Where did it start?
In July 2020, I took part in a photography challenge with Lauren from For You Photography. I completed five valuable days of learning how to take better photographs for my business and had amazing support from Lauren and others taking part. The icing on the cake and the absolute cherry on the top was then winning the prize which was a full brand photoshoot!
What happened next?
Lockdowns! Lauren and I had planned to complete the shoot but various lockdowns prevented us from going ahead. Finally, in July 2021 we were able to get a date and go for it! In hindsight the delay gave me valuable time to work on some new collections of pottery and to really consider what photographs I wanted and how I felt the day could work best. Lauren supported this process with a phonecall & helpful questionnaires to help me consider why I do what I do and my ideal customer.
Getting prepared:
Alongside the support from Lauren, I took time to research images I liked, creating a pinterest board to capture these as a helpful reference point. I plotted out how to best use the three hours I had during the photoshoot and gave lots of thought to props, locations for the photographs & even my own outfits (brand colours all the way!). I also decided I would like to have some photographs taken on location at the beach as I have a beach inspired collection and knew this would help bring this theme to life!
On the day!
I had all my props ready, outfits ironed and shelves/making table tidy (this took a while but was so worth it!). I had booked a hair appointment as wanted to look my best and was a little stressed when it got cancelled but we managed to get organised at the last minute phew! Lauren arrived and thankfully put me at ease instantly. We talked about where the photographs would be taken, themes for the images etc over a cuppa and then we got to work. I initially felt a little self-conscious about being in the photographs but Lauren made this so much easier by making me laugh and gently guiding me through it all. Lauren captured all of the parts of my pottery process which are important and kindly showed me some photos as we went along. As you can imagine, there was lots of oooing and aaahing from me!
After thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed my photoshoot and the end results are fantastic! I love how authentic the photographs are and this is testament to Lauren’s skills and her inclusive approach – I felt my ideas and opinions were valued which in turn made me feel comfortable and relaxed. Win, win, win!
Some tips I would give to others after having this experience would be:
- Plan and prepare! Dont leave your planning to the last minute – I started planning my photoshoot approximately 2-3 months before it took place. This gave me time to consider props, locations, the images I wanted to have, to plan outfits and consider how to best use the time I had. Pinterest is a great tool for pulling together an idea’s board and is easily shared with your photographer.
- Be ready on the day! Have outfits ironed, props to hand, hair/makeup sorted. Do as much as you can beforehand so on the day you can just enjoy the process – after all, this should be a lovely, proud day for your business!
- Work with a photographer you connect with! Lauren and I had got to know eachother over our social media prior to me taking part in her challenge which then led to the photoshoot. I knew through our easy conversations we would click and it was like meeting a friend when we did finally get together. Working with a photographer who made me feel engaged, valued and included resulted in a set of photographs I will treasure for a very long time. It feels special getting to a point in your business where you can have a photoshoot and I can’t recommend it enough. I wouldn’t hesitate to have Lauren come and take more photos in the future as my business grows and thanks to her beautiful photography I know that it will! Thank you SO much For You Photography
