I get a LOT of emails from photographers just starting out… and from people who love photography but are thinking of making it a career choice… and from people who just want to talk shop; people who want advice; people who want to be pointed in the right direction.
I love that people seek out answers… and that people are doing things they are passionate about. I love it. I’ll cheer them on… you chase your dream, you dream chaser, you! And I do my very very best to answer questions. I know how it feels to be there. I emailed approximately 3,256,895 photographers when I was setting up my business and not a single one gave me the time of day… and that was after I had already spent time second shooting. I had a better grasp than most starting out… but lets be honest, I had no clue what I was doing. I wish that I could sit down with every single person and give them the low down, down and dirty, full-blown run down on everything…

True Fact: Wanna talk shop? I do not know that much about “shop”.

I suck at running my business. That’s something I do know. Don’t get me wrong… it’s not like I don’t bring in income… or that I feel like I’m not successful… And I don’t regret anything. I have done what has been the right thing for me… gotten a LOT of crap for it at times… but I am the ONLY person who can know what is right for me. (As you are for you.)

I get too invested. I work too much. I automatically turn clients into friends. I’m not very strict even when things are in my contract. I stay longer than I’m supposed to… show up before I have to… and give away a lot. I hire and pay second shooters out of my own money even when that option wasn’t chosen by my clients because I don’t want to miss anything and bust my butt to get photos delivered quickly. I try my darndest to please everyone all the time. I overdo it because I don’t have a studio… because I have a long album wait time… because I have to balance my schedule with kids requesting drinks and school bus schedules and therapy schedules and basic shananigans of a very precocious five year old and just about the most active three year old you’ll ever meet. I can’t sit down for more than 10 minutes at a time without getting up for something.

I love the photographer side too much… and the whole business owner side not enough.

So… here are a few things I wish someone would have told me when I was starting my business.

Life Lessons in Running a Photography Business 101

1. You Cannot Please Everyone.
It doesn’t matter how hard you work, how well you think you’ve done, how far beyond the call you went… its just not possible. Try not to be too crushed when someone isn’t happy. Photography is an art and not a Math. There is no definite end result. Just when you think “I BLEW this one out of the water” this little fact will creep back in… along the lines somewhere, someone isn’t going to be happy. Just be prepared.

2. Unlike most things in life… Other Photographers are equally as harsh of a critic as you are of yourself. Sometimes… Mostly… harsher.
Listen to the ones who want to help you… give you pointers. Ask for help. Swallow your pride. Listen to critiques. Ignore the rude people, haters, and people who are just mean for mean’s sake. If this is something you want to do… work your little hiney off for it. Everyone starts somewhere… You’re going to grow and improve and flourish… it doesn’t come automatically. Know that in the beginning. This is a tough industry… build up some thick skin if you want to survive. Make sure you keep yourself in a position where you stay your own worst critic. Always strive to improve.

3. You’re going to hate your processing in a year. And probably all of the photos you’ve taken.
Don’t over do it. You’ll wind up hating it.
When you have one of those “man, I suck” days (which I have had a lot of lately)… just go back and look at work from when you very first picked up a camera. If you can see how far you’ve come… imagine how far you can go.

4. Clients forget you have a life beyond your business… because you are a business.
You’ll get emails asking where photos are three hours or the day after the session. It will happen. Explain your processing time up front… be as specific in terms of receiving things as possible. It’ll be rocky sometimes… but you’ll find your stride and workflow. I’m still getting mine downpat. Sometimes you have to remind people you are not Target… You are a personal, custom photography business… and with the personalized service, comes a person with a life. (Or attempting to have a life anyway.)

