photography advice

Filter Out the Noise

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To my dear photographer friends:

I received a note from another photographer recently. A lovely one filled with kind words about my work. 
I was flattered beyond measure.

But intertwined with the compliments, was an undercurrent of uncertainty.

What should I do?
How do I manage?
I don't want to miss out.
How do you do it?
Help?

The answer is: I don't know.

I can't give you an exact formula, no one can.
That's why you see so many posts and messages and comments on the same thing.
How? Why? 

Because it's about you. And that's the very best part.
Because it's about your limits & desires.
Your focus.

You control your schedule. What you shoot. When.
Which clients you work with. How often. What kind.

Your business. Your art. Your rules.

So if you're here. Serving your clients. Serving your community.
You might as well enjoy it.

You might as well shoot what you love. Because then you'll shoot the best.
You might as well set your schedule. Because then you'll shoot the best.
You might as well set aside time for your family. Because then you'll shoot the best.

Being overworked, stressed, lonely. That doesn't lead to good work.

And with good work. And peace. And finding yourself.
The work will come.

Because your images will sing. They will cheer. They will breathe.
They will mirror you, and how you love what you do most.
Refreshing and honest and pure.

So be gentle with yourself. Allow your faults and your times of imbalance. 

Then move along and breathe and recoup.
Because then you'll find your why and your way.

washington dc baby fine art baby photographer

Kate Juliet Photography specializes in natural maternity, newborn, and family portraiture in the Washington DC and Northern VA area.
Contact me to begin planning your custom portrait experience.

Where are you? | Washington DC Baby Photographer

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So, I have a question for you today:
Where are you?

Not how are you, but where.

And I don't mean what county your booty is sitting in right now. I mean, in your photos, where are you?

Are you even in them?

It's easy to get caught up in taking the photos. Trust me, I know. I do it too.
You can have fun taking photos of everyone you love without worrying what your hair looks like,
or that your top fits a little funny, or that you haven't lost weight yet.

And you may even feel like since you're the one running around taking photos all the time, surely you must be in some of them too, right?

Let's do a quick experiment. Take a minute right now to scroll through your most recent photos. Count how many photo you're in.

Go do it (really, go!), I'll wait. Don't mind me while I hum the Jeopardy theme music...

So how many photos are you in? Did you even make into the double digits? And of those, how many are selfies taken from the exact same angle and distance from your iphone?

These are the images your children will have to look back on. Are they enough?

Give them something to look back on. Give them images that bring back memories. That tell stories.
That show how much you love them.

#existinphotos

For Photographers | A Reminder for when you feel like Quitting

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You're swamped. Between the kids, the job, and life (if you even still have one of those) it's all too much.
You're frustrated. And tired.
And just done.

Everyone has been there.

It would be so easy to just give it up. Think of all the time you would have!
No more inquiries to respond to. No more sessions to plan.
You could have your weekends to yourself and your family again.
No more late night editing marathons.
No more worrying about your work or taking classes or upgrading your gear. 
Sounds pretty good if you ask me.

But then... what would you be giving up?

You started a photography business for a reason.
Do you remember what it was?
What your vision for this creative outlet would be?

Are you staying true to that?

My guess is probably not. So before you throw in the towel, try re-thinking things.

Make sure you're shooting what you love.
Shoot something new, or re-visit something old.
Whatever it is, shoot something that inspires you.

Make sure you're shooting who you love.
That you're finding the right clients.
That they love what you do as much as you do.

But as much as you love it, don't overbook yourself.
Give yourself room to breath, room to grow.
Space.

Muscles get stronger the day after we work them.
Because growth doesn't happen in the work, growth happens in the rest.

Take care of yourself.
And look at your work again. The images that you've given your clients.
The gifts you've given their children.
Think about how much fun this job is.

Then take a deep breath,
pick up your camera.
And get
               to
                    work.

So you think you want to be a photographer? 7 pieces of advice | Washington DC Photographer

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I get asked a lot of questions about photography. What's it like to be a photographer? It looks like so much fun! How do I do that too? And the truth is, yeah, it is fun. I love my clients. And not just that, I like them. They are amazing and fun and a blast to be around. I love creating beautiful images for them. It's amazing to know that I'm doing something for them that will last a lifetime. But when you turn something you love into a business, well, there is an element of work to it too. You're no longer answering just to yourself, but your clients too and you owe it to them to provide a good experience.

Here are a few things about being a photographer that I've learned along the way:

1. Practice, practice, practice

It should go without saying that you should be good. And not just plain good, but good good. Shoot every day and learn your camera inside and out. Figure out what you can do. What you love. You have to take a lot of lousy photographs before you can start taking good ones, we've all been there.

2. Learn to say no

In the beginning it's tempting to take on every client that comes to you. But the reality is, if you don't love it, don't shoot it. I love babies and moms, so that's what I shoot. I love watching those babies grow up, that's why I reserve family sessions for clients I've worked with before. You know what I don't love so much? Sports. So I don't shoot 'em. I want to give my clients the best experience possible, and there are times when their best experience may not be with me. And that's okay. If I can't provide a high quality service and product that I'm excited about sharing with my client, then it's not fair to them and it would be a disservice to my clients to offer anything less than my best.

3. Get organized

Being a photographer is only about 10% shooting sessions. The rest of your time will be spent on the business end of things (and most of a photography business is the "business end of things"). Figure out your workflow and learn to manage your time. It's a disservice to both yourself and your clients otherwise.

4. Network

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking every other photographer out there is your competition. And well, okay, they kind of sort of are. But even more than that, they're your colleagues. Owning your own business and operating by yourself can be lonely. Make friends and connections. Not only will it give you someone to talk to, it will give you someone to bounce ideas off of and help you work through your problems. Become part of the community and someone who is known for being open and helpful.

5. Cover your butt: be legal, have insurance, use a contract

I should have made this number one because it's just that important. Do not accept money for your photography until and unless you are running a legal business. No one wins when they have to deal with the tax man, so make sure your taxes are in order. Likewise, protect yourself. Use a contract and have insurance. What happens if a client breaks their leg during a session with you? It's safer for both you and them if you have all your business ducks lined up.

6. Learn, learn, learn

This goes alongside with practice, practice, practice. But it's not enough to practice if you don't know what the heck you should be working on. Take courses, read up, watch videos. Take in everything you can get your hands on. Will it all be good information? No. But you won't know that until you figure out what's out there. Explore different types of shooting and post processing. Be open to constructive criticism. And remember that the learning never really ends. It's a journey that we're all taking, not a destination.

7. Cut yourself some slack

It's easy to get overwhelmed, and that's because it is actually overwhelming. Trust, I've been there. When I first started my business it was a huge scary exciting crazy thing. There are so many hurdles and things to figure out, it's easy to get frustrated, especially when there are so many other photographers out there doing amazing work. When you feel overwhelmed by it all give yourself permission to take a break. A break from looking at what everyone else is doing. A break from booking clients. A break from running yourself ragged. Take care of yourself and remember why you decided to do this in the first place. And then take it one thing at a time.