Engagement shoot!

Jasmine and I rescheduled this shoot three times because of all the rain. I'm so glad we were finally able to get out to one of my favorite locations -- Meridian Hill Park in DC. I can't wait to be a part of their wedding in September!

 

New Videography Teaser!

It's officially wedding season and I am a combination of excited and overwhelmed -- I have 8 weddings just in May. It's not only the weddings that are tiring but the weeks of editing afterwards. But unlike the majority of videographers I enjoy editing, even more than the filming. Here is a preview of Wedding #1 from last weekend. The venue is Old House Vineyards in Culpeper, VA. Absolutely stunning. 

So how do you stay sane in such busy times? Weddings aren't even my main job! I still work 5 days a week shooting real-estate, and then spend Saturdays and Sundays at weddings. My boyfriend currently hates me for never being home. So to stay sane I always have a treat to look forward to. Something I refuse to buy on most days -- Starbucks! So find your treat. It really helps.

Prettier than You..

..is the name of the talented comedy troupe that I had the pleasure of photographing in DC last week. March weather can be iffy. Scratch that. Virginia weather can be iffy all the time. It was an overcast day but unknown to some, overcast lighting is preferred! As long as the rain holds off. Clouds evenly spread sunlight onto subjects in a flattering way, and there are no harsh shadows or squinty eyes from the sun.

As you can imagine, working with an improv comedy troupe was a hoot. I had no trouble getting them to laugh or smile because one of them was always cracking a joke.

Working with Newborns..

..IS REALLY DIFFICULT. But all that crying and stress is worth it for those few perfect photos when they are sound asleep. Welcome to the world, beautiful Riley Jo!


Staying "True" to Your Subject

Last weekend I had the pleasure of doing a corporate photography shoot with Mitch Dowell, founder and creative director of Branding Experiences. This shoot was already rescheduled due to Snowzilla. One week later, despite all the warm weather, snow was still an obstacle. We still had a great time creatively working around it, and exploring one of Dulles' enormous business parks. It had a lot of great scenery to offer.

A vital aspect of head shots is making sure you capture who the person truly is. You want them to be themselves - from how they dress, to how they stand, to what their facial expression is. I've met so many professionals who I didn't even recognize from their head shot because their photo was so ingenuine, so forced, and so unlike themselves. I think with this shoot we really conveyed Mitch's true, edgy personality.



Winter Blues

How is everyone's new year going so far? I know many of us in the DC area have cabin fever. Running a business can be difficult in an industry that somewhat relies on the seasons..not many people are selling their home right now, getting married, or wanting to do outdoor portraits. I know this is the case for other industries as well. It can be discouraging. But now is a great opportunity to focus internally and reevaluate your business strategy, determine what's working and what's not, and make necessary changes.

Although people might not be wanting photography right at this moment, many clients are scheduling now. So marketing right now is as important as when spring rolls around.

So what business-growing methods have worked during these slow times?

#1: My Passion Planner

It was a gift for Christmas. It actually makes me excited to do work. It's not too late to start your year with one! Ever since using it I've accomplished so much more than without a planner-- from personal to professional goals.

#2: The Knot

I was skeptical when a friend suggested I advertise here. What's wrong with my carefully planned google ads that I'm paying top dollar for? If you want to advertise on The Knot it's about $100/month. I didn't want to do that on top of google ads. So I did a free listing with them instead. Meaning I'm allowed zero description, zero photos, nothing. Just my business name and a link to my website. Being a free listing, I was put pages behind the big advertisers. I counted 75 wedding photography/videography listings ahead of me in the Fairfax area!! I was certain this would be a bust.

Two weeks since the listing and I have 4 weddings booked for the year (and it's only January!). And not a dime spent. My trusty planner has kept all this contract-writing and meetings with couples on track.

I recommend all sorts of people try listing with The Knot, not just photographers: DJ's, jewelers, stylists, florists, etc.

Pulling Off a Surprise Proposal

This might have been the scariest shoot I've done. If Patrick (the groom) and I didn't plan the logistics well, his proposal might not have been a surprise, or I could've missed it altogether if I wasn't paying close attention. Or if bride-to-be Chelsea caught sight of me taking photos of her and Patrick, she would definitely get suspicious. So I had to bring my high tech long-zoom lens and keep my distance. I felt like a spy.

In order to make sure everything went smoothly, Patrick and I met at the Jefferson Memorial a couple hours beforehand to discuss how to go about everything. The trickiest part was scouting out a secluded enough area to propose (he didn't want to make a huge scene)..on a weekend, at noon, at one of DC's most popular monuments. Luckily the backside of the monument was not only more quiet, but had way better lighting for a photo shoot.

