DBP LOGO

My Photography Wish List 2015

My Photography Wish List 2015

Last year I posted my Christmas in July wish list and I had so much fun doing it I decided to make it an annual blog post.  I’m also a big believer in putting things out into the universe by speaking (and writing) them into existence.  Out of the 10 things I posted on my wish list for 2014, 7 of those came to pass!  I’d say a 70% success rate is pretty good.  So the odds are definitely in my favor by posting this year’s list.  I’ve added a couple of items from last year that did not come to pass in hopes that between now and 2016 I’ll have them.  Also, if you have a photographer in your life that you are looking to gift, one of these might be just what they’re looking for!

1. Vintage Camera Tote ($19): I carry around my props in a simple tote right now, but I would love to have one that is photography themed!  This one is eye-catching, not too large and perfect for the fashionable photographer.

2. Colorvale Client Workflow + Session Organizer ($25.99): It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE Colorvale fan.  Their photographer’s planner is pretty much my second Bible.  It’s with me daily and helps me to organize almost every part of my life.  This session organizer would be the perfect companion to my planner.  I need all the help I can get with keeping my sessions organized and together and I think this would do the trick.

3. Lensbaby Spark ($89): Lensbaby carries the most unique variety of lenses.  Every once in a while you have to break up the monotony and have fun with your photography.  Try something out of the box and the Spark is an inexpensive way to do that.  Although I wouldn’t use this for my professional work, it would be fun to have for personal projects and experimentation.

4. WPPI Conference 2016 (Prices Vary): I would love to attend next year’s WPPI (Wedding + Portrait Photographer) conference.  Meeting and networking with other people in the industry is always a lot of fun and to do it in such an amazing place like Vegas is the cherry on an already sweet cake!

5. Fotostrap Avocado Camera Strap ($85): I asked for this last year and still REALLY want it, lol.  With my initials on it and all.  I purchased a fun, chevron print strap last year that’s currently adorning my first camera, but now that I’ve purchased my Nikon D7100 I need a strap that’s more personalized to me and my taste.  Let’s hope that during my 2016 wish list this one is already in my possession.

6. Kinsley Chevron Futon ($139): This year I decided to revamp my office/guest bedroom.  I wanted to create a serene and bright environment that I could be happy spending time in to edit.  My journey is almost complete, with the exception of a fabulous futon.  I’ve had my eye on this Kinsley futon for a while now and by the end of this year I will have it in my home!  Stay tuned to my blog because once the office transformation is complete I’ll be sharing it with my readers.

7. Nikon 1 J5 ($496.95): I love to travel.  I love to take photos when traveling.  I hate dragging along my huge DSLR.  By having a compact, advanced camera with interchangeable lenses it will allow me to still take high quality images while on vacation without all of the extra baggage.  This is definitely something at the top of my want list!

8. Nikon 24-70mm 2.8 ($1,289.00+): There has to be an extreme item on every wish list, right?  Well, if so this would be mine.  I’m probably crazy to think I would get my hands on this in the next year, but a girl can dream.  And who knows, maybe one of these babies will land on my door step just because I’ve decided to put this out into the universe.  Like I said, a girl can dream…

9. Nikon 85mm 1.8 ($496.95): As far as lenses go this one is a little more on the affordable side.  I’m currently building up my prime collection and this would be a great addition for portraits.

10. Lightroom 6 ($146.99): I’m currently using Lightroom 4 for all of my editing and I’m due for an upgrade.  I’ve heard wonderful things about LR6 and can’t wait to see and try them out.  LR gets better and better with each upgrade and I’ve been so pleased with it so far that I’m not even thinking about purchasing Photoshop at this point anymore.

 

Senior Session Spotlight! – Lancaster High School

Senior Session Spotlight! – Lancaster High School

As I wrap up my my 7 Day Feel Good Blogging Challenge I must say that I’ve really enjoyed giving you all a sneak peek into my life and business.  This last day I am featuring one of my previous clients.  Because now is the time for seniors to begin booking their sessions before the coming school year begins, I wanted to highlight my amazing session from a couple of months ago with Ryleigh, my Senior Campaign Model for this year.  I’m still in love with this session and because now is the time for all you other rising seniors (and parents of seniors) to start booking your sessions I wanted to showcase her session once more!

