My passion for photography started at a very young age. I realized that my parents weren’t the kind of people who photographed the bigs moments we celebrated - or the little moments that were just as important leading up the big moments. So I began to photograph everything and everyone I could - including my chickens!
It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I found traction to turn my passion behind my camera into a livelihood. I knew it was going to be an uphill battle - then with the digital cameras still struggling to compete with the trusted film cameras, and even now, with the digital age being so convenient and available to everyone. But I was never afraid of hard work.
What’s important to me as a business owner today, is that all of my clients receive the best possible experience. This begins from before they even inquire or say hello. It starts with having a welcoming and consistent presence on social media and a professional website that represents who I am and the art work I create. I will be honest with you, I adore sharing my photography with the world, but I struggle to find the words to include when I post on social media. I love to write, but I have to be in the mood to write, and I have to consistently nag myself to be active on social media.
Social media has been wonderfully kind to me. Majority of my inquiries come through Facebook or through Instagram (@ j.kleinphotos). I may not have a huge following, but those that do follow my work on social media, are quick to inquire for a photoshoot and don’t hesitate to invest in the photography packages I offer.
Some photographers have automated responses that are sent out as a reply to an inquiry to book. To me, it’s as if I call a business and get a menu system and a robot that doesn’t understand what you are asking. This is not how I what my clients to experience, so instead I set time aside each day to personally reach out to everyone that has inquired, whether that is through email, messages, or even a phone call. I want my clients to know that I value their time and am honored that they have fallen in love with my work and want their own art work created from the happiness in their lives.
After getting to know the client, ensuring that we are the best fit and that I can successfully provide them a service they are requesting, I reserve time in my scheduled to spend photographing with them. Prep guides are provided for clients in the meantime - each type of shoots has it’s own prep guide! I’ve personally written these guides to help ensure the clients are armed with tips and tricks from my past experience and to help provide a successful and stress free photoshoot (especially with animals!).
Many of you may not know this, but I live along Lake Michigan - which when I specialize in equine photography - is not the most convenient place to live as there are no horses basking on the sand beaches or building sandcastles. Because I chose to live here, with every photography package, it includes a complimentary 1 hour of driving. Majority of my clients are an hour away, meaning on the days I am photographing, 2+ hours of my time is spent driving back and forth. Somedays, I spend upwards of 6 hours on the road reaching my clients and providing them with photography services.
My photoshoots are structured by time and once I arrive, each photoshoot can take 1 - 3 hours. This is one of my favorite times as a photographer, because I can not only get to know a client and build a lasting friendship with them, but because it is the start of my creative process.
Upon coming home, in the excitement of viewing what I captured during the photoshoot, I almost always immediately upload the files from my camera. I shoot heavy - which my wedding partner always complains about - but working with animals means you don’t always get that perfect photo the first time you press the shutter. You can’t tell an animal to look lovingly into their owners eyes and hold that until I can get at least 3 angles of the same pose. It requires patience, knowledge, and the ability to create a moment that allows the love to blossom and be preserved in a frame - and if you’re lucky, over several frames. This results in my uploading process to be a bit longer then most - backing up and sifting through (typically) upwards of 800 images is another 45 minutes - 1 hour.
Not all of the files will be keepers. Some will be test shots to insure the lighting is properly reflected in the settings I choose for my camera, some will be duplicate shots to ensure the focus is tack sharp, some will be wonderful photos of the client but maybe not very pleasing of the animal who decided to take a mental break from the shoot without notice, and a good portion of the images will be added to a folder I call “my second choice images.” What’s left are the photographs that are my favorites.
From there I spent another hour or so perfecting and retouching a few image that represent the photoshoot best, search for the right words that compliment the images, and telling a brief story of my time with the clients, I post those to social media to share with the anxiously waiting clients, their friends, and family.
I spent 4-8 hours fine tuning the images I am going to present in the final gallery. Black background images take the most amount of work in post production (30-45 minutes to retouch each image!) but are always the most rewarding. When I retouch an image, I am looking at different ways I can enhance the image, without completely changing or ruining the memory instilled or the integrity of the photograph. I correct lighting, the color balance, remove anything distracting in the background (i.e. fences, telephone poles, lead ropes, additional animals that decided to include themselves in our shoot, etc.) and then begin on enhancing the subjects. This may be touching up their faces, removing blemishes, cleaning tack, fixing stray hairs, or splicing in parts of other images to enhance or correct the balance or conformation of the animal being photographed.
Once I am happy with the final images, I then upload the collection to an online gallery, customizing the cover, font, and layout that is most pleasing to the images. A personalized message is written and the gallery is delivered to the client which more then often results in more corresponding after the client is thrilled with the photographs.
All Fine Art Products are available for purchase through the galleries, and detailed information is provided about each product, their lifetime guarantees, and the which ones may compliment the style of the client’s home best. Although this is given to make the process easier for the clients, it is often enjoyed and appreciated to have my time in assisting and customizing these art pieces, so together we will begin choosing images that will be best suited for their home as Fine Art and the process of designing an album begins.
After the clients make a final decision on their Fine Art Products and their album, I then spend additional time fine tuning each image before I send it to be printed. I have my printers package the pieces and send them to my office so I can quality check each piece. Each Fine Art Product is a part of me, it represents my work and my business, and if I’m not 110% satisfied or wow-ed by the piece, I will reprint or reconfigure the piece so the clients are only receiving the best of the best. It’s then repackaged and shipped out of my local post office along with any USB’s or Thank You Packages, or more often then not, personally driven to the client to ensure safe arrival.
From here my work is almost complete. I follow up with my clients to ensure they received everything in good shape (as we know the mail can be brutal sometimes!) and that the work and experience provided was satisfactory. I encourage clients to write an honest review or to let me know how I may better their experience in the future (elevating a client experience is most important to me!). Lastly, I encourage clients to recommend their friends and family should they have any future photography needs, as my business is solely built on referrals!
As my work wraps up, and I reflect back on 20+ hours spent ensuring the best experience and beautiful artwork created and delivered to this one client, I open another inquiry and begin again.
This doesn’t include any of my time completely the boring office work that is required to keep a business going (booking keeping, networking, a constant education in the ever growing digital world, creating prep guides or printed marketing pieces, updating the website, creating promotions or sales, chasing more leads or setting up stylized photoshoots for publication needs or personal growth, or writing blogs like this one.) This doesn’t include any of my camera or computer equipment, researching or budgeting for the right equipment to enhance the business, the programs and knowledge behind using them, or even the maintenance of my car to ensure I can get to the clients.
When I started, I knew it would be a lot of hard work to own and operate my own business. I knew it was going to be even more work, late nights, and never giving up to be successful as a photographer. Because as we all know, it takes more then “having and clicking an expensive camera” to provide you the experience and preserving your memories as your heart remembers them.
This is a job that has been most fulfilling and most rewarding to me. It has been my dream job, and although I am far from where I want to be as an artist and a business owner, I am ready to put in the extra hours and hard work to get there.
By contacting me to today to book your photoshoot, you will be supporting a small business and a growing artist, as well as taking advantage of an opportunity to fall in love with your own images that result from our time spent together. Click HERE to be in touch with me today!
