Why a Happy Client is my Best Advertisement

Noel Grace Photography

Recently one of my neighbors had some work done on the front of their home. We're talking brand spanking new wood and trim, new paint, and some good 'ol power washing. The home looks almost brand new, despite being over 20 years old. Unfortunately, there's no yard sign advertising the company that's done the work, as we often see with home projects that are a large undertaking. It's made me think about knocking on her door to get the name of the company, should I decide to invest in upgrades for our home as well.

Photography - whether it's posted on social media or displayed in the home - works very much like the story of my neighbor's exterior work. A happy client is my best advertisement. When someone changes their profile or timeline picture to one that I took? It still makes me giddy after all these years. At the end of the year when I open up a holiday card and I see a shot I took with gold embossing and a personalized note from a client? I proudly display it in my kitchen, probably a little too far into the next year. (As I also often do with my outdoor Christmas lights...)

Last year I spent less than $100 on advertising for the entire year. That sounds kind of crazy right? How can a successful business still bring in income with such a small advertising budget! That's because most of my clients come to me purely by word of mouth or seeing my work.

There's a good chance I will never knock on my neighbor's door, simply because it requires more effort than if the company's sign had been on their lawn. (Is that admitting to the world I am lazy?) As consumers, we're more likely to buy something with brand recognition because that recognition creates a sense of safety and assurance about our investment and the outcome of our purchase. Ever wonder why Nike and Coca-Cola continue advertising even though they're already billion-dollar powerhouses? Whether we realize it or not, equating a brand with a quality product (in this case the flawless Cherry Coke) makes us more likely to choose that product on recognition alone.

Combining a great photo with the photographer that took it creates a brand, creates recognition, and creates a sense of security for a prospective client. That truly is the best form of advertising that I could hope for - and the greatest thank you I receive from my clients.

3 Photos, 3 Ways

When you're first starting out as a photographer, even after you've mastered the camera, there's a beast you must tackle before you really hit your stride - your style. Are you a light and airy photographer? Are you a fan of the dark and moody look? Or how hot is the film look right now, am I right??!!

Back in 2011 I wrote an article titled 3 Photos, 3 Ways. In the post I explored the impact processing can have on a photo. I used editing styles that were very popular at the time (and unfortunately also my noob "tilt" in almost every photo...) and applied them to each, including my edit of each image alongside. Looking back at that post now, it's interesting to see how dated those editing trends now look. Yup, just like really big hair or fanny packs, photographers go through trends just like everyone else. 

I thought it would be fun to apply the same idea to images using trends for the past couple of years. Yes, the era of light and airy, dark and moody and film. The edit I delivered to the clients can be seen as the first in each series. 

You know what's really tough? All of these edits work wonderfully on these images. I love the film trend right now with it's bright greens and man, can it really flatter the skin tones! On the flip side, sometimes when I'm editing, it's hard not to pull myself to a dark and moody edit. Some locations and some styling just really call to that look. In the end though, no matter how many times I experiment I always come back to my style that I consider a bold, colorful, classic edit.

Just as the post before this, this article is in no way meant to throw shade (gosh, let's see how this slang dates this in a few years...) on photographers who deliver images in any of the styles I have used. There are clients for every photographer and a photographer for every client. When choosing your photographer, it's important that you book that photographer because you like their work, you like their style and the end product is what you want to hang in your home. While it's possible for me to edit and mimic the style of other photographers, I want my clients to hire me because they love my work and my creative eye. Being on the same page before the session begins is a great way to find success with a photographer!

The Day I Became A Stolen Gear Cautionary Tale

If you ever find yourself in a bunch of photography groups on Facebook, every so often you'll see a horror story of a photographer who had their gear stolen. The first question is always "Do you have insurance?" followed by the caution to never do x, y and z - after the fact of course.  I truly never thought I would be one of those stories - until I was.



On the morning of April 10, some bored kids out on spring break "broke in" to my willfully unlocked car and not only stole my backup gear, but my business debit card as well. Oh, and my jumper cables. Savages. I have posted images on my Instagram of my carrying my huge gear bag into stores with me after a session because I am so adamant about not leaving gear in the car. So how did this happen?

I shot a wedding for an awesome couple, Ben and Cortne, on Saturday. I always take my trusty old D7000 with me as a back-up to each wedding. Because the amount of gear I take is already rather heavy, I usually remove the D7000 from my bag and leave it in my car until it may be needed. I so cleverly usually hide it under a jacket or other article of clothing and go about the rest of my day.

