Fab Friday: Photography 101, What to expect!

Happy Fab Friday! We are about one week away from our next workshop, Photography 101! We can't believe it! It's going to be a super fun day and we hope you can join us! If you've never attended one of our events, we wanted to give you a little idea of what you can expect from us!

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A common thing we hear from our workshop attendees, is that our workshops are pretty different than other workshops they've attended... in a good way! When we created Golden Girls and started hosting workshops, we wanted our events to be different. We wanted to create the ultimate workshop experience that we would love to be a part of... and we think we've done just that!

So, what can you expect from a Golden Girls Workshop or specifically Photography 101? Lots of things!

Sometimes, attending a workshop can be a little intimidating. People can be cold and unwelcoming. But from the moment you walk into a Golden Girls Workshop, you'll feel like you belong. We are all about friendship and community! You'll spend the day with some awesome people and leave with some new friends!

Another thing we love to do, is make sure you are surrounded by beauty throughout the day! We're photographers and we love to give our attendees gorgeous stuff to look at and shoot! We sometimes go overboard with this, but we LOVE setting up gorgeous vignettes for you to photograph! Whether it's a calligraphy table, a dessert bar or simply some incredible flower arrangements, we are all about it!

Do you like FREE stuff? Yeah, us too. No, seriously. We love giving stuff away! When you attend a Golden Girls workshop, you can expect to walk away with some cool little goodies and maybe an even bigger prize! (Hint, hint! We have some awesome sponsors lined up for Photography 101!)

And, of course, you can expect to learn! We love goodie bags and lunch as much as anyone, but the real reason people attend our workshops is to educate themselves. We usually start our workshops with hands-on discussions and lessons (so bring your gear!) and then we put what we've learned into practice! Our workshops usually include some sort of styled shoot (or shoots!) throughout the day.

Those are just a few things you can expect from our workshops... but seriously, there's so much more!

We have a lot of exciting things planned for Photography 101! Not only do we plan to get you comfortable shooting in manual mode, but we will also help you better understand lighting, composition, white balance, and much, much more! If you're shooting in AUTO or you have issues with focusing or you just want to learn how to take better pictures of your kids, please consider attending. We still have a few seats left!

Like all of our workshops, lunch will be included! (And dessert, too!) We will conclude the day with an awesome styled outdoor shoot where you can grab some shots for your portfolio or practice what you just learned!

We put a lot of work into these events and we do it because we love our community and we love photography! We really hope you consider joining us at Photography 101 or a future Golden Girls event! We'd love to hang out!

If you'd like to sign up for Photography 101, please go here! And if you have any suggestions for future workshops you'd like to see us offer, let us know!

Xoxo!

Golden Girls

Talk Shop Thursday: Pay it Forward, Yo!

Summer here! This edition of Talk Shop Thursday is a little different but still super important! It's all about Paying it Forward. About 2 years ago, I felt that my business was taking off, I had finally got my client base, and I knew I had reached my initial goal. I sat back and reflected and realized that because of the kindness of others, blogs, workshop hosts, meet-ups, I was where I wanted to be.

I decided right then I needed to Pay it Forward! I asked my fans on Facebook if anyone was interested in mentoring, for FREE. The response was incredible. I think I had over 50 inquiries and so many people who really wanted to learn. I ended up taking on 3 teenage girls and 3 super amazing women, One being Miss VALERIE herself! I remember when I first started, I created a whole packet of educational lessons, tips, and I even planned a gorgeous stylized shoot. I was overwhelmed, but the joy I received when these ladies  "got it" was pretty epic.

Since then, I have made some great friendships with so many photographers, and it just keeps going. The idea behind Golden Girls is to create a community of like minded eager beavers who love photography as much as we do, where we can learn together in a safe place, where it doesn't matter what level you are on.

So I'm putting it out there, IF you have received some good will from someone, Pay it Forward! Reach out to a new photographer who might be struggling! Invite someone to shoot with you. You can always invite them to check out Golden Girls, too! ;)

Or even do something that isn't necessarily photography related. Just do something to brighten someone's day!

Let's make this world a better place, a kinder place.

Xoxo,

Golden Girls

Work It Wednesday: Love!

This week's theme was LOVE and we are head over heels in love with the images that you all submitted this week! Thank you so much for participating! Be sure to check out these awesome photographers!

Jay Williams Photography

Marlene Zatarain Brown

Corina Agudo

Nicole Kahn Photography

Arcy Perez Sarabia

Summer Shea Photography

Next week's theme is: DELICIOUS. As always, interpretation is up to you! 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: How do I get clients?

