do you click?

Have you heard about the scavenger hunt on Clickin' Moms?

Scavenger Hunt 2010 starts July 1st!

You must be a member to join in on the fun.

You can use coupon code FRIEND at checkout and you will

get 10% off any subscription, or coupon code LOVECM for 20% off a lifetime subscription.

we love turquoise

Our new color favorite color...from our favorite online store Layla Grayce

home sweet home...

whew...it's been a long trip and I am thrilled to say we have made it to my Moms house in Mobile, Alabama. This move has been so much harder than expected...so many things went wrong, I am now able to laugh at most of them...but many tears were shed. The total exhaustion of moving is so much to bear...adding three kids to the mix with no husband around {he is already in Japan} to help was more than I could handle...but I have survived so far. It feels great to be at my Moms...the home I grew up in feels good. Seventeen hours in the car to get here was such an adventure but well worth it! The one drawback~ no internet...she doesn't own a computer {not even cable}...so hello Starbucks! I hope they don't get tired of us. I'll try to blog often but please bear with us. Also returning emails might take longer than normal.

Thanks for being patient dear readers!

We will enjoy visiting with family and friends until the end of July...then we will hop on a plane to a brand new adventure.

photo talk forum giveaway...

Look at the giveaway today at Photo Talk Forum...check it out here.

We are giving away one barnwood flooring rug~winners choice of design and three lucky winners will win the Beach House Collection Canvas Templates!

Don't forget to use your Savvy discount to join the Photo Talk Forum ~ SAVVY99

preppy inspired

Something fun from Layla Grayce

and the winners are...

Congratulations to

Brandy Texter {comment number 194}

and Amy Larson {comment number 70}...

you both are the lucky winners of the fabulous Marketing Calendar from Willette Designs!

can you answer this question?

Why do you photograph?

by Kelly McMahon Willette

Is it to fill the need for a creative outlet? Is it a hobby? Is it a career? Is it for philanthropic purposes? Is it for profit? Is it just to get out of the house and away from the kiddos for a bit? This is the first question you need to ask yourself as a photographer….WHY do you photograph? What is the draw for you?

When I first started, it was to get out of the house….to have a hobby. That hobby took off (thank goodness), and my business grew like gangbusters, but I wasn’t really making any money at it. I LOVED it…I LOVED (and I still love) all of my clients, but I was barely breaking even at the end of the day.

After two years of playing around with my business….i got serious. I got serious about pricing, serious about charging rather than giving away my talent and serious about making a profit. I find that the money issue really is an issue for most photographers who are just starting out – especially for those whose photography business is born from a hobby.

Many people are afraid to admit that they like money. Artists seem particularly apt to dismiss any interest in money. Almost like there is shame in confessing that you create art for money. Well, I’m here to publicly admit, I work for money. I’m not embarrassed by this in the least. My business is not a charity. Though I do charity work and make charitable donations, I work for money. I don’t work and spend time away from my own children because I enjoy it (I do enjoy what I do…I enjoy it immensely), but if given the choice to work for free or sit around and read magazines for free, I would choose to sit around and read magazines. I don’t know many people (aside from clergy members and missionaries) who want to work for free (if they’re being completely honest with themselves).

Soooo…….I’ll ask you the question again, why do you photograph? Do you want to make money with your photography business? Is this why you started your business? Are you making money? What can you do to change your business if you’re not making money?

By getting my business organized, I was able to start turning profits. Though I still created works of art, unique for each family, I focused on analyzing sessions from a numbers standpoint. I paid attention to the amount of time I spent with a family while photographing. I paid attention to how I posed or loosely guided the children to the correct lighting situations for the portraits, and I paid attention to how many unique poses I did at a session.

After analyzing factors such as these, I was able to determine how much I made per session. I had mental checklists to help me maximize my profits. I stopped letting clients dictate when I would photograph for them….i learned to set boundaries for when I could photograph. After my business awakening, my sessions would only be offered on the mornings my son was in school. Then I didn’t have to worry about paying for childcare or worry about missing key events in my son’s life like soccer games and birthday parties. I found that clients respected these boundaries. T hey would pull their child out of school for the session once they understood why I didn’t photograph on the weekends.

