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Category Archives: Photographers

Highlighted Vendor:: Ehr Styling

Happy Thursday to you!  It has been a fabulous month, and along with this month, there have been some amazing vendors that I have been highlighting.  If you missed the past weeks, check out Megan Mary Events and Gunpowder n Gloss that I interviewed a few weeks back!

This week it is my honor to interview a sweet hairstylist Jarae Ehr of Ehr Styling.  She is talented, kind, professional, and extremely timely (which I love and makes it so much easier for my part of the day to begin!) Below are some questions that I was able to ask her.

What 3 words describe your work?
Quality. Lasting. Personalized.

 How long have you been in business?
I have been styling hair for weddings for 4 years and officially started EhrStyling in January of 2016.

Why or how did you get started in your industry?
I have a love for beauty and making each style personalized and perfect. This inspired me to join the wedding industry.

What have weddings taught you?
Weddings have taught me that in order to be successful, I must listen to the desires, dreams, and aspirations of the bride. They have taught me to be adventurous and bold. They have taught me that there is beauty is every kind of taste, color, and style. Each bride is their own individual chasing their dream for a perfect day. I am here to foster that dream and make it a reality.

What is your style?
My style is elegant and fun. High quality hair styles that last all day and all night. Up-do, down-do, or somewhere in-between, I want brides to look and feel their best!

What is the best thing you have seen happen on a wedding day?
The best thing I have seen on a wedding day (during the morning hours): When I was styling a bride’s hair and tears streamed down her face as she told me how much she loved her fiancé and how excited she was to marry her best friend.

What is the best thing you have seen happen on a wedding day?
When brides and bridesmaids look at their hair for the first time and get that excited “I LOVE IT” look on their face.

What’s your favorite way to wind down after a hard day?
After every wedding, I treat myself to Chick-fil-a. I don’t care how far away it is, I will find one. I get a Chick-fil-a deluxe sandwich and a small cookies and crème milkshake.

 Advise you would give to newly engaged couples.
Enjoy the ride—enjoy planning and getting to know each other better. Make your vendors your friends and be in contact with them if any changes have been made. This will make everyone happier!

What sets you apart in your industry or what do your clients say about you? The goal behind working on-site is to create a memorable experience for each bridal party. I work to create an environment where brides can enjoy every moment of the best day of their life. EhrStyling is professional, affordable, and flexible. We are not just about hair styling, but about fostering an environment where community is enjoyed, laughter is had, and memories are made. I truly want to know the brides, their style, and what makes them tick so I can help them discover the hair style that will make them SHINE!

See more of what Jarae is doing on her Facebook feed!

 

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    FAQ’s:: Method for Delivering Photos

    Happy Monday to you! Whew, where did the weekend go!?!  We are still in Florida enjoying one amazing vacation, and today I wanted to answer another question I received a few months ago.  Feel free to look back on this post and this post that align with FAQ’s mini series I am doing for a few weeks.

    Q:: What is your method for delivering photos to your clients?

    I love this question, because over the years and with the times, this has changed.  When I shot 100% film, I would deliver prints in a proof book to my clients.  Then when I went digital I would upload the images to an online platform where clients would be able to see their images and then hand over a CD or USB of all the images along with a few prints.  Now I am, and have been using for the past few years, another online platform that I absolutely love.

    It is called PASS.  Check out their link here to learn more.  Basically the gist of Pass is that they are an online platform that allows clients to view their photos. They can also order photos, download photos directly to their desktops, download an app to view photos on their phones, and store photos from this link up to 10 years.  This saves so much time and space on my end and it is so efficient.

    There are defiantly other platforms that are similar.  I just chose PASS because it fits my needs.

    If you have further questions as you go about your week, feel free to contact me!  I am happy to answer them as I can!  Have a great Monday!

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      FAQ’S: Workflow and editing

      Continuing on with some the small series of frequently asked questions I started last week, I am moving on to another question I received about workflow and editing.

