with the busy season?  Just slow down and appreciate how far you’ve come, and how amazing it is that so many families are trusting you to capture these moments for them right now.  This busy season will pass soon enough.

Is the slow season looming ahead this winter and completely freaking you out?  Running a business is cyclical — there are seasons when you’re so busy you can’t even catch your breath, and then in between there are moments of rest.  Take this time to work ON your business rather than work IN your business.  Revamp your website, update your workflow, create email templates, design a welcome guide, create new props or backdrops, start a newsletter, or catch up on your blog posts.  Be grateful for the extra time to focus on the things in your business that always get pushed to the back burner when you’re busy.  Embrace the slow season!

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In this season of gratitude & reflection, be thankful. 

Show others that you value them and appreciate them. 

Be grateful for what you have achieved, and for the lofty goals you're setting for yourself to achieve next year. 

Be positive in all areas, and make an effort to focus on connection & interaction rather than just automation and workflow.  
 

In the comments, share a little bit of your heart!
What are YOU thankful for in your business????

Behind the Lens: A Photography FAQ with Nicole Starr Photography!

Hey, photographer friends!

I’ve compiled a list of some of the questions that I get asked most often by other peers in the industry, and I wanted to share them on the blog today!  Enjoy a peek into some of my favorite things!

What’s in your camera bag?

I shoot with a Nikon D750.  I’m a huge fan of prime lenses, and over the years I’ve sold off all of my zoom lenses because I just didn’t use them often enough.  My favorite lens for outdoor sessions is the 85mm 1.4, and for my indoor sessions I often use the Sigma Art 35mm.  The 35mm comes with me to all of my Fresh 48 and lifestyle sessions, too!

A few unexpected items in my camera bag are a little rattle to catch babies’ attention, a stash of Smarties candies for a quick little bribe, and I can usually find slips of paper with everyone’s names written on them from past sessions so that I don’t forget anyone’s name!

My camera bag is a Kelly Moore bag that I've had for YEARS!  It's beautiful, durable, and it fits everything that I need.  Usually it carries 2 bodies, 2-3 lenses, and a few other odds and ends.

What studio lighting do you use?

I started using studio lighting two years ago, and it was a total game changer in my studio.  I use an AB400 with a PLM, and I sync it up with Cyber Sync triggers.  I highly recommend the studio lighting course, “Illuminate” by The Milky Way for anyone who is just getting started with studio lighting.

How do you get babies to look at the camera?  

Seriously, guys, I finish my sessions completely winded and exhausted after working so hard to get the babies to look my way!  I have a little rattle that I love using, and I also use a couple of squeak toys to get little ones looking my way.  If they’re on the floor, I’ll get down to their level and tickle their toes and chin, leaning back to catch their reaction on camera.  If mom and dad are in the room, I ask them to stand right over my shoulder to be sure the baby is looking towards me and not away from me.  Sometimes I have to resort to holding mom or dad’s phone above my lens with their favorite song playing on Youtube.  I avoid giving the phone to little ones at all cost because let’s face it — you’ll never get it out of their hands, and you don’t want to edit it out of every single image!

What are your favorite props?

I’m a bit of a minimalist when it comes to props (which is rare for a baby photographer, I know!).  I recently shared this blog post that lists the props I consider most essential in my studio.  I hope you find it helpful!  Just remember that these babies are so perfect just the way they are, and they don’t need to be surrounded by clutter that overwhelms the photo and takes away from the real focus of the portrait — them!

What are your favorite places to shop for DIY backdrop materials?

For my newborn sessions, I love buying jersey knit fabric by the yard at the fabric store.  Get something with a good amount of stretch, and buy at least 2 yards for the beanbag.  If you’re making your own wraps, you can do a 1/4 yard in a pretty fabric with good stretch.

I get all of my seamless paper through Amazon because of their Prime shipping.  Savage Seamless is truly the best.

For cake smash decor, become very familiar with the scrapbook paper aisle at the craft store.  I have bought nearly every color to create bunting, banners, hanging garlands, and elaborate backdrops for our birthday sessions.  Invest in one of those 12x12 plastic cases to store the extra paper in, and after each session you can fold the garlands up and store them in clear plastic bags for easy access next time.  The more you can reuse, the more profitable your sessions become, plus the less time you’ll have to spend making new decor each time!

How do you edit your images?

I spend most of my time in Lightroom doing adjustments to the images. I started out with LR years ago, and it's just the software that I'm most comfortable with and that works for me!  I've created a few presets that I use on nearly every image, and batch editing helps to speed up the process. 

In every session there are a few images that need to be taken into Photoshop for cloning, backdrop extension, headswaps, liquifying, or general cleaning up.  I do light retouching in Photoshop on these images, and then bring them back into LR to save them.  I find that I mostly use Photoshop for graphic design purposes, and I love it for that!  

An Open Letter to a Newbie Photographer: Finding Balance

Hey, big dreamer!

I see you over there, working your butt off as you move from one busy season into another.  The months flow seamlessly one into the next, a blur of shooting, editing, marketing, sales appointments, and emails.  You feel like you blinked and summer was over, and you’re not even sure where it disappeared to. 

Those sunny summer evenings were filled with portrait sessions, and your days were spent in front of the computer working.  Now you’re in that fall rush trying to get everyone’s holiday card portraits done before the beautiful foliage is gone.  There’s just a few weeks left, and the pressure is on!

You decided to start your own business because you were passionate about photography, passionate about capturing these moments and documenting the joy of childhood.  You wanted more flexibility in your day-to-day, and you wanted to be your own boss.  But somehow you’re working more hours than you ever did in your 9-5, and maybe you even forget to schedule days off.  Remember when you used to get two days off a week, and Saturday & Sunday were just glorious?  You miss that sometimes, don’t you? 

We’re business owners trying to make these big dreams a reality. 

I see you over there, because I’ve been there, too.  Half the time, I AM STILL RIGHT THERE BESIDE YOU.  The other half, I’m trying to figure out how to catch my breath in between all of the work that keeps piling up.

