Vancouver Wedding Photographer: Lyndsay London

Just a few of my two cents in response to some questions I have received lately. This is my experience and it doesn’t make it the best way or only way to do things. It’s just the way I have done things. I have plenty of room to grow and change, but if it helps you, it can’t hurt to share! Hope you enjoy it!

xo Lyndsay

- What do you think your clients value most from your business?

I think initially clients value the natural and fun style of my photography (the visual). They value that my approach captures them naturally, while still looking their best. As they work with me for the year leading up to their wedding, they often express appreciation for my responsiveness and supportive approach. I think they begin to value the relationship we build. It may sound cliche, but I think this the relationship is most important thing when it comes to a small business like mine. Clients that like me, refer me. You can read more of what people I have worked with have to say here: http://lyndsaylondon.com/site_html/#/kind-words/

- What strategies do you perform to develop a) a consistent client base and b) repeat clients?

I want to give my existing clients every reason to love working with me, to refer me (which is most important because if my clients are a good fit for me, their friends likely will be too), and to come back again in the future for their growing family photos or anniversary. I always make my clients a number one priority, never making them wait for a response to me if I don’t have to, checking in regularly, sending thank you cards and little gifts too. I use my brand and online personality to first capture the attention of the right clients. I want to work with clients that are fun, intelligent, creative, and down to earth. Like me ;). I have room to grow in every way though. Lots and lots more to learn and lots of ways to grow.

(below – referring machines, Maggie & Haydex, who I love and appreciate so much – such wonderful people that fit with my brand)

- How do you find new clients?

I think Vancouver is rather saturated with photographers, so referrals are always the best way to obtain new clients. Those clients that are referred are also often a great fit and easier for me to book. Simply put: I think potential clients/buyers are more likely to book my when there is a referral to me from someone they know. I really believe that potential clients book people they know, like and trust, so I have to make them feel like they know me and trust me through my website, blog and Facebook. This isn’t something I do enough of, honestly. I use social media a fair bit to reach potential customers. By tagging client photos, all of their friends see their images and that can inspire future referrals and bookings. Honestly, my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/LyndsayLondonPhotography) has been critical in building my business. I can’t express that enough.  Finally, I try to get my images published on other wedding blogs. This is a way to legitimize my business and work to potential and current couples. Plus it feels pretty nice for everyone involved to be published :).

- What are some of the key marketing strategies that you have used to let your potential clients understand what your business is all about?

Facebook, my own blog, and my website are my main marketing tools. These are critical for me to use to communicate who I am, what I do and why they should book me. I also get my work featured on other blogs when possible, and other vendor websites is a really great way to market my business too.

(a screenshot from my website that took me forever to put together!!! below)

- What steps did you take to really excel your business from a start-up to where it is today?

Good question! I think the number one reason I have had success in my business is because I treat it first and foremost as just that: a business. Yes, photography is fun and artistic and all that good stuff, but I actually spend very little time shooting. I spend a lot of time on the back end, marketing, blogging, strategizing, etc. I guess that was step 1.

This was my philosophy when I started learning digital photography 2 years ago (January 2010) shortly after I myself got married. Where has the time gone?!

I actually officially started the business on a whim at the same time that I got a Rebel Canon DSLR that same January 2010 and took my first horrifying photograph. I got into photography at that time because I was working as a clinical counselling intern which is absolutely wonderful work… but also absolutely difficult work. I discovered early on in my counselling career, that to do well in that role, I could not do it 5 days a week. No way. When I had that realization, I had also been dreaming about photography a lot. Not like I knew how to “do” photography  or anything but that’s not really something that would stop me anyways :). I told my husband my ‘dream’, and he gave his full support. The next day we bought the Canon Rebel and a 50 mm f1.8 and our lives have changed dramatically since. Oh, we also made an agreement that if I was going to “do” photography,  I was going to set-up photo sessions every week starting week one and really push myself to learn how to shoot IN MANUAL and have a successful business within one year.

