My blogger friend Sarah (y’all remember her from Nicely Captured!) and I decided that for our guest posts this week, we would ask each other some questions about our businesses, since we each spend so much time with photography (her) and stationery design (me!)
I learned a lot about her and think you’ll really enjoy reading her answers to our questions! Be sure to head over to her blog to read my answers to the same questions! š Drumroll please…
1. What is your favorite thing about having your own business?
Having my own business means Iām my own boss. Obviously, I love this part the most. But I love taking charge at a wedding. Getting all the shots I need and want to add to my portfolio and to make my bride and groom happy. I love the editing process, looking over all my work. Itās rewarding. Working hard and being satisfied with the end result. Thatās such a good feeling. Itās a feeling that says, āThis is truly what makes it all worthwhile.ā
2. If you can remember, what was the final straw that made you say, “Okay, I love doing this. I think Iām going to get more serious about it?ā
Well. Thatās a long story. It starts my sophomore year of high school, when I picked up my first camera. I was discussing with my parents all the art classes I could take. Photography was high on my list because of my father, who was his high schoolās yearbook and newspaper sports photographer. I have always tried my hardest to make him proud, and I thought if I could get into photography, weād have something to talk about. At least something in which we shared an interest.
Sure enough, he gave me his Canon AE-1, a manual film camera from the 80s. And then what I thought would be a simple little hobby became my obsession. I would eat, sleep, breath photography. I couldnāt stop. Itās all I could think about. Itās all I wanted to do every day. And then I got into something completely unrelated.
I started reading blogs every day. I became obsessed with the cute little sites photographers, writers, artists everywhere had on the internet. Everyone sharing stories that made me laugh or think about something profound. It started with Ree Drummond, who, as we all know, is a well-known blogger in Oklahoma. She wasnāt a photographer. She was a funny southern woman with a camera and a lot of recipes. But she taught herself well and pretty much overnight, became a sensation. After reading blogs by women like her from all over the country ā and even some throughout the world ā I wanted my own. I figured I had something to offer. I knew how to take pictures, after all. But there was a problem. I didnāt have a digital camera.
After saving up for something decently priced, I ended up with a Canon Rebel and used that for two straight years on a blog I titled My Life, On Repeat. Slowly, I became a part of a small blogging community who talked on Twitter, commented on one anotherās blogs, emailed back and forth, gave advice, helped each other out. We relied on one another and became long distance friends. I met a girl who lives in London. One in Arizona. A talented poet in Missouri. After a while, my photography got better, and I craved something bigger. My own domain, a website, a business.
And I suppose thatās where this all began. Sarah E. Nice Photography was born. Ā A website and blog were created. A fan page on Facebook came about, which I am proud to say now has just a little under 1,000 fans. I have been booking shoots and weddings and events. And even though Iām no genius when it comes to the business side of things, Iām having fun and learning every day.
3. Can you take us through a typical day that you spend devoted to photography?
Photography is one of the most difficult fields out of which to make a business. Itās seriously the hardest thing Iāve ever done. The winter is the slow season, unless youāre extremely popular and get hired nearly every weekend no matter the weather. So Iām working almost 50 hours a week at my day job (no, I havenāt made it big enough yet to quit), and going to school part time to get my business degree. Being 24 and still taking community college classes is a bummer most of the time, but I pay for school myself. I take classes when I can and I take my time. Iām in no rush, and I am not fond of the student loan idea. I make do with what Iāve got and hopefully, by the time I graduate, I can get even more serious about photography.
For now, a typical day for me devoted to photography looks a lot like this:
I drink a lot of coffee, I listen to a lot of music, and I smile. I smile a lot. Because when Iām taking your pictures or editing them later on and see these smiles shining back at me, I canāt help but do the same. I love happy moments just as much as I love capturing them for my clients. Itās what keeps me doing this every day.
4. What are some things you wish you’d known before starting your business?
Well, aināt that a loaded question.
I wish Iād known how to say no to someone who wants a free photo shoot. Thereās a good one. When I was starting out, that was fine. I didnāt mind. I needed more material, so most of the time, I was the one to initiate the shoots. But when word got out that there was āa girl in Williamsburg who was just starting out,ā more people were asking, expecting either a free shoot, or a really cheap one. As if I donāt actually physically work when Iām snapping a billion photos of your face. As if Iām not worth what I charge. First of all, I despise that. Never email a photographer and say āI heard youāre just starting out and have decently priced sessions.ā Never ever ever ever ever EVER do that. Itās not only insulting, butā¦ Okay, itās pretty insulting and thatās about it. Donāt do it.
Another thing is this: I wish Iād never been so open and trusting in the beginning. People take advantage of people who appear to not know what theyāre doing. My first gig was terrible. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off with a 16gb memory card (first mistake) and showing my clients every āsweet shotā I took. No. No no no. Can you guess why? Oh, just because they ended up wanting every last one of them. Even if some of them turned out blurry. They wanted them all. It resulted in me spending almost three months editing and giving them three discs altogether. Present Sarah is mentally slapping past Sarah in the face right now.
There are so many other things I wish Iād known then. Like deposits, meetings, portfolios, etc. Too much to get into. But the point is, I learned on my own from all my mistakes. Photographers who told me not to make them in the first place didnāt stand a chance next to my stubbornness. But I became a better photographer and businesswoman because of it. I learned how to say no. How to be stern, yet calm and collected. And that is so important.
5. What is your least favorite part of running a business?
A little bit of everything listed above and then some. I donāt like dealing with the important stuff. Like taxes and receipts and documents and blah blah blah. Iām still learning, but everyone gets tired of that stuff. I know Iām not the only one. When I make enough money doing this, Iāll eventually hire someone to do it for me, but until then, Iām the only one who can deal with it, so I do.
6. Where do you hope to take your business in the next five years?
I donāt know where Iāll physically be in five years. But I know my love for photography will never change. 2012 was full of milestones for me, and 2013 is looking even better with a couple weddings, engagement and maternity shoots scheduled. I know it can only get better. Iām just letting it all happen the way itās meant to. I know God will take me where Iām meant to go.
Thanks Sarah!! Y’all be sure to keep up with her via her blog, Nicely Captured, and her Facebook page!
THE HIVE | The Lovely Bee 