Where do the pictures go

As I photographer, I often think about the final destination of my work. We all know about the wedding album collecting dust in an attic or old pictures in a shoebox. Now, pictures are trapped on CDs and external hard drives or quite possibly floating in the vast realm of the Facebook world via a folder on someone's smartphone.
Once in a great while I will get a surprise. 

Don & Dave have a very special connection and a great love for music--especially of John Lennon and the Beatles. A wedding at the Imagine Stone in Central Park was a natural choice when it came time to choosing a location. The ceremony was beautiful and everyone passing through Strawberry Fields stopped to celebrate. I think John was looking down and smiling--for one brief moment we were living his dream of Imagine.
Flowers are laid at the stone daily in the shape of a peace sign. We were all lucky enough to be there for the ritual and to photograph it. It was something that I will never forget.
Don & Dave have since returned home and summer has passed. The pictures have long been exchanged and thank yous all been sent. Suddenly though I received a text message....it was my picture of the Imagine Stone...on a cake! I couldn't have been more thrilled. Don & Dave used my picture of the stone for a family celebration in their home state. It looked absolutely awesome. Unfortunately I didn't get to have a piece of cake, but I'll settle for coffee next time they visit.

Shoot & Share

Do you give DVDs?

It is the question probably every client asks a photographer when they are about to book a session. My answer lately has been. NO. 
For a brief moment the person will stumble and then I will explain the following.

I am a Shoot & Share Photographer.

What is a Shoot & Share Photographer?
It is a photographer who chooses to turn over the edited digital files to the client so they can share the images and print them wherever they wish.

There are still  many photographers who choose to charge for their services and then additional fees for prints and then yet another for a DVD or a USB drive of the images. For some, this business model may still work, but this isn't how I choose to run my business.

My package prices include the fee for my services and all of the files on a link that you will be able to not only download but also share. The link has the capability to be viewed on your smartphone or tablet as well as your PC and has share features to Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. The files can be shared and viewed with friends and family worldwide. Plus, with a click of a button, they also have an option to purchase professional quality prints shipped directly to their door. 

Why do I love being a Shoot & Share Photographer?
I love it because it gives me the freedom and the capability to do what I enjoy most--be out working with my clients. My customer gets everything they want on the price we agreed upon upfront and we are not scheduling multiple meetings to exchange prints or disks. In today's busy world, it not only saves time and money, but shares with loved ones with a click of a button. 
The most satisfying part of my job is seeing my clients happy and sharing my work. There is no better way to see this in action than through the Shoot & Share business model. When a happy bride or mother shares her pictures around Facebook the excitement is absolutely electric. I have watched it happen quite a few times and the comments from others brings me absolute joy--that alone tells me I am on the right journey. 

Getting off the Ground

Okay. So here I am blogging. Another thing to add to my list of a zillion and one tasks I am not doing already, but I figure it would be cool to share with everyone what is going on with my fantastic venture. Besides, maybe one day I can take all of these posts, put them together and publish a book.  ha!
Today I spent the day improving my website because I have a major announcement dropping on September 10th. I saw that there was a link to Blogger and figured I might as well check it out. I have been blogging on another website and really not getting any traffic so I figured I would give this a try. Unfortunately, it also means I have to move all of my Google+ friends to a new account, but have no fear, it may take me awhile to get around to that daunting task.
So basically things are on their way to getting off the ground and heading in the right direction.
Through the blog I hope to share not only what is going on in my business, the assignments I am doing, and places I am traveling, but also cool tips and tricks that can also make you a better photographer as well. I gladly welcome the feedback and comments. Most of all, send me any questions or suggestions for future blog posts! Enjoy!

Nikki