Regan and Becca

After an amazing trip to Martha's Vineyard at the beginning of August, I am so excited to share with you some of my favorite images from Regan and Becca's session. Regan, a Boston native, has vacationed with his family in the Vineyard since he was young. Now living and working in Utah, he tries to get out to the island at least once a year to visit. With fiance Becca now in his life, he couldn't wait to introduce her to this place that held so many memories and was so special to him. It was then they both realized that the Vineyard was the obvious choice for their engagement portraits. 

Regan and I have been friends for years, having met him in college when he and my husband worked together. When he reached out to me to see if I would be interetested and able to fly up for the last minute trip, I couldn't accept fast enough! What an amazing experience. There were so many firsts in this session, but I discussed that a bit more in depth in a previous blog post detailing a little bit more behind the scenes action. Fun fact - we all slathered ourselves in vinegar after standing in a patch of poison ivy... We got the shot though!

I'm so excited to finally share some of my very favorite images from our few days together!

Kelli Brewer Photography in Martha's Vineyard

Last week I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Martha's Vineyard for an engagement session. I didn't even try to play it cool or pretend it was just business as usual. I was incredibly excited and just couldn't believe how lucky I was to be apart of something so awesome! 

A few weeks ago one of my very best friends from Utah text messaged me and asked me what I thought about flying up to the island to take his engagement pictures. He and his beautiful fiance, Becca, would be there visiting his family's vacation home and they'd love to memorialize such a special place to him and what I imagine will someday be a special place to her. The stars aligned (and Nana agreed to babysit...) and before you knew it, I was booked on a plane from Washington, D.C. to Martha's Vineyard!

I was jetting up to the island on Tuesday evening, shooting on Wednesday and flying home Thursday afternoon. We were so incredibly lucky that Wednesday blessed us with great weather. I wasn't quite as blessed as I traveled up to Massachusetts. After flying over beautiful lighthouses and scenery in Boston, for my layover, I ended up getting stuck for an extra 2 hours due to a pretty bad rain storm. Aside from the lack of air conditioning in the Boston terminal I was in, it wasn't all that bad. In fact, I even saw Ruby Rose! She's the new "it girl" from Orange is the New Black on Netflix. Nobody seemed to recognize her under her hat or sunglasses, but I didn't put the fact I am obsessed with celebrities and celebrity gossip on my bio page for nothing! I wanted to get a picture, but when I found her later, she was eating, and I didn't want to be that fan.

I arrived in Martha's Vineyard a bit later than expected, but I still had plenty of time to get to catch up with Regan and get to know Becca. Meeting a new client isn't anything I stress out about, but there is definitely a new element added when you're rooming with them! Becca couldn't have been nicer, and we hit it off immediately. I knew it was going to be a fantastic trip and more importantly, a fantastic session. 

Regan's cottage home on the island was so Martha's Vineyard. We had a few hours to kill before our session that evening, so I hopped on a bike provided by Regan's mom Wendy, and did a little site seeing and exploring. 

I found my way to the beach, passed by Regan's family plane at a small grass airport, explored some back roads, and eventually walked around Edgartown, MA to see some of the old, beautiful homes and inlets full of boats.

Finally, it was time to set out for our session. We knew we definitely wanted to capture some photos on the beach. Luckily, Regan's home was just 2 miles from the shore. Most of the crowds had cleared out, which was a bonus! However, in order to make it to the Gay Head Cliffs to capture the gorgeous sunset - 30 minutes away - we'd need to start our session a little bit earlier and when the sun was quite higher than I prefer. We made it work, and we were able to capture some absolutely stunning back lit images of our newly engaged couple. After carefully selecting a few outfits and what locations they'd work best in, we knew we'd nailed it when we scanned the back of the camera. Once we captured all of our beach shots, we rushed to the car to start the drive to Gay Head and prayed we wouldn't miss the sunset!

Luckily, we made it just in time! Becca and I had been emailing back and forth before the session to swap ideas and make a plan. I knew she wanted to try some OCF (Off Camera Flash) and I was game. I wasn't able to carry my light stand with me on the plane, so I hoped and prayed I'd be able to rig my light up when it came time. I died a little when I saw so many people (see the 3rd photo below) but I could have fallen to my knees and rejoiced when there was a fence, with FLAT posts, at exactly the height I wanted them. We were able to capture some fiercely unique shots, but also dial things down and go more organic and really showcase the amazing sunset over the Atlantic. 

Up on the cliffs it was a bit chilly, so while we waited for Regan to park the car (such a gentleman, dropping up ladies off!) Becca threw the actual shirt Regan was going to wear onto me to keep me warm! Of course I had to snap a shot for my Instagram! Despite stepping into some poison ivy, we captured some stunning images. We saw the sun set over the ocean and called it good, ending on a real high note. 

As part of my fee, I was promised a genuine, New England lobster roll. A few months ago I had my first roll at a wedding and it was amazing. I couldn't stop thinking about it! You have no idea how incredibly excited I was to not only have another one, but one with real northern lobster! Regan recommended Nancy's in Oak Bluffs and it did not disappoint. It was absolutely stuffed with lobster... overflowing!

After doing a bit more sight seeing the next morning, it was time for me to head home. A short trip, but an incredibly memorable one. Not only was I so excited to be apart of my close friends special day and give them images they'll have forever, but I pushed myself a lot as a photographer stepping out of my comfort zones. Full day sun, OCF on the go... Pushing ourselves usually only leads to bigger and better things, and I can't wait to see what else lies ahead for me and Kelli Brewer Photography!

PS... I also saw Bill Murray on my flight home but alas, no picture again. Photographer fail...

"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!

