I close my eyes and I can’t believe how far I’ve come since this day one year ago. Did I even have a business back then?! Yes, I guess I did. I shot a few family sessions, a couple of events, but nothing too crazy and definitely not anything that paid what I believed my work was worth. One of the hardest things about getting your photography business on its feet is pricing! I remember calling multiple people, friends and photographers alike, panicking with questions like “But what do I CHARGE?!” and “What if they don’t like their pictures?!” and even “Maybe I should just do it for free!!” These are things I’m sure many photographers who are just starting out say to their friends, families, etc. The hardest part is that not a lot of people have the answers. Especially for someone like me. I had NO ONE to help me get started! A lot of what I learned was just through testing out a bunch of different settings on my camera. My sisters were usually sick of posing for me, so I would have my youngest sibling take pictures of me after I’d programmed some settings into my camera to see how I felt about them. Kind of like the two pictures below (which were taken last week, by my sister).
After I’d learned what each button and function did, and which mode I liked shooting in best (I spent SO much time in Aperture Priority mode before shooting manual!), I felt much more comfortable in a variety of lighting and setting situations. I was shocked (and SO excited) the first time someone offered to pay for my pictures. A lot of my experiences involved just diving in, crossing my fingers that I would create an image that someone would love. Thankfully, it happened. But I’m even more thankful that I no longer have to close my eyes and hope to God that things just so happen to turn out right. I’ve gotten to the point where I know that I can produce multiple images that my clients are going to love at each and every session & event. I’ve learned a lot about post-processing, and I’m finally at the point where I know how to make my pictures look perfect for web, album, and print formats. I’m feeling good about where I am right now. But not good enough.
I have SO many dreams for 2013. I want to shoot more weddings. I want to book more seniors. I want to have cute engagement sessions and take adorable pictures of newborn babies. These are all things I got to do in 2012, but I want even more. It keeps me up at night thinking about how I can make this happen, what I’m doing wrong, where I should go next. There is one particular way that I think will really help my business grow. And that is the art of rebranding.
I’ve been brainstorming and playing around in Photoshop. And that’s always a good idea for any type of artist. These are a few of my new logo design ideas…
My personality, my style, my talent… I want all of these to shine through EVERY bit of my online presence as well as my images. The best way to do this is to re-evaluate everything and make sure that a little bit of me is shining through it all.
I like these logos because I see myself in them. I want my clients to see me in them. Because when it comes down to it, I’m not only selling pictures. I’m selling an experience. And having a photographer you feel like you know and love is a HUGE part of your photography experience… whether it’s a senior session, a newborn shoot, or a wedding. As my client, I want you to feel that what I am offering you is a unique experience that you can’t have with anyone else. So through rebranding my business into something that reflects me and my unique style, I can feel happier that I’m getting closer to my clients and, hopefully, making their experience with my photography business the best it’s ever been.
So how am I beginning this rebranding process? And what can my clients expect regarding my new look? See below…
I love vintage. I love antique. I love pastels. I love soft, muted tones. I love cute & quaint, and I love that DIY look. I’ve been saving images that remind me of these things so that I can have a profile of what I love in one place. To me, these things above scream MEGAN. And if others wouldn’t agree with me, that probably means I’m not doing a good job at projecting my style through what I do. So through making my personality a part of my art through things like renaming my business and taking my pictures from a more unique perspective, I can offer something that no one else in the world can. I can offer MEGAN KELSEY. My hopes, my dreams, what I think is beautiful. I can offer something UNIQUE. And that is definitely something I want to do in 2013!
Having a photography business is an amazing opportunity to let your originality shine through. I hope you will agree with me. Nevertheless, the most important thing in 2013 is making sure my clients are loving their images more, having more fun, and feeling more beautiful than ever. As long as that happens, I don’t care WHAT my business name is! This is just a way for me to feel like I’m connecting more with my clients… and everyone in my life that cares about my photography. As always, thank you so much for your support throughout 2012, and I hope to see even more of you in the upcoming year.
Xoxo,
Megan Kelsey
