What made you get into photography?

Wondering how to start photography? Here’s what happened to me. My my career goal had always been to be a teacher and work with little ones, which I happily did for many years! So how did I end up being a teacher turned photographer? Well, once Covid hit and I got married and relocated to Nashville TN, I had some time on my hands to reevaluate if I still wanted to be in the classroom. Once I realized I was pregnant and was basically stuck in bed for months, I really had some spare time! I had a choice – soak it all up and binge Netflix all day OR spend all that time learning a new skill. That’s when I decided I would learn how to start photography.

So I decided to spend all of that time productively. Learning a new skill that I was always interested in anyway – photography.

For months, I poured myself into courses learning everything I could about cameras, shooting, lighting, editing, marketing, etc. Turns out there’s a lot more to photography than meets the eye! Just learning it all was a full time job. Amy & Jordan’s shooting and editing course was a lifesaver for me. As former teachers themselves, they were super relatable!

Then it was time to practice, practice, practice. I gave away free sessions, practiced in the backyard, practiced on my cat, practiced like crazy.

It also helped to look up to people who were a few steps ahead of me in the game. I made systems and workflows before I even had clients! I was setting up all of the behind the scenes work before God had even sent me people. Kind of like Noah building the ark before the rain. 🙂

All of this helped, and now with a new baby coming, I’m glad that I invested all of my time wisely instead of letting it slip away!

What advice would you have for starting out?

Learn as much as you can beforehand. Get a feel for what you’d be getting into! Photography is a whole lot more than “just taking nice photos”. There’s marketing, editing, social media, client management and more things to be aware of, so just be aware and look into it first! Not to mention starting expenses!

Dive into figuring out how to shoot manual, learn about lighting and editing. Learn about workflows!

Why are workflows important?

If you’re single, have all the time in the world on your hands, and you don’t mind spending it all in front of the computer, you may not need workflows. However, if you occasionally like to leave the house, see people and have a life, you’re going to need workflows! These help you to automate parts of your business that can be automated.

With a new baby coming, I understand how crucial this would be. One of the main values that photography gives me is the opportunity to spend more time with my family and at home with my baby. Therefore, I try to automate when I can, using platforms like Flodesk, Dubsado, Showit and Planoly.

Looking for Q + A about photo sessions? Check out some answers to common questions here: Session FAQs

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