      Q: What sorts of editing software do you use and what does your workflow look like?

      This is a question I not only get from other photographers, but a question my clients like to know.  Everyone’s systems are different and can be changing as new software comes out.  My current workflow after a wedding or session takes place generally looks like this: (and of course a list, because if you know me at all, you know I love lists!)

      1. After coming home from a session I upload all the files to an external hard drive.  If it was a wedding I was shooting, I will upload 1-2 photos on Facebook and Instagram the night of the wedding for the couple to have something to view when they get finished with the evening or for guest to see.
      2. Usually the day after the shoot or wedding, I will take the images into PhotoMechanic, and cull through the photos.  I choose some for blog posts, and then others to be edited for the entire gallery.  If you don’t know anything about PhotoMechanic, it is an incredibly fast culling system and well worth the investment!
      3. From there, I take the photos into Lightroom to edit in the Develop Module.  I edit first the photos for the blog, and if its a wedding, export the photos to dropbox, for my wonderful and incredibly talented editor Anne to edit.  If it is a full session, I edit through the rest of the photos for the client’s gallery in Lightroom. (Use this LINK to get a 30 day FREE trial to Lightroom and Photoshop in Adobe’s Creative Cloud)
      4. From there, I typically take photos that need further tweaks and edits into Photoshop for deeper editing (typically for newborn skin, removing items out of photos, dodging and burning shadows, etc.)
      5. After the photos are complete and edited, either from Anne or myself, I will bring the photos to Pass (the gallery viewing system) for clients to view and download their photos.
      6. When the photos are ready to be blogged (weddings are typically 2-3 days after the wedding, and lifestyle sessions can be later), I take the photos into BlogStomp.  This software is so slick and has made blogging for me faster and more efficient. There are so many options of putting photos together and it creates the sizing without having to take the time to resize each individual image.  Literally I can create a blog post in 10 minutes!
      7. For weddings, I also create a slideshow of the couple which is posted to Vimeo and I also attach to their blog post.  To create this, I use Animoto software, which creates a beautiful slideshow.  This software is free, but you can upgrade to the Pro level if you are wanting more options. (Get a free month when you use this LINK)
      8. The last thing I do mainly for wedding clients, but sometime Lifestyle clients, is to create an album for them.  In designing albums, I use Fundy Album Designer.  This drag and drop software again, makes creating an album fast and efficient.  I process most of my images and albums through White House Custom Colour, but if you have another lab that you work with, I am positive that they have your album company!

      Phew!  I know. That is a lot of information thrown at you!  It can be overwhelming if you are just starting your business, but gradually if you add systems and software it will help you immensely be more efficient with your time so you can get back to other things!  Also, if you haven’t noticed, check out all the items in RED, as there are promo codes and links to all the systems that I use!  Have a fabulous Monday and feel free to e-mail me with other questions you might want me to answer!

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        Vendor Highlight:: Designs by Rita

        Rita and I met a few years back when she was the florist at a wedding I was photographing.  I really admire her work and when I asked if she would help me with a spring maternity session by creating a floral crown, she gladly agreed!   She is a veteran in the floral world and someone I look up to as a business owner.  In the ever-changing world of weddings, sticking around and maintaining quality business is hard to come by.  Rita is the real deal. If you have a minute to check her work out, you will not be disappointed. Below are some questions I asked her to answer!

        What are 3 words describe your work? 
        Honest, Reasonable, Beautiful

        How long have you been in business? 
        I have been doing flowers for 30 years. 

        Why or how did you get started in your industry? 
        I wanted my own business and I love being creative, flowers and weddings seemed like a perfect fit!

        What have weddings taught you? 
        That traditions change and everyone has their own vision.

        What is your style?
        My style is my customers style. I truly try to capture the look they are going for.

        What is the best thing you have seen happen on a wedding day? 
        For me personally as the florist, when the bride is brought to tears when she sees her bouquet for the first time. 