I encourage you to really analyze your current photography workload. Do you feel that you are making as much profit as you can? Are you managing your time effectively? Do you see any areas in your business that could use some fine tuning to better benefit you? And the big eye opener for you…..what is your hourly rate? Do you know the answer to this? Do you know how much you make for every hour you work? This is not unlike attorneys tracking their billable hours. Start tracking this data. I promise that after you start paying attention to the figures, you will start earning more. Be aware of your time…value your time….and value your family’s time.

Bio: Kelly Mcmahon Willette is a photographer based in Ghent, Norfolk ,Virginia, and she helps other moms with cameras and photographers with her business products and workshops geared towards them. Her products include a series of seven posing guides, her business workshops, and her newest product, the photographer’s marketing calendar. Her blogsite contains weekly free downloads and photo tips. She makes a mean beef stew, can still remember/sing all the words to the Beastie Boys’ “Paul Revere” and has learned to do most things with one hand since having her second baby this year. You can find her work and products at www.willettedesigns.com

Here's the latest tool that Kelly had developed for photographers~ we think she is a marketing genius! The Marketing Calendar is a great way to kick start your business!

The photographer’s marketing calendar:

the photographer's marketing calendar provides photographers with over 100 unique holidays to market around.

Are you in need of more photography business? Or, maybe you have steady business, but you’d love to book a ton of sessions in a hurry? Are you trying to reach out to new clients to grow your business?

This marketing calendar tool will help you uniquely market your business year round. The calendar provides 12 months of unique holidays that lend themselves to GREAT excuses to book a portrait session with YOU!

The beauty of all of these marketing ideas is that this calendar will enable you to market year round (especially during your usually slow months). Slow months will become a thing of the past for your business once you learn how to use the calendar to your business’ advantage.

this product is an immediate downloadable product presented in a pdf format.

it includes:

over 100 holidays to market around (including some lesser known holidays)
a step by step marketing calendar plan
a marketing timeline
unique ways to market each holiday.

***

Are you ready to win one? Kelly is giving two very lucky readers a Marketing Calendar!

Value of $135 each.

Kelly would also like to offer all the Savvy readers 10% off orders over $40.

Use coupon code: JULY10

Here's how to win...

check out Kelly's site and let us know your favorite "Willette" product!

Come back here to leave your comment to enter.

Also tweet about the contest and gossip all about us on facebook

and your favorite photography forums. we just love gossip...then head back here to leave a comment telling us each thing you have done...limit four entries per person.

You must leave a comment to be entered

and please make sure your first and last name are on your comment.

This contest ends tonight at 8pm eastern {June 22, 2010}...hurry!

Get your marketing plan for the rest of 2010 and for 2011 in place now,

and be prepared to watch the clients roll in!

baby love...

We love seeing the images of the barnwood flooring...here are two great images from Kelli France from Francypants Academy.

To purchase your flooring, click here.

top ten things...

Thank you Kelli France from Francypants Academy!

and the winner is...

Congratulations to Lizzy Yates! {Comment number 38}

You are the lucky winner of the Studio Look Book from Design Aglow!

{get ruffled}

We love Layla Grayce...the site inspires me!

The Studio Tour from Lena Hyde

Thank you Lena for the tour!

Did I mention that this will soon be her old studio? She has a new fabulous space {4000 sq ft}...we can't wait to see pictures when it's finished!

If you haven't entered the giveaway from Lena and Design Aglow, you have until tomorrow.

I'm off to greet the packers today...send good thoughts my way, I need them. Moving has become quite the chore~

It's a giveaway from Design Aglow~

We are doing a giveaway of Design Aglow's biggest sales tool yet - the Studio Look Book!

When we say “big” we mean superfantastic, rock-you-sales,

blow your clients’ minds kind of big.

This 30 page, 8×12 catalog template was in the making for FOUR months…created by a team of professional

photographers, graphic designers, and writers to help you show

and sell products with easy panache.

Inspired by Design Aglow's "Dream Product" contest

grand prize winner, we think the Studio Look Book©

will become an instant must-have for today’s successful studios. The Studio Look Book© was created and photographed over $25,000 worth of the highest quality portrait and wedding studio products including framed prints, canvases, standouts,

coffee table books, press printed books, session albums, image boxes, notecards, speciality items, DVD cases, and real life rooms with stunning photo displays for our extended version.

The Studio Look Book© comes in two versions, with high res images or without. Both versions include 30 pages, plus book cover, of layered PSD files with completely customizable layouts, embellishments, text, colors, and design elements.

