What do family photographers do? Well, we take pictures don't we? That's what you see anyways. The truth is that there is SO much more to being a family photographer that taking photos is just the tip of the iceberg.
What do family photographers do?
It might be easiest for me to describe what a typical day might look like in order for you to understand what we do.
A huge portion is client communication. It is very important for me to communicate with my clients in a clear and prompt matter. This means responding to queries but also tweaking my set emails to make sure that it includes all the vital information needed to make everything go smoother. An example of tweaking an email included adding a photographic guide to finding the studio. It took a while to photograph all the steps, put it into a blog post and add it to my email but I hear all the time how grateful everyone is for the directions.
Another huge portion is marketing. What I'm doing right now. Every time I write a blog post or update my website it effects my SEO ranking. Publishing as many posts is crucial to a good spot on Google and more enquiries. I also tweak my website all the time to make it easier to read and navigate. I'll look at analytics to see where people are going and try to understand why that page may or may not work.
Processes are important. We are often one man shows so making sure every single process is as efficient as possible is critical. This means a lot of investment in software and third party services, but in return I can be facing more and more potential clients.
Tech & Software
I use the following software in my work:
-Wordpress
-Canva
-Photoshop
-Lightroom
-Loom
-ImagenAi
-Flodesk
-Pictime
-Pixifi
-Google Docs & Calendar
-various apps to create Reels
-screen calibration equipment
ALL of this requires careful research and then an investment in education to learn how to actually USE it. I do my own websites and always have. This means I can tweak it when I need to but man it was a learning curve.
Education
Education includes courses, conferences and practice. It also includes collaboration days with other artists to practice techniques and learn from each other.
Cleaning
Oh the glamour of the studio. Yes, it's beautiful and clean but what you don't see is mopping floors and cleaning toilets.
Editing
I edit my own photos, use a local editing company, AI software and another photographer in order to edit my photos. There is NO WAY I could take on the clients I do and also do my own edits. This was a learning curve and it takes time to find the right editor, and work with them to make sure they can recreate your style.
Equipment
Gah! If I had a penny for every time I thought I was done buying equipment... but there's always something. And it's expensive. My last two purchases were a camera for for +$3,000 and then a few months later a lens for +$3,000. These were not simple choices. I had to research them carefully. The camera was chosen because it was lighter (save my back!) and has a special focus so I don't have to rely on my terrible eyes and have more images in focus. It's not just camera equipment though. I also purchase newborn clothes and swaddles, maternity dresses, furniture for the studio and various other props.
More about what we do as family photographers
A family photographer is more than just taking photos. It is about the entire experience.
If you are curious or want to know about a session please contact me.
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