The Michon Family

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to photography my friend Kelly and her sweet family while they were home for the weekend visiting family. Originally from the Leesburg area but currently living in the magical city of New York, Kelly longed for some green landscape for her portraits. We found a beautiful location and aside from the attack of the gnats, we couldn't have asked for better weather and better lighting. This session was even more special because it showed off their sweet newborn, little Scarlett. Can I say how much I loved photographing a newborn outdoors?! I loved catching up with the Michon family and loved the outcome of our hour together. Here are just a few of my very favorites!

Business 101: Creating a Photography Brand

When something goes wrong with your car, it's probably not unusual for you to call a friend that is a mechanic and ask for their input or to help diagnose the issue. Or perhaps you have a plumbing issue, and you reach out to a friend for a general assessment before you go and replace something that was never broken in the first place. No? Just me? Am I'm the only one that abuses my friendships when I am in a pickle??

In any case, this past week, a friend reached out to me with questions about starting her own photography business. I was eager to help and I am always incredibly flattered when friends look to me for help with any and everything photography.

When it comes to starting your own business, it can be overwhelming. Once you've done sessions for close friends and family, and the clients start coming in, how do you legitimize yourself and make things official? How do you go about making a name for yourself (literally), a logo, a website, etc? Well, while each and everyone will find their journeys to be unique, here are my recommendations for finally pressing play on your budding photography career.


CREATE A WEB PRESENCE

There area lot of great resources for blogs and websites. Blogger and Wordpress are probably the two most popular. You can purchase a domain name (www.yourphotographybusiness.com) to help professionalize your business, while still running on an easy to use platform like Blogger. I highly recommend a combination blog/website. Blogs are vital to establishing a business. Essentially the more posts you make, the more presence you have on the internet, and the more likely Google is to pick you up when someone searches for a photographer. Why does this matter? Because when you've taken pictures for all of your friends and relatives, you'll need to acquire new clients.

Cliffnotes: Get a free blog, an inexpensive domain name to look more professional, and blog like you've never blogged before! Oh, and look into a professional Facebook and Instagram account as well. 


CREATE A LOGO AND BRAND IDENTITY

Deciding what to call yourself is key. I've seen many photographers slap a studio name on their images, build up a brand and reputation, only to have to start from scratch when they rename their company because they hate or have moved on from their original concept. When in doubt - "John Doe Photography" is usually a safe bet.

Graphic designers are expensive and a luxury that most photographers just starting out cannot afford. Until you've established your business enough to shell out the cash for a graphic designer, I would highly recommend buying something premade. Etsy has countless logos for sale at an incredibly reasonable cost. If you've never designed a single thing in your life, steer clear of attempting to design your own. Homemade logos look just that: homemade. Why else don't I recommend using a graphic designer up front? This whole business thing is very new to you. Your style is new and your focus may not be clear yet. Spending a lot of money before you truly know what you want and what direction you want your business to go will come with time. With time comes money, and money better spent down the road.

Cliffnotes: Get a professional premade logo from a "bargain" store like Etsy until you can pay to have one custom made for you, when you've established an identity and name for yourself.


LEGITIMIZE YOURSELF AS A BUSINESS

When you start commanding money for your services, you'll want to look into legitimizing your business where you live. This is the least fun part of running a photography business, and one unfortunately many "businesses" do without. Depending on where you live, you may need to register for a business license. You'll want to register your business as a sole-proprietor or an LLC. In doing so, you'll need to register with your local government to collect and pay sales taxes on your services or goods. You can register with the IRS on their website, giving your business it's very own and unique identification number. These items and registrations may not be free or cheap, again, depending on where you live. I pay a yearly LLC registration fee, monthly sales tax and quarterly federal taxes, in addition to a year-end tax return each year.

Local Facebook photography groups are a great resource to help you network with established photographers who can better educate you on what is needed in your specific geographic location. It can be incredibly confusing to make sure you've covered all your bases!

When you start collecting payment for your services, you are running a business and should be operating as such. Only you will know when you make that leap from "a hobby" or "just portfolio building", and only you can decide when to be honest with Uncle Sam and your clients as to how you operate your business.

Cliffnotes: When you are ready to call yourself a professional, look into your county and state business requirements. Register with your local and federal governments, and begin paying and collecting sales tax. 


PROTECT YOU AND YOUR GROWING BUSINESS

As you make money and grow your collection of equipment, you'll want to protect your investment in case it breaks, it is stolen, etc. There are a lot of great companies that will insure not only your gear, but yourself from liability in the event something happens while you're on the job.

NOTE: most homeowners insurance policies will NOT cover your gear if it is used for business. I have unfortunately had friends and fellow photographers learn this the hard way. Did you also know that many insurance companies will not replace your gear if you drop it, even if a guest bumped into you while dancing at a wedding? This additional coverage is often referred to as an "inland marine policy" and can come at an additional price. For me, it was a deal breaker when insurance shopping. I WOULD be that person who drops my camera into the fountain at the Ritz.

When you work at venues or locations, they may require you to show proof of liability and insurance. This protects both you and the venue if you break something on location (like bumping into a crazy expensive vase), or even if your clients get hurt while you're working on location. I currently work with a local agent to insure all of my gear and protect my from liability with State Farm. I found their rates to be the most competitive and what my business was looking for. Anytime I leave my house with my gear, I love having that piece of mind.

Cliffnotes: Insure your gear and equipment in the event of damage and theft. 

As you can see, there is so much more that goes into running a photography business than a nice camera. This is only the beginning! You'll learn and make a lot of mistakes a long the way. I know I did! So much of my business today is founded on those mistakes I made. It's how you'll grow, and how you'll build your brand. While it may not always be financially rewarding in the first while, if photography is truly your passion, it will be emotionally rewarding. I love capturing images for my clients and seeing them hang in their homes. I am so grateful for where I am in my business today, and I hope this helps start someone else's journey as well.