Use just some of our included coupons and save hundreds or thousands on your favorite studio products!

See all the info right here in Design Aglow's fabulous shop!

How to win:

follow us on twitter on tweet this~

"Fabulous Design Aglow giveaway on the Savvy blog! http://www.thesavvyphotographer.com/ "

**

Like us on Facebook and let your friends know about the "Fabulous Design Aglow giveaway on the Savvy blog! http://www.thesavvyphotographer.com/

**

Subscribe to get our daily emails here so you will have the Savvy scoop on all of the latest things happening on the Savvy blog...

**

Then come back here to leave your comment!

Limit of three entries per person.

The contest ends Thursday morning, June 17, 2010 at 8am eastern time. The lucky winner will be announced by noon on Thursday. Good luck!

meet {and greet} Lena Hyde

We are so happy to introduce Lena Hyde, a wonderfully talented photographer from Palm Beach, Florida

and the amazing business woman behind Design Aglow.

***

Welcome to the Savvy blog Lena~

we are thrilled to have you stop by and inspire us.

Great to be here, Marsha! Thank you for having me.

When did you begin your career in photography?

I started in the darkroom way back in the film age. I have a BA in art history with a minor in photography, plus a teaching credential in studio art. After college I taught art in San Francisco and exhibited my photography in galleries and museums internationally. I also wrote an art education column and was commissioned to photograph a series of fine art for the San Francisco Chronicle. When my first son was born in 2001, I started photographing him when he was just a day old. Newborn photography was totally new then, and I had such a great response to the work I unintentionally created a demand for my fine art baby and child photography.

The business just grew from there.

.

What line of work did you do before photography?

I have always been a photographer, but I did supplement my income as an art teacher for 8 years while I was a starving artist. I still like teaching and do it occasionally because I love helping people solve problems.

If you weren't a photographer, what would be your ideal career?

I would love to be an interior designer or a food critic! I just love food so much and my husband is a classically trained chef (turned firefighter).

How many shoots do you do a week?

I prefer to shoot 2 or 3 times a week, but in the busy season I will sometimes shoot up to 10 sessions (my record is 16—I didn’t sleep much that week). Each year, I take the summer off to travel with my kids and husband, so I have to work hard the rest of the year to make it all work out!

What is a day in the life of Lena like?

I start every day with the same breakfast: I make a vanilla soy latte and Ezekiel toast with butter and Swiss cheese. Sometimes I take the kids to school, but if my husband is off from work (he is a firefighter so his schedule is slightly more forgiving) we swap. My studio is in downtown West Palm Beach, which is about 20 minutes from home, and I work Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I have a wonderful assistant who works 40 hours a week taking care of the editing, order fulfillment and day-to-day running of the studio, while I focus on shooting and client relations. Most days I start with returning emails and phone calls for an hour or so. I may have a shoot, an order session, or a meeting and then have lunch out with a friend or client (did I mention I love great food?) or sometimes get something to-go and eat at my desk. After lunch, I usually work on Design Aglow until about 3 or 4 and go home in time for dinner with the family. About two days a week I leave early to get my kids from school. I try not to work most weekends, but sometimes I will have a quick weekend photo shoot.

How do you manage to balance family life and work?

I try my best, but family always comes first. I am lucky because my husband is sort of the "mom" since his schedule is more forgiving; he does things like shopping, cooking and laundry and he is the best! Without this type of support, I would never be able to do what I do! We try to take lots of vacations too, which is our favorite way to connect as a family without the distractions and responsibilities of business or home life creeping in.

For those photographers struggling with getting new clients, what advice would you give?

Never give your work away because it makes you look desperate (trust me-- nobody wants that). Set up your business the way you want it to be right from the start, be confident in your work, take a business workshop, and network like crazy. Never do what everyone else does. Figure out who you are, be innovative and always go in the other direction from the group.

How did you create a business with such a great clientele?

Truth? I never really set out to tap into such an amazing clientele--it just happened organically via word of mouth. When I look back, I realize now that I did things the way many luxury brands tend to succeed: with a great product, amazing customer service, a solid brand identity, and a unique experience. I was also priced at the top of the market right from the start, and I created an exclusive image along with demand. Really, enjoying my celebrity clients, offering innovative products and an amazing studio set me apart from the other photographers in my market from the beginning.

