To kick things off with a bang, I always greet new clients with excitement. Weddings are a really exciting time for couples and I want to contribute to the enthusiasm. After the boring contract business is done, I want to make sure the excitement builds right away. I take time to send couples an email right away. I greet them with honest excitement. After all, I really am excited to be working with them and to start a new relationship. This kind of opening helps reassure any client that they made the right decision. The news is filled with sensationalized wedding horror stories, so reassuring your clients can make a big difference.

A week later, I follow-up with step two. No, I don’t send them some FAQ document or more things “deal” with. Instead, I send them a simple gift, and the gift is something personal to me. A core component of my brand is the idea of a “gift,” so offering my clients something at the beginning really helps to under-score my brand.

If this concept sounds right for you, but you feel it might be too expensive, you’re be over-thinking it. The gift I offer is small and inexpensive. What’s important is that the gift is personal to me. So how did I arrive at this specific gift?

• I often greet clients in my home-office with fresh cookies. It’s just a great way to start a meeting!
• The sweet treats are a specific memory from my youth that I am excited to share. Hopefully, this creates a personal connection.
• Last, I want to underscore my gratitude with personalized thank you note.

In the future, I will be adding some more components that will allow the welcome gift to be personal to my clients as well. Are sweet treats not right for you? All that’s needed to come up with something unique and personal to you is a small time investment.

On a completely random note, business has been growing by leaps and bangs lately. So much so that the shipping department needed a new employee. I recently added “Hector” to the staff I expect he will improve productivity. And yes, I do name inanimate objects around the office. Weird, but that’s me.

See y'all soon,
Hunter

In the guide, I discuss a few topics critical to starting a successful wedding photography business. Key point include correcting for the inevitable mistakes, creating a cohesive brand, and building your site for solid SEO performance (that’s Google, y’all). I highly recommend getting a copy for yourself. I plan to read it cover-to-cover tonight.

But wait, there’s more! When PhotoShelter interviewed me for the guide, we talked for a solid hour. The whole process has been a pleasure. However, there were a couple tips I forgot to include during the interview. To provide additional benefit, I though I would include the additional information right here.

Are you absolutely certain?
Photography can sound like a wonderful career. People have visions of running all over the world photographing amazing clients in beautiful locations. But that’s not how it works. In reality, photography is tough. It doesn’t pay well and you have to work very long hours. Of the hours you do work, very few are actually spent capturing photographs. The balance of the time is spent running a business, caring for your clients, editing photos, and really boring stuff like….taxes!

So ask yourself this – must I become a professional photographer to be happy? If you like your job well enough and enjoy time with your family, consider remaining a very serious amateur. There is nothing wrong with being the best damn amateur photographer ever. However, if you are chasing a vision in your head that you can’t get out, then maybe it is time to become a pro. One commonality among the professionals I know is an insatiable drive to capture a certain vision again and again. It’s not something they can let go.

It’s a vision thing
Being a master at business and client relations is important, but when it comes to any creative pursuit, you need a solid vision that defines your work. Developing this vision is like developing a muscle – it needs work each and every day. Here are some initial steps I took to hone my personal vision -

• Use a tool like Google reader to build a large collection of work that speaks to you. Google reader is a great tool for curating work from other photography blogs.
• Over time, decide which of the collected works really speak to you. Eliminate all those that don’t.
• Hone the remaining list down to those that share common visual themes. What you like creatively will begin to stick out.
• With your list of “visionaries” in mind, take the style you have curated and make it your own. Add your personal touch.

The above is not something that has an ending. It’s a muscle you must constantly exercise.

It’s always personal
The saying “it’s just business” makes my skin crawl. Who could think such a thing?! Business is, and should be, very personal. Build your photography or creative business around relationships. Serve your clients well and constantly surprise them. Show them you care about more than just their work. Demonstrate that you care for them as people. As I mention in the guide, a core component to my brand is that I want my clients to feel as though they were given a gift. This is a critical part of what I do for my clients – and it’s deeply personal for me and for them.

That’s all for today. Definitely checkout the guide. Also, stop back here often. I will be adding much more content for photographers very soon. Until then, you can keep up with our current work on Facebook.

See y'all soon,
Hunter

Screen shot credit Professional Photographer Magazine, article by Allen Murabayashi

The package waiting for me at home could have been a surprise, but PhotoShelter kept me informed throughout the process. In the end, I was expecting the two glossy copies of Professional Photographer Magazine nestled inside the padded package. Nonetheless, I am thrilled to be published in this month’s issue.