So I did it. I got the camera (a Rebel T1i), a Mac Book, bought Lightroom 2, and started taking free photos of every couple and person that would volunteer to model for me.I practiced like crazy! That was step 2. Shortly after that (maybe a 3 or 4 weeks into January of 2010 for around $1400) I booked my very first wedding and in February and March, when my photos were a bit better, I started charging a small fee for the optional image purchase but kept the session fee free. It’s true, I didn’t know what I was doing or how to take “a picture” when I first started, but I knew myself well enough to be confident that I would succeed at having a successful business with enough “blood sweat and tears”. And trust me, there has been plenty of blood, sweat and tears over the last two year :$. But also a lot of joy and excitement to make it worth the journey. To help me learn the “how to” I read everything I could online, followed a handful of successful photographers, like Jasmine Star and Jamie Delaine and emulated their own success strategies. That was step 3. Why reinvent the wheel, right? Side note: I do a lot more of my own thing nowadays, and I would encourage anyone else reading this to find themselves eventually, because only YoOU can be YOU and what is so beautiful about that is nobody can compete with that.

In those early days, I used Facebook and a blog to drum up referrals and show my “work”. I saved all the money I made in my business to upgrade all of my gear that first year (step 4). By the end of 2010 and my first year, I shot 8 weddings, and 30+ portrait sessions. I also booked 10 out of my 15 weddings for the 2011 wedding season in that Summer and Fall of 2010. I did all that while working part time at a day job and completing a master’s degree. So, it’s possible to have success in year one, but in all seriousness, I worked my network hard that first year and it really paid off – fast. I’m really thankful for everyone who helped me and supported me and continue to do so. Thank you.

In my second year (2011), I had my main process/strategy for running my business figured out and I began to specialize in couples by limiting what I booked (step 5). Year one, I did everything, but didn’t love everything. I also got my customized website up and running and that was great for my clients (step 6). I use Showit for my website. It pretty great. One last thing I did in 2011: I worked on getting my photos published on other wedding sites and blogs. This was a great way to gain ‘publicity’ and increase the perceived legitimacy of my little corner of the world wide web (step 7).

I think, in addition to treating my photography as a business, my other not so secret “secret” is my determination, strong belief in myself and having a lot of enthusiasm. If you don’t think you CAN then you are probably right. Nothing worst than a self fullfilling prophecy. I have really put myself out there – I sort of “{felt} the fear and {did} it anyways” (step 8). Trust me, I was still scared and nervous – all of that, but I didn’t act like I was. Also, I’m not lazy. I pride myself on being fast and responsive to my clients and getting the work done quickly even when I’m “too busy or too tired”. I have a bit of perfectionist tendencies about doing my best and meeting my personal expectations of myself (in fairness, the bar is often set too high for better or worse). I also try to keep my back-end work flow (the editing) very simple and classic (step 9). Not only do I like that style, but editing isn’t overly complicated. I also use the best lenses available to shoot with. This saves some time and clients love getting their images sooner rather than later. They love that and I do to (step 10).

(An image from my first official wedding in 2010, original editing and all, below – forgive the word created logo)

- In your future growth plans, what are some of the key steps that you plan to implement in order to grow your business beyond where it is today?

I’m not too sure about my future plans are actually. I for sure have goals for my technical skills – plenty to learn still – 2 years isn’t nearly enough time. Beyond that, I want to get into teaching photography and teaching the business side of wedding photography. Teaching is something I am really passionate about but I don’t think I am “popular” enough in the field (not enough exposure out there yet) to make a good a run at this and really be able to help others at a more large scale capacity (and not just one offs). I have some ideas on what I need to do to achieve this (using social media more effectively and blogging more high value content). I want to be able to continue to grow my name in the photography industry and make my way higher up the google ladder (does that even make sense??) so I can book more “on brand” brides and grooms that really value what I do and are plenty okay to compensate me enough to pay my bills for it. I will keep doing what has worked so far and this year I want to work on having more relationships with more vendors.

(Above: That’s me! Image courtesy of Justine Russo above)