The truth?  I have no idea what happened to August.  The entire month slipped by unnoticed as I edited, delivered, blogged, printed, packaged, and shared our summer beach sessions.  My business has been experiencing a baby boom since mid-July, and with so many newborns mixed in with family sessions, there hasn’t been a moment to rest. 

Normally I try to balance my busy periods by packing a bunch of sessions into one week, and then taking the next week to slow down and edit those sessions, schedule the gallery reveals, and finalize orders.  This tends to work really well for me — a busy period filled with client shoots, followed by a slower period to catch up, edit, and work on client orders and marketing.  But unfortunately it doesn’t always work out that way.  

Want to hear about the mistake I made this summer?  Because I am just like you, and we all have an "oops!" every now and then. 

I filled the second half of July with countless family and baby sessions, and then I looked at August and I filled that up, too.  Turning the page on the calendar, it’s like I forgot that one month followed the other and that there was absolutely no rest in there for a solid month.  Summer is my absolute favorite time of year, and I didn’t schedule in a single day off to enjoy it.  

Somehow I fit 20 sessions into that month, plus the hours upon hours of work that accompany each session before & after the actual shoot.  Honestly?  It really was a lot of fun getting to spend my evenings on the beach and my mornings with the cutest little babies.  I love all of the shoots that we had this summer, and I truly enjoyed the artwork that came with them, even if it was exhausting.  

Miraculously, I ordered all of the prints & products for 20 different sessions, packaged them up, and delivered them without one single mix-up.  I was truly worried that I was going to mess up at least one order with so many things going on at once, and time and time again I kept asking myself why I didn’t plan ahead and hire an assistant to help me with order fulfillment.  (By the way, I do have an assistant for other things, and I’ll be sharing more about my experience with her later on the blog, plus the ways that hiring her has allowed my business to grow this year!)

But why am I telling you this?

Because I learned an important lesson from this busy period,
and I want you to learn it, too.
 

BALANCE.  In the creative industry world of small business owners, everyone always tosses this word around and talks about this all-too-elusive concept.  We talk about the hustle all the time — working hard, giving your clients 110%, creating, brainstorming, sharing with the community, and doing bold things in your business.  

But we rarely talk about slowing down.  We rarely talk about how as a business owner, as a creative, and as a human being you truly need moments of hustle and moments of calm.  You can’t work-work-work with no break because you will burn out, you won’t give your best to your clients, and you will run your business into the ground.  If it’s all hustle and no rest, you’re doing a disservice to your clients and to yourself.  

So how do we balance the two?  Very intentionally.

Moving forward, I’m being more intentional with my time.  I’m scheduling busy weeks filled with hustle, filled with excitement and creativity and so much productivity.  And then I follow that up with a slower week, a week at my computer where my days are a little more relaxed, when I can take a walk around my neighborhood midday if I need a break, or start my morning slowly with a warm mug of chai tea on my back porch.  Days where I don’t need to log into my email at 7:30am and get going right away. 

I’ve found that I can get so much done on those “slower weeks,” and some weeks I happily cross the very last item off of my to-do list on Wednesday afternoon, proud for a moment that I accomplished everything on the list… before adding ten more things that I should be working on next!

I’m in the Northeast, and winter will be here soon.  It’s naturally a slower season for portrait photographers, and I will embrace that chance to rest, look at my business, and make some big changes for the new year.  Some portrait photographer dread “the slow season,” but I’m looking forward to it!  I love being able to take on more creative projects in January and February, and I love how refreshed that always makes me feel. 

This is my challenge for you.  In the busy fall season we’re in, schedule some time off. 
Plan a lunch date with a business owner friend. 
Bake an apple pie. 
Take a walk around your neighborhood. 
Spend the afternoon jumping in leaves with your kids. 
Aimlessly wander the aisles at Target. 
Or just take ten minutes and sip a cup of coffee at your quiet kitchen table without any screens nearby to distract you. 

Whatever you do, take a moment to slow down and intentionally schedule this into your day.  You’ll finish feeling so refreshed and ready to take on the world — or at least ready to take on the next seven sessions you need to edit, the mountain of emails in your inbox, and get that client newsletter prepped to send out next week!

You’ve got this! 
Comment below and let us know how YOU plan to intentionally slow down and find balance this fall.  Can’t wait to hear about it!

 

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Have you read our other open letters to newbie photographers?  They're not really for newbies, but any photographer!  Check them out here:

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Cake Smash Series: 70+ Theme Ideas for your Next Cake Smash Session

Your baby's first birthday is coming up, and it's time to party!  What better way to celebrate than with a portrait session?  Personally, cake smashes are my FAVORITE! 

We've come up with a list of the most popular (and also some of the most unique!) ideas for first birthday sessions and cake smashes.  We hope that you'll be inspired to plan a one-of-a-kind cake smash for your baby's first birthday!

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Classic themes:

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Construction/Trucks
Baseball
Nautical
Tea party
Circus
Flowers
Airplanes
Dr. Seuss
Rubber Duckies
Music/Band/Instruments
Sock Monkeys
Superheroes
Rainbow colors
Bohemian
Circus
Camping
Shabby Chic
Ballet

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Animals:

Unicorns
Teddy bears
Farm animals
Woodland animals
Ocean animals
Zoo animals
Bumble bees
Monkeys
Owls
Whales
Butterflies

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Seasonal:

Winter wonderland
Valentine’s
At the beach
Surf’s up
Cherry blossoms
Spring garden
Falling leaves
Halloween
Christmas
New Years Eve
Snowmen

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Classic Children’s Books:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Guess How Much I Love You
Corduroy
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Oh the Places You’ll Go
The Little Prince
Peter Rabbit/Beatrix Potter books
Where the Wild Things Are
Make Way for Ducklings
Blueberries for Sal
Goodnight Moon
Harry Potter
Winnie the Pooh
Peter Pan
Alice in Wonderland
 

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Food alternatives:

Spaghetti & meatballs
Watermelon
Pumpkin pie
Pancakes
Seasonal fruit (strawberries, blueberries)
Cheerios
Pineapple
Apples/apple pie for fall
Tacos
Waffles
Donuts
Ice cream
Pie
Cookies & milk

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You've got the perfect theme -- now what do you decorate with?  I provide all of the decor for my cake smash sessions at the studio.  Here are some of my favorite items I like to keep on hand to make our sessions a little more whimsical, creative, and fun!