5. Weddings are not for the faint at heart. Do not jump into them headfirst.
It’s not as “easy” as it looks. Every time you turn around your settings need to be completely different. You have to shoot in dark churches with no flash, rooms with 4 different kinds of lights in it, at outdoor ceremonies with shadows running across the bride and groom’s faces from their canopy, at the beach where sand is going to get into every crevasse of your bag somehow, and sometimes at ceremonies where you don’t get to actually shoot at all. Not every wedding looks like something out of a bridal magazine, but you have to find a way to make it look like it was. Your images from the entire day need to flow together even if you’re in completely different conditions throughout the day. Sometimes you have to squeeze three pages of typed out family formals into 15 minutes. You have to compete with guests with iphones for the best spot when the couple is going to cut the cake… and try to figure out a way to shoot the kiss correctly when you were told no flash but twenty people in the audience are setting flashes off with their point and shoots at the exact same 8.27 second moment.

6. Get an Accountant now.
Save yourself the headache. They’ll help you write off their own fees.

7. Learn to say NO.
Say it with me… “no”. Making money is nice… but its not worth it all the time. Don’t budge on prices. You don’t HAVE to do favors. Don’t let people convince you its just “one or two photos” or guilt trip you into things. no. no. no. no. no. Don’t bend for anyone. Don’t change your processing or posing or pricing for someone just because they ask. If they’re asking that… they don’t really want YOU. Pass them onto a different photographer who will be better suited for them. One more for good measure… “NO”.

8. If you don’t enjoy shooting it… GUESS WHAT? You don’t have to!
I didn’t enjoy shooting children or babies or families… so I stopped. I LOVE shooting weddings and couples…
To each their own. If you love shooting everything and can handle it… more power to you. Don’t be afraid to only take on what you want to though!
If you don’t like it, your work will reflect it…

9. Figure out your ideal client.
Market to them. Instead of trying to attract everyone at the same time… Attract the people that are going to want what you actually WANT to shoot and do. If you can imagine your client browsing a used book stores and hanging out at coffee shops… that’s where you advertise. If your client wants a glamorous wedding at a huge elegant venue… make your brand glamorous and elegant. If you want to shoot lifestyle family portraits in the home… figure out how to attract parents that don’t want just a traditional posed session. Apply that idea to who your very perfect client is and what you’re shooting. Once you start trying to attract your ideal clients… you’ll get them.
My final piece to that is when my new branding comes out in a few weeks. I’m finally wrapping up my ideal client marketing… and I finally hit the nail on the head. I mean, I would totally book myself…

10. DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHER PEOPLE.
Just because other people do certain things doesn’t mean you have to. You can only be you. You can’t fake your “eye”. If you don’t like flash portraits at sunset… you don’t have to do them. If you love them… rock that shhhizzzz out. Do it up. You can admire and appreciate other peoples’ work without having to do what they do.
Don’t let yourself get lost in trying to compete with other people. Compete with yourself.
Be inspired but don’t base YOU on someone else. You can’t be and won’t ever be someone else.

11. Learn the basics of photography… and not just your Manual camera settings.
Not so much lessons… but things I have found myself emailing over and over again… so here you go… Know what it means to actually hit focus and be able to tell when you haven’t. Don’t rely on your camera for correct color balance… just because you put it on auto doesn’t mean your camera gets it right. PRACTICE ALL THE TIME. Take photos of everything. Everywhere. Photography IS an art… so yes, its subjective… but there are still plenty of things that you should know in order to operate your camera correctly to get the most out of it. If you’re still learning your camera settings… maybe you should take a step back and practice. Take that camera off of auto… and off of P. Watch youtube videos… pick up photography textbooks. Read blogs. Take a class… attend a workshop. Do everything you can to learn everything. Your photography will thank you for it. Don’t ever under any circumstance ever ever use a pop up flash. Bounce your flash. You don’t need the best most expensive gear ever to take good photos… but if you’re trying to charge on a professional level, you should have more than just a kit lens, and if you’re shooting weddings you’re going to need gear that can handle low light situations. You can rent things online from places like borrowlenses.com or lensrentals.com until you can afford them.

12. Your goals CAN change… but don’t base your business off of something you’re not sure you’re going to want down the line.
I branded myself before I knew what I was doing… If I would have taken the time and thought everything out, it would have been so much easier in the long run. Don’t rush into things.
IF YOU DO… you can change things. You never have to settle for things you’re not happy with. It’ll be a little more work than if you had just started out on the right foot… but things can always change. Fret not… it just takes a little elbow grease.

