Behind the Scenes

It's a new year and so I thought I'd show some behind the scenes from the old one. They're nothing glamorous - in fact, quite the opposite. I help make sure the people in front of the camera look fabulous, after all, nobody is taking a photos of me! Unless, of course, you're my assistant/ second shooter... Darn Suzy gets me every time!

These 6 are pretty standard. 

These two... not so much. When I'm not taking photos, my true personalities comes through. On the left, for example, I got to ride a golf cart for the very first time (a dream come true!!!) so clearly I was excited. On the right, I am clearly losing my mind.

Before every wedding and portrait shoot, bags need to be packed, batteries charged and cat's to be briefed.

I... I don't even know. Except for the last one - Gotta check my shots!

And to make myself seem not 'so' crazy, some normal photos of me at shoots and weddings

So, there ya have it! Thanks Suzy for always being ready for a classy moment!

2013 Recap

(I was going to post my favorites from this past year but had to give up - there were just too many.)

It's been an amazing year. I've been blessed to photograph many beautiful weddings in the past 12 months and meet countless great couples and families.

2013 was also a challenging year. I was let go from my full time position in March, which was, on one side, a blessing as I was extremely unhappy working there, but adjusting to life with only one stable salary also proved to be a challenge financially. We had a wedding to plan and pay for, a dying car that needed to be replaced and a pool that seemed to just swallow all our money since we had no clue what we're doing. But we made it. And we made it out quite well. Thanks to the support from our family and friends, we always had something to look forward to and in retrospect - 2013, although hard, was the best one yet.

2013 gave me the opportunity to go full time with wedding and portrait photography. It taught me to believe in myself and not to give up on my dream. This is what I want to do, and, although sometimes life plays a bit unfair by throwing us right into the middle of the action without warning, I know I can do this.

I'm excited to see what 2014 brings. More weddings, more direction and more goals.
Here's to all my amazing clients, who've believed in me and who've made this past year even remotely possible! And my husband, because he's pretty rad himself.

Happy New Year!

In My Bag : Canon 5D Mark iii

Ladies and Gentlemen - a bit over a year ago I published a post about what camera was in my camera bag. Today, I bring you the updated version. I was finally able to purchase my dream camera - the Canon 5D Mark iii. I am beyond the moon about this 'little" guy and have already played around with him quite extensively. He's bigger, for sure, than my 60D but honestly, I expected him to be a lot heavier, and he really isn't.

I have an Engagement Shoot Monday and my final wedding of the season next week on Saturday so I am super happy to be able to truly put him to the test.

Excuse me while I drool over him some more! I'll do a post about my lenses soon, I promise!

Pro DPI Sample Album

If you follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, you already know that I am absolutely in love with my latest Sample Album. I recently switched Labs to ProDPI and can't say enough good thing about them. They send you candy with every order - I mean, come on! How could I not love them?

After receiving several test prints, I decided it was time to order a Sample Album from them. I previously used Layflat Books but they just weren't cutting it anymore. I wanted something chic, high quality and something my clients could show off with pride. I am so happy with ProDPI and how the album came out. From the beautiful cover and its' thick pages to the great quality of the images and product as a whole. I am smitten! Thank God I get to keep this one to myself!

I decided to order the Sample Album in the Champagne Chrome Fabric but ProDPI also offers a simpler "Standard" Fabric as well as several colors for Linen and Silk Fabric. They also offer Vegan Leather, which I can't wait to try out as well soon!
  For all my clients who think they might be interested in an album, I also have Sample Swatches of all the cover options, which I will be sure to bring to your consultation. It's so much nicer to actually see and feel the material before committing financially.
  Make sure you e-mail me today if you're a past client and want to get a personalized album from me. I only have a limited amount of days left during which I can meet with you before November!

So excited about where my business is heading!

New Website Reveal

I am beyond ecstatic about my new website. I've been meaning to design a new one for a while now as I felt the previous site did not reflect my style and personality at all. With the help of Showit and Sitehouse Designs, I was able to create an amazing site.

Here is my website before:


And, ladies and possibly gentlemen, after:



I just love how the colors are vibrant, fun and the feel of the site is still feminine and modern. I can't stop looking at it to be honest! My 2013 brides will have some kick ass features added to their collections including +Sites (more on those later) and Online Galleries for easy downloading, sharing and viewing of their images.

