In this very first Ask Me Anything episode on The Bearded Tog, I’ll be answering your questions on editing workflow, favorite gear, apps, seo, making clients comfortable, going full time with business, mentoring, and more!
Ask Me Anything
Editing workflow from important to delivery.
When I get home from a wedding, I put my two cards into my card reader, and important them into lightroom. The program is set to make both smart previews and standard previews on important. In the background, backblaze is backing up the photos into the cloud.
The next step is to cull the images. While going through, I get rid of the photos I don’t want to keep, choose the photos I will deliver to the couple, and pick the best ones for the blog post.
I edit the blog post images first, and that style will determine how I edit the full wedding gallery.
Once I finish editing the full gallery, I export it in high resolution and upload it to shootproof.
How to stay true to yourself during planning a wedding.
I tell my couples to stay true to yourself and who you are when planning your wedding. Don’t choose to do something because it’s traditional. Ask yourself why you should cut the cake, or have this dance. Have the wedding reflect who you are.
How to improve your SEO after you move?
To improve your Search Engine Optimization, give a listen to our SEO Tips Episode. After applying all those awesome tips, go out and photograph in your new area and make blog post about these locations.
How do you help your clients feel comfortable during photos?
I tell my clients that getting their photos taken might feel weird for the first few minutes, and that’s okay. Most people don’t get their pictures taken all the time.
As a photographer, it’s your job to set the direction. Be chill and happy. People want to feel cared for, so show that you have a plan and will take them on a journey.
What is the best way to increase your marketing reach while staying organic?
Just go out and take pictures. Set up styled shoots, ask for models, organize a session, create images, and share them.
How to transition from a hobbyist to a professional legally?
Remember that everything you do paperwork wise is a way to show you are reporting all of your income to the IRS or other official governing bodies. Don’t break the law,keep a record of all your business expenses, and make sure you keep the business separate from personal.
At what point do you make the leap to go full time in your business?
Make sure enough income is coming in from this new business and you have money in savings. Know your numbers! What minimum do you need to make to live, and how many sales do you need per year to make that? (Overlap by Sean McCabe is a good book to read about this topic)
I feel like I’m not learning anything from the photographers I’ve been second shooting for.
You can only learn what you choose to learn. Be humble, and look at what they are doing right, because they booked that wedding, so they must be doing something you can learn from.
How do you get your images so crazy sharp with good bokeh
Make sure your lenses are calibrated to your camera, if you are having focusing problems. Also remember, instagram makes most photos look extra sharp and crisp.
Thoughts on presets
I don’t sell presets because having your images look like some other photographers images will not give you a successful business. Focus on creating good images and making your own presets to help your editing go faster.