13. Charge for your time, but charge what you’re worth.
I’m not going to elaborate too much on this one… because its a constant fight with myself all of the time. Don’t price yourself over your abilities… but don’t sell yourself short. It’s a hard line to walk. Just be conscious of it… and be prepared to fight for your reasoning behind it.

14. Look into back button focus…
If your camera has it, I suggest it. Its life changing.

15. Remember that you (hopefully) started photography because it was something you enjoy.
I would like to assume that everyone jumps into photography because it is something they are passionate about and LOVE doing. If its not… or if it was a get rich quick scheme… you, my friend, are in the WRONG industry.
Don’t forget that you started out loving photography… make sure it stays fun. If it doesn’t… its time for a change. And when the ball gets rolling, don’t forget to shoot just for you sometimes.

And now… since I promised… i will leave you with a little song that has been stuck in my head since one of my brides, who I also get to call a very awesome friend, posted it…

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/valeriedemo/RUZN/~3/EVmgoJ9qHVg/ http://www.valeriedemo.com/2012/01/wedding-favorites-2011-virginia-wedding-photographer/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:00:35 +0000 admin http://www.valeriedemo.com/?p=3111 Man oh Man… these were hard to pick. I tried to go through and do a “best of” weddings post… but there were entirely too many photos I had picked out… so I went through and narrowed it down to only photos I physically took and then to the ones that were my favorites from the year… so these aren’t necessarily the best from the year… but they’re the ones that make me smile.
Thank you SO much to all of my awesome 2011 clients… I am 110% sure I manage to get the VERY best clients ever. EVER. ever.

Big thanks again to all of the photographers that helped me out this past year…
My Hunky Husband, Chris
Alicia White
Jeremy Grieff
Amanda Manupella
Tyler Adams… err, Walsh.
LeZandra Persinger
April Campbell
and
Leigh Skaggs

You guys are all the best photog buddies-second-shooters-awesome people a gal could ask for.

]]> http://www.valeriedemo.com/2012/01/wedding-favorites-2011-virginia-wedding-photographer/feed/ 0 http://www.valeriedemo.com/2012/01/wedding-favorites-2011-virginia-wedding-photographer/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/valeriedemo/RUZN/~3/1VAFp6mjIfI/ http://www.valeriedemo.com/2012/01/new-years-resolutions/#comments Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:12:31 +0000 admin http://www.valeriedemo.com/?p=3042 Its been a while since I wrote anything on here besides showcasing photos… so I figured I’d do both at the same time.
It’ll make sense in a little while… I promise.

2012. When did that happen? I can’t believe we’re done with 2011… I’m pretty sure I blinked and it was gone. Poof. Gone.

With a new year comes new resolutions… and I have a lot of them with my business and in my life this year… and along with resolutions comes a ton of reflection on the year past.
Here is what I know….

I’m on the brink of no longer being the new kid in town… and at the same time I feel like I have a long way to go to be where I want to be. I know there are things I have to change and things that are certainly not ideal about how I run my business… And I of all people understand I cannot offer the attention to my clients that I should… things shifted unexpectedly in my life priority-wise this past year, and put some things into perspective for me… and it is super important to me that my kiddos and family come first. I have struggled this past year with trying to find some sort of balance… and the life of a wedding photographer isn’t as amazing and glamorous as some people think. Its long hours… being busy every weekend when your friends and family and husband are free… and sitting at the computer designing albums and editing and answering emails and keeping up with blogs and websites and accounting. (P.S. We cringe when people tell us … “wow, that must be an awesome job… you just work a few hours on the weekend and then you’re done”… avoid saying that to all photographers you know.) Throw a little unexpectedness into that and it all derails pretty quickly.

With that being said… I am the luckiest person alive. Seriously. I get to work doing something I completely love. I get to be creative. I don’t have to sit at a cubicle. I get to be a big part of one of the biggest days in peoples’ lives. I would not trade it for the world. I have an amazing husband who puts up with my hours and work and constant busy life… and the best kids ever. I have an amazing support system of friends and family and everything I could need. I cannot believe on a daily basis everything I am so lucky to have.

