Working From Home and "Being Home"

So, evidently, today is take your child to work day. Neither my husband or I realized this until the late afternoon. I joked with him about how slighted our three year old felt that he didn't get to tag along with Dad, and my husband replied that I should take him to work with me. Here Brody! Let's go to Mommy's work. Let's walk into the living room. Ta-da! We're here! Isn't it magical?

That's the reality of working from home. The lines are a little blurred between where home ends and work begins. My computer - which is where I spend 70% of my job - is right next to the family room. It's also the family computer and is usually surrounded by cups, dried bowls of oatmeal from my daughter's breakfast (...the previous morning) and crumbs covering my chair from a toddler who never seems to fill up on popcorn. 

Chance Hammock

I'll admit that mommy guilt and a lack of boundaries is one of the few draw backs towards working from home. When you make your own schedule, it's easy to throw any sort of time organization out the window when your office never truly closes. There's no lights off, door closing and clocking out like a 9-5 where you can physically leave the office and your to-do list behind. When you never shut off work, literally or figuratively, it's easy to feel obligated to answer an email or devote "home" time to clients. I can't tell you how many moms struggle to find a balance between being home and running an at-home business. The questions are always, "How do you do it? How do you find balance?" 

Over the years, it's become easier for me to draw the lines and create work hours in my home office using the thoughts below. 

Having Devoted Office Hours

During the day, I will only occasionally answer an email or put together a quick social media post. My office hours are in the evening, after my kids are in bed. Sometimes that means late nights, but the trade off is I am not obligated to clock in at any time (early in the morning) and there's no commute to and from work. I find I am much more productive when I can sit down and continuously answer emails, post blogs and edit than trying to sneak a minute here or a half hour there during the day. My kids notice when they're being ignored so "mommy can answer this message" and it's important for me to be present when it's their time.

Valuing My Work Time

Friends and family don't always understand what it is like running a business. When you are your own boss, there's no one to pass the blame to when you need to stay in and work. Friends may roll their eyes when you decline an invitation somewhere, because you're the boss. Surely you can't be THAT busy. You should never feel guilty or like you need to blow off work just because you can. I value my work and the time that is needed to devote to it. It's a real job and a real business. No one will take you seriously if you don't. 

Having Devoted Nights Off

There's a difference between blowing off work and making time for yourself. When you make your own hours and schedule, it's important to include days off. Unfortunately in this kind of work-from-home environment, clients don't always understand that. It's easy to think - "Why is she at the movies? My gallery still hasn't been delivered!" Just because one has the ability to work 80 hours a week, doesn't mean they should. Taking nights off to empty out my DVR or wander aimlessly at Ikea looking at ALL THE THINGS actually helps me deliver images faster. Breaking up the monotony of editing makes the work more enjoyable and makes me feel less chained to my desk. 

Managing Client Expectations

Making your own hours, designing your own policies and procedures, building up the frame work of how you want to run your business - this is both a blessing and a curse to being your own boss and often times a one-person show. There's no template for how many sessions to take on each month, how many files you will deliver, and most importantly how quickly you will deliver those images. 

The motto for any good business is "under promise and over deliver". At the end of every session or event, I set client expectations. I deliver portrait galleries in 2-3 weeks. Could I deliver them in 48 hours like another photographer does? Sure. I'd just never have any time to myself, be chained to a computer, begging my kids to leave me alone and ultimately setting myself up for failure. I am a better mom, better wife and better business woman because I don't turn around your images in record time. 

Chance Hammock

Working from home has it's draw backs, but ultimately I could not ask for a better way to be present in my kid's day to day lives than what my business has blessed me with. I volunteer at my daughter's school as often as I can. My son and I get pizza at Costco for lunch (we literally cannot leave until pizza is paid for and in hand...). While it may not always be easy to be an awesome boss lady and a rock star mom, it's certainly worth reaching for day after day! 

"You've Got Mail"

If you find yourself lonely on a Saturday evening, browsing my website for fun, you'll notice something missing: my phone number. When it comes to fielding inquiries or messages from potential and current clients, I prefer and work almost exclusively through email. I know what some of you are thinking. "The technology age. No one wants to communicate on the phone anymore! What's happened to the world?!" Well, that's not entirely true, but it's not not true either.

I am a home based business. 

