Here in Minnesota, the wedding season slows down quite a bit this time of year. Why? Let’s just say I woke up to -18 F this morning and leave it at that. Now is a perfect time for those of us working in “cooler” locations to take a moment to wrap up any loose ends from 2008 and get refreshed for the 2009 wedding season. I suppose “refresh” could refer to mind and body but I’m mostly talking about your business literature and images in this case. Let’s focus on the latter for this week’s tip.
Start sifting those “Wow!” shot gems out of the hundreds, thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of images you and your staff snapped off last year. “What do I do if I have like 250 great shots picked out?” Well then I would suggest going into your closet, pull out your “World’s Most Awesome Photographer” T-shirt, put it on, pat yourself on the back and get your butt back in front of your computer ‘cause you’ve got more editing down to do! Be tough on yourself. Pick out what you think are your ten to twenty best “Wow!” shots from 2008. Much like Kevin Kubota touched on in PPS Episode #47, select the images that best represent the kind of shots you truly enjoy doing and want to do more of. Choose the images that best define you.
Now what? Put those images to work for you! Get them out there into all aspects of your advertising; website, print ads, and your studio gallery. Toss out the old, stale images and replace them with the brand new. Some of us will be appearing at wedding fairs and bridal shows the next couple months. I can think of no better time to have your best images displayed loud and proud. It’s also a great time to update one or two of your oldest display albums.
I understand that there may be some classic shots you just can’t bear to retire. That’s fine. But remember this, if you’ve still got one of your all time favorite shots from the early ‘90s on your website or up in the studio, it’s probably going to send a message to todays brides that your work is outdated. Time to let it go. Time to introduce the public to your “new” classic shot.
If you just can’t decide which are the best of the best, ask for opinions from others. Family and friends are a great place to start. Peers in the photography industry work as well. I prefer to ask people who are actually in the market I want my business to appeal to: brides and their mothers. Women in the 22-28 year old range are a perfect audience to show your work to. It seems they are either getting married or have close friends who are getting married. I’ve especially found past clients of mine to be very helpful in situations like these. It’s really simple, post your top ten images on the web and ask them to choose the three that make them say “Wow!” (Warning: If you survey a bride that happens to be in one of the images, her answers may be a little biased.)
That’s it for this week so get in there and review & revamp the images your potential clients see first. As always, please feel free to share any of your own tips relating to this topic.
Dennis
Sweet DZ thanks. So true. Fresh well shots are the bomb. I have a Lightroom catalog that for portfolio images. When I finish a shoot I copy a few favs in the portfolio before archiving it away. Then I can pick my favs when I get time and update my galleried etc.
This time of year is great too. Weddings lull, and you can take time to make your brand look great for the new year.
Gav
Hi Gavin, Great Tip. Where can someone find 1 through 8?