Along with the website, I also played around a bit with the design of the blog to match the updated look and feel of my brand. If you normally read the blog through Google Reader or Bloglovin, make sure you visit the actual blog to take a look.

Definitely also make sure you visit the website: www.jannephoto.com and let me know what you think!

Announcement Time!

These past months I have worked hard on overhauling my business. This included some small face lifts for the website (Botox for portfolios?), new client kits and new price sheets, which will roll out end of March 2013. If you've been toying with the idea of hiring me as your photographer for your wedding or portrait, please consider doing so in the next few weeks as prices are going to increase.

I hated making this decision but have been reading some business and photography materials lately that have opened my eyes. I may have given each couple that booked me a great deal, I, however, was not profiting financially. At the same time, I didn't just want to do this overnight or catch anyone by surprise. 

I want to go full time in the next 1 – 2 years and can only do so if I can make a profit. That should make sense to anybody and now it does to me, too. Your wedding photos are going to last a lifetime and I want to make this experience as special as I can. In order to up my service and truly cater to my clients' needs, this price increase is necessary. I like where my business is going, it just needed a little push in the right direction.

As always, please click here to check out the portfolio and if you're interested, click here to send me an e-mail so we can set up a meeting!

Reality Check

Lately I have lost myself in the idea that I really don’t know what I am talking about when taking photos. Who am I to photograph a couple’s most important day? I don’t have this lens or that camera or then again those filters. Then I realized that it’s really not at all about the equipment. Well, to an extend it is. You have to have a camera, that’s a given, but honestly, I shot my first weddings with a Rebel xsi and blew everyone who doubted me away. There are obvious advantages to having top of the line equipment but for me, this luxury is just not possible at this moment. I am doing fine renting the lenses I need and slowly purchasing necessary items as I progress. This allows me to learn what I do have inside and out. Anyone can buy the newest Canon Camera but not everyone can shoot a wedding and not make the bride cry when she sees her images.

I know my equipment and I know weddings. And most importantly, I love what I do and understand it’s not about me AT ALL. I am there to capture memories, not make money. Sometimes, this becomes a downfall, which I won’t get into right now, but for me it truly is about the couple and their families.

It’s a challenge to shoot with limited equipment, but I have overcome it and am now actually relieved I don’t have to haul 10 lenses to every shoot. For me, it’s about simplicity, I strive to capture the beauty that is actually there, and I can do that very well with 3-4 lenses, thank you very much.

That said, I do have my eye on a little something-something in the next few months. As my clientele is increasing and I have been booking more and more weddings, it’s just simply not practical or wise to rent a lens I use most of the wedding day. I might as well invest my money instead of throwing it out the window.

Honestly, though. I think as photographers we get so carried away and are so easily intimidated by the big guns out there who bring 3 rolling cases of equipment to every wedding. If you can do it with less, then why don’t you? As long as the quality is the same, I don’t see why we need to waste our money on things we might not need. Disagree? That's ok. Some people love shooting with more equipment, it's whatever works for you. I just hope smaller scale photographers out there understand that growth happens at an individual's pace.

This goes for everything in life, by the way. Think about it.

2013 Wedding Referral Program {Cincinnati Wedding Photographer}

2013 has already started off very well for me and the little business. To continue to grow and expand my clientele, I want to introduce you to the new Referral Program:

1. You must be one of my 2013 or 2014 brides or grooms.

2. Think of any friend, relative, acquaintance or enemy that is engaged and in need of a photographer.

3. Have them contact me!

And here’s what’s in it for you. If your referral books me, meaning I have their signed contract and deposit, you will receive a FREE mini portrait session: 30 minute shoot at a location of your choice with up to 10 high resolution photos along with a print release. 

I truly appreciate all my clients and just wanted to say THANK YOU! It’s because of YOU that my business is growing so quickly. 

Getting the Shot - Behind the Scenes

I love finding these photos among my second shooter's files so I thought I'd share the Behind the Scenes look of how it looks when I take a photo as well as the final image.














And sometimes, I even iron the bridesmaids dresses! I don't believe in just standing there and watching everyone race around to get ready. If there is something I can do to help make the day perfect, I will do it.
 

All images from my last wedding of the season - some dear friends' of us tied the knot in West Chester, Ohio.

Reflections.

With the last wedding of the season coming up this weekend, I just wanted to reflect on how far I've come in the last year and a half.