I work exclusively from home when I'm not on-location shooting. You know who also lives at home? My 5 year old and my almost 3 year old. The greatest reason I don't list my phone number as a method of contact is because of those two sweet, sweet kiddos. They know not volume control and they know that if mommy has locked herself in her bathroom on her cell phone to talk to a client, it's time to pound on the door and scream "MOMMA!" until I come out.

When I am communicating with a client, I want to be able to give them my attention, 100%. That's just not possible as I'm first and foremost a stay at home mom. My schedule is constantly changing which makes "office hours" impossible.

I am a visual person. 

When I first bought my Expodisc, it came with handy instructions about how to use it. I wanted to know how to use it with my camera specifically, so I checked YouTube and found a video that walked me through the process, step by step.

I find that I have always been a visual person and I like to see things laid out for comparison and to refer back to. I am a lover of charts, graphs, and pamphlets, oh my!

Handling inquiries over the phone involves a lot of numbers. The session fee, how many digital are included, your digital options after a session, the print sizes available, the cost of prints, the length of the session, etc. In my opinion, it's too much information to share over the phone. When I sign a contract with a client, I want them to be aware of all the costs involved and the options available to them. I'm not doing my job, in my opinion, if a client is asking me about costs and the package structure after the session has already taken place.

By sending all of my pricing and session information via email, clients can see everything laid out in print. This ensures they know all the costs involved in working together, can share it with spouses, partners, family and friends and make an informed decision.

I like security.

As I book two to three months in advance, I am working with a lot of clients at any given time. I'm not bragging - if I were bragging, I wouldn't be admitting that it can be difficult to keep everyone straight. With these clients, we're choosing locations, setting start times, talking about their family's needs and putting finishing touches on their session. With the electronic paper trail of email, I'm able to refer back to a conversation at any time. Even though we may have discussed something 3 weeks ago, I can revisit the conversation and have a fresh recollection of our ideas.

Everything being documented protects both myself and my client. "Did I say 5pm and she thought 6pm? Let's go back and take a look." Even if I do by chance field a phone call or text from a client, I'll shoot them an email confirming what we discussed on the phone so we can both have record of it and be on the same page. Through the wonder of email I am able to input my client's email and see every conversation we've had. Not possible over the phone.

Isn't it hard to develop a rapport with someone over email? It's so impersonal. 

If there's a negative to an email only business model, this would be it. A lot of clients understandably want to talk to their photographer (or any business for that matter) before they invest in a session. I know that my personality and making clients comfortable is one of my greatest qualities and advantages in my business.

I try very hard to be personable in my emails. I probably (ok, I know) use an excessive amount of exclamation points in my inquiry responses. I try to let my personality come through, be inviting and feel like we're engaged in a conversation rather than a business deal. Yes, I want to be professional but I also don't want my responses to feel like carbon copies I send off to everyone. I am building a rapport with a client the minute I receive that initial email.

If a client would feel more comfortable talking over the phone to have that connection, a "blind date" or interview with me, I am more than happy to schedule a time to do so. Understandably, when this happens, it's typically a bride and groom shopping around for their perfect wedding photographer. A photographer with a bad personality - or simply one that just doesn't mesh, good or bad - can really ruin a wedding experience.

So, do I ever give out my phone number?

Yes. Absolutely. When I work with each client, I send a confirmation email a week to a few days before our session will take place. In this email, I include my cell phone number. Living and working in the DC area, I know just how unpredictable traffic can be. I know a GPS is not always reliable. I know how much work it is to prepare for a session, so if a client needs to get ahold of me ASAP on the day of a session I want them to be able to do so.


To review, it's not that I am anti-social. It's not that I don't have people skills and hide behind a keyboard. The honest truth is that I want to give the best to my clients and for the reasons above, I choose email!

Behind the Scenes - 2013 Edition

Well, 2013 has come to a close. I spent my New Years at home with sick kids and starting to feel a little sickness coming on myself. I guess I'm getting old... I also have taken the past few days to reflect back on 2013 from a business stand point. As I said in my previous post, professionally, I met all of my goals and then some. I couldn't have asked for more this year without just plain being greedy. I'm so grateful that as I've grown professionally so many of you have stuck with me and continued to trust me over and over again with your memories. I'm repaying that trust by welcoming you to a behind the scenes look at Kelli Brewer Photography, and to share with you some of my experiences over the past year. More specifically, a look at one of the two weddings I shot this year.



As a budding photographer, these kinds of posts were my favorite - seeing a photographer in action and learning from them, whether it was positive or negative. As a client or reader, I hope you find the inside scoop behind what I do at least informative if not fascinating. Every photographer is a bit different, but this is how I run things behind the show.