So, 2012… you are here. And I am here to kick your butt. You’re mine.
Here is what is changing… Here is what I am doing… Here is what I want from you.
2012 Resolutions

I am only taking 12 weddings this year because of the family ties I have. It’s a good number. It gives me more time for my family AND more time to take on sessions.

I am changing the way I process my wedding albums. From now on, I pick the photos… You get the proof before you get the gallery so its the first thing you see… and the blog goes up after you see the gallery. In 2013, its changing again. Cracking open a wedding album and seeing the pages will be the first time my 2013 clients see their photos. Bam. Amazing.

My branding is changing… I want Valerie Demo Photography to be more Valerie Demo. I want it to feel like me. I want you to know who I am just by reading my blog… I want to live my brand… rather, my brand live me.

I will stop comparing myself to other photographers. I don’t want to shoot what I think I have to. I want to shoot how I WANT to. I want people to want me for me…I want you to want me ( …cue Cheap Trick…) and not for something I felt like I had to do to keep up with someone else.

I will conquer SEO dagnabit. I don’t understand it at all… but gollygee I am determined to. (P.S. If anyone else wants to help with this category I’d love you forever.)

I’m going to blog more. I think I said that last year… but I am getting a little better.

Film is getting thrown into the mix. I will never downplay digital… what my camera can do blows me away all the time. What I can do with my image instantaneously is amazing… but film, my friends, has soul. Lovely, subdued, grainy soul that I will never ever tire of staring at.

A referral program is coming back… and economically attainable couples sessions for those who cannot afford the full-price, full-blown sessions.

I want to go out and shoot for fun. Don’t get me wrong… everything I shoot is fun… because I LOVE photography. I want to shoot simply for the joy of shooting again… not because I’m getting paid to do it… or because I have a deadline… I want to shoot something once a month “just because”. And I already got a start on that one…

Thank you to Kelly for traipsing around in nature with me… and letting me kick off my new years resolutions… I love being able to shoot and edit things completely for me… and not worry about if a client is going to like it, or if it makes sense, or if its technically 100% pure awful or not. Here are a few of my favorites from our session today on what was a beautiful 67 degree day.

]]> http://www.valeriedemo.com/2012/01/new-years-resolutions/feed/ 3 http://www.valeriedemo.com/2012/01/new-years-resolutions/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/valeriedemo/RUZN/~3/bHI4D9G750Q/ http://www.valeriedemo.com/2012/01/best-of-2011-second-shooting-virginia-wedding-photographer/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:51:07 +0000 admin http://www.valeriedemo.com/?p=2972 True Story… I LOVE second shooting. Its less stress… I feel like I can be more creative (although that perspective is going to be applied to my own weddings from here on out anyway)… and I get to hang out with other photographers all day and talk photography.
Here is just a very small sampling of my favorite images from shooting with my very good amazing awesome friend Alicia White of Alicia White Photography and from a wedding I shot with David Reed of Studio 757 this year… I also had the priviledge of shooting with Jeremy Grieff early on in the year… but I have no idea where those photos went to at the moment.
I could have pulled a thousand more images out… but I figured this was enough… for now. I didn’t include a lot of ceremony shots or reception shots because they basically look just like mine… lots of shots up the aisle from the side… lots of fun dancing… you get the point. Some of these are some of my favorite images in general from the year… so I hope you enjoy these… its like you get to see something completely new today! yay!

P.S. Totally plugging myself here photographers… I am available for second shooting this year. {cough cough nudge nudge.} Any takers?

]]> http://www.valeriedemo.com/2012/01/best-of-2011-second-shooting-virginia-wedding-photographer/feed/ 2 http://www.valeriedemo.com/2012/01/best-of-2011-second-shooting-virginia-wedding-photographer/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/valeriedemo/RUZN/~3/NnaeLrUFsZM/ http://www.valeriedemo.com/2012/01/best-of-2011-sessions-virginia-wedding-photographer/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:19:26 +0000 admin http://www.valeriedemo.com/?p=2929 Well… I did it… There are a few sessions missing out of here… but all in all this is a pretty good wrap up of my favorite images from my 2011 sessions!