After wrapping up the wedding and heading home, I stopped for takeout as a post-wedding celebratory pig out. You other photographers know what I'm talking about! As I was doing the shuffle of grabbing the takeout bag, making sure I took my card, signing the receipt, and not stealing the waiters pen, I slid my card in my camera bag pocket.

Two days later, I rolled over in bed and grabbed my cell phone. I did the usual morning ritual and checked my social media and email. In my email I found 4 credit card receipts that I didn't recognize. Sometimes there is a delay or hold on a card when you shop, but I hadn't used my card since Saturday evening and why would purchases post in the middle of the night? I started to get suspicious and got out of bed and ran downstairs to retrieve my card from my camera bag. When I couldn't find it, I walked out to my car to see if I accidentally misplaced it when returning it to my bag after eating on Saturday. Opening my door, it was easy to see that my car had been torn apart and not only was my credit card missing, but also gone was my trusty back-up camera. Evidently my card hadn't been placed in my bag after all, but somewhere between the bag and the passenger seat in my van.

Always Make Sure Your Gear Is Covered

I should have panicked, but I didn't. There was nothing I could do since both items were gone and I found comfort in knowing that all of my gear is covered by insurance. A quick phone call to my credit card company canceled my card, as well as began the process to get back the $100~ the thieves had spent in the middle of the night. Paypal did a fantastic job in sending out a new card quickly and returning the money to my account within days.

Having insurance on your gear, especially as a professional, is absolutely something you cannot go without. For years I have had an insurance and liability policy with State Farm Insurance. I also added what is often called an Inland Marine rider, which also covers my gear if I am just an idiot and drop my gear during a session, if it falls out of my bag when retrieving it from my car, etc. All the accidentals not usually covered by a basic gear policy. I pay less than $50 a month for added security and hey - a tax write off!

Helpful tip: Don't assume you're covered under your home owners policy. If you use your gear for your business, it most likely is not covered by your home owners insurance. I use USAA, and business gear is NOT covered. It's important to call and check with your insurer. Don't find out the hard way like others have.

Take Pictures of Your Gear and Record Your Serial Numbers

As far as the process to submit a claim to my insurance company, it's pretty straight forward. I have a deductible, and I report the gear that was stolen. While a receipt is helpful, even a simple photograph of my gear would have sufficed. No big long drawn out paperwork trail to recover what was mine.

While filing the police report, in one of the boxes I was asked to provide any serial numbers I had for my gear. Did you know that your camera body and lenses all have individual serial numbers? These numbers can be entered into a national database of stolen camera equipment. Pawn Shops are supposed to cross any items brought in against this list. Luckily, I had jotted down all of my serial numbers when I began the insurance process a few years ago. Having these numbers and an inventory of my gear in one place, on record, made recovering my gear that much easier. Yup - I recovered my stolen camera.

A Happy Ending

Just after finishing the police report (you'll need one of these if you plan on filing a claim with your insurance, if you plan to say the gear was stolen), I was on the phone with State Farm to begin filing my claim. I was talking to my local agent when I got a text message from my husband:

Whhhhaaatttt??? I immediately called my husband (who was at the gym) and as it turns out, all of our belongings were recovered earlier in the morning by our neighbor. At some point, whoever was breaking into cars must have gotten spooked because there were items left haphazardly in the street, piles of items were in the trees on the side of our house (as well as other individuals on our street) and our neighbors turned it over to the police. When they saw my post online, they put two and two together and realized the camera they found must have been mine. They didn't think much of it at the time, because they assumed I'd have had my gear in a nice bag, protected.... not thrown into the backseat and stored under cardigans. I'm still embarrassed by how wrong I did my 7000!

It took a few days of back and forth with the police to recover our items, which turned out to be so much more than just my camera. Amazingly, my camera and the 35mm lens attached to it were in perfect condition. I was so worried when I heard it had been "thrown" in the woods that maybe it had shattered or ruined the integrity of the mechanisms inside. I am so blessed that that was not the case. After retrieving my camera, I promised it that I would never be so insensitive to it again! Ha! It didn't deserve to be the ugly step child since I upgraded, after it had served me so well for so many years.

After a bit more detective work of my own and returning belongings recovered to my neighbors, we found that around 4:15AM when a neighbor was leaving for work, he witnessed a couple teenagers walking around carrying a bunch of items. Noticing how suspicious this looked, he called out to them and that is when they dropped the items and ran. My credit card was used just 15 minutes later at 3 different gas stations in the area.

The Moral of the Story

I am so incredibly lucky to have been able to recover my gear. I never anticipated this story having a happy ending. That said, I was grateful to know that I would have had options. It's so important to protect your business. We do it all the time with contracts, deposits, and making sure we're fairly compensated for our time as photographers. The list goes on. Not protecting the gear that provides our livelihood is just not smart business.

