I posted a peek photo from the Fershop I attended in Rockville, Maryland, last week.  I have had a few photographers ask me for more details on what I thought.  I didn’t really know yet what to say.  I knew the workshop was good, but wasn’t sure how to sum up what I learned.  It was more of a feeling still.

A couple days ago, I did my first session after the workshop.  It was a maternity session, at a couples’ home in Washington DC.  Now I know what I learned.  I felt inspired and in control of creating artistic photos.  I’m loving the results so far as I edit the photos.  I’m a different style photographer from Fer Juaristi (who is incredible by the way), so after the workshop I was trying to figure out how to adapt what I learned to work with what I do.  I capture moments first and foremost.  With inspiration from Fer, I was able to still keep my documentary style, while really working the lighting. I brought my gear, and started to use my fill flash.  Then I looked around, and the sun streaks were beautiful and dramatic.  I turned off the flash, directed the couple to locations to make the most of the light, and feel like I really captured the true nature of the couple with artistic images.

Back to the Fershop.  Every photographer I know told me I must go.  I contacted Fer directly to ask for more details, and he gave me a few, but I still didn’t feel like I knew what to expect.  I contacted another photographer, who I respect greatly, who had attended one in another city recently.  She simply pointed me to her work before and after.  Decision made.  I signed up.

The day was filled with an interactive lecture, lots of q&a, a few hours of shooting, and as much individual attention as you wanted.  Fer talked to each person, and was really an open book as far as sharing everything.  He was a fun light hearted speaker, with tons of passion for photography.

What did I get out of the workshop?  I imagine this is different for each photographer.

1.  Inspiration

2.  Encouragement

3.  A couple neat camera tricks that I didn’t know, like how to make my viewfinder show in b&w, and why (which I love by the way).

4.  Post-processing tips that help speed things up, and add a little oomph to the photos.  (I’m still a believer in keeping things natural.)

5.  Branding and marketing ideas

6.  Lighting – but not in the way of use 50 lights with x and y settings.  The lighting I learned is more of going back to basics, remembering to use what is there, to really see light, and to not be scared of it.

7.  Control.  Seeing the image and creating it with your clients.  My hesitation with this was how to do this and still capture moments, but with a little practice now I feel like I got it. Of course, this applies really for just the portrait sessions (bridals, engagements, families).   Most of the wedding day I will as always capture with a photojournalism style.

8.  Use what you have and where you are.  Amazing photos can be made anywhere.  You don’t need a beautiful beach, or lush park.  There are ways to work in any location and any lighting.

What I loved most, and this is silly, is that Fer is a minimalist.  I have gear and backup gear, but I’m not a photographer that is excited by owning lots of toys.  The camera and lenses are just tools.  It was awesome to meet such an amazing and successful photographer that can get all the photos he wants without 50 different lenses and lights.  I love the simplicity of just having the tools I need, knowing them inside out, and being able to focus (pun not intended) on creating amazing photos.

If I had to sum up the seminar in one word, it would be inspirational.

Should I do a First Look?

If you are traditional and have dreamed since you were a little girl of the moment your future husband sees you while entering the church, then stick with your dream, and don’t be pressured by anyone into doing a first look.

If you are still reading, I’m guessing you at least humoring the notion of doing a first look.  So I’ll just go right into the benefits.

1.  You will have more time for portraits.  When brides choose to do a first look, I start by spending 10 minutes just capturing your first moments together, on your wedding day.  Then we move on to couples portraits.  Next I’ll take portraits of each of you.  Then we can add in your wedding party.  It gives a lot more time for creativity and getting photographs in different settings.

2.  You will have more time with your family and friends.  After your ceremony, the only posed photos we will need to take are of your family groupings.  Depending on the size of your family and how many different groups you choose, we should be able to do this in 15-30 minutes.  This means you get go to cocktail hour!

3.  You will have more photos of his reaction to seeing you in your wedding dress for the first time.  I can discreetly be right next to you two during a first look, and capture all of his expressions.

4.  We can still make it special.  We can choose a location, and have him turn around just at the moment you approach.  Other times, I’ve had the bridal party stay in front of the bride and then clear for the groom to see her.  Most brides choose to have it be just you and him, for a special moment together.

5.  It can lead to a more relaxing day.  From less schedule stress, to having your nerves calmed by being together alone first, it seems doing a first look always puts couples in a more relaxed state of mind.

As I said though, if you don’t want to do a first look, then don’t.  For some brides, they want the traditional moment in the aisle, and I completely get that!

Here is a favorite of the bride approaching her soon to be husband.

I’ve had a website for about 6 or 7 years now.  By default I initially picked GoDaddy as my host.  As the years went by I heard many people complain about them, but I was satisfied and rarely ever needed interaction.  Last year after moving, something with the address change screwed up my credit card with their system.  I was out of town on a family emergency when this happened and therefore did not get a chance to return their phone call.

