The Little Things. {Jacksonville NC, Engagement + and Wedding Photographer}

This past week was a REAL EYE OPENER for me. It has really made me feel blessed to even be able to work 2 jobs.
Lately, I have been in a funk. To be honest, I hated working my full time job. And if you didn't know, NO I do not pursue photography FULL TIME. I am actually a server/corporate trainer for a small and up and coming franchise... Cheddars Casual Cafe while enduring the job as a photographer on the days  and hours I am not there.

This week was probably one of the worst weeks I have had in a year. Everything that could go wrong DID.
I won't go into much detail about it because most of it was petty stuff. But I had a conversation with a friend of my who is also a manager and I have a new outlook on the way I will come into work.
Not only did the conversation change my way of thinking, but a very kind couple that left a note on a napkin really made me think that I am in the service industry for the right reasons. I realized that this can carry on into my own business and help improve my way of thinking about the "CLIENT'S PORTION" of photography.

Cheddar's(c) has based their company and their passion on these 4 pillars.
1. REAL RELATIONSHIPS
2. Hand-made Food Quality
3. Polished Atmosphere
4. Explicit Value Pricing.

These Pillars are Set so that we as a whole can SET OUR RESTAURANT apart from any others in town. As a trainer, I take pride in my workplace and give my guests the BEST service they have EVER had at any place.

So I got to thinking...
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Why can't I set my self apart in my own business based on how I train people at the restaurant.

I want to build real relationships with my clients.  I have seen it so many times in the past where I will receive an email from a prospective client inquiring for session prices and open dates because they hated their previous session with their last photographer. The main answer I receive in asking what made them so unsure about their images that they are asking to shoot again with me as their photographer is:
"My photographer wasn't personable. We didn't feel comfortable in front of the camera because we felt awkward just standing there with no direction or any sort of personality from them."
My main Goal is to build a real relationship with you by getting to know you. Adding you as a friend on Facebook and texting each other... BECOMING YOUR FRIEND. I know it is easier to photograph a friend than a complete stranger. I use the pre-consultation meeting as an initial "lets be friends" situation. I ask questions about your life that most people won't. The more random the question, the better for me to know the real you.

And though I am not working with food in this passion, I still want to give my clients QUALITY IMAGES. I strive EVERYDAY to make the images I produce, something that my clients and fans will enjoy to look at today and for the rest of their lives.  By building a real relationship with my clients, I am producing NATURAL more flattering images BASED solely on YOU as a client. Your images will reflect you, therefore, making them more genuine. The more natural you feel in your photographs, the more inclined you will feel to LOVE your images. The quality will shine through them.

I want to make my business polished in a sense that I am branding myself that is true to my style.
I want you all to see that this is my passion and if you can't, then I have some improving to do.

 I aim to give my clients great images at a great price.


As you can see I take BOTH jobs VERY SERIOUSLY.  I know that God has a plan for me. He used this bad week I have had and turned it into a plan for my business and for my job.
I am thankful to Him for bringing this couple in my life and leaving this note. As a server, I understand WHOLE-HEARTEDLY how hard it is to continue with the job after rough days and long shifts. Notes left on the table like this, however, make my job more enjoyable, bearable, and fun.

It truly is the little things in that make life so much more amazing.

I would like to take this time to inform ALL of you that I will NOT be offering sessions from March 16th- April 3rd. I will be out of town for this period of time and will not have time for any kind of bookings then. I will be Right back at booking that weekend and so on after that point.

happy wednesday friends.