Happy Sunday, everyone!
Today I want to jump into “your brand”. When thinking of my business- I think of genuine, vulnerable, and raw images I can share with the world. My job is to capture the art of emotion during weddings, engagements, proposals, and couple sessions! Nearing the end of 2020, I discovered I was more stepping away from that role and entering something more monotonous.
When I felt that I was stepping away from that potential I had worked so hard to get to, I knew it was time to make a change. A change that I knew would take time, but ultimately make me happier!
Let’s talk editing! My first preset pack I bought was @dcpresets. I can’t say enough great things about Dawn Charles and her presets. They helped me so much when I was first learning how to edit and find my style, and not only that, they are so beautiful! But I still found myself tweaking each photo more than the last. It became a trend in which I was wanting to adjust certain elements like tonality, warmth, contrast, grain, and the list goes on. I finally got to the point where editing was taking me FOREVER. Any other photographers out there feel me??? I would never be truly satisfied with my images and spent hours staring at one image wondering if it looked good enough. I know my other photographers can relate. As a perfectionist, editing can be so hard because I want it to look perfect in every aspect and also make my clients happy without editing your life away.
I would spending hours playing with the HSL sliders (these control your hue, saturation, and luminance of each color) which helped me understand the colors and tones and how they relate to each other. As I kept changing and figuring out how I want my photos to look, I began searching for a preset pack that would help achieve the look I desired. As I continued studying my colors and other presets, I began to notice how I wanted my images to FEEL and not just what I wanted them to look like. This felt so freeing because as I was working through this new editing style I wasn’t spending as much time editing. It felt intuitive, organic, and simply like the best move to make!
I want my images to convey emotions and storytelling in a personal, raw, film-like way. So, I studied other presets and figured out how I wanted to capture and show this emotion. I eventually decided to purchase @dawnphotopresets because I love how Dawn Jarvis’ photos ooze warmth! (See a Dawn theme? Haha) Now, I still tweak and edit my photos to make sure they are true to my style and new brand I want to create. Yet, changing these subtle changes helped me understand my images, colors, and how I want my work to be known, seen, and felt!
Y’all, I was terrified to make this change, but I knew that I was pouring too much time into my work that still ended up not feeling “right”. I know that my style will always be changing and evolving and you know- learning to change the small things in my images have helped me the most. I have found out more about not only my brand, but myself. As a business owner, you pour literally everything into your brand. You have to be vulnerable enough to check-in with yourself and ask if what you’re doing for your brand is coming from heart and soul.
I used to dread editing, and coming from a photographer, that can sound like an oxymoron! But, I am learning to embrace the changes that have helped me grow. Leaning into change can ultimately be the best thing for you and your brand. Don’t ever let yourself get stuck in a headspace that doesn’t allow for change, for growth, and EMBRACE change. You are allowed to hold that space to respect and honor your old work and continuously celebrate the work you’re doing now.
I can only hope that this inspires all of my photographer and small business owners out there. I am super proud and very excited to show more of my new work with you! You can find more of my work on my Instagram. I truly hope you enjoy it. And stay tuned for more parts on rebranding coming soon!
Have a great week, friends!
xo
~S
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