“Every summer has it’s own story”, this is a quote that I have always loved. What memories are you making this summer? Is your camera in hand? Have you made sure that you’ve been on the other side of the lens? I know that is a hard one for me. As I look over my photographs from the past years, I am finding that I am absent quite often from the pictures. I don’t want my children to look through our memories and wonder where I was! So this summer, I am making a promise to move to the other side and capture those memories and create a summer story with my children and family.
Our spotlight on business this month comes to you from Paige Pearson Photography. Take a few minutes to get to know Paige better, admire her beautiful work & find ways to make your business better!
What is the most valuable business advice you have ever received?
Make goals and write them down! Honestly, up until recently I had never set firm goals for each year. I may have had them in my head but they weren’t written down and it was very easy to let myself off the hook if I didn’t achieve something. At the beginning of this year, I bought myself a pretty notebook and then sat down for a morning to brainstorm and write goals for the year. It’s a nice feeling of accomplishment when I can check off goals as I go through the year!
In no more than 12 words, how would you describe your brand?
I am in a transition period right now. Last winter I rolled out a new direction for my business to focus more on teens and seniors. I want each girl I photograph to embrace her unique beauty. I want her to embrace that unique and special light inside and shine it brightly for others. My goal is to capture that light and beauty through my lens. If I had to choose words I think they would be…bright, clean, honest, true. (Sorry that was way more than 12 words!)
Is there something special you do when your business reaches a goal?
*See question number 1! Maybe at the end of this year I will do something special!
What is your favorite tool that helps run your studio?
My daily planner…I am still a pen and paper kind of girl! I have a planner that has my calendar/schedule and where I make to-do lists for each day. My husband makes fun of me because I don’t use the calendar on my phone but I love to having everything written and to be able to lay it out to see a month at a time!
What product do you sell the most of?
Prints. Despite today’s push for digital images, I stress to my clients the importance of having beautiful images displayed in their homes. At the end of their experience with me I want them to have finished products in their hands!
How do you nurture your creativity?
I love scrapbooking and even though digital scrapbooking is so popular now I still love the “old school” cut and paste scrapbooking. I love getting my hands on the photos and coordinating paper and embellishments! I also love cooking and play around with a little food photography. Photography related? Planning a fun shoot just for me helps nurture my creativity. I also try to attend at least one photography workshop each year. I always come home feeling energized and full of fresh ideas!
What is the best application investment you’ve ever made?
Something that I’ve purchased…Photoshop. A free app…Instagram. Because I am focusing my business more on teens/seniors now I am using Instagram to stay connected with them. By staying connected to the younger teens too, my hope is that they will remember me when it comes time for senior pictures!
What’s the best equipment investment you’ve ever made?
2 things – reflector and 85 f1.8 lens. The reflector makes a HUGE difference in lighting my subject outdoors and adding that sparkle of light to the eyes. And I LOVE my 85mm lens. It stays on my camera 99% of the time!
What’s your advice for better profits?
Be sure to know your COGS for every product and review often to make changes to your pricing as needed. I have a spreadsheet that lists all the products I offer, the COGS, my price and my profit. Every season I review it to see if I need to make changes to any of my pricing.
Have you had to change your game to stay ahead in the photography world?
Sure, it is important to stay tuned to what’s new and to adjust to changes in the photography world. But my main goal is to stay true to who I am and to continue to offer my clients the best possible products and experience.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paige-Pearson-Photography/434556893281893
Instagram: paigepearsonphotography
A big THANK YOU to our sponsor, Rebooku. Our business spotlights have the wonderful opportunity to give the services that Rebooku has to offer a try. Paige gave them a try and here’s what she had to say:
Review of Rebooku:
This was the first time I have outsourced any editing and I was super impressed! The turnaround time was super fast and the results were exactly what I wanted. After a trial. I actually sent a whole session for retouching and it was such a time saver for me! I will definitely be using Rebooku again!
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
Thank you Paige for letting us learn more about you!
Remember, make sure you get out this summer and make some memories & create a story. Be sure to find yourself on the OTHER side of the lens when it’s all done! See you next month!