Before we delve too far into this post, I have to thank Chance Hammock for all the awesome photos of me in action.

As my second shooter, I rely on Chance a lot. He's the "safety net" for me in many ways: If I get ill, or another 'act of God' prevents me from being where I need to be, he provides extra equipment and assistance with my own equipment, he helps me split up shots to cut down on shooting time, we bounce ideas off each other and quite frankly, it just wouldn't be as fun without him. Just imagine being a guest at a wedding where all you know is the bride and groom, and you're in a room full of strangers all night. I can mingle with the best of them, but it's so nice to have a buddy to share the job with.

Chance saved me in more than one regard at Katie and Ryan's wedding. Yes, photographers make mistakes (at least this one does) and gear fails. Just as we were about to get things underway I was double checking my equipment, primarily my flash. Suddenly, it wasn't turning on. I cursed my husband under my breath for probably giving me faulty batteries after a long debate of using rechargeable ones vs. buying tried and true new ones at the store. I tried another set from Chance and still, nothing. We really didn't have a lot of time and I was weighing my options when Chance pulls a second flash out of his bag. I ended up shooting with it all night. He saved my butt big time.

Also - batteries can corrode inside a flash unit, just an FYI.

I was at the front of the chapel capturing the big "Mr. and Mrs. Gorman!" moment when I realized the ceremony was over.

By the time I got to the back of the chapel, this is where the bride and groom were. See Chance? Yeah, he caught that awesome shot on the right. Giving the bride and groom two angles of the same moment.

A lot of bride and grooms don't realize just how special it is to have two photographers at your wedding. I've said it before: I can't be in two places at once. Especially in large locations, I can't literally be running from one end of the chapel to the other (though I have given some mall speed walkers a run for their money). Chance and I seem to just know where to be. We have a "game plan" before we begin, but we seemingly end up at opposite points of the room, capturing the moments from different angles. It's because of this we're able to see things happening the other can't and we don't miss out on so much happening around us. 

I was never here. You saw nothing.

When I'm shooting the ceremony of the wedding, I only get one opportunity to capture it all. It's really hard to know how long the ceremony will be - if it's only 5 minutes and I've taken my time, I might only end up with 10 usable shots. Better to go crazy with the shutter than say "thanks for paying me your life savings, here are your 10 photos"!

Because I'm having to move so fast, I can be all over the place during a ceremony. However, the trick is to be quiet (I wear shoes with rubber soles), get low (my thighs usually hurt come the next day - photography is a great workout) and stay out of the guest's way. I always touch base with the Officiant prior to the wedding to know where I can and cannot go and if they have any requests for behavior on my part. The last thing any photographer wants is for this to happen to them. For example, during Katie and Ryan's Catholic Mass, I could not go down the aisle more than a few feet, I had to stay two rows back on either side, I could not go onto/behind the altar and I could not use my flash. Did you get all that? I'll admit, I was absolutely petrified I was going to make a mistake and some big bodyguards were going to tackle me to the ground.

Following their ceremony however, I spoke with the Officiant as we waited for the family to gather for formal portraits. He thanked me for my services, and told me that he never noticed me throughout the Mass. He told me that was the mark of a good photographer - being unseen. SUCCESS!

For the women reading, let's dive into FASHION!

A lot of new photographers wonder what kind of dress code is required at their shoots. Since we run our own business, a uniform is up to us. For family sessions, I go pretty casual. Jeans and a nice shirt will normally do. I don't usually do sleeveless or low cut items - mainly because I don't when I'm off the clock. In reality, nobody wants to see my pits when I'm raising my arms to shoot or see 'the ladies' when I'm crawling on the ground to get the shot.

Wow, that's a lot of imagery in one sentence.

With weddings, my dress code is usually the same - dark dress pants and a semi-dressy top. Whatever I do wear, I make sure that it's long so that it covers me when I'm squatting and that it's comfortable in the arms. I can't have something too tight that doesn't allow me to move. Nobody should be looking at me, so it's about comfort, not fashion. Would I ever wear jeans to a wedding? No. Not even a hoe-down. Would I ever wear shorts? Nope. I just don't think it's professional. This is purely my opinion. Even in the hot June heat, I opt for dress slacks. That, and I really don't have nice legs. They're blindingly white, and I don't want to draw attention away from the bride.

