Innovate or Die

Last week I participated in a week long online seminar with creativeLIVE, a collaborative learning organization. It featured St. Louis wedding photographer, Sal Cincotta. The seminar was a powerful one. Everything from running a successful wedding photography business to capturing special moments on your wedding day. I emphasize the word 'business' because that's where I benefited the most. Not just, "ya, I own my own photography business..." but really - really understanding the ins-and-outs of my business. Consumer behavior, marketing, pricing, plans. GROSS INCOME (...which at the moment is pretty gross...), but that's beside the point. Before this seminar, I was operating my business in the dark hoping someone found me. I need to strengthen my marketing plan. I need to take my business seriously. 

I took a lot from this seminar. So much that I'm making changes to my plan - my business. I've evolved as a photographer over the past 3 months. I'm slowly finding my "niche." I'm seeing patterns in my work. Slowly but surely it's coming together. And as I learned recently, it's completely healthy to have my business plan grow every 3-6 months. It's all part of the process. Innovating. Evolving. If I stay put where I am today with the way I'm running my business, my business dies.

With 2013 right around the corner, I'm excited to go back to my first business plan and reevaluate it. Make appropriate changes. See how far I've come along and set my new goals for the new year. This is an exciting/anxious/nervous time of my life. But I know all the hard work will pay off. It always does.

You Are Beautiful

I know I'm over-thinking ideas when I cry in my dreams because Obama told me they were awful. That's what's been happening this week. Wednesday was chaos. I hadn't come up with a gift idea to put in the bags we're giving away at the fashion show this coming week. And it was stressing me out, to say the least. I wanted something that was consistent with my brand. Something that had style. Made you feel good. Something more than just my card. (Sidenote: I hadn't designed my business card either - so that was another thing I had to think about). I wanted it all to be done by this past Wednesday. And I was going to meet my deadline. One thing college taught me was that I always work better under pressure...and sure enough, my theory still stands true. 

I woke up Wednesday (deadline day), listened to my morning dose of Kishi Bashi, and pulled out the old pen and paper. I started drawing out ideas for my card and that's when it all came together. I would package my business card. But not just package any ordinary information about me. Not just a business card. I wanted you, the client, to experience something. So I came up with boxing my card. When you unwrap the little box the first thing you see is a reminder: "you are beautiful." Of course alongside the card you'll find a few Hershey Kisses :)  I filled the kraft boxes with moss. (I'll post pictures of the final product soon.) 

It was no easy task, I must admit. I finished the design of my card, zoomed to Costco business center and asked my dear friend Mike to print them out for me. Meanwhile as he's printing them out, I'm driving around all over the South Sound buying out all of the craft stores' kraft boxes. 5 hours later and 50 boxes short of my goal, I picked up my new business cards. They came out amazing! I called my friend Tristan to help me package the cards - and to work he went! We mastered our assembly line once we reached the halfway mark. Tricky Twine Tying. But alas, we completed (half of) the project. I drove down to Bellevue and dropped them off with Jerome. Phew!

Thank you to you all for helping me out. I really appreciate it. REALLY!

Different Pens

This week has been hard. Ups and down with the business (mainly feeling uninspired). Maybe I'm burning myself out trying to create, create, create. Keep my name out there. Not be idle in the realm of social media. It's quite stressful. The thought of flying to Honolulu, HI (courtesy of the US Army) just to get away and be inspired even crossed my mind. 

One of my go-to books called, "It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be" (no, I didn't pick this book up in the 'self-help' aisle at B&N - I actually bought it at Anthropologie - the only item I could afford, ha!) One of the sections is titled, "If You Get Stuck, Draw With A Different Pen." Here are my two favorite quotes from this section:

"Change your tools, it may free your thinking."

"It is not a solution, but it does open up the mind and it's fun."

So that's what my plan for the rest of the week is. Dive into a little pastel art and film photography to "free my thinking." If you have any tips on how you keep yourself inspired, feel free to share your secrets with me. I've hit a wall and have to break through it.

Colors. Shots. And Angles. Oh My!

Before you think this is a post about praising Shakira...it's not (because that's an entire entry on its own, just kidding!) Yesterday I came across her music video for her latest single, Addicted To You. The song was naturally amazing, but I found myself analyzing her video differently. You see, before venturing into my photography business fully, I would only listen to a song and judge it based on whether or not it made my hips move (I LOVE dancing, in case you didn't know). So as I'm watching and listening to her music video, I am completely captivated by the colors, tints, shots, poses, angle the scenes were shot at, EVERYTHING but the rhythm (because with Shakira I know it's always going to be a hit). Never before had I been interested in such detail. Ever. Now things are changing because I've changed the way I look at the world around me - I'm constantly looking for inspiration to help establish my brand. Who knew Shakira's music video could have that effect on me? HA! Anyway, here are a few shots from her video that really inspire me. If I didn't know these pictures came from her music video, I would have just assumed these were for some photo shoot she did. But nope! Straight from her video! 

The details! The shots! The angles! The femininity! The colors! It gets me every time!! Stick around this week because I'll be featuring The Lind Family's session!!! 

Business Cards

Today I'll be attending the "Pricing, Process, and Profit" workshop in Seattle. I'm really excited because it's my "first" professional workshop. HOWEVER, when I got my confirmation email last night, I sort of panicked... what should have been an easy task, turned into a  day's long design session. 

The email popped up and advised us to bring 3 things tonight:

1. Pen                                 (check)

2. Paper                             (check)

3. Business Cards        (oh..snap!)

Number 3 is what got me! So off to the design board I went. Here is what I found - and hope to put together in a nice, clean, modern way. Obviously tonight's version of my cards won't be as ambitious, but I've still got some ideas up my sleeve. Gotta' represent! Wha-wha!

Left Images: Seven Swans Wedding Stationary
Top Right: Shop Around Graphic Design
Book Cover: November 22, 1963

No Easy Task

Very productive Monday, thus far! Sheesh, owning a small business is quite the task!


Checklist:
1. Get Business License 
2. Get Business Insured 
3. Sort out school loan dilemma  (my mum would be proud)
4. Design business cards
5. Launch Website


As of today, all of my equipment and business are insured! High five! 


The beauty of all this stress? I can work in my pj's. ;) Don't worry - I still shower, though. 

I am looking forward to this week because my friend and I are going to do a shoot. I'm so excited! This means new places to explore, new techniques to try out, new design concept, and play "dress up." Be on the lookout for some new photos! Until then, this busy bee and her sidekick need some lunch.