Please make sure your gear is covered. Ask questions - how am I covered if it's stolen? What if it's stolen from my vehicle? Is it covered if I drop it? What would I need to provide if I file a claim?

Second, it's important to keep an inventory of your gear. It's much easier to identify gear among hundreds if not thousands of recovered stolen property if you can identify it by more than its model or physical imperfections. Having serial numbers was a lifesaver for me and made recovering my gear from the police that much faster. Make sure you have serials for each body, each lens, each battery, etc.

And, as my Dad would say while giving me a dirty look and sharing his finger - LOCK YOUR CAR!

Why Sharing Locations is Okay

We've all done it. And after we've been rebuffed for the first time and we try it again, we do so with our teeth clenched and hope for the best, a little scared to open up a reply email.  

I'm talking about approaching another photographer and asking where a shoot took place. 

Location, location, location doesn't just apply to real estate. In the photography world, a location not only serves as a backdrop for your session but can set the whole tone of the resulting photographs. When I begin consulting with my clients, I always ask what look they want - industrial, urban, more earthy and nature-y (is there a better term than my made up one??) or even a beach theme.

These were taken by different photographers in the same area of Old Town Alexandria.

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From time to time, photographers see another artist's work and may fall in love with the location. Maybe it has great textures. Don't get a photographer started on a brick wall painted in some amazing, bright color. It can be creatively stimulating to shoot somewhere new so you'd think we could just reach out to the photographer and find out the location, right?

You'd think.

You may be surprised to learn that many photographers will ignore these kind of questions. If they don't ignore them altogether, they try to be all clever - and vague. "Oh, it's this spot in Richmond." Well, that certainly narrows it down, doesn't it?

These photos were taken by three different photographers, in the same areas of Old Town Alexandria.

Photographers can be very territorial over their locations. I can understand the risk of a location becoming swarmed with photographers. On many weekends when I shoot at the Manassas Battlefields, I have passed by at least 6 photographers. While it's crowded, it's more than manageable. If they're in a spot I'd like to use, I wait my turn or shoot elsewhere until the spot is available. Other photographers are courteous to not be in my shot, and I return the favor. I have only ever had positive experiences with sharing a space with another photographer and their clients. 

My greatest argument for being willing to share the love when it comes to locations is that while two photographers may shoot at the same location, their results will never be the same. 

What I see and what another photographer sees may be completely different. We can use the exact same tree, the exact same bridge for example and find that we've composed the shots completely different. Our processing will be different. They'll think to shoot using some structural or natural detail in ways I never considered. When two people are handed a bag full of identical materials, very rarely (if ever) will the product they produce look exactly the same. There's no need to be threatened by another photographer. 

I try to live by one rule when it comes to working with other photographers and sharing my tips, tricks or the things I have learned. I don't stand to gain anything by keeping a location to myself, but I can gain so much more by building relationships with my peers and paying it forward.

Thank you to Vanessa Smith Photography, SASS Photography and Emily Alyssa for allowing me to share their photographs with you!

A Look Back At 2016

I always look forward to reading my fellow photographers "Year in Review" posts. Even though I run my own photography business, the behind the scenes photos are always my most favorite when scrolling through their entries. As I began to reflect back on 2016 in preparation for writing this post, I found I was at a loss for words. The last half of the year has been so full of sessions and clients new and old, that while I originally felt 2016 was a more humble year compared to others, in actuality it's been my most blessed season to date.

I can't think of anything that embodied or represented my year more than my trip to New York City in April. When I booked Larlee and Jeff's July wedding, Larlee explained to me just how much their city meant to them. Both calling New York City home, she asked if I would be willing to travel up north to capture their engagements. Um - does anyone say no to an all expense paid trip to New York City?? It was a dream to travel there someday, and another dream to shoot there.

I am very lucky that one of my favorite people in the whole world, Kelly, lives in Manhattan and helped show me the ropes before my session later in the week. We toured all around the financial district near her home, the 9/11 Memorial, we saw the Statue of Liberty, and of course - ate at Shake Shack.

One of my favorite stops while I was in New York was visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I received my degree in Art, and studied art history just about every semester it feels like. In what started as a required elective, actually ended up becoming some of my most favorite classes. I was excited to see some of the famous works I once memorized for tests, but I wasn't expecting this:

A real sculpture by Michelangelo. I can't tell you how many of his works we studied. I've grown a bit of anxiety when it comes to flying and traveling, so I don't know if visiting Italy will ever be something I will get to do. I became very emotional seeing this piece in the museum. Being so close to such a work of art, by such an amazing artist, and seeing something that defined such a great phase in my life.