Read or download the complete article

PhotoShelter had contact me to see if I use Google Analytics and SEO. After a short discussion, I was invited to participate in an article about how photographers successfully market themselves online. One short interview later and I was published. I have certainly worked very hard marketing my business online, which is like having a second job. In just a year, traffic on my site has tripled and my business has doubled.

Still though, it is not all about marketing. My two central pillars remain exceptional service and excellent photography. Marketing is just a necessary chore.

Take some time to learn more about Professional Photography Magazine, or the article’s author, Allen Murabayashi. By the way, Allen is also the head honcho over at PhotoShelter.

P.S. – Allen has the looooongest bio I have ever seen, but it is humorous at least. I dare you to read it all.

See y'all soon,
Hunter

The rock-solid principle upon which I build my business is service (and good photographs). Providing my Cleveland wedding and portrait clients with the very best service is how I exceed their needs, keep clients coming back, and ultimately ensure the success of my business. Part the formula is providing my clients with great online services, and I have my service provider to thank. Hit the jump to see how we provide wedding and portrait clients with the latest tools to help them capture and share their memories.

Nearly all of the services I provide to my clients are powered by PhotoShelter. If something is not directly powered by PhotoShelter, they had a hand in creating it. If you are one of my clients, then I am sure you are familiar the the services. If you are considering our services, keep reading for all the features we provide. For photographers, you need to know PhotoShelter.

Since the start of Hunter Photographic, PhotoShelter has been our primary service provider and I have been with PhotoShelter since their start. In a weird way, I was with PhotoShelter before “turning pro” and their service and community had a big hand in shaping what I do and how I serve my clients.

Client services

Here is a short list of the services I can provide my clients, with a little help from PhotoShelter:

• View wedding galleries right online (password protected if desired)
• Image and gallery sharing on social networks
• Clients can download full sized copies of every image
• Avoid the pestering third cousin – she can download images too!
• Order any print product you could imagine right online – from a 4×6 to a huge 24×36 gallery canvas print
• Prints delivered straight to your door, usually in less than a week
• Watch and share slide shows
• It’s scary how easy it is to contact me (scary for me at least)

As an example, have a look at the slide show below. My clients can grab a slide show of their wedding photos and share it anywhere in the world in seconds. It is really that easy.

All of these client services are enabled by my favorite service provider. Even better, I can focus on my clients and run my business with greater ease because of services provided to me as the photographer.

It’s just a little about me

OK, I will admit it. Part of the reason I love PhotoShelter is because of the services they provide to me as a business person and a photographer. Here is just a quick look at how they help me to run my business:

• Amazing photo management system that has all the bells, all the whistles, and the do-dads too!
• Direct image publishing right from Apeture or Lightroom
• Great website and blog integration
• An expanding list of SEO capabilities and help
• Complete customization of my galleries – if I can dream the look, PhotoShelter can support it
• COUPONS for my clients!!!
• Great communication tools
• Amazingly good service
• Constantly improving list of features and add-ons (did I mention COUPONS!)
• One….kick….as….BLOG!

So what does this all mean?

Well, it means to be successful you need the right partners and PhotoShelter is mine. They serve me by helping to provide my clients with great services. I can then concentrate on providing my clients with great overall service (and photographs).

If you are in the Cleveland area and need wedding or portrait photography service, contact us to see how we can serve you. If you are a photographer, have a look at how PhotoShelter can serve you.

See y'all soon,
Hunter

I have been interviewed by countless couples and families seeking a photographer for their wedding or family portraits. In general, everyone asks good questions. However, some of the most important are often left out. If the questions go unasked, I try to bring up the information anyhow.

So, let’s say you found a few photographers and you really like their style. Now its time to contact them and discuss your needs. Make sure to touch on the questions below. This will help to ensure you get a good value for your money.  A good wedding photographer or portrait photographer will be able to adeptly answer each question.