Decor ideas:

Paper bunting in many shapes
Tulle balls
Tissue paper puffs
Twinkle lights
Patio lights
Lanterns
Cotton clouds
Hanging flowers
Ribbon streamers
Flower garlands
Eucalyptus garlands
Fake flowers to hang from the ceiling
Mason jars
Beaded curtains
 

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Don't forget to check out the other posts in our Cake Smash Series!

After the Cake Smash : 11 Ideas for what to do with your cake smash photos

12 months have flown by, and in the blink of an eye your baby is 365 days old.  You're going to celebrate with a first birthday portrait session, of course.  But what will you do with the images AFTER the session?  

The last thing you want is to let them sit on a USB in a drawer somewhere, to forget about these moments that you captured of your baby's big smile, excitement, and curiosity.  You want to remember the dimples on their finger, their first few teeth poking through, and those tentative first steps.  But maybe you don't want to fill every wall of your home with cake smash pictures.  Read on for 11 ideas on what you can do with your cake smash photos after the session!

1.  Design birthday party invitations.

This is a perfect option for families that plan their cake smash at least 1.5-2 months before the baby's first birthday party.  Most families do a theme for the party, and we can incorporate that theme into the invitations.  From the shoot, to the gallery reveal, to holding your artwork in your hands, the entire turnaround time is typically one month from start to finish.  So plan ahead and get those invites printed with your photographer!

2.  Or, use the images for thank you cards!

Most families plan the cake smash close to the baby's actual birthday, so it's not always possible to send them out on party invitations.  This is where thank you cards are the perfect alternative -- we'll even leave a little blank space on the back for a heartfelt handwritten note!

3.  Hang them up at your party!

Many families like to share a canvas or a fine art album with their family & friends that come to celebrate at their baby's first birthday party.  Bring a little easel and set it up on the gift table, or find a spot on the wall!  After the party, move the canvas into the nursery for a playful pop of color on the walls!

4. Create a keepsake album.

Our fine art albums are my absolute favorite product that we offer, and they are the perfect way to enjoy every single image from your cake smash session.  This will quickly become your child's favorite book, and you'll spend hours curled up on the couch telling the story of their first birthday while they point out "mama", "dada", and "baby".  Bring it out every year on their birthday for a new tradition!

5. Complete your baby's first year book.

No baby book is complete without a first birthday.  Use your cake smash images to end with a celebratory note!

6. Give the grandparents their favorite gift EVER.

Grandparents love photos of their grandbabies.  Print a few 8x10s, or give them a small album from the session.

7.  Enjoy an accordion album!

Speaking of albums, our accordion albums are wonderful grandparent gifts!  These pocket-sized books hold nearly a dozen photos, and they are available in sets of three so that you can give a few away and keep one for yourself!

8. Tell a story with a storyboard collage.

A cake smash is all about the story -- weave 9 images together in a 3x3 grid and share all of the sweetest moments from your baby's session!

9. Hang a gallery wall in the nursery.

These playful images are the perfect addition to your nursery, and they're going to put a big smile on your face every time you see them -- even on the sleepless nights!  Hang them in a spot in your home where you'll enjoy them every single day, and where they'll bring a little bit of joy to your day!

10.  Do a "Smash & Splash", and hang them in the bathroom!

I love finishing our cake smash sessions with a splash in our adorable white clawfoot bathtub that is the perfect size for one-year olds.  Most babies love water, and they have so much fun splashing around.  We capture so many smiles and excited laughs during this portion of the session!  This makes great wall art for your bathroom, and it's definitely a talking piece that all of your houseguests will ask you about, sure to put a smile on everyone's face!
 

11.  Create a keepsake you'll add to every year with mementoes and letters for your child.

Next to our fine art albums, the wooden keepsake box is my favorite interactive product and the perfect way for you to enjoy your child's birthday memories.  Frame the photos, or display them in the little wooden easels that are tucked inside of the box.  Keep the box, and every year add little mementoes from your child's birthday -- a photo of them blowing out their candles, their birthday party invitation, a special card that they received.  Or, have friends and family write them a letter each year on their birthday and tuck them away inside of the box for an extra sweet surprise to gift them with when they turn 18!

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Let's get real for a minute here -- who has time for all of this?  

Time to design albums, party invites, thank you cards, and keepsake boxes?  That's where hiring a professional photographer comes in.  Let me do all the work for you, and you can sit back and enjoy your baby's birthday celebration, knowing that I will create the wall art, the heirlooms, and the thank you cards so that you don't have to worry about a thing!

Telling a Story through your Cake Smash Session Images

I am a storyteller with a camera. 

As a cake smash photographer in Saratoga Springs & Boston, I am all about telling the story of my littlest clients’ first birthday celebrations.   Personally, I love doing this in a classic way with a first birthday cake smash session.  

But it’s not just about making a mess out of the cake.  

As a photographer, your job is to discover and tell a story.  There is an entire story that unfolds when you place a cake in front of a baby, and today’s post will help you discover the key elements so that you can capture the full story in your next cake smash session!

START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY

While you can’t exactly have the words “Once upon a time” to obviously clue us in that this is the beginning of your cake smash, there are so many other ways to visually portray the start of the session and the beginning of the baby’s birthday story. 

I like to start my cake smash sessions with a pull back shot of the entire setup BEFORE the baby is even in the frame.  Capture the cake, the decor, and close ups of the little details.  Capture the perfection before the mess that occurs later on!  I do this while parents are getting the baby ready, and I tell them that I’m just testing out my light — which is true!   Sometimes I take a few test shots while waiting for the family to arrive as well, just to make sure there are no other adjustments I want to make to the setup.