Have you ever found yourself browsing a photography blog and read or seen the term "Uncle Bob"? Or what about a wedding planning blog suggesting you ask guests to "unplug"? There's a big burst right now in digital camera sales and improvements in cell phone cameras. Everyone is taking pictures - and that's a great thing. At a wedding, it can be a bit more complicated.

You see, photographers (long before my time) coined the term "Uncle Bob" to refer to a wedding guest who does one or many of these things: brings their camera to an event and gets in the way by hovering over a photographer, directing guests to look at them instead of the hired professional, attempt to "talk shop" with the hired photographer, photo bombs images, ruins images by firing their flash at inopportune times, etc.

See the photo above? There are 5 other cameras going during formals. 5 that you can SEE. Now, when you hire me as your photographer, you hire someone flexible. As long as "Uncle Bob" doesn't prevent me from doing my job, I'm all for allowing guests to take images. Occasionally I did have to ask the guests to step back, but I'm not afraid to ask - and ask politely. I've never run into a guest who didn't oblige my request. In fact, when I've gotten the shots I need, more often than not I step aside and allow "Bob" to get his shots as well. We can all work together!

Bridal Party shots can be intimidating when you're working with large groups and a lot of personalities. More than family members at a wedding, I find bridal parties to be the most anxious to get to the cocktail hour and be done with photos. I have to move fast and I have to keep the atmosphere light.

I'm doing my best to describe what I'm looking for, and trying to be sarcastic and funny about it to get some genuine smiles outta these handsome guys.

It must have worked, because pretty soon these guys had all of us laughing!

It can be hard to keep bridal party formals fresh and new. The poses I can create depend largely on the personalities of the bridal party. For this particular wedding, I could have asked them to create a circus routine and they would have done it gladly - and spectacularly.

Finished image. These guys were amazing!

I try my best to think on my feet. A lot of photographers keep inspiration boards on Pinterest or even on their phones of poses they want to try or photos that inspire them. I do this too.

The problem?

I often completely blank at a session. Maybe not... totally blank. Out of ten poses I told myself YES I'M GOING TO DO THIS!! I remember two. I often fall into the same habits and same poses because I blank. That and I don't want to disengage with my client because I'm scanning my mental pin board. This is probably for the best. Creatively I can't rely on work someone else has done. While I can be inspired by others work, blanking helps me make my sessions and weddings my own. It's something I'm always working on and looking to improve.

Deciding... Deciding... "Okay guys, this is what we're gonna do!"

I love the formals that follow a ceremony because it's a nice bit of quiet, one-on-one time with my bride and groom. Being able to spend the first few moments with people after they've become husband and wife is a great honor. Everyone is going to want to attack these two for the rest of the reception, and I get to whisk them away and have them all to myself! There's been so much leading up to this moment and it's over in minutes. The ease and generally feeling of "we did it!" is infectious.

Behind the scenes fact: I am absolutely terrified of detailed ring shots.

I can take images of rings on the bride and groom's hands until the cows come home. But when they place their rings into my hand and let me scurry off with them... that terrifies me. You see, I'm convinced that I'm going to lose them, drop them into any number of crevasses, return them with a missing stone, or heck, maybe I'll even swallow one somehow. There is no greater relief than doing my duty and returning those rings to their rightful owners, safe and sound.

A couple weeks ago I was in the midst of some email exchanges with a potential bride, that I'm so excited to be working with in May. She sent me a series of questions to answer, one of which was "You have attended countless weddings. What is your favorite part?" I replied: I like the reception. It's not formal like the ceremony. The "hard part" for me is over - I just get to capture candids and people having fun. I love the food, the toasts - you really learn more about a couple when you hear from their friends and can feel the love in the room. Who doesn't love a good party?

It was a very honest answer. After the ceremony I can breathe a sigh of relief. The most crucial part of my coverage is over. I get to let down my guard a bit and breathe a sigh of relief with the bride and groom, as well and share in their joy. I get to spend the rest of the night capturing moments of joy and love, eat amazing food and eat some great cake. And in some cases, great cinnabuns.

Next year, I hope to invite you behind the scenes into a wider variety of sessions - families, newborns, seniors, you name it. We're only a week into 2014 and I'm already blown away by the opportunities it has brought me. I could have never imagined the girl who was paid $40 to shoot a few wedding shots after a ceremony in high school would be running the business she is today.

Who knew, right?

