Time

Time is of the essence. I received my last paycheck from my old job today... So now I'm totally on my own. It's all up to me now... So we'll see what happens! I'm a huge introvert. I don't like talking to people one on one. I hate confrontation. I don't like answering questions on the spot. It freaks me out. But being a photographer is all about talking to people and being a people person. So I'm going to throw myself in front of the people train and hopefully survive. I'm going to be contacting some companies to see if I can do some shoots for their businesses. And I gave out info to 50 moms from the local produce co-op today. I'm taking baby steps. Just gonna pray over this endeavor and see what happens. 

TTYL,

Laura :)

Leaps and Bounds

1/30/2018
Nick and Stephani's shoot gave me so much excitement and joy. The pleasure of capturing an emotion in a photo is overwhelming. I'm so in this photography thing for the long haul.
My business cards came in the mail....I printed all my pricing menus and I have a crap load of photos being printed as I type. Tomorrow I'm going to Bayside Just Because to take some photos of valentines bouquets....I also have a bunch of photos to cover her walls with. So much fun stuff happening! Friday I'll be heading to the salon to put up photos on the other half of my designated area.
Catcha later,
Laura

Comparison

1/29/2018
I have a ton of respect for a few photographers up in the northern/north-west part of the country. They're talented, artistic, and...flawless. Their style and perfection is something I aspire to reach. However...as good as they are, memorizing every inch of their Instagram and website isn't helpful or beneficial. See, they've been blogging and shooting for years. They have a different level of photography equipment and a whole different level of skills and wisdom. I'm not on their level yet. And that's okay. I can't expect myself to be as good as the Michigan wedding photographer who seems to be traveling day and night for destination weddings. Or the guy who trecks through the mountains out west taking stunning wedding photos and occasionally catching a shot of a red fox.  That's just not where I'm at yet...but I'll get there soon! It's okay to not be exactly where they are. And the important thing is to NOT get hung up on how your photography can't match theirs. They blazed their own trail and became the amazing photographer that they are today....with their own style and flawless Instagram page ;) The point is, do your own thing. Blaze your own trail. Cause they're doing theirs and people are loving it. And no one likes copy cats. So work hard on your own original style. Do what you love....and let it shine in your photos.
-Me :)

Schedule

1/24/18

I'm working on S P R E A D I N G my name. I've been trying to book shoots with families/seniors/couples to get practice and spread my name. The hope is for a chain reaction. Do a shoot and have my name spread around a bit....

Senior photo season is right around the corner and I'm hoping to hit it hard and with tons of energy.

As a manual mode noob, I'm getting to see the full potential of lighting, clarity, and depth. 

Momentum

1/18/18 Day 3,4,5,6 (cause I was sick and watched The Office instead of blogging and doing work)
Last night I finally got to do a session with Laura and her horse. The lighting was perfect, and we've had exceptionally warm temperatures in Minnesota, so it was an ideal night.
Also, the logo is finally done! It look days of sketching and lots of late-night creative energy. I tried to design something that showcased the natural whimsy of Minnesota, while staying professional and hip with a trendy and modern set of fonts.
The bottom sketch is what my design looked like after I changed the fonts in my editor. The top one is all original.

Also, on Monday I'll be starting a giveaway. So stay tuned. :)

Till tomorrow,

Social Media & Goals

1/12/18 Day 2:
Social Media. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, VSCO. I'm going to be using those to my advantage as I build my business. Tomorrow I'll be doing my first live video on Instagram....so that'll be interesting.
Goals. I'm setting (maybe) realistic goals for my social media pages. They are laughable goals, but they're mine and I'm going to do my best to achieve them. So here they are.

Instagram

February 1...........500 followers

March 1...............1000 followers

April 1.................2000 followers

Facebook

February 1.......50 Page Likes

March 1...........75 Page Likes

April................150 Page Likes

Twitter

February 1.....25 Followers

March 1.........30 Followers

April 1...........50 Followers

I'm not sure how I feel about VSCO yet. I'll be researching the benefits of VSCO as time allows.

Growing...

1/11/18 Day 1:
I have decided to follow my passion. My dream. For years I've wanted to be a photographer, and today I start the journey of building my own business, and being my own boss. Yes, it's probably a bit crazy to dump a stable job, but I believe that if you put your mind to something and give a dream your best shot it can become a reality. Since I worked with people every single day, I was able to learn about how to build a business. People who wanted to work for themselves shared their strategies and the obstacles they overcame.
I also started to read photography blogs. Gleaning wisdom from the pros.
One of the top suggestions out there is to get your photography into shops. Tomorrow I'll be adding my work to "The Hair Loft". 
So...I'll be using this blog to journal about the day to day stuff I do to build my dream. Now I'm off to do some tweaking on this blog and to work on my Instagram, @lauraphotographymn