After those couple of quick shots, the focus is no longer on the decor, and it’s 100% on the baby.  Forget about the decor and watch the story unfold!
 

Get ready for the action

Next we’re ready for the baby!  I explain to the parents where they will place the baby in the setup.  I ask them to place the baby behind and off to the side of the cake just a little bit.  This way, the baby can crawl or walk towards the cake, showing off their new gross motor skills.  It also gives you a great opportunity to capture the excitement, interest, and curiosity on the baby’s face as they see their colorful cake for the first time!

You are on camera duty, and the parents are on baby-chasing duty.  If you keep getting up to position the baby, you are going to miss a lot of incredible shots, so I make sure the parents know that they’ll bring the baby back into the set if the baby crawls (or walks!) away.
 

WATCH THE STORY UNFOLD

It’s all about the angles!  Start from far away and move in with your camera to capture the entire scene, and then close ups of the baby.  I like to get really close and capture the frosting on their feet, the little pieces of cake that they’re putting into their mouth, and those tiny fingers grabbing the cake.  

One of my favorite angles to capture in the middle of the shoot is the bird’s eye composition.  I grab my step stool and shoot from up above with my 35mm lens.  I sing, clap, and do anything I can to get the baby looking up at me.  It’s my favorite shot every single time showing those wide and sparkling eyes, their beautiful outfit, and the messy cake that they’ve enjoyed all in one shot.
 

FIND A NATURAL ENDING

The image that you use to represent the end of the session may be the very last frame that you capture that day, but I find that the image I choose to show the end often isn’t the very last frame, but one from earlier on when the baby was just over it.  

Maybe they’re crying or crawling away from the cake.  Maybe their big brother or sister came in for a few photos and for a taste of the birthday cake.  Maybe mom’s arms are reaching into the frame to pick up the baby at the end.  Maybe the baby is signing “all done” with their hands all covered in frosting.  Whatever it is, there’s your shot to show the end of the story!

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Some cake smashes last for 20 minutes, and others last for 5 minutes. If you prepare the family to expect this ahead of time, it will be no big deal if the sessions goes a little short because the baby is not feeling it.  Nevertheless, you can still capture a beginning, middle, and end to the story through your images by changing your angles, composition, and looking for storytelling transitions that occur naturally in the session.


Think they're all perfect and filled with smiling, happy babies?  No way!
If your next cake smash session doesn't go as planned, don't worry!  
Check out my favorite blog post that's a compilation of so many recent sessions: 

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After the Session

Don't let the story end with that last photo!  Take it to the blog to share behind the scenes pictures, details about planning the session, and tell your readers a little more about what happened in between frames to tell the full story of baby's first birthday cake smash!

The Branding Series - Part 2 | Discovering your brand style with Guest Blogger Refinery Original

Welcome to the second post in our Branding Series, geared towards helping creative entrepreneurs delve into the story of why they do what they do, and discover the heart behind their brand so that they can make the best first impression on their potential clients.

Did you miss the first post in our branding series featuring my favorite designer of all time, Erica Clayton of Refinery Original?  Start there!

This week we're talking all about discovering your brand.  Let's be real for a minute...

At one point, every new business owner thinks that a pretty logo and some colors makes up a brand, right?  A few years ago, I was right there with you thinking, "I just need a pretty logo and two colors."

But oooooh, how quickly we learn that your brand is about so much more than that!  Your brand is far from simple -- it is a complex, living, breathing being.  Your brand is who you are.  It is the heart & soul behind your business.  It is your story, and your carefully crafted "why".  It is the first impression you give potential clients -- do you want it to be warm, welcoming, edgy, bold, whimsical, modern, moody?  Your brand can do all of those things, and trust me -- it takes a whole lot more than a logo and some pretty colors to do that!

When I first hired Refinery Original to help me with my rebrand 18 months ago, she had me start gathering visual inspiration for an inspiration board.  I pinned it all on a secret Pinterest board, from fashion to home decor, nursery details, paint chips, and fonts.  

Today on the blog, Erica Clayton of Refinery Original is sharing her tips for creating your own inspiration board to discover the heart behind your brand!  Read all the way to the end for the link to download a PSD template to build your own inspiration board!

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The process of discovery is huge in the design process, one that is often only touched on the surface but holds more weight than any other point in the process. The goal is to capture who you are, what motivates you as a photographer and why you choose to do this day in and day out. With the everyday demands of entrepreneurship, establishing the heart behind your brand keeps you focused and gives purpose to the monotony and expectations. This is the very first step in discovering your brand. Do this and everything else will flow naturally.

Now — the pretty things! The visual elements that make up a brand identity. While heart and narrative play massively into a brand, the visual elements bring your it full circle. 

Step 1: Home

Look at the design pieces you bring into your home, after all, your home is your safe place, the unfiltered expression of who you are and contains the things that draw you in. The artwork, paint colors, furniture pieces, decorations, tile choice, wood colors, etc., your style cuts immediately to the heart of you, which in turn defines your brand. 

Step 2: Nature

Get out and adventure. Walk through the places that inspire you whether it be a garden, the beach, downtown. Wherever you find makes your heart jump in excitement, go there and take note of the colors, textures, patterns you see and the emotions you feel. Those are elements that you want to take note of when you design an inspiration board.

Step 3: Pinterest

Now that you’ve honed in on who you are, you can now peruse Pinterest. I always advise my clients to stay away from pinning other logos and inspiration boards because you begin to morph into someone else’s brand rather than creating your own. Take step 1 and step 2 and beginning pinning images that represent these things. Pin to your hearts content, documenting what each pin speaks to you. Also pin typefaces (fonts) that draw you in but the fun comes when those pins come from items like invitations. At the end of the process, you should have 50+ images that outline your brand visuals. 

Step 4: Build Your Inspiration Board

Filter through your new Pinterest board and look for commonality in your pins, colors, textures, patterns, typefaces, etc. Screenshot 12-15 that have a cohesive feel, open up Photoshop and put them in an inspiration board. If an image doesn't fit the feel of your developing brand, find another that will! Be picky when designing your inspiration board. This will act as a filter for your entire brand!