Styling Your Session - Woodbridge, Virginia Photographer

I originally put together a "how to dress for your session" blog post months ago. I didn't realize that I'd never posted it, but I'm glad I didn't. Looking it over I realized TOO MANY WORDS. As a photographer, I'm obviously a visual person. Getting wordy for the sake of getting wordy is not my style. So, less words, more visuals!

I figured the best way to help you put together your session outfits was to take a look at past clients and learn why their clothes are working for them:

Here are a few things this family can teach you about dressing for your session:

• Don't be afraid to mix prints!

• Pick a color and use multiple shades of that color to coordinate

• Khakis and jeans work great on the bottom when working with your "color" up top - don't be afraid to mix jeans and khakis in the family!

• If you want to wear white, keep the pops of white small - white and the camera don't always get along. The white pop of her collar and stripes are just enough!

• Use items you already own - see that brunette gal on the left? Her dress was a few years old, but it worked perfect for the session! It's so much easier to accessorize with color to tie people in or buy smaller pieces instead of whole new outfits. Cheaper too!

Here are a few things this family can teach you about dressing for your session:

• Again, don't be afraid to mix prints! Here we have polka dots, and two types of plaid. 

• Be mindful of the size of stripes and prints - notice the mosaic effect on the climbing boy above? The smaller the print, the more obvious that will be and unfortunately there isn't much photoshop can do to save it. Sometimes it shows up in the picture, sometimes it doesn't. 

• Don't be afraid of texture! I love the sequins in the sweet girl on the left. Texture - whether it's rouching, sequins, sweaters, ribbons, flower appliques - can add a real pop to your outfit! 

• Notice the different shades of blue and tying Mom in with the little man by pulling out that small hint of green on his shirt. Her large palette of color really makes him pop! 

• All but two things from this photo were already in their closets!

Here are a few things this couple can teach you about dressing for your session:

• Nothing pops in photos quite like red - I LOVE IT. Jewel tones, like fuchsia, turquoise and mustard colors also add gorgeous pops of color.

• Don't forget about accessories! Belts, scarves, bracelets, hair bows, and other small details can really help pull in colors from your palette.

• Finding a color and working off those shades really makes shopping easier - notice the navy and sky blue pairing?

• Choose the pickiest person's outfit first - for our family, that's me. I want to be confident, so I have to love what I'm wearing. This might be the same for you, or you may want to work off a toddler who has an aversion to textures or tight clothing. You don't want to put together a wardrobe only to have the most sensitive member of the session hate it, causing you to have to start from scratch.

POLYVORE IS YOUR FRIEND, BEST IN FACT

Have you ever heard of Polyvore? Well, maybe you haven't, but have you ever seen images like the above all over Pinterest? I can almost guarentee those images come from Polyvore, which is a shopping website that allows you to create "boards" of fashion, acting like floorplans and color swatches that an interior designer would create for you.

You can create a board searching all your favorite sites - Kohls, Old Navy, Target, etc. You can place items next to each other and see how everything works together as a whole... from the comfort of your home. Without spending a fortune and having to take things back later.


So, summarize:

Happy shopping! If you ever need help coordinating your outfits, I am always happy to play stylist! =)

Kelli Brewer Photography is expanding!

Jenny and Chance are having a baby!

What did you think my subject meant?? =) My best friends are adding to their family! See, Chance has been my second shooter for over two years whenever I have needed a hand. He's a very valuable asset to the KBP family.

A little back story - Chance and I met online through the popular journal site Livejournal. A mutual friend wondered why we hadn't crossed paths before, since we were both in the DC area and budding photographers. I started following Chance's photo a day project and we became online friends. It took about 20 minutes, but Chance and I realized that was back in July of 2010...

When I realized I would need some help with an upcoming wedding, I didn't quite know who to turn to. I'd only been back in the DC area for about a year and hadn't really started networking with other photographers seeing as how I'd only been shooting and building my portfolio a few months. Chance was the only photographer I knew in the area and the person I called. Can you believe the first time we ever met in person was just a week before we were set to shoot a wedding together? He was game and "the rest is history".

While our relationship started out as a business arrangement, over the years, Chance - and his wife Jenny - have become two of my very best friends. Chance is my biggest cheerleader (er, cheer-man?) and we love to bore each other with all things photography. When Jenny and Chance wanted to announce to the rest of the world they were pregnant, I was so happy to be included, capturing the image you see above.

So, congratulations are in order! I'm so happy to announce that Chance and Jenny are expecting a future photographer, February 10, 2014! Wishing you all the best guys!