Continuing education

Two things yesterday reminded me that I should post about wedding photographers’ ongoing education. It’s an important thing for consumers (especially engaged couples pricing out photographers) to know, as it’s often really hard to understand why photographers charge so much for their services. As noted elsewhere, pricing will take into account not just the hours spent on location, but also all the time spent post-processing, completing orders, making albums, etc. It’ll also take into account overhead (equipment costs, website fees, etc.) and one very important item – continuing education.

This year I’ll have spent at LEAST 30 solid hours in a classroom-like situation, whether it’s out in the field learning from a major wedding photographer in a workshop, or sitting in a ballroom in the Washington Convention center learning more about Photoshop. That’s not to mention the constant reading I do about photography, software, equipment, and updates to all these things. And on top of the photography-related education, I’m also attending business workshops and seminars and reading tons beyond that.

This post isn’t about pricing, though. I want to make it clear to my clients that I’m continually striving to be a better photographer and businesswoman. I’m constantly keeping up to date on new trends and tricks; I order samples of the newest album types and am practicing techniques in Photoshop. I’m renting new lenses to try out and working with other area wedding photographers to improve our skills. We all care about our clients and want to give them the best possible service, so naturally we’ll keep on learning and growing.

Emergency Medical Services

Photography is what I love and do. It shapes me, it fulfills me, it makes me a better person. I want to be the best photographer I can be. So, wait, why am I also working towards EMT certification? :) Maybe it’s my liberal arts background, but I know that to be the best I can be, I need to be a well-rounded individual. Taking courses to be certified as an Emergency Medical Technician also fulfills the part of me that continually wants to learn and grow. While I am definitely not planning on being an EMT occupationally, I definitely want to be certified, so I know how to help in a situation that needs it. I’m taking courses that don’t interfere with my photography workflow or schedule, and I feel 100% wonderful about this other piece of continuing education. I think it will teach me many things, and likely also have a positive effect on how I approach the human side of photography. And, again, I want to be all that I can be, and I feel that being EMS certified is definitely a part of that.

Crash course in photography!

One last thing! I was reminded by a friend the other day that I should post about this on the blog. When I was in school one of my second shooters worked at a women’s shelter in DC. She invited me to give a “crash course” in photography one weekend for the women there, and it was a huge hit. From there I developed a style of “crash course” for individuals – anyone who wants to take an afternoon and learn the basics of shooting. All you need is your own camera; we’ll set up a session where you’ll learn the basics of composing, metering, shooting, and post-processing afterwards. We can go for a walk around the Tidal Basin, or meet your photogenic friend for a Facebook portrait shoot. :) You’ll learn how your camera works and how to make it work for you. It’s a lot of fun, so definitely contact me if you’d like to set one up!