I hope that helps you narrow down your style! Do the hard work now and everything else will flow naturally.

PS. To help, I’ve included a link to a inspiration board template for you to use when building your very own inspiration board. Download and start designing a brand that’s you!

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Now, before you click into a new window and continue with your day... stop whatever you're doing and enter this giveaway!  Refinery Original is celebrating their rebrand & launch by hosting a giveaway through June 23 with over $3000 in prizes, including a full brand experience, an Ona bag, coaching sessions, Showit subscriptions, and an Instax Mini Polaroid. No purchase necessary — enter here!  www.refineryoriginal.com/celebrate

Ready to do some shopping?  Check out their perfectly designed brand experiences, geared to help you tell your story in the most beautiful way!  These website templates will set you up for success in your rebrand, with incredible savings, too!  Save now with the discount code NICOLE, too!  http://shop.refineryoriginal.com/nicole

The Branding Series - Part 1 | Thoughts on rebranding & an interview with designer Erica Clayton of Refinery Original

Ohhhh, this post has been a long time coming!  

If you've been following along with our bimonthly business newsletters & blog posts, you know by now that I truly love sharing lessons I've learned along the way as a creative entrepreneur & baby photographer.  Today's blog post is extra special, and it's truly an inside look at one of the  best changes I have ever implemented in the past 5 years of business!

Only one and a half years ago, I had a website that didn't work, a generic logo from Etsy, packaging that didn't match anything else, and no other client touchpoints to really "wow" the families that I worked with.  That sounds pretty awful, right?
 

At the end of 2015, I knew that I needed professional help to not only define my brand, but elevate my brand's visual presence to the luxury & boutique feel that I was moving towards in my business.  With the broken website that I hadn't managed to fix on my own after more than a year of a malfunctioning landing page (because let's face it, coding and web design is so NOT my forte, but it is a definite strength for other individuals!),  I knew that it was time to seek a web designer & branding specialist to help me out!  

In January of 2016, I started working with Erica Clayton of Refinery Original.  We worked together to do a complete rebrand of my business.  I knew that my website & brand was not truly reflecting who I am and the service I wanted to provide to the families that I work with, but I felt completely stuck.  Honestly, I didn't even know where to begin!  

Erica sent me an incredibly detailed questionnaire, and we had a few FaceTime calls to get started and get to know each other.  This woman must have the most incredible intuition and be truly amazing at reading people and their goals, because somehow she was able to take me from being lost in a sea of ideas to narrowing it down the create the most perfect vision that would direct me in my business... and all of that happened in about 3 weeks!  

I spent hours on Pinterest searching for anything that inspired me -- fabrics, kitchens, quotes, clothing, fonts, paint colors, jewelry, home decor.  I sent her links to web layouts that inspired me, and pages upon pages of content for the website.  Through all of that mess of ideas (as you know, us creative spirits can be a bit messy sometimes!), Erica was able to see the threads of consistency that wove them all together -- a little bit of whimsy, a touch of femininity, the innocence of childhood, just a hint of sparkle, and a whole lot of emphasis on STORYTELLING.  What she came up with blew me away, and I remember thinking, "Wow, so THAT is what Nicole Starr Photography should look like!" the very first time she sent me my inspiration board, below:

But still, after the inspiration board I remember thinking, "Now how exactly is that going to be translated into everything I do in my business?  What does that look like?"  She figured it all out, and it was such a smooth process as she created my logo, website, and collateral pieces.  She frequently paused to ask me for more info on this part or that part, images for this section, or to really dig deeper into the heart and the WHY behind another part of the brand.

I loved the entire process, and I had never been as proud of anything I've done with my business as I was when it was officially #NSPLaunchDay.  Finally, I was able to present the heart behind Nicole Starr Photography to the world in a way that I knew truly represented who I am, why I do what I do, and the type of experience I always aim to deliver to the families that I work with.

Back in January of 2016, I thought then that launching was the best part.  But I discovered that, as cheesy as it sounds, the best truly was yet to come!  

It's been one and a half years since I launched my new brand, and I am so pleased to say that it is now ever stronger than it was when we launched -- and I looooooved it back then, but I love it even more now that I've been able to grow into it!  That's what you want, right?  To create a business that represents who you are in such a way that you'll be able to grow into it for years to come!  

Ever since we launched I've carried the design elements that Erica dreamt up for me into my newsletter, my social media pages, my product offerings, and my packaging.  My album designs and birth announcements even show those elements that represent my business, right down to having the same two recognizable fonts on every piece of written material that ever goes out from me.  Everything goes together so beautifully, and it's now so much easier to create something new since I already know my fonts, colors, and layouts that work together for the best first impression!  

Rebranding professionally truly has made my life as a business owner so much easier.  I have created countless pieces of printed & digital marketing materials, and I now consider every little detail from the size, colors, and font, right down to what kind of paper they are printed on. 

Over the past 18 months, I have been at multiple events where I had potential clients comment on the look & feel of my marketing materials, be left breathless when going through my products (that is seriously such a compliment and I am so honored when that happens!), and others even tell me later on that the reason that sealed the deal and they decided to book me was because of how professionally I had presented everything to them.  Every time that happens I write Erica a quick little note to thank her again for her services, because I know that I never would have been able to do this on my own!

So today, I wanted to welcome Erica Clayton of Refinery Original to the blog as our guest blogger.  We are going to start a series of blog posts this summer focused on discovering & defining your brand, and Erica is here to get us started!  Check back in every two weeks for the next post in our series, or sign up for the newsletter to have the post delivered directly to your inbox!

So now, please meet Erica, my favorite designer who has a big heart for helping creative entrepreneurs make an incredible first impression!  (P.S.  She's also a member of The Rising Tide Society, one of the ways in which we first connected!)

