Marvelous Monday: Sunshine Avenue Photography

View fullsize

It's Marvelous Monday and we have a fabulous photographer to spotlight today! Giselle Christinson of Sunshine Avenue Photography is a super awesome Inland Empire and Orange County photographer. She is crazy talented and she can seriously rock both studio set-ups and outdoor photo sessions.

Giselle took the time to answer a few of our questions recently. We are so excited to introduce you to this awesome, talented lady! Read on to learn more about Giselle and her business.

View fullsize

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your business! What's your specialty?

I started learning about photography in 2012 and have not put my camera down since. THERE IS SO MUCH TO LEARN AND EXPLORE! I enjoy shooting in Natural light and Studio. I currently do not have a specialty. I pretty much enjoy all aspects of photography—I will never be bored—I want to do it all. My goal is to one day become a wedding photographer.

View fullsize

Tell us about your journey! How did you get to where you are?

I was put on bed rest with my 3rd child at 32 weeks. I thought to myself, what the heck am I going to do to remain sane...lol. I was pretty much married to my laptop for 8 weeks. I decided to take my first photography course at West Virginia University. I never knew that photography could be so complicated. I was up for the challenge—I'm a techy at heart.

Since then, I have been photographing my 3 girls... they make the best models. As I learn more, I become more and more hooked. There is no turning back now, I have a new found passion! So glad that I discovered it at a time in my life when there is so much to document both personally and professionally.

View fullsize

What are your favorite things about working in your field?

My favorite thing(s) are capturing candid moments. I love documenting life and shooting at different locations. I also like the adrenaline rush I get as I fumble through my camera settings for the perfect exposure. I remember trying not to lay on the grass as a child because it made me itch like hell. Those days are long gone. On weekends, you can find me laying in my yard with my macro lens photographing ants, dandelions, and blades of grass. Wouldn't trade it for the world—it sure as heck beats my desk job.

When I am outdoors, I wonder how the heck I overlooked sunlight, fields, clouds, and pretty much anything that would lend itself to a perfect location (photo shoot). I seriously have never spent so much time admiring my surroundings, like now....I AM A PHOTOGRAPHER! I'm very proud to say that.

View fullsize

What are some of your plans/goals for the future?

My future plans as aforementioned, to become a wedding photographer, to be fearless, to be able to tackle any and all lighting situations.

View fullsize

Check out more incredible work by Giselle by visiting her site, Sunshine Avenue Photography, and liking her Facebook page. You can also get in touch with her by e-mailing sunshineavenuephotography@yahoo.com.

Xoxo!

Golden Girls!

If you would like to be featured on a future Marvelous Monday post or if you know a local vendor of photographer we should feature, please send an email to hello@goldengirlsworkshops.com!

Fab Friday: Win a Free Seat in our Editing 101 Workshop!

UPDATE: The winners have been chosen! Go here to see who won!

------------------

It's Fab Friday and we have something super fabulous in store for you!

View fullsize

Our Editing 101 Workshop is only a few weeks away and we know you all are super excited to learn to edit like a pro! Well, today we are going to give you the chance to win a FREE seat to this workshop! And because you're all so sweet, our good friend Axiza of Cakes by Dee fame has also agreed to give one lucky person a free 6" cake! 

Entering is super easy. Click that LIKE button a few times, SHARE this blog post on Facebook (and whatever other social media sites you want!) and voila! You are entered to win! The more you share the better your chances!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We are so excited about this workshop and we hope you are, too! Not only are we going to show you the ropes when it comes to editing in Photoshop and Lightroom, but we also have a fun styled shoot planned, delicious snacks, and lots of amazing giveaways! (Seriously. These giveaways are awesome. We can't even believe it.)

Be sure to enter the contest as many times as you can and try to win that FREE seat! But if you don't believe in luck, you can sign up here and guarantee yourself a seat!

Xoxo!

Golden Girls

If you have a question about the Editing 101 Workshop or any other upcoming Golden Girls events, please send it to hello@goldengirlsworkshops.com!

Talk Shop Thursday: Branding 101

Happy Talk Shop Thursday, ladies and gentlemen! We have a fun business topic to discuss today! Branding!

Branding is such an important part of running a successful photography business but, truth is, it's something that a lot of photographers forget to focus on and fine-tune! We get so caught up in the logistics of running a business (the editing, the late nights, the taxes, etc.) that we forget to spotlight the most important piece of what sets our businesses apart: Ourselves!

So, what is branding and how does it relate to you and your business? Well, first off, let me tell you this... your brand is not your logo. It is so much more!

A Brand is the stories, the relationships, the memories and feelings, that help a consumer choose one service over another. Are you lost? OK, time out.

Here's a question for you: Do you prefer Coke or Pepsi? Why?

If you chose Coke because you have a thing for polar bears and because your grandma always had ice cold Coke in her fridge and it's what you remember drinking every 4th of July, then, voila! You've been lured in!

That's branding for you. Coke has created a brand that is so strong, so familiar, that you will choose Coke products anytime you have to make a decision between it or another soft drink.

The same can be applied to lots of other products and businesses! Starbucks, Target, Nike! Strong brands = loyal customers. And the same principle can work for your photography business!