Dear Golden Girls,

This sounds silly, but I need advice. I launched my business about a year ago and things were going great. There was so much interest and I was so busy! But lately, things have really died down. I get a few inquiries once in a while and a couple people book, but it is definitely not like it was a year ago! I'm starting to think this was a mistake. Please help! How do I get clients interested and booked?

Starving Artist

Dear Starving Artist,

First off, congratulations on starting your business and sticking it out so far! That's a huge accomplishment! We totally get where you are in your journey and hopefully we can help you figure this out!

You have to understand that businesses go through seasons... some seasons are busier than others. When you first started, of course interest was up! We're willing to bet that before you officially went into business, you had a lot of friends and family begging you to take their photos, right? Well, after you launched, a lot of those people were ready to book! And their friends saw the photos and wanted to book! And so on and so on...

But after that you noticed things went south. This could have been caused by a lot of things. Maybe your pricing is off for your area? What about your branding? Are you putting yourself out there and really showcasing what makes you and your business special? If you aren't sure, we recommend reading some of our previous blogs on branding. (Here and here!) See if there's anything you can change!

Something to remember though, is that you have only been in business for a year... maybe your initial clients only want yearly photos? The key to fixing that, is luring them back in! Maybe try offering your previous clients a special sale price or free prints or something really snazzy! Get them excited again!

If you've fixed all that needs fixing and tried luring in your old clients but things are still slow, here are a few other ideas you might want to try:

1. Host a mini-session special! Shorter session = smaller price! Make sure you're not losing too much money, but also make sure it's exciting enough to get people's attention!

2. Keep posting on Facebook and Instagram, even if business is slow! Dig up some of your favorite images from past sessions. Tag your clients! Keep your social media accounts active. You want to be sure you are still popping up in your fans' newsfeeds!

3. Speaking of which... find your ideal clientele and offer them something special! Maybe consider offering a FREE or super discounted session. (Only if you're comfortable with that, of course!) After you rock their session, be sure to encourage them to spread the word! Offer incentives, like free prints or discounted sessions, in exchange for referrals! And, of course, be sure to post those photos online like crazy! Tag your clients! If these people are your ideal clients, there's a good chance that those in their social circle are your ideal clients, as well! You want their friends to see your work and book sessions, too!

These are just a few ways you might be able to get people interested again. And remember, it takes a while to build a solid business. Get through the slow periods and you're golden!

Xoxo!

Golden Girls

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

Marvelous Monday: Clickin' Moms

Happy Marvelous Monday! We hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Today's Marvelous Monday is a little different than the previous Mondays! Instead of shining the spotlight on a single photographer or vendor, we wanted to let you guys know about a whole community of photographers!

Clickin' Moms is an incredible online community made up of talented photographers from all over the world. (And don't let the name fool you. This isn't just for moms. Moms, Dads, non-parents! Everyone is welcome!)

One of the coolest things about the Clickin' Moms community is that it is open to photographers of all levels: hobbyists, beginners, professionals... even super awesome rock star professionals join in the fun! You can be a mom who just picked up her first camera or a seasoned professional who is booked year-round!

So what exactly is Clickin' Moms? Well, it's a lot of things. it's a community, it's a store, it's a blog, and it's a forum. An AMAZING forum! Users can sign into a members-only message board where photography discussion runs rampant! There are seriously thousands of topics and pages full of photography discussion. There are tutorials, tips, tricks... anything you could think of! Have a question? You can get it answered. Have a story to share? Do it! Want some constructive criticism? You've come to the right place. You do have to pay a membership to join the forum, but we totally think it is worth it. This forum is amazing, guys. Seriously.

And not only that, but Clickin' Moms also hosts CMUniversity. If you are looking for a one-stop shot for photography e-learning, this is it! There are tons of online classes, breakouts, mentoring opportunities and more! They also go on sale all the time, so keep an eye out!

And finally, there's Click Away, a unique photography conference created by Clickin' Moms! It's taking place September 11-13 in Salt Lake City, Utah. We're going to be there and we would looooove to see you there, too! There are going to be so many awesome classes, speakers, and workshops! We can't wait!

As you know, Golden Girls are big on education. We love learning about photography and we love teaching it! Clickin' Moms has a been a huge tool for us in our photography journeys! We've met super cool people and we've learned incredible things.

If you'd like to sign-up, go here! You can try it out for 30 days for free!

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!