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I love shooting homecomings.
And I’m getting used to shooting for other photographers… I realized I’ve done quite a few sessions here lately…
But a photographer homecoming is the best!

I was double glad I could be there for LeZandra of LeZandra Photography when her husband came home this weekend, because not only is she a rad gal, but I shot some pre-deployment photos for them, and it was nice to complete the cycle. I love the fact they were both so excited to see each other… Neither one of them could stop smiling when they looked at each other… and that is exactly how a homecoming should be!

Welcome Home, Kevin!

And while we were waiting away from the crowd… it just so happens another set of photographers were busy getting reunited a few feet away! Welcome Home, Tony… and Congrats, Lyndsay. Tony and Lyndsay are the faces behind Curtis Studios.

And I don’t know who Mandy is… but, awwwwwwwwwww!
Yay for “will you marry me” signs!

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Huge, Giant Welcome Home to the Tomcatters and all of the USS Bush battle group!

It is always so awesome to be able to capture these moments for military couples… and Fly-Ins are no exception… especially when I have drop dead gorgeous clients… (and ones who request their pilots to “run to the left” so other people won’t be in the photos… love it)… You basically can’t get bad photos if you try. Thank you for letting me be there with you, Mandy and Jacob… Here are some of my favorites… Stay tuned to my boat homecoming post coming up in a few days!

(Oh, and I had to take names out for internet posting-ness… don’t mind the cruddy cloning on some of the photos… They’ll all be there on your photos!)

And how cute is this kid wearing Jacob’s helmet? Super cute.

]]> http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/12/welcome-home-tomcatters-virginia-military-homecoming-photographer/feed/ 1 http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/12/welcome-home-tomcatters-virginia-military-homecoming-photographer/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/valeriedemo/RUZN/~3/WSIYbsMplkA/ http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/12/the-manupellas-virginia-beach-portrait-session/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:20:05 +0000 admin http://www.valeriedemo.com/?p=2836

Maya finally arrived… you might remember her from here and here… and her mom and dad needed some photos for their Christmas Cards… we literally snapped a few photos in about 15 minutes… perfect. The little lady snoozed the entire time… so I’m going to have to go visit her and mommy for some cuddles soon!

And as I have said before… I just don’t have the time for famly portrait sessions anymore… I can suggest some really amazing photographers if you are looking to have your family photos taken though! I just wanted to share these on here since Amanda helped me shoot so many weddings this year… this is the cute little baby that was a cute little baby bump at your weddings!

]]> http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/12/the-manupellas-virginia-beach-portrait-session/feed/ 0 http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/12/the-manupellas-virginia-beach-portrait-session/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/valeriedemo/RUZN/~3/kRHbh7Ko3fw/ http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/11/fun-stuff-friday-black-friday/#comments Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:56:51 +0000 admin http://www.valeriedemo.com/?p=2819 What is more fun than saving money? And a little sneaky, sneaky surprise by Valerie Demo Photography…

DEAL ONE…
Did you get your photos taken this year by Valerie Demo Photography????
Head over to your gallery now, select at least $50.00 worth of prints to purchase and enter the code “blackfriday11″ at checkout to get 11% off of your total before shipping at checkout! This coupon code expires after Monday… s
WOOP WOOP!

DEAL TWO… And here is the top secret deal…
WANT A SESSION NEXT YEAR??? Here is your chance to buy a session for a price that WILL NOT be beat! We just rearranged our pricing… and to say this is a STEAL is an understatement.
JUMP ON IT NOW!
You can purchase a session as a gift for a friend or family member as well… I will send you a gift-certificate for gift-giving if you are interested! Just shoot me an email at valerie@valeriedemophotography.com after purchase!
Here is the catch… Sessions must be booked on a weekday evening in the months of March, April, July, or August.
Sessions are ONE hour long… and good for ONE location and as many outfit changes as you would like. COUPLES ONLY. (No family, kids, etc.) Maternity and Engagement Sessions ARE INCLUDED. They must take place in the Hampton Roads area (Travel Fees can be added later if outside of the area.) You will receive 20 fully edited images in a gallery after the session to choose from.
If you have ANY questions… please feel free to send me an email!
You can buy these sessions today through Monday… but after that, this deal goes away!

