Riverview Professional Portrait Photographer | Misty Jones Photography
A little bit about me....
1. Best business advice ever given?
Raise your prices! I remember the fear I felt when I decided to follow that advice. I was terrified that nobody would be willing to pay for my new prices when there are so many photographers, many who charge $100 or less! What??? I remember when I started out in this business and that was definitely me! I had the worst clients back then. People that would complain about the prices! What??? Yep. What I learned?? Clients that value you and the art that you produce will not try to haggle you on your pricing. They appreciate that you are not just a person with a "fancy camera". They understand that in order to run a profitable business you need to cover all your expenses (and there are many in this industry), they appreciate that you are not just taking a photograph but that you are creating memories for their family that will last a lifetime! They appreciate the experience that you can give when you have the time and money to treat your clients with the respect that they deserve. When you are not burnt out, and you will burn out when you are charging $100 per session, you cannot possibly give your clients a great experience. When you look back on your photos do you want to remember being rushed and unsure about what to do during your session? Or do you want to look back and remember how beautiful you felt, how much fun you had, and the beautiful quality of the prints you ordered?
2. What do I do to stay inspired?
As an artist I think I am always thinking about lighting, locations, etc... Every place I go I am looking for the light, thinking about how I could use that place for a session and I am always keeping my eye out for new props. I love browsing pinterest and instagram! I also love to travel. Traveling not only inspires me but it gives me a chance to refresh.
3. What is your favorite type of session?
I just love photographing newborns! They are just so small and squishy. I could photograph them all day everyday and never get tired of it. I also love the time I get to spend with my clients during a newborn session since they are typically a bit longer then a normal session. And I also love hearing back from parents after they see their newborn images. I also really love photographing high school seniors. They are just starting to figure out who they are and it is so much fun incorporating their personalities into their photographs. And I love working with adults from everything to couple sessions, to maternity, to headshots to boudoir. I love making people feel beautiful both during their session and when they receive their portraits.
4. Typical day when I have a session?
They day before I contact my clients to remind them of the date, time and location. If the session will be in the studio then I make sure all the lights, backdrops and props are all set up and ready to go. I make sure the studio and bathroom are clean. I make sure the fridge is stocked with drinks and snacks. And lastly I sit down to look over their client intake form (again) to make sure I am providing them with exactly what they want for the session. Once the clients arrive at the studio I welcome them into the studio and if they are ready to go then we get started right away. Sometimes people get ready here in the studio and I just give them a few minutes to get ready before getting started. After the session I clean up the studio and upload the images to my computer. If I still have time during that day then I will tag the best images and get them ready for editing.
5. What do I do to relax?
I love catching up on tv shows during my downtime. I love documentaries and crime shows. I also love hanging out by the pool with a cocktail. Me and my husband also really like doing puzzles together, sounds kind of boring but it is so therapeutic! LOL! We also play games with the family, hang out with friends and we like to go out dancing. And lots and lots of travel!
6. Piece of advice for the families?
No stressing aloud! I have years of experience and I will pose you, talk your ear off (hopefully nobody hates that, haha) and try to make the experience as fun and as enjoyable as possible! So come ready to have fun!!
7. What is a typical work day for you when you are not photographing clients?
I have a few days each month that I dedicate to specific things.
I spend 1-2 days a month catching up on the following:
~catch up on my blog posts
~marketing
~networking
~cleaning
~accounting
For every session that I have I spend about 10-15 hours editing the photos, uploading gallery, correspondence with client, placing order, packaging order, etc...
And the remainder of my time goes to responding to email inquiries, designing templates, educational videos for photoshop, posing, lighting, etc... I also spend time working on client gifts, ordering supplies/props, etc...
And here is an updated photo of the studio. We have added in some new backdrops with a new backdrop stand, we changed out our lighting, we have a fridge now that we keep stocked with drinks and chocolate.
1. Best business advice ever given?
Raise your prices! I remember the fear I felt when I decided to follow that advice. I was terrified that nobody would be willing to pay for my new prices when there are so many photographers, many who charge $100 or less! What??? I remember when I started out in this business and that was definitely me! I had the worst clients back then. People that would complain about the prices! What??? Yep. What I learned?? Clients that value you and the art that you produce will not try to haggle you on your pricing. They appreciate that you are not just a person with a "fancy camera". They understand that in order to run a profitable business you need to cover all your expenses (and there are many in this industry), they appreciate that you are not just taking a photograph but that you are creating memories for their family that will last a lifetime! They appreciate the experience that you can give when you have the time and money to treat your clients with the respect that they deserve. When you are not burnt out, and you will burn out when you are charging $100 per session, you cannot possibly give your clients a great experience. When you look back on your photos do you want to remember being rushed and unsure about what to do during your session? Or do you want to look back and remember how beautiful you felt, how much fun you had, and the beautiful quality of the prints you ordered?
2. What do I do to stay inspired?
As an artist I think I am always thinking about lighting, locations, etc... Every place I go I am looking for the light, thinking about how I could use that place for a session and I am always keeping my eye out for new props. I love browsing pinterest and instagram! I also love to travel. Traveling not only inspires me but it gives me a chance to refresh.
3. What is your favorite type of session?
I just love photographing newborns! They are just so small and squishy. I could photograph them all day everyday and never get tired of it. I also love the time I get to spend with my clients during a newborn session since they are typically a bit longer then a normal session. And I also love hearing back from parents after they see their newborn images. I also really love photographing high school seniors. They are just starting to figure out who they are and it is so much fun incorporating their personalities into their photographs. And I love working with adults from everything to couple sessions, to maternity, to headshots to boudoir. I love making people feel beautiful both during their session and when they receive their portraits.
4. Typical day when I have a session?
They day before I contact my clients to remind them of the date, time and location. If the session will be in the studio then I make sure all the lights, backdrops and props are all set up and ready to go. I make sure the studio and bathroom are clean. I make sure the fridge is stocked with drinks and snacks. And lastly I sit down to look over their client intake form (again) to make sure I am providing them with exactly what they want for the session. Once the clients arrive at the studio I welcome them into the studio and if they are ready to go then we get started right away. Sometimes people get ready here in the studio and I just give them a few minutes to get ready before getting started. After the session I clean up the studio and upload the images to my computer. If I still have time during that day then I will tag the best images and get them ready for editing.
5. What do I do to relax?
I love catching up on tv shows during my downtime. I love documentaries and crime shows. I also love hanging out by the pool with a cocktail. Me and my husband also really like doing puzzles together, sounds kind of boring but it is so therapeutic! LOL! We also play games with the family, hang out with friends and we like to go out dancing. And lots and lots of travel!
6. Piece of advice for the families?
No stressing aloud! I have years of experience and I will pose you, talk your ear off (hopefully nobody hates that, haha) and try to make the experience as fun and as enjoyable as possible! So come ready to have fun!!
7. What is a typical work day for you when you are not photographing clients?
I have a few days each month that I dedicate to specific things.
I spend 1-2 days a month catching up on the following:
~catch up on my blog posts
~marketing
~networking
~cleaning
~accounting
For every session that I have I spend about 10-15 hours editing the photos, uploading gallery, correspondence with client, placing order, packaging order, etc...
And the remainder of my time goes to responding to email inquiries, designing templates, educational videos for photoshop, posing, lighting, etc... I also spend time working on client gifts, ordering supplies/props, etc...
And here is an updated photo of the studio. We have added in some new backdrops with a new backdrop stand, we changed out our lighting, we have a fridge now that we keep stocked with drinks and chocolate.
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