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I’m Erica Clayton, the designer behind Refinery Original. We are a husband + wife team, he’s the visionary with the big dreams and plans to get there and I am the designer that takes the vision for our business and our clients’ businesses and bring them into a cohesive brand.  Or rather, he’s the brains, I’m the beauty. Our ultimate goal is to support, educate and CELEBRATE creative entrepreneurs. 

 

Tell us about you and your family:

We were married young, he was 22, I was 21 and we quickly grew our family over the last 10 years {we celebrate our 10 year anniversary in a couple weeks!!!}. We have 5 incredible kids — our girls, Noah (8), Shea (6) and Tatum (5) and our boys — Diesel (3) and Lincoln (1). People think we’re crazy for having so many but I wouldn’t have it any other way! They may drive us crazy sometimes but it’s worth every minute, even with every fight, every fit and every failure, there is always a victory in the end. We, as parents especially, and them as our kids, simply have to persevere {perseverance is a huge part of our family mission statement}. 

As a family, we are avid roadtrippers, like drive across the country in 3 days roadtrippers. A few summers ago, we conquered a 48 state road trip in 3 weeks. If you ever get the opportunity, do it. The sights and differences in topography are incredible. We also love adventure {hence roadtripping} and we try and make a new adventure happen every couple weeks. It’s a time for building our relationship as a family and our legacy as parents. Those times of motivation when hiking up a 700 foot waterfall with our then 5 and 3 year old and seeing their faces when they reach the top and feel like they conquered the world — that is when character is built and they view victory as attainable.

We are coffee connoisseurs, our current favorite is Kicking Horse Cliff Hanger {buy it on Amazon, it’s robust flavor is unrivaled}. More than the flavor, we enjoy coffee because of the feelings and emotions that are derived from a cup of coffee, comfort, warmth, nostalgia, safety, all the good feels in one cup. Also, Sunday dinners are our favorite, they include opening our home to our friends and family for a home cooked meal {I love cooking!} all in an effort to create a safe haven and opportunity for fellowship. Through our 10 years of marriage, we have found that all good conversation and growth happens over food or a cup of coffee, combine the two and you’re in for a sweet, satisfying time.

Tell us about your business, and your favorite types of client experiences:

I could talk about our family for days because I just love them so much and they are fun in abundance but let’s get down to business {to defeat the Huns — Mulan fans?}. We started branding and website design 7 years ago. After years of navigating the entrepreneurial world, we honed in on our target audience, nailed down our services and watched our business grow in ways we only dreamed of. Working with creative entrepreneurs not only made the design aspect of our business fun because I had beautiful images to work with but it made the nitty gritty business side of our company enjoyable because creatives appreciate the time and effort that goes into creating a brand. It’s not something slapped together, it takes thought, precision, and craft to take someone’s visions, dreams and goals and bring them into a visual reality. 

The client experience is the bread and butter of everyone’s business. It is in a sense, free marketing. Make the client experience something that leaves your client with jaw dropped — you can double down on the fact that they’ll be sharing your name with everyone they know. My absolute favorite part of the client experience is the feelings that rise up in your client. #1 goal — leave them with all the good feelings and they’ll never forget your experience. Brand visuals, gifts, collateral all go into creating that unforgettable client experience but the greatest component of your client experience is YOU. The way you interact with them, the communication, the support, the joy, that is the definition of your brand. 

You truly have a magical way of connecting with your clients & tapping into who they really are to represent that in their websites and branding.  How do you do that?:

When designing alongside my clients, we dive deeper than just the pretty things they think they want. We go into their goals, the dreams they have, the legacy they want to leave. We get to the root of their story. Your story is where it all began, what drives you, what will keep you motivated when the trials of business come. It’s your why and the most important step when developing your brand. Establish your why and everything else will follow. 

I have included a short tutorial, The Refining Process, for you that will walk you through. These 3 simple steps will help you narrow down your why, your ideal client and how you’ll deliver your why to your ideal client. So — we go into their why and evolve from there, sorting through aesthetics, creating content that makes an impact and tells a story, curating a cohesive portfolio and choosing collateral piece that only further enhance the client experience. From your first touch point to the last and even years beyond, your brand should be strong and cohesive, always delivering a story. 

What advice do you have for photographers or business owners who are looking to get started with developing a brand for the first time?

There is so much that goes into developing and designing a brand but when it comes down to it, telling a story is the greatest thing you can do. People are consumers, they consume content. You want your content/your story to be one they can’t get enough of. Outline your story, make a plan of deliverance and put it into motion. 

You don’t need a completely custom website design to build a strong brand and honestly, if you are just starting out, your money can be spent better elsewhere {like marketing} BUT you do need a logo and website and it is ALWAYS better if it is aesthetically pleasing! 

With creative entrepreneurs in mind, I have designed prebuilt brands and websites that can be customized for your business. This alleviates the need for a $5000+ budget and puts a powerful, beautiful tool in the hands of those with more conservative budgets. On June 2, Refinery Original will be launching 7 new brand experiences, from the logo to website to collateral, all cohesive, all gorgeous. Follow along with us for more details about our launch {it’s going to be a big one!} and if you sign up for our newsletter, you’ll get first access to our designs with an exclusive subscriber discount.

I’ll close with this, establish who you are in your business, how best your business can serve others and how you can deliver an incredible experience and you are set with the essentials of a growing business. 

REFINERY ORIGINAL

www.refineryoriginal.com

Instagram: @refineryoriginal

Facebook: Refinery Original

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I would love for you to have an amazing experience digging into the heart & soul behind your brand, and to work with a designer who will help you make the very best first impression with your potential clients.   Just because we're photographers & business owners, doesn't mean we're good at web design and branding and every other task that we take on as creative entrepreneurs.  

Take my advice, and hire a professional who surpasses all of your expectations!  If you're thinking of working with Erica, please let her know that I sent you!  Be sure to follow her page for info on the exciting new templates she is launching on June 2, too!

The next post in our Branding Series is coming on Monday, June 5!  Check back then to learn all about discovering your branding style!