Jump to a couple hours later and Patrick sends me the text I've been waiting for: "Just parked. I'm wearing a blue shirt and she's wearing a tan coat". From what felt like a football field away I spotted them in the crowd of people walking up to visit the monument. I had to make sure to keep my eyes on them the entire time until they got to our spot at the back side of the monument. As they passed me I put on my best acting face and pretended to be a tourist just walking around. I then continued to follow them and yes, stalk them, taking pictures as I went. It was thrilling.

When Patrick got on one knee everything felt silent and slow-motion to me..nothing else mattered in the world than capturing this brief, perfect moment. The conditions couldn't have been better -- the lighting, no one walking into the picture, and her saying yes, of course. Such a happy day.



How to Grow your Business through Instagram

Instagram is important for all types of businesses, not just photography. It might not be my main means for finding clients, but it sure boosts credibility. If I searched for a certain company's instagram account to find they only had a couple dozen followers, it might turn me away. There is no excuse for lack of followers or lack of an account with these simple steps:

  1. Vulnerability. Keep you account public. Having to request to follow someone is one more step in someone's busy day. 
  2. Post regularly. Set a reminder on your phone or in your planner to post once a day or several times a week.
  3. #Hashtags. The more hashtags you use, the more users will see your photo, like it, click on your profile, and follow you. I strive to add about 5-10 hashtags per post.
  4. Have a theme. And stick to it. Keep that theme consistent with your brand. No one wants to see a random cluster of food photos, selfies, sunsets, and cats. I save that for my personal account ;)
  5. FOLLOW. This is the most effective step. Follow as many users as you can. Like and comment on photos that interest you. You are guaranteed to get courtesy follow-backs from this tactic. If said account doesn't follow you back within a couple days, you can always unfollow them. I like to search hashtags related to my industry (#photographer, #naturephotographer #canon6D, etc), and then follow those users who's interests and businesses are similar to mine. 

These steps have me growing at a rate of 150 followers/month. If you stay consistent that could mean 1,800/year! You might not get tons of clients compared to other outlets, but growing all of your social media accounts is an important way for your brand to look up-to-speed.

Nick & Carly's Engagement

This was one of the most exciting events I've been a part of, and I didn't even know the people! Carly and Nick's Thanksgiving-eve engagement was planned and executed so well. Not only was the proposal a surprise to Carly, but her entire family, from all corners of the country, were there to surprise her as well.

Nick and Carly's families anticipated their arrival for hours. They kept busy with plenty of food, wine, and music. Once Nick and Carly arrived from the airport to his beautiful set-up outside, everyone knew they had about 15 minutes to be silent inside the house.

The dogs kept watch and finally alerted everyone that Nick and Carly were on their way inside, and they looked happy. 

The expression on Carly's face was unbeatable. Her only wish for her engagement was that her family be there, and there they were. She burst into tears. The rest of the night was filed with toasts, hugs, and laughter.


Working from Home

More and more people are working from home. There are so many great things about it - convenience, flexibility, and pajamas. But working from home has downsides - loneliness, boredom, and trying to create a work environment. With Netflix, snacks, needy cats, snacks, and sometimes gorgeous weather outside, its easy to get distracted. One way to keep you focused is a standing desk. It keeps you awake, productive, and most importantly you are helping your body. Just using it a couple hours a day can make a big difference. Standing desks are very expensive, but I built mine for $10. Stay tuned for the easiest DIY instructions you've ever read. Hint: it only involves three things.

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The Power of the First-Look

Nothing can replace a groom seeing his beautiful bride for the first time walking down the aisle, right? Seeing her before would spoil it! But how great of a picture can you get of the groom's reaction, or the bride's, during the ceremony? If there's only one photographer, who do they choose? And even if they get both reactions, the subjects are in separate pictures. It's difficult to capture the connection if the reactions are in two pictures. I've witnessed first-looks several times over the past year and the footage I got, whether photo or video, was unbeatable. 


Experimentation

Mary is the owner of beauty product company, Herban Lifestyle. Her business practices are admirable: everything is natural, organic, fair trade, and sustainable..and my God does it all smell good. I've done two photo sessions at Mary's house. Who knew that photography could be such a relaxing, calm experience? We took our time on her porch brainstorming creative ways to display her products. Sometimes things turned out great, other times they didn't. But without experimentation I wouldn't have produced some of my favorite photos. Mary's products - from the basics (salts, scrubs, soaps) to the experimental (make your own infused liquor kit!) make for some amazing gifts.

Bling

Ha Nguyen has some kick ass jewelry. She hand-makes all of it..something I can't wrap my head around. Check out her unique, yoga-inspired creations here.

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Disaster Photos

My boyfriend's twin sisters are beautiful. So naturally they have perfect babies. Photographing babies, perfect or not, is tough. You might not realize until after, but sometimes the disaster pictures become the most treasured.

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Yoga Dance

Hannah teaches Yoga Dance, something I'd never heard of to be honest. When taking her head shots I first had her in a traditional sitting pose, looking at the camera. I then realized that did not show who Hannah was or what she did. So I suggested we just go outside and dance. The results were much better.