Why You Should Hire a Photography Company vs. An Individual

So this might be a little controversial, but I feel it needs to be discussed. Awhile ago I spent $4,000 on a shoot (only shared to show that this was not a cheap photographer, but a luxury one like myself) & I’ve gotten 0 response when I’ve asked when to expect my photos, even offering to edit them myself. In contrast, all of my clients who had their shoots after mine that same month got their orders weeks ago. We’re talking we’ve delivered several orders since then, not just one. The fact that I’ve been ignored inspired me to write this to remind photographers that it’s ok to get backlogged, but you need to communicate what’s going on to your clients.

I regularly book photo shoots for me because 1) I love to practice self-love by giving myself a regular confidence boost & 2) It’s really educational for me to see how other photographers work. I bring the good stuff back to my business and I also learn what not to do. One thing I’ve learned from working with other photographers is that turnaround can be slow when it’s just them.

For those who weren’t aware, Beautiful You Studios isn’t just me. We’re a company. There’s my studio manager, my Facebook group assistant, my hair/makeup artists (we just added a 3rd to our team!!) & a photo editor. As a company, we have a very organized, standardized & systematic approach to how we do business that includes the following:

• An online rather than PDF contract. You’d be surprised how many photographers still email contracts that you have to download, sign, & then email back – WHEW. Using Dubsado is so much better.
• Online invoices you can pay with any major credit card or PayPal Credit if you need financing.
• An online questionnaire to learn how you want to be photographed.
• A mobile-friendly lingerie guide which provides advice on what to wear that you can take with you while you shop.
• A digital how-to-get-ready guide that includes tips like what color to paint your nails, videos on stretches to do to make sure you don’t end up sore after the shoot, and so much more.
• An email with extremely detailed directions to our studio + a video of how to get in as it’s gated.
• Reminder emails for upcoming appointments.
• Digital proof sheets so that you can remember exactly what you ordered while you wait for the finished edits to arrive.
• All deadlines communicated in writing; you’re never left wondering when exactly you’ll receive your images.
• Access to my personal cell phone number once you book so that you can text if you have questions.

You would think that all of this would be standard process across the board, but it’s not. I think I’m unusually Type A.

Running a photography business is A LOT for one person. There’s not only shooting & editing, but also contracts to gather, emails, texts, & phone calls to respond to, social media posts to create & schedule, paid ads to maintain & run, websites to update, financial stuff to sort out. Everything is extremely time-consuming so it’s really not too surprising that I’m still waiting on my order as this photographer’s business is just them. The only reason I’m able to deliver orders in 5 weeks or less is because I hire folks to help me stay on top of things. My editor starts working on the photos right after the shoot, we have project management software to keep track of where everything is in production, we have internal deadlines, & I jump in to edit myself when things get backlogged.

My clients are also told exactly what date to expect their order & if we miss the deadline for some reason (It happens, we’re not perfect & sometimes things fall through the cracks!), I usually send some kind of gift or small upgrade. Most of the photographers I’ve hired however, have given really vague delivery dates like “sometime soon” or “in a month or so.” I think it’s because they’re usually the only ones editing & therefore they don’t want to commit incase they get backlogged. They also tend to ghost until they’re ready to deliver; not so with us. We respond to questions within 2 hours or less. When my Studio Manager has finished her work for the day, I respond myself even if it’s after business hours. I’ve often replied as late as midnight or later, although I’m working on creating healthier boundaries lol.

Anyway, while I wait for my photos, here’s some pics I had taken with my cell phone in Milos, Greece a couple weeks ago. ❤️