When it came to shoot day, it was so wonderful to catch up with Larlee and to meet her fiance Jeff. I followed their lead as they showed me the city, traveling to Soho and Brooklyn for our session.

Each year I try to tick away at my "shoot bucket list". One item that makes the list year after year, is shooting a proposal. Though I'd received inquiries for them in the past, I was never able to make it work. Then, this past October, a proposal fell right into my lap. 

Jaclyn and her girls have been some of my best clients. I've shot them at least 7 times. She's a girl after my own heart - she loves photos and knows how important they are. It was no surprise when she booked one of my fall mini sessions, and I was happy to hear that her boyfriend, Brad, would be joining us for the second year and we'd be shooting family shots with his daughter. The morning of Jaclyn's session, I received both an email and Facebook message from Brad. He was blowing up all of social media, trying to get in touch with me. He had a surprise in store for their session - he was going to propose. I was ecstatic! 

We did some rough coordinating - we'd wait until the end of the session and I would do a few pictures with just her and Brad. That's when he'd get down on his knee and pop the question. 

When he arrived at the location, I tried to be coy and pretend I didn't know his name. I shook his hand and introduced himself, and all the while I felt like my heart was beating out of my chest with this secret! We started with group shots, I took some of Jaclyn and the girls, some of Brad and his daughter and at the end of everything, I said we'd take some of just Jaclyn and Brad and we'd be "just about done", which was more or less my signal to Brad that it was almost go time. 

So I took some shots of he and Jaclyn. And then some more. And then a few more. What was taking so long?! I wasn't sure if Brad didn't realize this was the end, so I tried to stretch it once more and ask if Jaclyn had any other poses she wanted, and she said she was good. I said, "Let me do just one more and then I think we're good." That's when Brad asked the girls to come back down the trail a bit so they could see what was about the happen - and that's when he finally dropped to one knee.

She said YES! Her hand was shaking from shock, and it was such an amazing moment to be part of, especially given my long history with her and her girls. During their session I also happened to have a shadow and assistant, Ivania, who captured this great image of me mid-proposal. She asked me if I knew that was going to happen, and I finally got to share that I had been in on the surprise all along. 

(Ivania Sieiro)

(Ivania Sieiro)

 This year I really focused on my families, and only had the opportunity to shoot a handful of weddings, all in the second half of the year. If you remember, my second shooter extraordinaire Chance moved out of the area last year. This pretty much sums up how I felt about it going into my wedding season:

(Chance Hammock)

Actually, in the above photo I am fighting a horrible headache just before the reception was to begin. But when I started booking weddings, Chance and I weren't sure if we'd be able to still make things work. Would I have to shoot solo? Would I have to work with someone completely new? I'm happy to say that Chance was able to shoot all but one event where he was needed this past year.

Team "Brewmock" Reunion for Anne and Jeff's Wedding

(Chance Hammock)

(Chance Hammock)

(Chance Hammock)

I don't think any of us could have predicted how absolutely frigid Jeff and Anne's April wedding was! We all thought we'd have gorgeous, Spring weather with green grass, bright sun and blooming flowers. Instead - we had snow. And wind. WHAT?? But Anne and Jeff were total sports. They wanted to grab photos, even if it was freezing cold outside. Even in her strapless dress, Anne never complained once. I kept asking her if she was done, but she was happy to keep going. Very few people can say it snowed on their wedding day, and even fewer can say that it did on their wedding day in April!

(Chance Hammock)

(Chance Hammock)

I certainly could not have shot Alison and Tony's September wedding without Chance by my side. A few weeks earlier when I shot Jeff and Larlee's big day, I came very close to blacking out. I posted about the experience in one of my Instagram behind the scenes videos. I attributed it to not eating enough and it being hot and humid in July. 

I remember walking up the stairs to shoot Jeff and Larlee's wedding rings while Bri and Jan, the videographers, did some video of the couple. I remember my chest pounding, my head throbbing and feeling like my muscles were falling asleep - that tingly sensation. I knew I had to sit down, or I was going to pass out. I also knew that I was panicking, because I was on my own without Chance, and there was no one to fill in for me. There was no time to rest and sort myself out, because we were in a time crunch to take formals before the reception. 

I am so blessed that Bri, Jan, Jeff and Larlee were so kind and patient with me. I tried not to let on how awful I felt, and after begging for water (I have no idea whose it was or where it came from) I started to feel better. I felt fuzzy a few times after that, but tried my best to keep downing Gatorade (which I stopped for between the ceremony and reception) and kneel down whenever I could. 