1. Do you have references we can contact?
   This question is important for any contractor you hire. If the photographer stumbles for a second, you should be concerned. The answer should always be “Yes, I can provide a list.” Any other answer should be concerning.
2. Can I see a full wedding or portrait set?
   This is important. Most people can collect a few good photos with time. However, you want someone who can reliably produce a good set just for you. We warned if they say no. If they happily provide a set, don’t expect every image to be stunning. Look for good photography throughout and a few stunning photos.
3. Are you insured?
   This may seem simple and inconsequential, but it is important. First, if something go wrong, then you know the photographer has liability insurance. More importantly, it usually means the photographer is serious about their craft and business. Amateurs and beginners are rarely insured. Take it as a sign of professionalism.
4. Can I see your gear?
   Its a fact, photographers are usually gear-heads. They’re happy to show off their equipment. What should you be looking for? Don’t focus on the brand, model, or the size of the camera. You are looking for how many cameras and lenses they have, especially if the service is for a wedding. Gear fails all the time. You want a photographer than has back-up equipment in case something breaks. After all, the photographer cannot re-shoot the wedding if gear fails. As an example, I have three cameras, 5 lenses, multiple flashes, and many studio strobes. I bring everything to any shoot just in case something fails.
5. Who does your printing?
   How the final prints are produced is just as important as style and equipment. Wal-mart, Costco, and drug stores might produce a nice print. However, no one beats a professional photography lab. For example, I use Miller’s Lab. While it is more rare, some photographers also produce their own prints. Select a photographer who uses a pro lab or produces their own prints. Once you receive the prints, you will notice a difference.
6. How do you store images?
   Like having back-up gear, how the photographer stores images is critically important. Again, and wedding cannot be shot a second time. I shoot images on small memory cards. If one card should fail, I only lose a few images. I then store copies on my computer, my back-up drive, upload them to off-site storage, and make a DVD copy. You should look for a photographer that is very serious about back-ups and data security.
7. JPEG or RAW?
   For most people, this question is meaningless. However, it is important. For most photographers, this question is a guaranteed way to start a serious argument. Many will argue that shooting in JPEG file format is no different than shooting in RAW, so they choose JPEG because the files are smaller. I am in the other camp and you should be too. To put it simply, RAW files are more flexible, allow for more creative control, and allow for more fixes. Try to find a photographer that agrees. However, this is not a deal breaker. The wonderful photographer who shot my wedding did so in JPEG and I was fine with that.
8. Do I like this person?
   Unless you want a funny look, don’t ask this question out loud. Or do, and see what happens. Really, you need to like the photographer as a person. You are going to spend a good amount of time with them. Simply, the photographer should be nice, polite and good humored. Avoid any one who seems frustrated at little things, is constantly late, or unprepared. You are hiring a professional photographer, and should expect professionalism.
9. What happens if the photographer gets ill?
   This is the only question I will raise that should be spelled out in the contract. Expect a good photographer to have a long list of other good photographers that they can call. Expect them to communicate clearly with you should an issue arise. Expect them to stand behind the substitute. I have a list and trust those on it to do the job as well as me, or better. If the substitute costs me more than I am paid, then I eat the difference. It is not your fault I got sick. Oh, you did get a copy of the contract, right?

Speaking of the contract, get a copy and read it over carefully. Look for clear language regarding everything that could go wrong. Then, examine what are the responsibilities of each party  should something go wrong. You should feel comfortable to challenge passages in the contract that you do not like or are unclear. Whatever you do, DO NOT book a service without a contract.

Aside from the “advanced questions” above and the contract, just make sure you like the services you are receiving. I let all my wedding photography clients build their own package because I don’t need to sell a particular one. We jointly find services that work for them.

I think you can see from the above, that you get what you pay for. Photography is expensive not because photographers are rich. In fact, it is really hard to make a living at photography. Good photography comes at a price due to expensive gear, insurance, assistants, labs, internet services, and so on. For example, the contents of my camera bag cost well over $12,000, and it only lasts a few years.

As always, feel free to ask me anything you like, even if you are hiring someone else in town. I am happy to help.

See y'all soon,
Hunter

This definitely falls into the business category. As many of you know, I extensively use tools provided by PhotoShelter. You could even call me an evangelist. Why, pray tell? Well, the PhotoShelter tools work well, they are very SEO friendly, and they work hard to support their user community.

Just announced, PhotoShelter now supports integrating photo galleries and images with Facebook. Users will be able to automatically post new galleries to Facebook from within PhotoShelter. For photographers who rely heavily on social media and marketing, this will be a huge help.

I do use social media for some marketing activities. I guess I have a toe in the water and keeping an eye out for sharks. I am just not sure it is worth the time yet. However, it is nice to know that the integration is there.

More here.

See y'all soon,
Hunter