A week later I got home and back to work.  I discovered my website had been taken down.  When I called customer service they told me it was due to non-payment.  I owed them $4.95 (yes less than $5) after being a customer for over 5 years and they cut off my website with only one phone call.  I paid they got my site back online within 24 hours.  I decided it was time to finally change hosts.

(I didn’t write this to bash GoDaddy, but it was part of the story.)

I did a little research and everyone seemed happy with Bluehost.  I’ve been with them now since March and just have to say they are awesome!  I know a lot of photographers and other creative small business owners read my blog, so I just want to spread the word.  They are affordable and reliable.  For the photographers out there, they are in no way affiliated with Bludomain.

What is most fabulous about Bluehost is their technical support.  I use their live chat all the time.  Within 20 seconds to 2 minutes, a knowledgeable tech is chatting with me.  They have always been able to answer my often complicated questions.  I am one of those people with enough technical knowledge to be dangerous and try to do complicated things, but not enough to always fix the things I break.  The person I talk to is always very polite and usually has my issue resolved in 5 minutes.

So if you are thinking of changing web hosts, or setting up a site for the first time, I strongly recommend Bluehost.

So with a deep breath, and a purring cat beside me, I’m sitting here thinking about my business goals for 2012.

1.  Establish office hours for myself.  I want my family to know when to expect me to be working, and most importantly that when it is not office hours (or when I’m out working with a client) I can give them my full attention.

2.  Make the business side of things a priority.  I am an artist.  I don’t like dealing with numbers and much prefer Photoshop to Quickbooks.  This year, I will take one day at the end of each month to keep my bookkeeping clean, be aware of all the numbers, and find ways to simplify the process.  Step number one is already taken.  I am meeting with an accountant to discuss planning this week.

3.  Take my customer service level from great to exceptional.  I just love when businesses go out of there way to provide exceptional service.  I’m a small business and I get to know each of my clients personally.  I just want to find ways to make sure they know I appreciate being chosen as their wedding or family photographer.

4.  Blog regularly.  I’m not committing to an exact number, but I need to find balance and blog 2-5 times a week.  I believe in blogs.  If a company catches my interested, I go to there blog pretty quickly.  I want to hear the voice of who I am dealing with, and see what types of things they talk about.  I think brides benefit from knowing who I am.  I want you to choose a photographer whose work you love, and who you really click with.  (Sorry about the pun, not intended.)

5.  Be me.  I recently ditched my wedding packages in favor of simple pricing, something that goes against what any sales publication will recommend.  On the opposite side, I recently turned down a wedding I really wanted to photograph because what the bride wanted didn’t coincide with my policies.  Thinking back I could have just went with my gut.  In the future, I am giving myself liberty to break my own rules, incorporate things I believe in as part of my business, and just go with what feels right.

6.  Expand my family portrait business.  I love weddings, and plan to keep photographing as many as last year.  I enjoy the diversity of working with families too, especially maternity and newborns.  Photographing in a lifestyle manner, I love capturing the little moments.  My favorite is when one of my brides calls me a year or two later to ask me to photograph her new baby.  As part of this, I would like to photograph a birth.  I’m scared out of my mind to do it, which means I should.  Our doula photographed a lot of my labor and immediately after my daughter was born.  I treasure these photos.  (Thanks Taffy!)

7. Print my photos, and encourage my clients to do the same.  This is the most important.  I need to print samples.  I need to print personal photos.  I also need to convince every single one of you to make prints of your photos too.  Yes, I believe in professional quality prints, especially for the big 20×30 enlargements.  More so I just want everyone to get their photos off their computer and onto paper, in a book, on the wall, on the fridge… anywhere as long as they can be seen and shared.

8.  Make all this pretty.  I’m working on making my blog, website, and all those branding things pretty, or at least cohesively me.  Oh, and this includes my office too!

Here’s a favorite from a recent family portrait session.  New little feet to start the new year!

We moved with 3 weeks notice, so I had no time to build relationships or my business here.  I arrived in January with nothing on my books and only knowing a handful of names of other photographers.  When I started to reach out, everyone volunteered information about what the business was like in the DC area, and really accepted me in, with any hesitation of new competition.

Thanks to shared referrals from other photographers, and lots of networking, I wrapped up my season this year, having shot 20 weddings in the DC area!  I’ve also made some great new friends, met wonderful couples, and gotten to see lots of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC wedding venues.

Below are some highlights from 2011.  A special thanks to the wedding photographers that invited me to photograph with them, Leo Druker, Heather Bee, Ayesha Ahmed, Stephen Gosling, Hadar Goren, Sam Hurd, Astrid, and Jen Smith!

Thanks to all my awesome clients as well!

Thank you for introducing me to one of DC’s great places, and for having me as your wedding photographer!