The great thing about senior sessions in 2015 vs when I was in school is that you can tailor the session to be all about you!  Long gone are the days of boring backdrops and every student having a carbon copy portrait of each other.  Nothing was unique about it or made your session standout from the rest of your classmates.  Custom senior portrait sessions allow your personality to shine through by choosing the perfect location (a beautiful serene park or maybe a more downtown urban view), props you can include to make it your own (your favorite instrument or piece of sports equipment) and even incorporating your best friends into the shoot if you’d like!  Each session is unique and tailored to each individual student.

Unsure of whether or not a custom senior session is right for you?  I would love to discuss my packages with you and answer any questions or concerns you may have.  Contact me via email or telephone so that we can go over what the DBP Senior experience is all about.  I look forward to working with you!

Instagram: A Look Inside My World

Instagram: A Look Inside My World

I’m continuing my 7 Day Feel Good Blogging Challenge and I’m on to Day 6.  Day 6, can you believe it?!  Today’s prompt was to share a bit of myself with my readers and clients.  I’ve decided to do this via Instagram.  And I enjoy this so much I may do it monthly or at least quarterly.  I looked back on the month of June and it was an emotional one for sure.  So here are some of the highlights of what I deemed important (or interesting) enough to share with my IG family:

  • I welcomed the month of June.  Some months just deserve their own special entrance.  Since summer officially kicks off in June I felt it necessary that I welcome it with open and loving arms.
  • I shared a blog post all about what it’s like working with me!  I’m sure a lot of people have questions as to what a session is like with a photographer they’re considering so I took the guess work out of it for you and laid it all out.
  • I did a special #tbt (Throw Back Thursday) photo where I shared my experience interning at Essence Magazine in their fashion and beauty department.  This internship was what sparked my love of photography.  Seeing the photographers in action excited me and I’ve been in love with this ever since.
  • My best friend sent out her graduation thank you cards and used images I took from her graduation session.  Not only am I super proud of her for getting her Masters Degree, I love it when clients use their images for something other than their social media profile pictures.  Print those photos out and use them!
  • The best thing that happened to me in June was being featured in Black Southern Belle!  It was my first online feature and I was so happy and excited to be included along with other motivated, successful southern women.
  • I blogged about ways to prepare for your portrait session.  A list your sure to want to read if you’ve got a session coming up!
  • I took an impromptu trip to Myrtle Beach with my mom and niece.  We stayed overnight and enjoyed the sun, sand and waves.  Some wonderful seafood and mini golf and of course outlet shopping was thrown in as well.  Some days you just need to take off from work and have fun!
  • I made it to the front page of Google!  Yes, I’m sure that’s not a big deal for most of you, but when you own your own business and you run your own website this is a HUGE deal.  I worked hard to get to this point and even though I still have work to do, I’m happy that slowly but surely it’s paying off.
  • I binge watched Orange Is The New Black.  Yep, for about 3 days my life was consumed with the women of Litchfield Prison.  Until next year…
  • I got to meet and work with the Moses Family for their portrait session in Rock Hill, SC.  I love meeting new clients and making wonderful memories for them that I hope will last them for many years to come.
  • I spent Father’s Day with my family.  My sister and I joined my dad at the church where he teaches for morning service followed by dinner with the rest of my family at Waldhorn.  We haven’t eaten at this delicious German restaurant in a while, so it was a fun outing that everyone enjoyed.
  • I took a trip with my eGroup (Elevation Women’s Bible Study Group) to Childress Vineyards.  We had an amazing girl’s day out doing a little wine tasting, touring of the vineyard, a wonderful lunch and a mini photo shoot.  Nothing like a girl’s day out to re-energize you.
  • Pray for Charleston.  I can’t put into words, especially in this small blurb, the hurt, sadness and confusion I felt when I heard about the massacre in Charleston.  A city I love visiting.  A city not far from my own.  It’s been a few weeks since it’s happened and I still don’t have the right words for it.  But I will say this, the people of South Carolina rallied.  We came together and we LOVED.  Hate will never prevail.  It may try, but it will fail.  Light will always drive out darkness. Let us remember “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1.