(Chance Hammock)

For Tony and Alison's big day, I made sure I had Gatorade. I made sure I had a more substantial breakfast. I had sucking candies for a sugar kick. It was hot out, but I was keeping hydrated and knew I'd planned better - or so I'd thought. 

Just as I was getting ready to start to shooting the formals of this beautiful - but ginormous - bridal party, I could feel it happening again. I'd dragged all of these beautiful girls out in heels to this spot out on the golf course. These handsome gentlemen in full suits, in late summer DC humidity. I could feel that tingly feeling in my head again, and I was becoming dizzy. And where was my Gatorade?? 

Back in the bridal suite. 

I alerted Chance and asked him to run and go grab it for me, sure that after getting some hydration I would be fine. The only problem? We were out in the middle of the golf course, and it was a good walk back to the clubhouse. My bridal party were being good sports about being out in the heat, but I knew they were uncomfortable, even in the shade. 

I really had to "fake it til you make it" with these formals. I tried to take a moment to bend down and fiddle with my camera bag to catch my breath, in hopes no one would notice. In all honesty, I don't know how I managed to power through this or how I didn't just burst into tears from anxiety. I just kept saying to myself, "Chance is coming, Chance is coming" and finally, he arrived with my drink. I chugged it down and prayed I wouldn't pass out during the ceremony.  

(Chance Hammock)

Why am I telling you this? As photographers - and especially those who shoot weddings - we can run ourselves ragged. Shooting weddings is incredibly demanding physically. I don't know how the full timers do it each weekend - it can take me a week to recover! But after the multiple additional episodes of dizziness and coming so close to blacking out at even family sessions, I went into the doctor. 

The verdict: I am severely anemic. 

I say I had no idea, despite chewing through 10 glasses of ice in a 2 hour time span. It completely explains why my body was reacting the way it was to the physical stress. My body simply couldn't keep up. I knew I was tired all of the time, but I figured what Mom wasn't, especially one also running a business. The moral of this story is to listen to your body, and make sure that you take care of yourself!

(Chance Hammock)

One of my last sessions was by far one of the most special of my career, not just 2016. 

I've had the pleasure of working with Carly's family multiple times in the past. I've done head shots for Andy, as he is incredibly talented on the trumpet and plays in the Army band. I photographed their sweet baby girl Addy a few weeks after she was born. The oldest of the many Allphins, Carly, shares my love of photography. As we were in the midst of trying to work out an opportunity for her to shadow me on one of my sessions, Carly was diagnosed with Stage IV Ewing Sarcoma - bone cancer. At the time of her diagnosis, she was only 14 years old. At Stage IV, no one really knew what to expect moving forward. With the future uncertain, I was honored to capture these family portraits before Carly began treatment.

The night of our session, Carly went home and shaved her head, in preparation for months of chemotherapy and radiation. Despite such a grim diagnosis, Carly thrived in the face of adversity. Her cheerful disposition aided in her treatment, because she's made remarkable progress. Doctors have been overwhelmed at how well the tumors have responded to treatment. 

When she turned 15 in October, Carly wanted to celebrate with a glamour photo shoot. When she and her mom Krista pitched the idea to me and sent some inspiration photos, I was all in. Carly and Krista took care of makeup and styling, and I reached out to a former vendor who welcomed us to their location with open arms. On Carly's exact birthday, we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. We had the entire property to ourselves, and Carly's beauty radiated through my camera.

I am so incredibly grateful to share that after 14 rounds, Carly is officially done with chemotherapy! Her hair is beginning to even grow back - but I think we can all agree she rocks the bare head and she rocks it hard.

There is so much more from this past year I wish I could share. However, it would lead to a very lengthy post, and I already worry I've droned on for far too long as it is. I'll save more bits and pieces for my Instagram, and that's also where you'll be able to see all of the behind the scenes action for the coming year. 

I anticipate a lot of fun changes to Kelli Brewer Photography in 2017, but one thing that won't change is my gratitude for each of my clients, each of my followers, and each member of my family and group of friends that support me. I don't do what I do to support a lifestyle I otherwise couldn't achieve. I have a love of photography that stems back to my teen years. I thrive on meeting new people. I live for that moment when I can get a toddler to finally crack a smile. It's rewarding to know my own children see and understand how much I love what I do. 

(Chance Hammock)

For all the close calls this past year, the miles of driving, the evenings spent on the computer editing and watching Netflix into all hours of the night - I wouldn't have it any other way. Here's to hoping 2017 is just as exhausting - and equally as rewarding. Happy New Year!