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Saturday, December 5, 2009

FAQ: Having Fun, Posing Clients, and Vendors

When I was a child, I always asked "why?". I always needed to know WHY things were the way they were. My mom would ask me to do something and I would respond with "why". She would answer, and again, I would have a "why" question. We would go back and forth like this until she would finally exclaim "Because I'm the mom! That's WHY!". Yes, my mother resorted to the one argument that no child could return with a "why".

Today I am answering some questions because... well, I like to... that's WHY! :) But seriously, I am not an expert at all. I am simply answering according to my experience and what has worked for me. That's all I have to go on. Hopefully for some of you these things will help, or give you ideas of your own!

How do I get over being so nervous!? I am shooting my first wedding this weekend and am so nervous.
If you figure out the answer to this questions, PLEASE let me know! Seriously. I am ALWAYS nervous before a shoot. If you follow me on twitter, you may have read tweets that talk about how nervous I get before shooting. Sometimes I think I am more nervous than the bride. I don't know if there is a cure for nervousness... I will tell you this... the more I shoot, the less time the nervousness lasts. Now when I start shooting it usually goes away. Okay, I admit it, sometimes I dance it out. But whatever. If someone has a better answer, please fill me in :)

How do you get out there and have fun while shooting?
The best answer I have to this is that I absolutely LOVE what I am doing. I think that when you're a photographer because it's what you love rather than just trying to find something to pay the bills, you're going to have fun (and maybe manage to pay the bills too :)). So how do you go out and have fun? Just HAVE FUN! If you're having fun, your clients will too, which will result in you having even MORE fun!

How do you pose the clients? Whether a child or a couple or a wedding party, do you get up beside them and show them how to pose?
I have no space bubble. Seriously, it's a problem. I am a hands on person. I don't do well sitting back and watching... I want to be in the middle of the action. So yes, I get all up in their space and show them how it's done :) But seriously, I can explain until the cows come home, but it just doesn't work as well for me. I have a tendancy to SHOW my clients what I want them to do. It just seems to work better.

I was wondering how you got ready for the shoot as in, do you put your ideas and poses on paper or are they in your head?
The simple answer is Both. I have a notebook that I keep ideas in. When I see something in a magazine or on the internet that I like, I cut it out (or print it out) and put it in the notebook. I carry the notebook in my shootsac in case I get stuck at a shoot. But I also spend a lot of time thinking ahead of time about the shoot. By the time I've actually made it to the shoot, I have an idea of what it's going to look like. I usually have seen to location (even if I just show up early), I have talked to my clients about what they're wearing and what kinds of props they're bringing (or what the wedding is going to look like) and I have ideas in my head. I also encourage my clients to come with ideas and again, just to have fun. This really helps me not get stumped when I'm shooting.

Who are some of your favorite vendors? For weddings, or otherwise, who do you love working with (or wish you could work with)?
Oh the list. I have been fortunate to work with some amazing vendors, and there are some that I look forward to working with in the future :)
Here are my go to vendors, and the people that I will quickly recommend:
Who did your website? And blog?
Oh internet. How I love you and loathe you all at the same time. I have spent countless hours trying to figure out ways to do my own website and blog. I've made some attempts that were okay... but the thing that single handedly changed my business is when I decided to use Show It. You can read a little more about my website journey and my desicion to use this AMAZING company in this blog. It is quite possibly the smartest investment I've made in my photography business. As for my blog... I wanted something that looked great, but didn't break the bank. After looking around, I found Designed by Leslie and she was INCREDIBLE to work with. She did exactly what I asked for and was even able to tweak things to my liking. And she did it all for a fraction of the price that I would have spent for someone else to do it. I have been very pleased with her work.

I hope that some of these answers can help someone out there! Again, I'm soooo far from knowing it all, but I have had some experiences that can maybe benifit some of you! :)
Happy Saturday!

7 comments:

. s h e r r y * said...

Thanks for sharing! I love FAQ posts :)

Brian said...

Nice use of a blog to build you brand and help support your trusted vendor partners.

Carter & Cook Event Co. said...

Thank you Diandra. You are so sweet and we think the same of you! If only we could team up on one...Let's hear it for 2010!!!! :) Keep up the fantastic work - you continue to amaze us!

Scarlett Lillian // Jacksonville Senior Photographer said...

LOL I was SUCH a "why?" kid too! :-)

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for the FAQ. The notebook with ideas is great!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for the FAQ. The notebook with ideas is great!

Anonymous said...

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