 

Pinterest: Your One Stop Shop

pinterest

Pinterest: Your One Stop Shop

Some photographers LOVE Pinterest.  Some photographers HATE Pinterest.  I happen to fall in the love category.  Pinterest, in my opinion, is a wonderful source of inspiration and ideas for photographers and clients alike.  For those of you unaware of what exactly it is, here’s the rundown:  Pinterest is an online pinboard that allows you to ‘pin’ or bookmark ideas to specially created boards.  You can pin everything from home decorating ideas, to recipes (healthy or otherwise) to exercise tips and so much more.  There are so many useful tips that you can easily spend hours upon hours researching and ‘pinning’ ideas, most of which you will probably never even attempt.  But it’s fun to do anyway and who knows, that ‘Survival Guide on How To Stay Slim During The Holidays’ may actually come in handy come November.

So how does this translate to photography?  Pinterest is a great place to scout out ideas on posing, what to wear to your photo shoot or even how to hang your photos up in your home.  It can guide you from the start of your photography journey to the very end.  I love Pinterest because it allows my clients to follow me and see my latest sneak peeks as well as photos that inspire me.  Although I never want to outright copy someone else’s shoot idea, I love that Pinterest can inspire me to try out new things and give me ideas that I would have never come up with on my own.  I tell my clients all the time it’s a great source for them when looking for prop ideas that they can incorporate into their own session as well.  Now of course you can essentially do the same thing by Googling pose or wardrobe ideas, but the neat thing about Pinterest is that you can save it to your own board so that you can go back and look at what you’ve’pinned and it’s all together in one place.  Easy to find and add to.  You can then share your board of ideas with your photographer so that they know the direction you want your shoot to go in which is great!  If we can both be on the same page the results of your shoot will be that much better!  So if you’re not already signed up I encourage you to do so and make sure to follow me while you’re there!

Why Does Custom Photography Cost More?

custom photography

Why Does Custom Photography Cost More?

In yesterday’s blog post I talked about why custom photography is worth the investment and why it’s all about you, the client.  Well, a common concern that I see come up is that custom photography is expensive in comparison to a portrait studio and why should you pay more for just a few quick shots?  But that’s just it, you’re not paying for just a few quick shots.  You’re paying for an experience that is completely catered to you.  So let’s dive into exactly what it is you’re paying for…

You’re looking to have family portraits taken. You begin your online research and you notice a trend. Photographers charging prices you never imagined paying. Prices beginning at $200, $300 and sometimes much more. But why you wonder? When I can go to Sears for half that cost, or even less? Well, let me fill you in. It’s a little thing known as custom photography. It’s what I, along with many other photographers, specialize in. We’re not cookie cutter photographers. I won’t prop you up in front of a cheesy backdrop in a studio that every single other family has been propped up against. Custom photography is geared directly towards you and who you are.

Time. The time that it takes from start to finish on your session can be anywhere upwards of 5+ hours. I communicate with each and every client a minimum of 2-3 times prior to your session even taking place. If I’m going over wardrobe options with you then it can be much more than that. Your session which will typically take 1 hour and then 3-4 hours of editing time after that. After you’ve chosen your images I make sure to package it all up nice and pretty for you. This doesn’t begin to touch on the time it takes to scout the perfect locations or meeting with clients face to face. I want my clients to have a meaningful experience from start to finish. When you walk into a chain store it’s very generic. Nothing is tailored to you. You will get the exact same experience the person before you received. No extras and definitely no one going above and beyond to make sure your experience is superb.

Cost of Doing Business. I don’t want to boggle you down with details that I’m sure you don’t care about, but as a photographer that’s not a part of a huge chain store I’m responsible for purchasing my own equipment (which if you’ve ever looked into photography equipment you know adds up quickly!), props, business license, insurance, packaging, etc. All of this comes out of my pocket so I have to recoup those costs.

Expertise. I’ve taken courses (in person and online) and continue to learn to become an expert at what I do. I take the time to learn and develop my craft. I know the settings on my camera and when to use what for my lighting conditions. I study posing guides.  And most importantly during my off time I practice, practice, practice! Most generic store photographers aren’t taught the ins and outs of photography the same way a custom photographer is. They don’t take the time to develop and hone their craft.

There’s more to what goes into custom photography, but for the sake of this post being too lengthy I’ll stop there.  I hope this has given you some insight into this world of mine and shows you the true value of what you’re getting as my client.  As your photographer I’m dedicated to producing a wonderful product that I know you will cherish and appreciate for many years to come.  And if you’ve never worked with me I would love the opportunity to discuss your session with you.  Contact me so we can discuss the perfect session for you!

CATEGORIES

Based In

CHARLOTTE METRO AREA

803.526.7880

CHARLOTTE PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHY

small logo

CONNECT