Dear First name / Friend, Happy November! It's going to be 70 degrees in Minnesota today, so it's feeling more like late September. But most of our trees are bare, so I know winter is just around the corner. I was glad to catch just the end of fall color season and have a photo shoot with 2022 Wings and Pegasus alumnus Alyssa Smolen. Here's your reminder to get in front of the camera. I always come away from sessions like this with more empathy for my clients! Okay, I have much to share with you today, so let's dive right in! |
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4 Ways to Make the Most of Your āOff-Seasonā |
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This time of year is hard for me as a photographer. This pause between the beauty of fall and winter snows that beautify the barren landscape finds my camera collecting dust. I can let that drag me into depression, or I can do something productive to move my business forward with this extra time. Here are some things you can work on during your "Off Season." 1ļøā£ Update Your Website Even though you post regularly to social media and have a Facebook business page, having a website is still essential. And even more so, you need to keep your website current. No matter who your ideal client is, I almost guarantee they will visit your website at some point, and if it is outdated or non-existent, they may choose another photographer. 2ļøā£ Review and Update Your Pricing At the end of every year, it's a good idea to make a spreadsheet of all your sessions and find the average clients have invested with you. If that average isn't meeting your financial needs, it's time to increase your pricing. This is especially important now that inflation is causing our expenses to rise so most of us probably need to increase prices. In the US, inflation is currently at 8.3%, so raising your prices by at least that amount would be a good idea. |
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3ļøā£ Practice Indoor Photography Have you ever wanted to play with off-camera lighting or a studio setup for horses? Winter is a great time to do this. Find a heated barn in your area (if you need heat - haha) and put together a simple lighting setup. You can start with one light and build from there. Here is a list of Lighting Gear I use for my studio setup. If you don't want to play with lights, you could work on your black background skills or even put a horse in a doorway or by a big window and shoot from the side instead of in front. 4ļøā£ Sign Up for an Online Course or Mentorship Winter is the best time to hunker down and learn new photography or business skills online. At the end of this month, I'll be opening enrollment for my Wings Mentorship, an online, small-group mentorship for Equestrian Photographers. Great courses are available all over the internet, and many go on sale on Black Friday, so start planning now! |
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Exciting Changes Coming for the 2023 Wings Equestrian Photography Mentorship! |
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First, I'm offering a VIP option for just five people in the mentorship! It will include the following: - Three 1:1 Video Mentor Calls with Shelley during the mentorship
- Swag Box with:
- Emma Emmerele Photo Halter
- Wings Hoodie Sweatshirt
- 2023 "Horses of Iceland" Calendar
- Horse Lover Mug
- Signed copy of Shelley's Book "Horses, Portraits and Stories"
- First priority for the 2023 Pegasus Mentorship
- and more!
One of the VIP spots will be for the winner of the Eye Candy Scholarship, which we will be doing again this year. Watch for more details on that in a few weeks! Second, I'm offering the Wings content as a standalone course. In the past, I have heard from people unable to participate in Wings because they are in countries and/or had time zone conflicts with the group coaching calls. While I still believe the group coaching option is a much more powerful way to learn, I am happy to offer an alternative for those unable to participate. The Wings Standalone Course will only be available to purchase during the Wings mentorship enrollment period. Third, I'm offering new incentives and activities during the mentorship to enhance and encourage participation! You'll have to sign up to find out what they are! š Can you tell I love doing this mentoring thing? š The Wings Mentorship will open for enrollment on November 28th, but those on the Waiting list will get early access on November 26th, so make sure you are on the list! |
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Read Watch - What's New in Lightroom 12 and Photoshop 2023 (Oct 2022 Update) If you haven't heard, Adobe has added some amazing new features to Lightroom and Photoshop. Matt Kloskowski has a rundown on the new features in these YouTube videos: Lightroom / Photoshop. I tried some of the new masking features on black and white background images and they are insanely good! Listen - Mel Robbins on Healing Anxiety Buy - Phone Cold Shoe Mount You know how I have YouTube videos where I film from the top of my camera and then show the resulting photos? I have been doing that with a GoPro, but now I have this handy $13 phone holder that sits right in the cold shoe of your camera (where a flash would go) and you can record āBehind the Lensā and use it for Reels or TikTok videos! |
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I sincerely hope you are enjoying the Pegasus Journal. If you know of another photographer you think might benefit from these emails, would you consider sharing it email with them? Thank you! And, as always, if there's anything I can do to help you grow as a photographer, please reach out by hitting reply to this email. š |
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Until next timeā¦ Warmly, |
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