        What are some sources of inspiration or influences on your work?
        Like many, Pinterest. However, my inspiration comes from my customers, their vision and always keeping up to date with designs, themes and color palettes.

        What’s your favorite way to wind down after a hard day? 
        Time spent with family and friends. Maybe some snuggle time with my dogs. Sometimes, getting in my sewing room and finding other ways of being creative.

        Best or worst wedding advice you received when you got married? 
        Best…Always remain friends and laugh together, because at the end of the day…you will need that.

        Advice you would give to newly engaged couples. 
        Continue to go on dates…FOREVER. Remind yourself during the rough times what brought you to this place in your life to begin with and if you feel you lost that…FIND IT AGAIN!

        What sets you apart in your industry or what do your clients say about you?
        My clients like that I’m up front and honest. I don’t push things upon them, I am here to bring their vision to life and to guide them in that direction. They like the fact that my years of experience not only lies in my floral designs, but in planning and organizing of the event itself.

        Be sure to look Rita up Online and on Facebook!

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          FAQ’s:: Top 10 apps I use on my phone

          Happy Monday to you!  It you have been following the blog at all, you know that I have started a mini series where I am answering questions that I frequently get from photographers and friends.  Continuing on today the next question that I wanted to address::

          What are some of your favorite apps that you use on your phone?

          So here goes with links to all.

          White Noise:: I love using this app when I am at a newborn session and baby is having troubles sleeping.  Simply put your phone under baby as they are restless (making sure mom and dad are ok with it!) and ta-da: a hand held noise machine!

          Everlance:: This app keeps track of the miles I’ve used and can write off for business purposes.  It is seriously amazing.  I had Mile Tracker (which is a similar app) but for some reason, just liked this one more.  There is an annual fee that you pay to track your miles, but I have found it completely worth it.  I am notified when I have not tracked miles and at the end of the week, month and year.

          Uber:: I mainly use this app when working in the city or on vacation.  I feel like Uber has changed the way I travel and think of traveling through the city!!

          Pay Pal:: I do take a few credit card payments from clients and when I do, I use this app to send and track payments.

          My Radar:: A free app that I have found to be super accurate when tracking weather on a wedding day (ore really any day).

          PicTapGo:: From the founders of Totally Rad Actions, PicTapGo is a quick way for me to edit the photos taken on my phone when I add them to Instagram or Facebook.  There is a small fee for this app, but again, I know the software and I love it!

          Snapchat:: Now I am not a huge user of snapchat, but one thing I love, and so do my kids, and probably most kids are their fun filters.  Have a hard kid when doing a family session, help them warm up by putting some fun filters on and making them laugh ( of  course when after checking with mom and dad!)

          Tiny Scanner:: Another free app I use when needing to send and scan documents to clients.  Simply use the app to take a photo and whammo, you have a PDF ready to go out to your client!  Unless you are able to upgrade, you can only keep 2 documents in the program (kind of a downer).

          Google Maps:: Way better than the maps app that comes with the phone (in my humble opinion). Google maps is more up to date and helps me to know where to go and that I am on the fastest route!

          HootSuite:: This is my last and favorite app.  Hootsuite lets you schedule out all social media posts in advance.  I mainly use this app when I am on vacation, but want to maintain consistency when posting to social media sites.  A notification is sent and simply swipe to post.  The downside is that it still does take some time to do unless you upgrade to auto scheduling (something I am contemplating). You still have to go into your notification and copy and paste to your social media site, but can still write out in advance what you would like to say rather than spending time thoughout the day thinking about it!

          Have any other great apps that you like?  Please share, I always finding ones that will make my days more seamless and easier!

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            FK

            Minneapolis Wedding and portrait photographer for the Modern & timeless

             

            Based in the Twin Cities area and available for travel worldwide.

            Get in touch with Karen for any questions.

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