
There are so many independent, intricate parts to each photography business because each person behind it is just as unique. Whether you are just picking up a camera or you’re starting to get an influx of inquiries and feel like your business is moving along perfectly, each stage of business can come with its own challenges and learning opportunities.
As I've been reflecting on my past 5 years as a business owner, how I got started to where I am now, I feel like there’s a handful of things that I know now if I had done differently they could have either sped up my momentum in the beginning or made things so much easier for the future of my business. If I could go back 5 years to beginner photographer Kelsi saying "yes" to her first paid shoot, here are the things I would tell her to prioritize moving forward:
Hire the Brand Designer
In the beginning, "brand designer" felt equivalent to just hiring someone to come up with a logo for me and maybe help me with the layout of a website - it didn't seem "worth the investment" for where I was at in my business. I preferred to save my big investments for things like equipment or courses. HOWEVER: Once I actually researched and found a brand designer to work with, I think this was truly the biggest turning point in my business. Did she help me create logos that I loved? Sure. But more than that, a good brand designer will dive deep into your brand with you. They will research with you to formulate your ideal client, your brand colors, your brand VISION and messaging, and then wrap all of those important elements into a visual brand that you can use to professionally represent yourself moving forward. This creates brand authority, cohesion, and a sense of security for all of your clients moving forward that come across your website and your brand messaging.
Handle your finances like the CFO of your business
I waited way too long to setup a separate business bank account. I spent so much time stressed about keeping track of my finances in a very manual way, never wanting to "pay myself" and just saving everything for the sake of expenses and taxes. Now, I use the "Profit First" method from the book Profit First by Mike Michalowicz (HIGHLY recommend!) setting a certain percentage of my income aside for profit, then expenses, then saving for taxes, and then paying myself based - all based on percentages of each payment that comes in. I personally have one business bank account that all income flows into, one credit card that I use for all expenses (I never allow a running debt, but instead I use this to pay for expenses in order to rack up cash back rewards) and then all of my "savings" accounts (one for profit, one for taxes, one for expenses) are all saved in high yield savings accounts that will accrue higher interest and make money on their own (it's important for these to choose accounts that do not penalize you for certain withdrawals and deposits) I use Raisin to decide and setup these HYSA's.
Prioritize 1-on-1 education rather than over-indulging in countless courses
This one I had to really think about. I think that the courses I took in the beginning definitely served me well, but I do wish that I had put mentorships at a higher priority than course education. I will say this: I have taken courses and looked back and thought "that was definitely not worth X amount of money". I have never thought that about any 1-on-1 mentorship. Courses are great for broad education, mentorships are perfect for specific growth and tackling your unique problem areas and finding the things that will help your specific business thrive.
Stop "spraying and praying" both as an artist and as a business owner
As a photographer you may have heard the term "spraying and praying" referring to the idea of just taking a ton of photos of a moment and hoping for a good one. While I have absolutely been guilty of this, it wasn't until I started meshing intentionality with my artistry that I saw my work truly begin to elevate (and my culling hours truly begin to shrink 😅). But I would venture to say that this same principle can be applied as business owners, especially in our marketing strategies. Being intentional and client-focused in your marketing strategy with everything that you do, from stories to social posts to blogs to the way that you interact with clients and what projects you say "yes" to, can be so much more beneficial in attracting and retaining the right kind of work, and ultimately elevating your experience and your income.
Don't be afraid to carefully curate your portfolio - you have permission to repurpose the content that does well
I get it - sometimes we need the work and we say "yes" to jobs that aren't typically in our wheelhouse or aren't on our vision boards. But here's the thing: you have the power to be so picky and so intentional about what you show as public through your portfolio. If you don't want to do certain types of shoots: don't post or feature those sessions. Your future clients want to picture themselves in your work, so lining up your portfolio and your marketing with the kind of work that you want to continue pursuing is so important. I know this can be difficult, though, when you feel like you need to post consistently all the time but you don't have tons of that content that you want to push out, or you're pivoting niches or trying something new so you may not have the portfolio to show the work that you want to do more of. Here's some suggestions: model calls. styled shoots. content days. look back at your previous work or sessions and see if there is anything from those that you can maybe shift to look like the work you want to pursue (I.e. you want to do more couple photos but your portfolio is filled with family: see if you have any solo photos of mom and dad to feature; or you want to only do elopements and stop doing traditional weddings: stop featuring photos that show large wedding parties and 70-100 guest weddings). Something else that took me a long time to learn/realize: no one is truly going to notice if you post the same session or similar content more than once. You can space out your posting and repurpose the exact same session into multiple different pieces of content if that session or wedding served you and your goals well.


Everyone is going to have, and learn from, their own experiences.
These are just a few of the thoughts that I've reflected on over the past few weeks as I've looked back to see what I wish I would have done sooner, or what I wish someone would have told me.
I'll be following up in this series in a few weeks with a more technical, specific, comprehensive post going over all things intro equipment, pricing logistics, and my recommendations for attracting and retaining those ideal clients that are going to keep you excited about your work and building a life that you truly love - skipping the overwhelm and the burnout.
In the meantime, if you're interested in chatting more about your business and getting second opinions, your questions answered, or finally finding that friend that come alongside of you in your business building journey, I am now offering mentorships and coaching. You can head over to my coaching page for more info HERE or go ahead and book your free coaching consult right HERE!
See you again soon 🥰
P.S. While you're here, be sure to grab my FREEBIE: A Photographer's Guide to Getting Started (click HERE to subscribe and get that free download 🥳)
That was such a smart and helpful post, no matter what the business is. Thank you!