.

Did you always have high paying clients or was there ever a time when you struggled with low orders?

A very high percentage of my clients have always been art collectors and were the first to support my portrait businesses. When comparing photography to other art, our work is actually a bargain!

Of course, I was able to raise prices over the years

and sometimes lost clients who could no longer afford my work, but with each step I was able to work less and be with my family more, which is important to me. After eight years in business, I think I’ve finally achieved the perfect balance.

Today my portrait clients spend as much as wedding clients used to, I have much more fun, can be more creative, and don't have to book my life out a year ahead. Having weekends off and time for travel is another huge perk of not shooting weddings.

Do you have a minimum order?

I don't have a minimum, but we do prequalify our clients before they book. I also have my $550-650 session fee on my website so we tend not to get random callers and price shoppers.

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What is your average order?

Our average order is easily more than $5000. We are 100% a la carte, without collections, packages or discounts. Every client wants something different, and we always suggest canvas wall galleries, coffee table books, and some extras to enhance their experience with our studio. We also offer digital negatives for $5500 for clients who want to archive their family images.

I know you have set high goals for yourself. Can you share with us how you decided to set these goals and the benefits it created for your business?

I have set high goals in the past, if for no other reason than to really see if I could attain what I thought would be almost impossible in this business. What I gained is a huge sense of accomplishment and trust in myself as a successful business woman. I seriously never imagined myself being so financially secure so early in life (my net literally doubled every year). After meeting my crazy goal for two years in a row (2009 was my best year ever) I think I can now chill and enjoy things a bit more. I will probably bring home less this year, but I am starting a new endeavor (which means I’m not sure how much I will be able to kick back!).

Will you share with us what's possible financially in the photography business?

Honestly, I think it is relatively easy to bring in six figures a couple of years into the business if you do things the right way: with a CPA and an advisor to help you run things smartly. For the first two years I ran my business with a partner and it was an absolute mess. The books were a disaster and everything got done ‘on the fly’. There was no organization, no business plan, and no profit. Once I was done with weddings, I buckled down and started doing things the right way on my own, even though it was much more labor intensive at the beginning and, frankly, not a lot of fun. I hired an assistant which left me free to take care of marketing, business planning, and client relations. The following year I hit the six figure mark and celebrated by installing a gorgeous pool for my kids in our backyard. The next year I paid off our entire mortgage. I don't think there is really a cap on how far someone could take this business...I know several portrait photographers who have studios that bring in 7 figures a year. If you want to expand, the sky is the limit! But, I also think there are more important things than making lots of money... you have to be able to enjoy life too, right?

What do you think is the biggest mistake most photographers make?

The biggest mistake most photographers make is in being too cheap. When starting out it’s easy to tend towards granting free photo shoots in return for model releases, or allotting friends a ridiculously low session fee for all images. If photographers give discounts right off the bat, referrals won’t be based on talent—it’s because they’re so cheap. You’re training people to expect discounts and to not respect your work; and, in addition to killing your brand, you’re attracting the bargain hunters who want more and more for less and less. Sure, it’s all right to have a promotion once or twice a year if you absolutely need to, but studios should: offer something they usually don’t, make it a special, and make it for a very limited time (a week or less).

Do you advertise?

I have never paid to advertise-- not even once! I’m not a fan of advertising and direct mail, but I love marketing and PR to make sure you target your desired client base.

I'm such a fan of Design Aglow and

I remember the first time I stumbled upon the site.

Will you tell us how you came up with the idea of the site?

Originally, we came up with the idea for Design Aglow as just the online magazine. We saw a huge void in the industry for a creative, ad-free and unbiased resource that showed the hottest trends and ideas which was fun to read and super inspiring. We also wanted to feature the best and brightest in the field and create something that we would love, so the magazine was born. The shop followed in pretty short order due to demand for beautiful and affordable templates, marketing materials, and sales tools. All of our products are designed to be completely original to Design Aglow and 100% flexible in design and content and they literally pay for themselves with one or two uses.

Are there any fun things in the future for Design Aglow?

Where do I even start? Right now we are completely redesigning the site and shop to surpass even our own high standards. We are thrilled with our new look and we’re adding so many more products and tools for photographers than ever before, along with more sales tools to help photographers meet their financial goals in their businesses.

