Finding Your Focus

I’m the first to admit that I’ve made a lot of mistakes over my career. Everything from bringing the wrong equipment to a shoot to a poor retouching job on the images or even arriving late to a set, the list goes on. But I learned more from those experiences than from a book or from the advice anyone could have given me.

I feel the same way about all the different roles I’ve had in the photography industry. From shooting fashion to catalogs to events, I’ve gotten the chance to see how the business works in so many different facets. But what I found over many years of experience was where I fit: executive portraits.

Here’s how I found my focus in the industry:

• Try everything you can: It took me many years and many jobs to find the role I’m in now. I dove into different types of photography and learned from amazing professionals that came before me. I was open to new experiences, even if they didn’t always work out. To be honest, I would have never thought I would love shooting executive portraits. But I do – it’s a way to help people further their image and their career. It helps create a people create a new image for their career. And had I not dipped my toes into many waters, I may not have found my way here.
  
• Ask questions: There will always be someone who has more experience than you. Find those people and pick their brain. Listen to what they say. Ask them as many questions as you can. There are no such thing as “bad” questions. Only unanswered ones.
  
• SEO: The best thing that I’ve invested in, besides my own equipment, was search engine optimization. It made me more accessible to potential clients and broadened my reach to the market. SEO can be an expensive endeavor, but it will pay for itself in no time.
  
• Professional networking events: Events held by BNI or other networking groups allowed me to meet other professionals and become better known in the market. It allowed me to reach more people and develop personal connections with clients.