]]> http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/11/fun-stuff-friday-black-friday/feed/ 0 http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/11/fun-stuff-friday-black-friday/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/valeriedemo/RUZN/~3/mK3pvDCVjAs/ http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/11/chelsea-rusty-virginia-beach-couples-photographer/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:56:41 +0000 admin http://www.valeriedemo.com/?p=2784

Chelsea and Rusty needed photos for their Christmas card.
It was also her birthday week (hello, best present ever)… and she wanted photos for their anniversary, too.
I think Chelsea might have an obsession with photos.

Then again… she is the photographer behind the lens over at Bit of Ivory Photography and Persuasion Boudoir.
Makes sense.

I was more than happy to oblige… and I’m pretty sure we had the most perfect light ever. Ever. ever.

I hope you like them Chels… It is nerve-racking taking photos for another photographer!

And I couldn’t help myself with this one…

And… FYI… these are straight out of the camera… not a single adjustment or photoshop-magicness was needed on these bad boys… Chelsea, you’re gorrrrrrrrrgeous.

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I met Elizabeth and Sam in Chesapeake for their maternity session… During our emails back and forth, Elizabeth talked about wanting a fall theme to her session. I scoped out numerous pumpkin patches and farms trying to find the right spot… but everything was either too busy for a session (during the week before Halloween) or just not what I was hoping for, and the leaves hadn’t started changing yet… so, I made my own perfect little spot, at one of my favorite locations.
Congrats on your little bundle of joy, you two! It’s getting close now! Thank you for allowing me to capture this special time in your life… and just letting me go with it!

]]> http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/11/fall-maternity-session-chesapeake-maternity-photographer/feed/ 0 http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/11/fall-maternity-session-chesapeake-maternity-photographer/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/valeriedemo/RUZN/~3/nNbBz7rZHC8/ http://www.valeriedemo.com/2011/11/mr-and-mrs-mcvea-hampton-wedding-photographer/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:51:40 +0000 admin http://www.valeriedemo.com/?p=2705

Megan and Tennant became Mr. and Mrs. McVea in a small ceremony on October 28th surrounded by their families… including the rest of Tennant’s family in Ireland via webcam (how amazing is that?). They are two of the most genuine people I have ever had the pleasure to photograph and I am so glad things worked out so that I still got to be there even when their original plans changed. Not only I did I get to come to the ceremony and then drag them around a small section of downtown Hampton in the rain for what may be the world’s quickest photo session (we got ALL of their portraits done in fifteen minutes with a few minutes to spare), but I also got to come back the following day and capture the beginning of their party to celebrate with friends… and even though it was SUPER cold, and drizzly both days… you would never know it (besides the grey skies) in the photos. They were both so calm and happy the entire time I was around…
Congrats to you both again… Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your big day(s)!

(P.S. If you happen to check out our new soccer team, the Norfolk SharX, this winter… you just might recognize one of their defenders. )

And now for day two…

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Catherine and Justin are one of my three May couples for next year… and it just so happens they are the ones who scooped up May 5th, 2012 (which I have received 28 different requests for). I was SO excited when Catherine mentioned the eastern shore for their engagement session and I happily met them in Cape Charles and even after a few reschedules we actually wound up with the PERFECT day. We drove all around (dog and Mom and little brother included) what may be my new favorite little town in a golf cart and found all sorts of little awesome locations… and I managed to get a ton of photos I am really happy with. (And do I need to even mention the fact that I am pretty sure all of my clients can double as professional models?)
Make sure to come back next year to check out their wedding blog post… from what I’ve heard it is going to be gorgeous!

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