I'm obsessed with Lavash Cafe, One Six Five Jewelry, and Ambushed Salon (among tons of other locally-owned businesses in Columbus). I love supporting them by visiting as much as I can. But how else can I help?

​Lately, I wanted to show our city's small, locally-owned businesses my support. Over the past four months, I wrote 100 reviews on Google so that when others might seek advice about buying from, hiring, or visiting a local business, they could see a local patron's stamp of approval, plus notes on why the spot is so great. I put a reminder on my calendar each week to write 5 reviews over the span of 20 weeks. It took me about 5 minutes per week, and it can be done on any platform. (I chose one platform to keep it simple for myself.)

I hear people brag on their favorite businesses all the time - why not make your voice heard to the world? Your favorite local businesses would love your support - I know I would. ;)

Happy Friday!
Autumn

P.S. I realize this isn't photography-related, but photography is one small part of an overall marketing strategy. My 7+ years of marketing experience taught me a lot, and makes me realize how valuable my marketing knowledge is to companies who hire me as their photographer. After all, my bread and butter is brand, product, event, and portrait photography for businesses! I'm a better help to them if I can speak intelligently about how my work supports their overall mission.

Everyone has heard the old adage, "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life."

After lots of hard work over the past few years, I can finally say that I don't feel like I work, in the traditional sense of course. (There's still a lot to be done!)

​My favorite things about being a photographer may or may not surprise you:

1. I am my own boss. I'm sure it's no surprise that this is the first thing I mention! Choosing how to spend my time (and where to spend my time!) is very important to me. Since I left my job over 7 months ago, I've felt like I'm REALLY living life. I hate that I spent over 7 years in jobs that made me feel limited and restricted, but they also taught me lots of important lessons.
2. I get to be creative. Especially with product photography! Brands often have specific ideas about how to portray their products. It's even more fun when they ask for my input! To provide myself a major creative outlet weekly, I take fun product photos for Itemography.
3. I get to help brands make their marketing strategies come to life. Brands spend lots of time on marketing strategies. Sometimes they have fun campaigns, throw promotional events, or want creative lifestyle photos taken for social media posts. Regardless of the style of photography, I love when they contact me with new ideas and creative needs.
4. I get to attend fun events and be "behind the scenes." When companies ask me to take photos at special events, I often get to see what's going on behind the scenes. Recently, a client asked me to take photos at a Columbus Clippers baseball game. They were also throwing out the first pitch, so I got to walk through the underbelly of Huntington Park, then onto the field. So fun!
5. I get to help people feel good about themselves. I just love when portrait clients say, "I love this photo of myself! I haven't had a good picture in years, and I feel so good about this one." What more could I want than making people feel confident and happy about their appearance? It's a gift to hear this type of feedback. :)

What are your favorite parts of your work?

Happy Friday!
Autumn

1. Shoot in low-light situations. (MUCH lower light.) The 50mm lens has a wider aperture, which means more light can make it into your camera. If you're familiar with shooting in manual mode, you know this means that you'll be able to reduce ISO (to avoid grain) and increase shutter speed (for sharper images). If you're not familiar with shooting in manual mode, sign up for my next workshop and I'll teach you all about it.
2. Get that bokeh! Bokeh is the blurry, out-of-focus part of an image. If you want a crisp subject, but a super blurry background, the 50mm lens is all you need!
3. Finally get sharper images. A prime lens (like the 50mm) is a lens that doesn't zoom in and out. This means there are less moving parts inside, which allows for sharper images. Plus, the light weight nature of this lens will help you avoid camera shake since you won't be lugging multiple pounds of gear! (Yes, my arms sometimes get tired!)
4. This 50 really is nifty. People don't call it the "nifty fifty" for nothing! I use a 50mm lens to shoot portraits, products, food, etc. The list goes on and on!
5. The best part? It's incredibly affordable. Depending on the type of DSLR camera you have, a 50mm lens with a f/1.8 aperture will likely only cost you around $100-200. (In my opinion, this is a STEAL considering the quality of images you get from this lens.) I shoot Canon, and the first 50mm lens I purchased was $125. Nikon has a similar lens for $220. If you want an even wider aperture, Canon makes an 50mm f/1.2. It'll set you back over $1,300, but if you want me to talk you into it, I will! It's my favorite lens I own.

If you have any additional questions about 50mm lenses (or anything else, for that matter!), comment below, or reach out via my contact page.

Happy shooting!
​Autumn

Friend: "So how many photos do you take during a shoot?"

Me: "It depends on a lot of things, but if I'm shooting for an hour, maybe 200-300 photos."

Friend: "Woah! Your clients must love getting so many photos."

Me: "They get about 40-60 in this scenario."

Friend: "Wait why wouldn't you give them ALL the photos? Aren't they paying for them?"

An explanation in three parts:

1. I am HONORED when people assume 100% of the photos I take are amazing. Truth: they're not. (#3 tells you why.) Since not every photo I take is gold...
2. I'm clear with clients about the fact that they receive ALL "professional images." So technically, the client is paying for professional-quality photography, not for ALL photos taken.
3. So what kinds of things don't meet my artistic standards? Blur (usually caused by me moving or my client moving), blinking, photos taken simply for testing the lighting, when the flash doesn't go off when it's supposed to, when someone walks into the shot accidentally, etc. etc. etc. (This list could go on forever!)

I love when people ask me questions like these. It gives me the opportunity to educate them on the nuances of my industry. Similarly, I love learning about the nuances of others' industries as well.

If you have other questions about photography, please feel free to click the "recommend a topic" button near the top of the right side of this page.

Happy Friday!
​Autumn