A common complaint among photographers, especially those relatively new to the business side of things, is that they have trouble booking clients because the competition is so fierce.

There are so many good photographers in my area. No one wants to book me when they can hire so and so. I give up.

A lot of us have felt that way at some point in our photography journey... and you know how we fix it? We sell ourselves. We sell our story. We sell our personality.

Sure, those other photographers may have awesome talent and the pictures to prove it, but you know what they don't have? They don't have YOU.

We've heard it said that when clients are shopping around for a photographer, they aren't making a decision based solely on the photographs. They're shopping for the photographer.

The key to setting your business apart from the other businesses in your area is creating a personal BRAND! If your brand accurately reflects who you are and what makes you special, then your clients will be drawn to your business... even in an over-saturated market!

So, how do you create a personal brand? We have a few steps for you!

1. List three words that describe who you are and use these to form your brand.

• Remember to focus on you NOT your business.
• Use words that describe who you are today... not who you want to be.

For example, if your words are Edgy, Fun, and Loud, then that is how you should portray yourself to your clients. (Also, you sound awesome. We should be friends.)

2. Inject your personality into ALL of your social media posts.

When I first started posting sneak peeks on Facebook, I fell into the habit of using the same generic phrases over and over. (Isn't this baby the sweetest baby ever? Isn't this  mom the best mom ever? I had a great time taking these pictures! I loved taking these pictures! In the words of my two-year-old daughter,  BOOOOORING.) It wasn't until I started thinking about refining my brand that I realized, that's not how I speak. I'm a Valley Girl at heart. Every other word is dude or rad or girrrrrl... and that's me. That's my personality.

Remember your three words from Step 1? Your social media posts should be reflective of those same qualities. That's who you are. That's your brand.

3. Showcase who you ARE not what you do.

Of course, you're going to want to talk about your talent and your photos, but that's not what your brand is. Your brand is you! Who are you? Are you a mom? Are you a vegetarian hippie home-schooler? Do you make your own laundry soap and grow your own food? Tell your story! Let people get to know you!

4. Personalize everything.

Your blog, your web site, your Facebook... everything! When people find you online, they should know exactly who they are checking out. Let your presence be known, people! Don't make your clients work to find out who you are. Make it obvious.

5. Be yourself.

It's really easy to create a persona from behind a computer... but please, make sure that the brand you're creating is an accurate reflection of who you are. You don't want to sell yourself online as this outgoing party animal photographer and then clam up when you meet your clients in person. Make sure you're honest and that your clients are hiring the person they fell in love with!

Creating a personal brand doesn't have to be hard. It's really all about just being yourself and letting people get to know you. Don't be afraid to be yourself!

Xoxo!

Golden Girls

If you have an idea for a business related topic you would like to see discussed on Talk Shop Thursday, please send an email to hello@goldengirlsworkshops.com!

Work It Wednesday: Favorite!

Happy Work It Wednesday, folks! This week's theme was FAVORITE. We love seeing awesome images from our readers... and we absolutely LOVE spreading the word about your businesses! Your work deserves to be shown and we are here to give you that opportunity! Thanks to all of this week's participants! We can't wait to see next week's submissions! <3

Nicole Kahn Photography

Tallen Photography

Strawberry D'Lish Pinups

Valerie Ronin Photography

Next week's theme is Summer. Go to the beach, have a barbecue, eat some popsicles! Show us what Summer means to you! As always, send your images to hello@goldengirlsworkshops.com by Tuesday! Thanks for playing!

Xoxo!

Golden Girls

If you have an idea for a Work It Wednesday theme, please send it to hello@goldengirlsworkshops.com!

Let's Talk Tuesday!

Let's Talk Tuesday is our designated day to answer reader submitted questions! Let's get to it!

Dear Golden Girls,

 I'm done portfolio building and I'm ready to start charging but no one is hiring me! What can I do? I need clients. I need to pay off my massive amount of equipment debt. I need to get paid. I want to eat fast food again, Please help!

Sincerely,

Broke 'n Hungray

Dear Broke 'n Hungray,

Yay for you! You've done it and now it's time to get some paying clients. Here are a few ideas to help you get the ball rolling!

• Start with your existing client base, your portfolio building clients! Give them an extra incentive (like a free print!) if they give you a referral, share your website or Facebook page on their timeline, or write a review on your page.
• Post on Facebook at least once a day, everyday! People can't find you! Start getting your page full of content! You know how it works: someone likes something, it shows up on their friends' newsfeed, they like it, and so on and so on!
• Hold mini sessions! Offer a 30 minute session at a discounted rate! Get the clients in the door and get them hooked with your amazing talent!
• Create a one page flyer/info card and distribute it everywhere! Post them on local bulletin boards, pass them out at church, schools, the gym, local businesses. Speaking of which, use local businesses to promote your business, i.e. if you're a children photographer, visit a local children's boutique and ask if you can leave your card, or photograph their store/products in exchange for publicity.

Building a clientele is something that takes time, try to keep that in mind when you are going through a slow period. Use your creativity and show the world what you can do. If you show them, they will come!

Xoxo!

Golden Girls

If you have a Let's Talk Tuesday question for us, please send an email to hello@goldengirlsworkshops.com!