Photographer Education Post: Lessons Learned from a Failed Hard Drive

The unthinkable happened to me.  Every photographer’s worst nightmare:  my external hard drive bit the dust.  It was a Friday afternoon, and I had just sat down to edit my very last session after an incredibly productive week filled with too many sessions to count, travel, and lots and lots of editing.  I was in such a good mood because my to do list was dwindling right before my eyes.  I only had one thing left to cross off on the entire list, and it was to edit one final session from the week…  
 

And then my hard drive failed me.


My hard drive tipped over on its side, right on top of my desk.  It didn’t fall off the desk, it didn’t shatter, it didn’t get dropped down a flight of stairs.  It just tipped over, but it was as awful as it would have been if I had dropped it out a window.  It started emitting those dreadful clicking noises and my computer didn’t recognize it was plugged in anymore. 

I panicked.

I tried restarting it.

I yelled.  

I tried plugging it into a different computer.

I definitely screamed a few choice words.

And I was almost in tears when I called customer service.

But you know what?  Only 48 hours later and I still had no idea yet if the data recovery people would be able to salvage anything on my hard drive.  During those 48 hours I decided to be proactive and fix/save/re-do everything that I could.  So that two days after the incident, I had already resolved everything that had sent me into a tailspin when the hard drive crashed. After all that worrying, everything worked out completely fine in the end.  So what happened???

This tiny little catastrophe has forced me to look at my workflow and make a few changes.  I have figured out a much safer system for backing up my files to hopefully prevent this from ever happening again.  And honestly, I went the easiest route possible because this is the most tedious part of my workflow and one that I would rather avoid — give me all of the pretty creative things, because I just don’t have the patience to deal with technical tidbits.  

After my experience with my failed hard drive, I wanted to share a post on what to do when your hard drive ever fails you -- let's be honest, it's not IF your hard drive fails, it's WHEN.  You always think, "That will never happen to me."  But it will happen.  And I want to share with you how you can prepare your workflow now to prevent a total meltdown and loss of files, clients, and sales when this inevitably occurs.

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First I have to say, there is not one “right” or “wrong” way to do anything.  This method works for me right now, and I’m sure I will change it as time goes by.  Take what you’d like from this post, and I hope it helps you take a good, long look at your workflow to see where any gaps might be so that you always have a solid backup plan in place.

Prepare for the worst case scenario with every single session.  You never know what is going to happen — your hard drive could tip over on your desk and just stop working on a Friday afternoon like mine did!  Follow these tips to always keep your images safe! 

Tip 1:  Don’t reformat those SD cards yet!

Keep all images on your memory card until you have delivered the final gallery to your clients.  This saved me.  Luckily I still had every single recent session on my SD cards so that I could go back, transfer the RAW files again, cull, and edit.  Yes, I wasted time having to go back and do all of this work again, but I was so grateful that those images were still there.

Tip 2: Have a backup to your backup.

I own two external hard drives where I am storing all of my 2017 sessions.  Honestly, I didn’t used to do this, but a friend walked me through her storage process last year after I had spent a very, very long time worrying about what would happen if my one lonely hard drive ever malfunctioned.  So now I have two just for this year, and they are set up to mirror image one another once a week.  My problem this time was that they hadn’t mirror imaged each other yet the week this all went down, so all the work I had done that week was gone.  Clearly I need to change that setting and make it happen more often now!  Once I get my hard drive back from the manufacturer, this will be the first thing I do!

Tip 3:  And then back them all up online. 

I had been putting off setting up an online storage account that a friend kept recommending to me, and the instant my hard drive failed I was kicking myself for not doing it sooner.  But then I realized that a few of my “missing” galleries were actually saved online in Shootproof because my clients had requested online access for a few days to finalize their orders that we discussed in person.  This was a total lifesaver, and I had all of those high-res, beautifully edited JPEGs ready to download because they were backed up in Shootproof.  I plan on upgrading my account to the unlimited version, and I now upload every single gallery to Shootproof just for storage after I edit the session.  First I save them to my external drive, then I backup to the backup external drive, then I upload to Shootproof.  They are in THREE locations.  Since I do IPS, I rarely use these galleries for clients to view, but now it will serve as an online library for me in case I ever need it again.

Tip 4:  Allow yourself some grace.

You know the saying, “under promise and over deliver”?  In this industry, many of us live by this motto, and I truly believe it is so important to always wow your clients every step of the way.  

So when we tell our clients their images will be ready in two weeks, we’re really trying to set up their gallery reveal for 1-1.5 weeks from now so that they feel like we made their experience our top priority.  I do this all the time with every single client!  But sometimes you need to build in a buffer on the calendar and allow yourself a few extra days just in case you need to edit those images again, or in case you order proofs from your lab and there is a delay in shipping.  

When my hard drive crashed, I had not yet started setting up my gallery reveal appointments for the sessions I had finished editing that week.  This gave me a little breathing room when it came time to re-edit everything.  Thankfully the clients still enjoyed their gallery reveal sessions n the promised amount of time, with just as many images as they would have received the first time around.  My portrait clients will never even know that there was a glitch on my end because I was able to fix it in two days by following all of the advice I’m including in this post.  Yes, I had to give up half of my weekend to recover everything, but now it’s all done and I can breathe easy again.  Allow yourself some grace.  This way you can still over deliver to your clients and continue to wow them every step of the way, even if the unthinkable happens.  

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If you follow steps similar to those above, you should be all set if your hard drive ever does crash, malfunction, tip over, or just fail.  But if you find yourself in my situation where you are panicked, possibly yelling, and wondering how in the world you’re ever going to work through all of your sessions again, here is one other tip that sped up my re-editing process and truly saved me hours of work as I went through these sessions for the second time.  

Make culling & editing easier the second time around with 2 computer screens.

Since I had already chosen my final images the first time around, I simply opened Lightroom on my laptop, where all of the “missing” images were still able to be viewed, just not downloaded or edited.  Then I opened Lightroom on my desktop with the new RAW files and marked them one at a time based off of the file numbers that I could view on my other screen.  This cut my culling time down immensely, and I was able to re-cull all of that week’s galleries in record time.

