Elsa~Class ’23~Senior photography

If it wasn’t hard everyone would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great
Tom Hanks

Wise words from a famous guy we all know. They apply for those graduating and those who do anything in life. To really feel good about something it was the hard thing you did. It wasn’t the passive gesture or something that took minimal effort to do. It was the business that you spent your last dime on that couldn’t fail that really gave you drive and purpose. And when you see it doing well you feel exceptional about.

So what are the hard things about a photography business? I find time management challenging. I find rescheduling a client when you have no free time challenging. How about the stress of catching covid and not having a clone to capture a wedding or event for yourself. What about equipment failing. Or a child that is sick shows up to a session. Maybe you are at a busy park and people keep walking in your shot. You know the list can be endless for any number of unknown circumstances that can happen.

So how do you handle stress? I’ve taken some steps to help myself plan ahead better. To help with time management I use several calendars. I still hand write on a monthly calendar and have a daily one which I make lists on and then check them off as I go. When things get missed I circle those to dos and come back to them. One day I’ll master bullet journaling, but for now this works for me. I also use a software that sends reminders and googles the locations to both myself and the client. Honeybook is a lifesaver for me. You should find 20% off on that link if you need some help.

Rescheduling goes hand in hand with keeping some backup days free and constantly checking the weather or finding indoor location spots to shoot in. I was also using an app called Accuweather for a while and it was very accurate on the rain coming and going. Then I could be flexible as to the time of day if we needed to change the time of the session. I have even shot under a 10×10 covering a few times now so we could stay out of the rain. It’s not ideal, but it worked.

One more tidbit I want to share is to have written up questionnaires to send to clients as they book with you. Think of intentional questions that touch on various things you could prepare for if you have the knowledge. I ask about your interests, your ages, how you want to display your images, what’s important to you, what type of photography are you drawn to. There are quite a few questions you can get nailed down with each type of session. This will greatly ease your anxiety and make for a smooth session.

So now you can let it go and see one of my latest sessions with Miss Elsa. She brought her fantastic style and her awesome personality is shining!