My very first official shoot was with the lovely Gina from Acute Designs. I say official because really, family and friends are great and all but don’t pay the bills. I remember feeling so nervous the day of the shoot. All jitters, however, went away quickly as soon as I did what I know best, get behind the camera and just shoot. I had an amazing time with Gina and loved getting to know her.

I've always been a little awkward in public. My friends will tell you I am anything but shy but something about being in public and causing a scene just gets to me. I had been afraid to shoot in public with hundreds of people looking at me funny. Today, a year and a half later, I still get funky when I think about what I have to do but seriously, once I get out there with my camera and “do my thing” I lose all sense of … being, I guess. I completely lose myself in my photography and will often forget to eat or drink during 8-10 hour shoots. It’s just my camera and the people in front of it. I will do whatever it takes to get “that shot” be it laying on the cold and dirty floor or balancing on tables to get everyone in. I really don’t care what I look like at that moment, and that’s how I knew I wanted to photography people for the rest of my life.

I've had some amazing opportunities in the past 3 months alone and can’t thank the people involved enough. They've had faith in me and my work and never gave up on me. They gave me the time and attention and most importantly, a chance to show them what I can do. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the love I receive from my clients, family and friends.

As I wrap up the next week and a half of shooting, send the last discs of images off to my clients, I want to focus on where the next year will take me. I know where I want to me and have my path cut out for me. I pray for courage and patience in the next year.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck by me on this new path. Among a full time job, wedding planning and my photography business, it’s been quite the ride.

In My Bag : Canon 60D

I finally made the plunge and purchased my next camera. The Canon 60D is not yet the ultimate dream camera for me, but it is a considerable step up from what I have been shooting with. It fits my need at the moment, until I can rack up some more cash for the 5D. Fresh out of the box, I am waiting on the battery to charge but already I see a huge difference.

I can't believe I have gotten away with shooting with a Rebel for this long. Really shows that fancy equipment doesn't automatically make for good pictures. Seriously, learn to work with what you have and don't buy a new camera until you know your old one inside and out. I still love my original baby, but Big Brother is officially in the house and ready to take over. I can't wait to learn all about it and take it on the Family Shoot I have this weekend!

Welcome, 60D, you have been well deserved.

A Legal Business

I can officially say I own my own business. Can you? I am going to be honest, I dreaded this big step for a while and thus had difficulty getting clients. I didn't value my business, so how could it grow?

It was a little bit tougher of a process than I initially expected but I got it all done in one day, so really, I had nothing to complain about. If you ever decide to start your own business, just be patient and read up on anything you might not be familiar with. Consulting with a professional is always a good idea, too.


*Disclaimer: I am not a legal or business expert, when in doubt, consult a professional in the field.*


Steps I took to make my business legit:

1. Decide what type of business I want to set up - Sole Proprietor, LLC, Corporation, etc.

2. Get a Federal EIN - one of the simplest steps, though the scariest.

3. Register my Fictitious Name - I had done this a while back to reserve the name and just updated the address to my new residence.

4. Got a Business License - this one was tough and required a bit of digging. Google can be your best friend here but your Secretary of State's website should contain a lot of the info you need.

Next on the list:

5. Get a business checking account - I unfortunately can't do this one online but you might!

6. Get file folders and set up the office - organization is key!!!

7. Book more photo shoots!

8. Keep thinking about Tax Season - it's never too early.


It was important to me to get everything set up before I started my photography business. I don't know abou you, but I'd hate to have a run in with the law. The peace of mind is worth all the trouble and really, it wasn't all that bad. I also felt pretty bad ass after it was all said and done!


Do you own your own business? Was it a tough process to go through?

I got something in the Mail

and it cost me all an arm and a leg, but was totally worth it.

Exhibit A:

I finally caved and bought myself a Kelly Moore Photography Bag. Yes, all $199 worth of gloriousness - it's gray and purple on the inside. I used to just put my camera into my purse and pray that I wouldn't drop it, spill anything on it or otherwise damage the goods inside but after a while, I realized I should probably not gamble with thousands of dollars worth in equipment.

Exhibit B:

I also finally ordered new business and promo postcards. They feature some of my photography so they completely replace my old cards that focused more on design. I once again went with moo.com and am so happy with them. Their quality is just beyond great. So worth the extra pennies. Now I just need to hand them out and wait for the calls (ha!)

And now, I am on credit card probation.

Check out the portfolio if you haven't already: www.jannephoto.com and shoot me an e-mail if you're interested in working with me!