5 Things I Would Tell My Brand New Photographer Self
Maybe you just started your wedding photography business or maybe you are building a new business. I started my wedding photography business about six years ago. At the time, I was working as a secretary at a construction company. After a while, juggling both my part time passion and working full time, I decided to quit my job and pursue wedding photography full time. GAAAAH! Read on to find out the 5 things I would tell my brand new photographer self back then. Photographers, make sure you are signed up for the newsletter to learn more!
#1 It’s a marathon, not a sprint
As an entrepreneur, it’s so easy to compare to other photographers. We tell ourselves things like “she has more followers” or “he has been featured on The Knot” or “they have my dream clients.” Stop playing the comparison game and focus on yourself and your goals. Dream big and take a little bite out of that dream daily. Don’t compare your start to someone’s top of their career. Celebrate your small victories daily.
#2 Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more
With the ease of learning photography with a DSLR, you can get a camera on the weekend and open a photography business the next week. This has created a low barrier to entry to professional photography. Slow down your roll, girl. Take time to figure out the kind of photographer you want to be and what clients you want to work with. Reverse engineer instead backpedaling later on. Hold off on starting a Instagram or Facebook group and instead focus on finding your voice and style as a photographer. Do not rush the process. Instead, shoot all the time and get your editing style. Your goal is to be consistent while having a unique voice in the wedding industry.
#3 Find your tribe
This is SUPER important. Creating friendships that move you forward is key in being successful. You need people who push you, keep you accountable, and encourage you. Find a buddy to meet up with monthly where you go over each other’s work and brand. Find someone who is not scared of hurting your feelings when they tell you the hard truth. It will not only create life long friendships but friends who send work to each other. When I am booked, I know who to send the brides to. I would not be here without my mastermind ladies and my photographer besties.
#4 Be thankful for your husband
Guys, it takes a special kind of husband to be married to an entrepreneur. Gavin is the most patient, loving, and supporting husband on this planet. I would not be here without him. This man helps me with second shooting and assists on my shoots. He runs the household when I am deep in editing, contracts, and running my education business. Single ladies, look for this kind of man!
#5 It’s not all unicorn and rainbows
Being an entrepreneur has its challenges. It can be lonely working from home. You have to hustle constantly. You will hear no’s a lot. You will be turned down. You have to wear 1002 hats: marketing, communications, editing, blogging, social media, book keeping, and so on. BUT IT’S ALL WORTH IT. You just need to know the challenges and get mentally prepared. I am actually excited and ready for Mondays because I get to do what LOVE. Find out how I got stared with wedding photography in this crazy awesome business!
April 26th, 2018 at 9:39 pm
Great post! And so true about it not being unicorns and cupcakes all the time. We are lucky to have flexibility in our schedules but it just means we make the hours up somewhere else. Plus the hustle is 24/7—no guaranteed paychecks but I wouldn’t trade it for a boring 9-5 job where I don’t get to make my rules. PS: I hope Gavin sees the sweet comment about him :)0