Over the last 6 weeks, instead of focusing solely on my work with TIAWP (the Academy), I have also been watching an amazing photographer, Jasmine Star. There is a website called creativeLIVE, and it’s the best thing since sliced bread. They have the best in the business come in and offer free classes! Well, it’s free when it airs, but it’s also available to buy so you can have the information forever! They offer classes on photo & video, art & design, music & audio, crafts & maker, and money & life. Most of the classes I have watched pertain to photography, but I did watch one about how to be a great communicator! I got tons of amazing information from that one. Everything that I have learned from their classes has had such a positive impact on my photography business. It really is amazing. The last six weeks, i have been a part of J*’s Wedding Photography Boot camp.

Photo Courtesy of Jasminestar.com

So onto my love of Jasmine Star. Like i said, for the last six weeks, I’ve been tuning in every day for a 30-90 minute lessons to learn everything I can from Jasmine. Another amazing part of this boot camp in particular was the involvement of The Knot. The Knot is THE website when it comes to helping you plan your own wedding. Jasmine, The Knot, and creativeLIVE join forces and were all a part of the 2015 Knot dream wedding, along with so many other vendors. They offered one well deserving couple the opportunity of a lifetime, and they planned the wedding, with the help of America who voted on the makeup, the dress, the rings, and more. The couple had an amazing day but one of the coolest things, to me, was they broadcasted the wedding live. You can check that all out HERE!

So now that I’m completely off topic, back to J*. The last 6 weeks of been jam packed full of information! I got to see her shoot TheKnot engagement session in less than ideal light and weather. We got to see her shoot a stylized shoot, behind the scenes from TheKnot wedding,  and all the craziness from that day, all while admiring her savvy style, and thinking “she would have been an amazing lawyer.”  But this wasn’t supposed to be a post all about that, but what I’ve taken from these past few weeks.

So here’s my top 10 things from this boot camp that I have found the most helpful to my business.

1.  I’m a documentary photographer. What’s that mean? What you see is what you get. One of my favorite parts of this boot camp was Jasmine gave us homework. One of them was to refine our style. I really want to move into being more of a lifestyle photographer. What you see is what you get, but it’s been refined to get that perfect light, and perfect moment.

2. Three words to describe your style! I put this in my last “what I’ve learned” post for the academy but I really have to give credit to J.  When I first heard it from Katelyn James, it was like a little bug in my ear, but with J’s help I have finally refined those words and landed on Fun, Fresh, and Romantic. J told us not only to know our words, but to shoot with intention and keep them in mind ALWAYS.

3. A shy photographer can be successful. Now I don’t consider myself shy, but in certain situations, I clam up. As I get older, I am getting better at this, but I still have to remember to relax sometimes.

4. I want to create evangelists! They say, someone who has a good experience with you, they might tell one person. If they have a bad experience, they tell the masses. I’ve mentioned before, but after working with me, I want people to shout from the rooftops how amazing I made them feel. I want them to truly know that I care about them. Each and every one of them.

5. When I want something done a certain way, I need to let my clients know my expectations and communicate! If there’s an issue, there’s only one person to blame, and its not them!

6. No matter what!!!! Hair and makeup always run over time. It happens, work around it. And communicate with the hair and makeup artist!

7. As photographers, we need to hone our craft and practice shooting in the worst situations. It’s just the way it goes. That means finding natural reflectors, and working with what you have.

Harsh almost-mid-day sun….these guys rocked it 🙂

8. Creating a photo map for each session has helped me a ton! It’s a visual map, but it helps me make sure I get everything I need, and that the best location is last, after they warmed up a bit.

9. To get more natural poses, you have to create movement. This one is kind of like “well duh!” but it’s so easy to get into the same routine of poses. Getting the clients moving and getting their blood flowing just makes the end result even  better.

10. When it comes to getting published, shoot with a stylist’s eye, and BE UNIQUE. Pay attention to the little things, like buckling the bride’s shoes, or removing distracting elements, and stay away from trendy photos. Also, don’t be afraid to take risks.

The last day of the whole boot camp was another live session. It was kind of a kick in the pants, and made me realize a few more things.

Jasmine gave a little bit of her back story, where she started, what it looked like, what she knew she had to change when realized she was spending way too much time with her business and not with her new husband. She talked about how success doesn’t just go to the best anymore. You have to WORK for it. You can’t just take amazing pictures and expect everyone to flock to you, you have to put yourself out there. You have to have your priorities, and take time for those. She talked about a podcast she had listened to about a study that was done about people who are successful. In this study, it was found that people with natural talent aren’t used to failure. If they are always good at everything, they have a hard time when things don’t go their way because they have never had to deal with that failure. They have never learned to be persistent. They don’t lack the GRIT.  I  know I am not the only one that thinks now and then “why am i even doing this?!” There’s times when i feel hopeless, let down, and i feel like i am not going in the direction that i want to, but i push through it. She mentioned that there are no excuses for a lack of resources. You HAVE to work for it. When you want to change something, struggle is always going to come with it. It’s like a package deal. In business, in life, in photography, in EVERYTHING, and you have to make the decision to push through it and succeed.

I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to learn from the best, and I will continue to work for everything I have, and be grateful for it as well!

If you’re interested in learning more about creativeLIVE, check them out HERE!