Articles
When you request a testimonial or review from your photography client
Our happy and satisfied clients can be our biggest evangelists and provide our most authentic and honest marketing language, so I love to ask them to describe the experience of working with us in their own words. Here’s how I do it! When do you send this message? We send this as soon as…
When a client posts a negative review about your photography business online
Dear Miss Communication, It happened–I got a terrible review online, and I’m heartbroken. I’m so afraid this will damage my business! The client had a terrible experience with weather and a timeline that didn’t work on her wedding day and now she’s taking it out on me. What do I say? Can I do anything?…
When you have a photographer to shop for: the 2016 gift guide for photographers and other humans
So you have a photographer to buy for, and the only things you can think of are brilliantly patterned camera straps (no—let us choose. It might not be appropriate for our brand) or that lens mug that we all already have. (I promise. We have it.) But actually, we photographers can be really, really easy…
What to say when your client wants to make changes to your contract
Photo by Pixsooz/iStock / Getty Images We’ve all been there—you’re about to finalize the booking with your client and instead of coming back with a signature, a smile and a check, they come back with red pen marks all over your contract. What to say? Whether you’re willing to make changes or not is completely…
What to say when your client wants to choose or approve your second shooter
Sometimes your wedding clients are extra curious about the second shooter you’ll bring to their wedding, and they express a desire to exert influence on your choice for their event. While it’s a reasonable question to wonder who else will be at your wedding and capturing one of the most important and expensive days of…
What to say when your client communicates via text
This is a personal preference, obviously. Some photographers and other small business owners don’t mind informal texting or FB messaging with clients, and others prefer to keep all client messages in one location. I’m strongly in the “keep all client/vendor messages in one location” because I know myself, I will never remember where an important…
When you want to ingest and cull in Photomechanic
I am long-time user of Photo Mechanic, made by Camera Bits, and if you are photographing, well, just about anything, I highly recommend using it to download, backup and cull your images. I’m not an affiliate of PM, and I don’t get any income from sharing this link, but I’m a huge believer in this…
Doing Business with Business: Working in the Commercial Market
If you’re a working photographer in any genre, you’ve probably had requests like these: “I need a new head shot, how much is it?” “I need some product photos for my Etsy shop, can I hire you?” “My office wants photos for the new website. Can you send over a proposal today?” “My restaurant needs…
Organizing Your Digital Life: A new series at Pencil & Lens
It’s no secret that I love using technology to get ALL THE THINGS done—the way I see it, we have to do THE THINGS anyway, so why not use the technology of our time to make things easier, simpler, faster and less boring? I could write about apps and technology and streamlining and automation on…
When all the things at Pencil & Lens go on sale
It’s happening! Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale: Friday, November 27-Monday, November 30 We’re having our first Black Friday sale at Pencil & Lens, and we couldn’t be more excited! Spend your holiday weekend just the way you want: over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house, on a line at midnight with your sleeping…