Same thing for editing!  I had made a couple of very particular tweaks to my images because of difficult lighting or skin tones — anyone that works with newborns knows that a lot of work goes into correcting the skin tone of a baby who has jaundice!  Rather than reinvent the wheel and edit everything from scratch, I was able to view the changes in the Develop module of Lightroom on my laptop, and make those exact same changes on one image at a time on the images on my desktop.  I still had to go in and do certain tedious tasks in Photoshop, but because I had already done them once before this week, they were very fresh in my mind and they didn’t take long at all.

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So there you go!  I hope you never need these tips, but if you do, I hope you'll find them helpful!  Enjoy a few more blog posts written just for photographers here:

A Month of Content Ideas for Social Media

A Guest Blog Post by Jessi Metzger: Why Work with a Mentor?

Why I Decided to Invest in my Baby Photography Business

4 Essential Props for a Baby Photography Studio

Keeping Your Social Media Content Fresh When You Have a Brain Freeze

The social media brain freeze.  We've all been there.  

It's when you go to post something and you dig through your images trying to find one that hasn't been shared before.  And then you need to write a caption and you are 100% completely and totally stuck.  What could you possibly have to say that is NEW, INTERESTING, and that people will want to read, click on, like, and engage with?  

You finally figure it out, you hit that "post" button with a satisfying click... and nothing happens.  Facebook has shown your post to exactly 27 people.  And now you have to do it all again later this afternoon, and tomorrow, and the next day because if you don't keep on top of your social media game, Facebook (and Instagram, and Pinterest) will stop showing your posts to anyone at all.

Social media has become this crazy game for business owners where you're constantly trying to figure out the algorithms to get more views, grow your audience, and find the best time of day to post. It's a game where the rules are endlessly changing, and one where you always feel like you're lagging behind everyone else with their curated feeds and their perfectly gorgeous content.  

So for those days when you have an absolute brain freeze and you don't know what to post, I'm sharing some helpful little tips to keep your content fresh on social media!  There are enough ideas here for AN ENTIRE MONTH of content, so print them out and keep them handy!

Tips to Keep Your Social Media Content Fresh
When you Have a Brain Freeze

1. Share a behind the scenes picture of your work space.
   

2. Photograph your studio (props, products, decor) and do a series of posts giving a little peek into your professional space!
   

3. Keep track of your birthday babies, and share their images one year later! Even better, share their blog post to bring more traffic to your website!
   

4. Pay attention to the upcoming holidays, and curate your feed to focus on those. Hint, hint: Mother's Day and Father's Day are coming up, so start saving those images in a folder to post in the coming weeks!
   

5. Celebrate a client's milestone or achievement!
   

6. Share a picture of your client's product order. Not only will they love the sneak peek of their album and canvases before delivery, but it will get your other potential clients excited about the products they can create from their session with you, too!
   

7. If your clients are bloggers or business owners, cross-promote each other and share posts from their page that your audience would find relevant!
   

8. Turn a review into a pretty graphic to share on your page!
   

9. Give a few tips for what to wear to your session, and include a few well-dressed families in the images!
   

10. Outtakes always make people laugh. Share the crying pictures!
    

11. Take a selfie of you at your workspace! Whether you're in yoga pants and a topknot editing on the couch, or you just got spit up on at a newborn session... share the real life moments! People want to see more than just perfectly curated images!
    

12. Tease a new set you're working on with some close-ups of your decor!
    

13. Share an interesting article that your audience would find relevant, and tell they why you found it interesting! Some of my highest-ranked posts have been from sharing articles that weren't even my own, but they brought more followers and more engagement to my page!
    

14. Invite your followers to follow you on a different platform.
    

15. Do a quick introduction for your new followers, and include a headshot!
    

16. Share a recent project you're proud of.
    

17. As you're tackling your to do list, tell your audience what's new with your business this week or this month!
    

18. What are the most common questions you get asked? Create a series of posts educating your clients on this so that they know the answer before ever having to ask you again!
    

19. Every time you get a new prop for the studio, share a pretty image of it with ideas on how they can use it in their session! This will make more clients truly want to spend time with you and hire you for their portraits!
    

20. Talk about the babies, their milestones, their personalities, and something cute that mom or dad said during the session. When in doubt, just share real stories of real life. That is going to get more love than anything else because it's heartfelt!
    

21. Ask their opinion about something! It can be as simple as "Color or B&W?", but get them engaged so that they want to comment on your post.
    

22. Post a before & after image to show the amazing transformations in post-processing that you are proud of! And then talk about the benefits of hiring a professional photographer. ;o)
    

23. State your core brand beliefs. Tell them why you do what you do.
    

24. Get personal. Share a glimpse into your life. Whether it's a peek into your daily life, a hobby or habit you have, a vacation, or a special anniversary or birthday. Your clients want to know that they are hiring a real live person, and they want to connect with you. Let them connect with you by getting to know you!
    

25. Videos. They are your friend!
    

26. Do you have limited dates available for sessions? Share a graphic with the dates! This creates a sense of urgency and you will watch your inbox be flooded with emails from families wanting to grab a session on one of those last dates on your calendar!
    

27. Give an expert tip for something THEY can do at home to take better pictures of their children. After all, the best camera is the one in your hand!
    

28. Direct followers to check out specific content on your website. Are you really proud of your cake smash gallery? Send them there! Want to show them your studio updates? Give them the link so that they check it out!
    

29. Turn your social media followers into newsletter subscribers. Make it easy for them to sign up, and remind them to sign up every now and then!
    

30. Share a behind the scenes picture or video from your session!
    

31. Make a quick little slideshow video for an animated portfolio!

So, there you have it.  31 tips to keep your social media content fresh when you have a brain freeze, and enough ideas to post one every day for a month!  

I hope you've found these helpful, and I can't wait to share more ideas with you to grow your baby photography business!  Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to receive tips & inspiration to grow your business right in your inbox!