3. Hone your craft – Evolve & Learn
Photography is an art form and a craft that has so much depth, more than it is being touted to have in this day and age of readily available equipment and knowledge. The key thing to remember is don’t ever stop learning. Even though we both went to the same photography school and are both really well trained since it was such a great program, we aren’t in any way the best or anything close. We know we don’t know all there is to know about photography. We know that we still have to learn and brush up our skills. Now, that doesn’t mean sign up for every workshop possible, because Lord knows, there’s SO many out there! You don’t have to break your bank to improve!

– Identify your weak points, and work your way down your list. creativelive.com is great, books are a wonderful resource, as is youtube and even blog posts by other photographers!

– Then apply what you’ve learned! If you learnt different techniques on how to master that perfect Sparkler exit shot through your research and learning, grab a group of friends and try it out!

– Find time to do personal projects and try a myriad of different things. Doing personal work also inspires and reinvigorates, because you’re not doing anything for anyone, but yourself. This is pivotal especially if you feel like you’ve been in a slump!

Whatever you may learn through your ongoing journey of education and how you choose to apply this knowledge will most definitely set you apart.

4. Form Relationships
Last, but far from the least, form true, authentic and genuine relationships with your clients and your industry peers. Because you want your clients to inspire you and you want your industry peers to inspire you.

The best reviews I have ever gotten is reviews from clients that essentially became friends and much more than clients. That’s because they know I care about them in a true and genuine way. They may not be friends that I can call to go shopping with, just because that kind of friendship takes time and cultivation, but i KNOW that if i was put in that situation that I was going to go shopping with them and it will be just fine, because we know each other on a level that is beyond a transaction. Your customer experience doesn’t have to be a gorgeous package with stellar packaging. Don’t forget that people remember most about how they FEEL about anything they encounter, rather than what they saw or what they received. (I thank Hey, Sweet Pea for that wonderful and beautiful piece of advice) 🙂 So create a stellar customer experience with truth and authenticity and you’ll stand out easily!

For industry peers, it’s important because everyone has so many different experiences, situations and ideas, bouncing all this energy off one another, you’ll discover more in your industry!