We'd love to know...your Savvy indulgence?

I so look forward to my weekly hour-long deep tissue massage every Tuesday evening at my house.

If it wasn’t at my house, I’d never go, though!

Favorite vacation spot?

That's tough, but I would have to say Bali, Indonesia. Everything about it is magical, from the great smells to the live music in the background all day long-- and then there’s art in everyday objects. It’s a total immersion in a unique and amazing culture. Still, pretty much anywhere we go on vacation is awesome because we're on vacation!

Favorite thing in your closet?

I am not super attached to material things, but right now I am totally loving my dresses from the brand Desigual from Spain.

What inspires you?

I’m so inspired by travel, art, food, films, kids, beauty, and music-- Pretty much all the good stuff in life!

Thank you Lena for joining us!

Tomorrow is a fabulous giveaway from Lena and Design Aglow!

You don't want to miss it~

The studio tour is on Wednesday...want a peek?

The rest of the tour is just dreamy.

See you tomorrow.

Happy Sunday~

It's a beautiful Sunday morning here...we have so much to do today getting ready for the big move. The first of the movers came several days ago and the rest come this week and take away everything. I'll be on the road for the next month {I will blog the entire trip} and then we will head across the world to our new home. I don't think we are prepared for the changes we are about to embark on.

Many have ask if the Savvy blog will change at all with my relocation. The answer is yes...and it will be amazing! The changes will have nothing to do with the move {thank goodness for the internet~ you'll never know I'm across the ocean}. The changes will be in celebration of the Savvy blog turning one...our first year has flown by so quickly! So we decided to turn things up a knotch or two...ok...way up! The blog is getting a makeover and we will be opening an official Savvy Store! We are giddy with excitement! It will be just dreamy! I'm sure it's going to be worth the wait...we will launch it by August first, 2010. {maybe earlier} We have found so many great products to offer our readers...I know you will love it! The blog will continue to be your daily dose of inspiration. Change is good!

and the winner is...

I know you are dying to know if you are the lucky winner of the fabulous Kelly Moore Bag! The winner is...comment number 607

Congratulations to Elizbeth Annett!! You just won your choice of a Kelly Moore Bag! You will LOVE your new bag...I have the pink "classic" bag...and I think it's just fabulous. It even holds my iPad~ there is a perfect side pocket that looks like it is made just for that purpose. I'm such a fan of these bags!

It's a fabulous giveaway!!!

Two new styles have been released and they are lovely!

I think I'm in love with Kelly Moore bags! And once you get a chance to talk to Kelly, you will soon be in love with her sweet southern personality! We are thrilled to offer another giveaway for a Kelly Moore bag! First, check out this video.

Kelly Moore Bag Promo Film 2010 from Joshua Smith on Vimeo.

Here's how to win...

~follow us on twitter and tweet this... The Savvy Photographer is giving away a fabulous Kelly Moore bag~ http://www.thesavvyphotographer.com

~ Like us on Facebook and post this on your facebook status... The Savvy Photographer is giving away a fabulous Kelly Moore bag~ http://www.thesavvyphotographer.com

~ spread the word on the forums...and paste the link.

THEN..come back here and leave a comment for each one...limit three entries!

The contest ends Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 10:00am eastern time. The winner will be announced by 2:00pm eastern time on Sunday.

Leave all of your comments on the blog {not facebook} and please remember comments must be moderated by me before they will show up. {I have the movers here today so it will be a while before they get moderated...} Most importantly~ leave your name on your comment...first and last...if your number is chosen, I can't announce a winner without a name...Good luck!

send us your images~

We are so excited about seeing your images with the flooring! You can use any of the flooring styles, not just the barnwood. Email your entries here {fabuloussavvyflooring@gmail.com}. The grand prize winner will receive their choice of a 46x66 rug and the Beach House Collection templates! We will also give the 5 runners up their choice of a 25x60 runner.

The deadline to enter is June 30, 2010.

decorating with photos

Images courtesy of decorpad.com

Decor Pad has become a new favorite for decorating ideas. Just type in what you want to see {for example ~bedrooms or kitchens}and click photos...

and there are tons of great rooms to be inspired by...makes you want to redecorate, uh?

packaging fun at Design Aglow~

I can't wait to see all of the fun packaging ideas! For all of the details and to enter, check out the fabulous blog at Design Aglow!