Self Promotion + Styled Shoots

For the last few months, I’ve realized that I really need to get the word out there about me. About my photography business.   How am I supposed to get paying clients.. if people don’t even know I exist?

I love the photography side of this business.. but if there’s anything I’ve learned watching my entrepreneur boyfriend of 6 years.. being a business owner is no fun. There’s the banking, the taxes, the organizing. the filing.. the general upkeep of finances. There are Budgets, and Business Plans, and meetings with Accountants, and the list goes on and on.

Either way.. if I could just photograph, and let the rest fall away and still somehow have a successful business.. That would be just my cup of tea.  :)    Sadly.. I first need paying clients to know I exist.. which get’s me back to the original point of this post. Advertising!

I could take out an ad in a magazine.. which costs zillions of dollars and probably won’t get me very far. I could post an ad in the local classifieds.. but I don’t know the first thing about them or go about getting one, plus it’s not really what I was going for with this idea.  Or there are always Facebook ads, which would still cost money that I don’t have.

So.. after much thought and pondering. I decided to do what I like…. TAKE PHOTOS! I planned a styled photo shoot, which I plan on submitting to numerous online blogs, and hopefully one of them will publish my shoot.

Online wedding blogs are huge! Brides are going to wedding blogs almost 70% of the time now for inspiration for their weddings. Blogs  like GreyLikesWeddings or StyleMePretty need new and fresh ideas to publish in order to cater to these brides. Which is where photographers come in  :)

If I could get published on one of these blogs.. all of those potential clients.. would see my work! And hopefully visit my site.  The relationship between wedding blogs and photographers is mutually beneficial. Bloggers need new material, and photographers get free advertising.

Free advertising is my kind of advertising!! :)

I decided to do a Winter Wonderland theme.. but I want something a little darker.. a bit edgy. I rented some furniture from a local vintage shop, and had friends help me with the setup. We shot on a freezing cold day in january, and I have to give HUGE props to Amy, my model, for not complaining once.  ( it was COLD!!! )

So far.. I’ve submitted to two blogs, and both have turned me down, but, who says things happen right away. Trial and error right? I’m going to keep submitting it to other blogs and see what happens, but even if I don’t end up getting this session published.. it will have been worth it. I learned soo much, gained about 20 new fans on my facebook page (Amy is a popular girl hehe). And generally.. for my first run at this, I’m pretty proud of my self.

And because posts without pictures are so boring.. here’s a sneak peak: