Latest / The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast / Episode 24 Presence Over Perfection: Rethinking Wedding Photography: Hannah Constein Photography

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Episode 24 Presence Over Perfection: Rethinking Wedding Photography: Hannah Constein Photography · The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to The Preferred List, a podcast about the people behind the best wedding days.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_01: I'm James, a wedding filmmaker.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_01: I've spent years in the industry working alongside incredible vendors, and this show is all about real conversations with the ones who make it happen.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: Whether you're a vendor or a couple, you'll get honest insight, good stories, and maybe a little inspiration along the way.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: Let's meet today's wedding vendor.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Hi Hannah, how's it going?
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_02: Hi, good.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: How are you?
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_02: Good.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so glad to have you on.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm so excited.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Hannah is a wonderful photographer in the area and has loads of experience, so super excited to jump in.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: But before we do, we are still here at Historic Ashland.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: Historic Ashland is an award-winning private wedding and event venue located in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's known for its historic architecture and timeless event spaces.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: Ashland offers indoor and outdoor spaces to accommodate any event in any season.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: Ashland is known for its expert staff who provides setup and teardown for each couple, exclusivity of the venue, and monitored amenities that all make for a full luxury experience.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: If you haven't seen this venue, you know nothing about it.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: You definitely need to check it out.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_01: Also, the owner here, Leah, fantastic.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: She's done a ton of weddings.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and the space here, I mean, there's just it's so good.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: And we're just grateful, the podcast is grateful that she has allowed us to film here.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we're sitting here with Hannah.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much for being on.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'm so excited.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_02: I've always wanted to be on a podcast.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_02: I actually just started listening to podcasts this year.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm like new.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_02: You're like in it.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_02: I'm in it, but I'm new to like the podcasting world.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_02: And now since I listen to him all the time, I'm like, I want to do this.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_02: So when you're like, oh, let's start one.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: When he reached out to me, I was like, oh my gosh, of course.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_01: And we worked together, I think the first time was in 23.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like maybe March of 23 or something.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: Rainy wedding day.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: A couple rainy wedding days.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: I know.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: Unfortunately.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: But it's so funny.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe don't focus together.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: Just kidding.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: No, just kidding.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: We don't believe in that.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: But it was so fun.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I could tell right away there was something different about your approach, about the way that you run things on a wedding day.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: And then I saw your photos from that wedding, and I was like, dang, y'all need to be checking this out because your photos are just fantastic.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_02: Sweet.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks so much.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's always been great working with you.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_02: I feel like we work like such a flawless team together.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, we just have a great time.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_02: So I appreciate that.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: And you're doing like some film stuff.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: So like when we hear a little bit more about that.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, absolutely.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, before we jump into like style and the the photo stuff, there's a business that you started.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I mean, maybe you knew you were gonna do something like this, maybe you didn't.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: Can you run me through like give me the origin story of Hannah Constantine photography?
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I actually never wanted it to be at the place that it is.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: Like I never wanted my business to be this big, um, which is funny.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_02: Like, who starts a business and thinks to themselves they don't want it to be big, right?
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I actually started in the wedding coordinating space.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: So when I was 18, I was coordinating weddings.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_02: I was like jealous of photographers because they got to leave, which like knowing what I know now, like it's actually so much easier to be like a one-day event, you know, vendor and done.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um, not that it's easier, but you know what I mean.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_02: So I was a coordinator and I was like, man, they get to leave at like nine o'clock and like they're just done, and I'm here till midnight cleaning up.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so I always had me that I just thought it was cool.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_02: But I uh was working full-time in college and uh I it was just too much.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_02: Like I was working full-time, I was going to school full time.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_02: I decided that I wanted to quit my job and I needed to make up some extra income.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: So I took a photography course online, and through that, I kind of just like loved this.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: Like I actually always took like was taking pictures in middle school.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_02: I was taking pictures with my friends and I would do photo shoots.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, my grandfather was a photographer by not necessarily by trade, but like as a hobby.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_02: And when he passed away, he left me his camera.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_02: It was in middle school.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_02: And so that was like the original origin, I guess, of like when I started picking up a camera.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_02: Just like loved doing these like really cringy backyard photo shoots with my friends.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but it was so fun.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I've just like always had a camera in hand.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so in college, though, when I took that course, I was like, you know what, I actually really like this.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_02: I was doing little shoots, you know, for free or barely any money for friends just to kind of get my, you know, get my feet wet.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_02: Never really wanted to do weddings.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, that's way too much pressure.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: And like, I just don't want to do that.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and then got a job in the corporate world, had a baby, and I was still kind of taking pictures at this point.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like I had done a wedding or two maybe at that point.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I started what year is that that you were kind of still dabbling?
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_02: 2019, maybe like 2018, 2019, um, is when I was kind of like dabbling, still working, whatever, like still doing weddings, but um not quite as much.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_02: And I was mostly just second shooting at that point, maybe like three weddings a year.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_02: Started second shooting.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, you know, this is actually fun.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_02: Like, maybe I could quit my full-time job and supplement, you know, that income with like weddings.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_02: But again, like I cannot tell you the amount of times I've told friends, like, I never want to be the photographer that does like 30 to 40 weddings a year.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_02: That's just way too much.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um, they're probably all like laughing at me now because I'm laughing at you now.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm actually a crazy person because I do do that, and I have three kids.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, and then honestly, like, so I quit my full-time job after I had my second son or my my second child, my son.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, I'm gonna just do my business on the side just to supplement income.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_02: And my first year of not working and juggling, like my first year of just really diving into my business, I had 20 weddings.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: Crazy.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_02: Which it like, it's just yeah, it's crazy.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_02: It just honestly happened very organically, and uh my business has just grown so rapidly since then.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_02: And I feel like it's just a testament to the Lord, and it's where I'm supposed to be, and that's affirmation of that.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_02: Like the growth is affirmation of I'm I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, never looked back.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_02: Now I do about 30 to 35 weddings a year.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_02: Probably gonna slow down a little bit in the next couple years, but that's what I've been doing since then.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_02: So the past like four years or so, four to five years or so.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_02: Um, yeah, it's just been so good.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_02: Like I literally have the best job ever.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know if you feel that way.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_02: Like working at weddings is so fun.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I yeah.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, most people are I think I saw this.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know, did you post this about the looking forward to the weekends thing?
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_02: Uh possibly.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_02: Someone, someone just posted this.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_02: I do.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: I I couldn't remember.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it might have been uh another photographer that we've worked with, but they just posted the idea of like everyone's looking forward to like getting the weekend and getting to to have it off and all this stuff, and it's like we get to celebrate like the best day with our couple.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: It's so fun.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, my husband says to me all the time that he's like jealous of my job because we get to go to work on somebody's best day.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and it's so true, right?
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: Like we deal with hiccups, like not everybody is having the best day, but for the most part, like this is their happiest day of their life so far, and we get to work with them on that day, yeah.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: There's like that's amazing for sure.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: And there's so much to what you just talked about with your origin story.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, I want to know more.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: You got your grandfather's camera, and I feel like now you're looking back on it, it probably makes a ton of sense.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: But in that moment were you just like uh okay, like what is this?
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what do I do with it?
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: Were you like excited that you got a camera?
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I was like, oh, this is cool.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I think I had a camera at that point, but it wasn't as like like his was I don't even honestly remember what it was at this point, but it was like a professional camera at the time.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I was probably like 12 or 12 to 14 probably.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_02: Uh didn't really know anything about settings.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: So it was definitely still like an auto at that point.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I was editing on like um what's it called?
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_02: What were the editing things back in the day?
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't when I I took a photo course when I was in middle school, I think.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: Or maybe I was in high school.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think I edited a single photo.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, yeah.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: And it was one of those things where they were like, go get lines or architecture or this idea or that idea.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, I took a photo.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I took a course too, and it was like the most random.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like when you were doing your like fun backyard, like potentially cringy photo shoots.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like, were you sort of developing like an eye for like composition or like like any of that?
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I feel like probably.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, uh, they would be so cringy to look back on, honestly.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_02: Like they were probably really rough.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but what I did know at that time is I never liked to be in front of the camera.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_02: So I've told me before.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, which I've told you before.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just way more comfortable behind the camera.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and uh like we would always swap.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_02: My friends would take pictures of me too.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_02: But I just had so much more fun taking pictures of them.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_02: And so yeah, I guess it was something that like started, it was a seed that was planted at that point.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_02: And to now look back and see how yeah, how it's grown and developed into like this pretty big business is amazing.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I don't know, it's yeah, it's really cool.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: So you had a camera like way back in the day, probably not even remotely thinking about the business that you would have now.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and and you kind of started with that second shooting when you started your business and started kind of maybe taking it a little bit more seriously.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what did that path look like?
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: Were you like, I'm just gonna jump all in?
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: Were you kind of like hesitating a little bit when you got started?
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I was definitely hesitating because I think I was scared of growth.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_02: Like I didn't want to put too much into it because I didn't want it to grow big.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_02: Like I didn't want it to get big.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_02: I was a little scared of that.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't know if I was scared of failure or if I was scared of not being able to juggle everything.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_02: Like I was a new mom at that point, I had two kids.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um so yeah, so I I had like a very basic website.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: It wasn't, I think it was through Pixie Set, so it like wasn't even it didn't even have its own domain at that point.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I knew that like these were steps that I needed to take to grow my business, but I just didn't know if I wanted to, like, I didn't know if I wanted it to get big.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_02: And I think I knew that if I did those things, it would get bigger.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_02: So it was kind of like me holding myself back and holding my business back.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but when I finally decided, like, let's go all in on this, I think it was a lot of prayer, a lot of talking with my husband, who was like my biggest supporter.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_02: I could not do this without him.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_02: And he was like, just go for it.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_02: Like I love that.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_02: You love this, go for it.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_02: I specifically remember I came home from a wedding day.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_02: This was back when I was maybe only doing like five a year or something.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I yeah, so I had one baby, I had two kids at home.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_02: And my youngest was a baby, so he was pretty young.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like just sitting at home.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_02: I had come home from the wedding day and I was sitting at home and I was like, I had the best day.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_02: Like I love this so much.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_02: I want to do more of this, but I don't know how to do like can I do more of this?
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_02: Can I juggle it with the kids?
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_02: Like I I just didn't know what that looked like, but I knew that like I felt so fulfilled and I knew it was what I was supposed to be doing.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think that was like the light bulb moment where I was like, just take the leap, like hire somebody to do your website, like do a rebrand, like really put into your business so that you can receive the fruits from it.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_02: And I feel like that's happened.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I have so much more growing to do, but it's just been amazing.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I really haven't been full-time for that long, it's only been three four years at this point, four years full-time.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: And when we met, I would have guessed that you've been full-time for 10 years, and that was like two years ago.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, appreciate that.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you had like you had this like persona about you, like you're can in control of the whole day, and then I saw the images after, and I was like, oh my gosh, this is like you have it figured out to some degree.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: I know there's always more growing that we can do, but um what was the process like going from those five-ish weddings, maybe you're mostly second shooting, to now doing like 30, 35, but also managing like the balance between business, family.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you have three kids.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, like, how does all of that work?
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's a lot, honestly.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: Um, just last night my mother-in-law told me she doesn't know how my head doesn't explode because I just are juggling a lot.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I couldn't do without help, first off.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_02: Like, we have amazing family support, which I could not do without.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I am gone a little decent amount of Fridays, have a good amount of Friday weddings.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: On the weekends, my husband's with the kids, but during the week, when I need to be gone, I we have an amazing support system um in our family, and not everybody has that.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_02: So I feel so blessed to have that.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I also have a cleaning lady, which sounds so funny, but like that's a huge thing for me.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I want to be able to maintain my home at the same time.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_02: I'm still like a stay-at-home mom in a way.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so I have a cleaning lady.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_02: So if you don't have a cleaning lady and you're looking for somebody to give you an like validation to hire one, please do because it's so helpful.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so my cleaning lady helps helps things go along.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_02: Um and just outsourcing things, like doing what you're best at, but then also paying people to do the other things that you aren't as good at.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_02: So I have an editor, I still edit a good majority of my wet like my images.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_02: I do anchor images, and then she helps me with the editing, like getting the rest of the images done.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_02: It's a lot of copy and paste, kind of.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_02: Like I am the one that's still setting my style and she's just helping me get it done.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: I couldn't do it without an editor.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: Well, uh, if you're a vendor, if you're a photographer listening and you're like drowning in editing, like what's that process look like?
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: Did you find someone?
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: Was it like a natural thing?
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: You're like, I have too many to edit, and now I just need someone to help, or was it like a business decision?
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, basically it was I was at a point where I just had way too much work and I just didn't have time to do it all.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I have very strict boundaries with my kids in terms of work and being home and being present with them.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: So I will not edit whenever I'm home with my kids.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_02: Like if it's just me and the kids, I won't edit unless they're napping.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I want to be fully present.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_02: I don't want them to ever feel like, you know, mommy's over there on her laptop all the time and we're, you know what I mean?
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_02: Like that's just really important to me.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_02: So I made the decision.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_02: I need somebody to help me with my editing.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_02: I still do all of my like engagement sessions, my portrait sessions, stuff like that.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_02: But weddings, I just, it's a lot of images.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_02: It's a lot of work, you know.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and uh, when I didn't have an editor, editor, I was staying up super late, like 3 a.m., trying to get work done.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_02: And my kids too sleep in pretty late, or at least they used to.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: So that helps.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_02: Like not everybody could do that.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_02: If your kids wake up at five.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, or something.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: They're 7:30.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, that's our our son will turn off his sound machine, and then you know he's like, Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_01: He's doing stuff and he's ready to go.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: He's ready to go.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, which that's not too bad.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_02: But some I have friends whose kids wake up at like five o'clock.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_02: I could not.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_02: I could not do it, especially staying up till 3 a.m.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_02: Like that's not it's not sustainable.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_02: But even still, it just wasn't sustainable.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_02: So I was like, I need to outsource, I need help with this.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um, found somebody we've been working together for probably about two to three years at this point.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: So they're like right in with your style.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you're you're almost just sending them like they're just doing the same thing.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I still do a good amount of anchor images.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_02: I'm a little bit of a control freak.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_02: So I do go through and I probably send more anchor images than I need to.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, and someone doesn't know what an anchor image is, like, what is that?
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_02: So, like every time the light changes basically, or you're in a different like shooting scenario, I'll edit at least one image from that scenario so that she knows what I want it to look like.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_02: Gotcha.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: So she's kind of just doing like the mundane, like you have the style, you're still in the same like Hannah Constein photography look.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: She's just getting that look that you've developed in that scene on every photo from that scene.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I kind of feel hesitant in like sharing that I have an editor.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_02: I've felt that way previously, like even with clients.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: I don't want them to think that they're not getting me or they're getting like less of me or something like that.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_02: But it's all my work, it's my edits.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I've taken a lot of time over the years to really perfect and like master my craft.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and she's honestly just like it's not always copy and paste.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: I don't want to like take away from what she does because it is like, it is I'm sure it's challenging.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I'm still setting like the precipice of what I want everything to look like.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: But but correct me if I'm wrong though, I I'd have to imagine that more it is important of what's captured on the day than maybe what's happening in the editing suite.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: Would you agree with that?
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, definitely.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_02: I I've had catalogs, like editing catalogs or a gallery, I guess I should say, that I really struggle to edit, but it's because I didn't make good decisions when I was shooting.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_02: Which is honestly such a big difference.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's what's really clicked with me over the last couple of years, is that like an image might look great on the back of your camera, but if the light wasn't right and if you didn't make a good like decision in where you chose to take that picture or to pose your couple or to put them at, it's not going to edit well.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_02: And there's a reason for that.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_02: Like if you're struggling editing, you probably didn't have them in good light.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_02: So just trying to be more intentional about shooting, and I feel like it gets easier than to edit.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I've noticed that even on the video side, it's like I put my color grade on a clip and I'm like, looks amazing.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_01: I don't have to make any tweaks, and I do it to the next clip, and I'm like uh wait.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_01: Nothing is translating.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_02: But it looks good to the eye.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_02: Sometimes like at the beginning before you edit it.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's difficult though, because we are sort of balancing the idea of like a day just happening versus like how much do you want to jump in and maybe direct or turn them so they're like 45 to the window?
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how do you manage in your style like day of in this idea of like more of an editorial, like post movement, documenting, like what's happening?
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how do you manage all of that in your style like day of?
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think it's being selective about when you're going to intervene.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_02: So there are certain times, like getting ready, maybe.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like you can be a little bit more directive about like this is where the light's best.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna have you standing here.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_02: You can be a little bit more directive in that sense.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but at that same time, there could be a moment where maybe she like her mom walks in and sees her for the first time, and her mom's in like a super shaded, like shadowy corner, but she has this beautiful reaction.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_02: Like, they still want those genuine moments.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_02: So, like, I'm going to capture that and maybe we throw black and white on it.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_02: I did not say that.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_02: I did not say that.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_02: But really, but really though.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_02: No, um, but I think that's like part of balancing, like capturing the real versus also directing when you can, yeah, um, and knowing when to interrupt.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_02: I've had moments where I was like, man, that was such a beautiful moment that they just naturally did or candidly did, but they're not in the best light.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_02: It's I think presence over perfection is so important.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_01: And then when you have time with just a couple and like a couple's portrait session, maybe it's right after the ceremony after family photos, or maybe it's the sunset session.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_01: Are they expecting certain type of direction?
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_01: Do they know what you're gonna do because of maybe an engagement session, or like what's that kind of direction look like from you?
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that that's such a good question, and something I've been talking so much with about potential or with potential clients on.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of them want like we want documentary, we don't want direction.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_02: Like I hear that so often from people on consult calls, like documentary, documentary, documentary.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_02: It's like the buzzword right now.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_02: It is, it definitely is, it definitely is, which I'm I love it.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_02: Documentary is so beautiful, but and this is what I always try to tell clients, especially when I'm talking to them about my approach, and I always touch on this on consult calls.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_02: I'm going to give you a direct, I'm going to give you direction.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_02: It's just what I do.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_02: I think most of the time people want direction, they don't know what to do in front of the camera.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_02: I feel that way myself.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_02: You know, what do I do with my arms?
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_02: What do I do with my hands?
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_02: Like, how do I stand?
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_02: Things like that.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_02: Like, unless you're a trained model, most people don't know how to act or how to like hold themselves or you know what I mean?
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_02: How to pose themselves.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_02: So I am gonna give a lot of direction while also leaving space for those candid movements and candid like movements.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_02: I movement is huge.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_02: I think that creates like a documentary look, but I'm still giving direction.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you see beautiful images on Instagram, whatever, like most of the time, unless they're like Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber, you know, like models like trained to do this or been in multiple photo shoots before, like they had some sort of guidance and direction, and I think that's important.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_02: So I always convey that to my couples.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna give you direction.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_02: If you're looking for somebody that's not gonna give direction, then I'm not the right person, and that's okay.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, it's super important to have the expectation set.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_01: And it sounds like you're really clear with couples before they've even made a decision whether they want to book you, what they're gonna get.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_01: And if you're a vendor listening, like be that clear.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_01: Because if you're not, you're gonna get into a spot later where maybe you're sending a gallery out and the couple is like, Wait, I thought we were gonna I thought it was gonna be more documenting and less posed or whatever it might be.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so definitely be clear.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think like with Instagram and social media, there are so many buzzwords out there right now.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_02: And I think so many times clients don't necessarily, and this isn't a non To anybody that's not a photographer.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you don't know what you don't know, right?
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_02: But you don't exactly know what some of these buzzwords mean.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_02: So, like, documentary, for instance, a documentary, a true documentary photographer, is going to stay in the background and they are not going to interrupt you once.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they're not gonna say anything.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_02: They're not gonna say anything.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_02: They're going to capture everything exactly the way that it is happening.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_01: Which it could be beautiful, which is beautiful.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: That's so beautiful, but that's a specific style.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_02: And if you want that, that's great.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_02: But if you don't want that, you need to be clear with your expectations with your photographer on what you're looking for.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_02: It's like you can't hire a documentary photographer and then ask them, like, where should I stand or what should we do next?
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_02: Because they're not going to tell you because that's not their strong suit.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_02: But they have beautiful strong suits in capturing how you know the perfect composition of how things are actually happening.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_02: So just having those like genuine conversations, I think, with clients on their expectations is so important.
• 22:53
  unknown: Yeah.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: And if they're not willing to be open with you on that, it's probably a red flag.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: Because you're not going to know what you're going to get.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: And it's just setting everyone up for bad feelings lately.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, exactly.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: Like I want to deliver a gallery where you love all the images that you got and you feel happy with them.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_02: And so I feel like my personal style is maybe somewhere in the middle.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_02: Like I do a good amount of documenting, but again, like I will give you a lot of direction and I am going to kind of compose and put you in the best light and help, you know, kind of guide these beautiful images.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but there are certain parts of the day where I step back.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_02: So during the reception, especially, I love guest photos.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_02: I love getting reactions, things like that.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_02: Cocktail hour, cocktail is my favorite part of the day.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's so fun.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_02: Hands down.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_02: It's my favorite.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so like in that those moments, I will step back and get a lot of just like candid photos, a lot of reactions, things like that.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_02: Like that's more documentary.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you're not a little bit of creating anything.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_02: So a little bit of both, but I'm not like heavy, yeah, you know, either way.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_02: Definitely not full documentary.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_01: So there's a lot of photographers in the area.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I mean, there's a lot of photographers in a lot of areas.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: But especially in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, there's a lot of wedding venues, there's a lot of weddings that are happening.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_01: There's naturally going to be a lot of photographers.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I feel like we've heard a lot about your style, maybe even your approach like day of.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: But what would you say sets you apart?
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, maybe outside of style?
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_01: Because a lot of these photographers are taking beautiful photos.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_02: So much talent.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_01: Some of the editing maybe is a little different.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe there's like a dark and moody, maybe there's like a light and airy.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: But what about your approach?
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_01: Do you feel like sets you apart from other photographers?
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_02: So I've always wanted to be a people first photographer.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_02: So people have always been my passion as long as I can remember.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_02: Like in my senior project in high school, I talked about how people are my passion.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_02: Like, and that was 10 plus years ago.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I just love people.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_02: I love getting to know people, meeting people, not even just my clients, but like their parents, their grandparents.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I love hearing people's stories.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_02: And that's what makes my job so unique.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_02: I get to meet so many different people, and then getting to tell their stories in images and like giving that gift to them is so special to me.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm sure there are other photographers who focus on people, but for me personally, my main goal is serving my clients first and serving people first and like loving on them as a photographer.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I am here for you.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_02: What can I do for you?
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_02: Instagram's cool.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_02: Of course, I have like shots that I would love to get for my feed, my portfolio, things like that.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_02: But like at the end of the day, I'm serving you as my client and I care about you and I care about preserving your day in the best way possible.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm leading with that approach.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_02: Like people first is important is so important to me.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_02: So so that's I don't know if it makes me stand out, but that's what I want.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_02: Like, if I haven't left your wedding day or your engagement session feeling like I have a new friend, like I feel like I failed.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_02: So that's it.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and that's not I mean, it's not even talking about the photos.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's almost completely outside of the photos.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_01: You have this mentality that you want to care and serve the people that are in front of you and even connect.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_01: Seems like like connecting with even outside of the couple, like it's giving, it's life-giving for you to be connecting with mom and dad and you know, having those little side conversations and things like that with people around you.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_02: I've had so many moments where, you know, I've connected with different family members or like a grandpa or a grandma, or even like the parents of the bride and groom.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, or maybe I've like showed them an image from the back of my camera or something, and like they started crying, like hugged me, and like that's so fulfilling to me.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_02: Like, because they are seeing what I see, or like even showing a couple, you know, or like showing a bride, like, look at this image, like you look so beautiful.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_02: And they're like, Oh my gosh, I've never looked like that before.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_02: Like, do I actually look like that?
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_02: But like I am just showing you what I see and what the rest of the world sees, which is really hard sometimes, I think.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we obviously like there are so many self-conscious issues that like we all have.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_02: I struggle with myself.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_02: So, like, if I can make you feel so good about yourself, I've done my job.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I love that.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it it's it's such a good mindset to have going into someone's wedding day, too.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_01: Because there's a lot of stress, yeah, there's a lot of maybe uneasy, like put all this effort into one day.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_01: Is it gonna go well?
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_01: Are people gonna have fun?
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: Are they gonna enjoy it?
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um there's a lot of pressure maybe that couples are feeling being in front of the camera.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like you even said yourself, you're like not the biggest man.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_01: How are you helping couples feel comfortable, feel confident?
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_01: Walk me a little bit through like you have 15 minutes with a couple.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: What kind of stuff are you doing with them to get amazing images?
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so much of it is like finding the balance between giving them direction, but like also just helping them to relax and feel comfortable.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that people center approach helps with that.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_02: Like I already have hopefully formed a relationship with you.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_02: Like you can trust me, you feel comfortable with me.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_02: And I feel like when people feel comfortable, they can let their guard down a little bit and feel a little bit more relaxed, like they're not feeling so stiff or stuffy.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so even if it's just taking a couple minutes to just like, let's just relax for a second.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_02: Like I can I think I'm a good sense or I think I can sense people's emotions well.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_02: So I can feel when people are feeling uncomfortable, or maybe they're anxious, or you know, so how can I like distract them from that?
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_02: Do we maybe talk about something really quick?
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_02: Like, should I divert their attention away from taking pictures?
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_02: Ask about you know how they're feeling.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_02: What has been their favorite parts you know, part today?
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe I'm pretending to do something on my camera.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I just need to change settings really quick, and meanwhile, like they have a moment just to kind of like regroup or like not just connecting.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_02: And not be in front of the camera, like gives them a chance to connect.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_02: And honestly, some of the best pictures come from that.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_02: So I like tell them I'm like working on the city.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, like I need to change my setting really quick, and they're like, Oh, like just having this like beautiful moment together, and I'm like, we just like take pictures of them.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so yeah, so just feeling and like reading people is so important, I think, too.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_02: So, like I have some brides that you can just tell they're so comfortable.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_02: I shouldn't just say brides couples.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_02: I have some couples who are so comfortable in front of the camera that the chemistry is there with each, like their spouse, the significant other, and it's great and it's easy.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_02: Sometimes it's not.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, it's really challenging where you have to challenge yourself to read into that emotion and see like what type of couple they are, how they're feeling, um, and then play off of those emotions that way.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_02: So, do they need a lot of movement to kind of like, you know, shake off the anxiousness a little bit?
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_02: Like then we'll start with movement.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, or do they just need to be distracted in some sort of way?
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, so it seems like you're almost tailoring your approach in a little way because you you still have a style and a like a type of photo that couples are looking for because they're seeing your work and they want more of it.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_01: But it almost seems like you're kind of tailoring your approach a little bit to what's in front of you.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_01: If the couple's like gung ho, let's have a party.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe there's a ton of movement that you're like giving prompts for.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_01: They're maybe a little bit more reserved.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe we're starting kind of small and kind of building up.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_01: Like soft.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_01: That's so fun.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, do you have a favorite part of the day to photograph?
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_02: Cocktail hour.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_02: I love cocktail hour.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_02: You told me that already.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_02: I do.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_02: I just love cocktail hour.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_02: And that's like a new thing for me.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, what about it?
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's so fun.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_02: I well, first off, I love when I can get my clients to cocktail hour.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_01: I know.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_01: Don't we just like get them all there?
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I know.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's so, I mean, maybe you have thoughts on this, but like, how do we get them there?
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_01: Because you have to do family photos and there's like formality stuff I feel like we have to get to.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_02: But so having a first look, obviously, yeah.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_02: We can get to cocktail hour pretty much the whole time.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_02: If not, like you maybe you miss 15 minutes for family portraits.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so that's the easiest way.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_02: But not everybody wants to do a first look, and that's totally fine too.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_02: So if you do a first look, you might not get to cocktail hour.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's my goal too, but you might not, just depending on how big your shot list is for family, things like that.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I try at least to get you to maybe like 10 to 15 minutes, 10 minutes if possible, so you can at least make an entrance.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, a little entrance.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_02: Just like a little entrance, but ideally it flows a lot better if you can do a first look, then you can actually be part of your day.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I I don't ever try to sway couples.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_01: No, yeah.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_02: Both ways are beautiful.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_02: First look, no first look.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um I do feel like if a couple doesn't want a first look, they're very like anti-first look.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's it's a strong thing.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_02: So there's usually no convincing.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_02: Which is okay.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm not ever gonna try to convince you.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_02: Like I said, they're probably split 50-50 for.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, honestly, I didn't do a first look with my wife Christina because I wanted like that down the aisle thing.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I so I totally get it.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: I totally get it.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_01: But if you're looking for a different flow of the day, a first look kind of opens the door.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, for a lot more than just maybe making it to cocktower.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, right.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_01: You're getting family photos done, you're together maybe a little bit more.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_02: You don't so I think it clearly it seems like I'm very pro first look.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_02: I have also first look.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_02: I think most vendors are pro first look because it flows the day together.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_01: But y'all, if you're a couple out there, just do whatever works.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_02: Do whatever works for you.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_02: I I would say my couples are split 50-50.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_01: So probably the same.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_02: Honestly, I it's not like I'm not comfortable not doing, you know, or anything like that.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, from a vendor standpoint, I think it does make things a lot easier.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_02: But I will say, these are my pieces of like advice for why I am pro first look.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_02: First, you can get to cocktail hour.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_02: We already talked about that.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_02: Amazing.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_02: Second, you uh get to actually spend so much more of your day together.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_02: Which your wedding day is about the two of you, right?
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_02: So, like most of your day you're actually gonna spend with me, which is fun.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but don't you want to spend most of your wedding day with your spouse, right?
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_02: So if you don't do it and me, right?
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_02: Like I get to be your third wheel.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um so if you don't, or if you do actually do a first look, you get to hang out so much longer.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_02: And then also you don't miss like, yeah, we talked about being part of cocktail hour, but think about it in the sense of you're missing a whole part of your wedding day.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_02: Like that's a piece of your wedding day that you were not a part of at all.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_02: So you get to be part of that.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, another big thing is weather.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_02: So what if it's beautiful in the first half of the day, you're not doing a first look, and then directly after after the ceremony, during that like one hour that you have to do all your photos, what if the weather's crap and it rains?
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_02: I know that that has happened.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_02: That has happened at one of your weddings.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it has.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_02: And like it stinks.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_02: It kind of stinks.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and like again, there's nothing you can do about weather, but you're kind of relying on like that just that one hour to get everything done.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_02: So that's my piece.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_02: I agree.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_01: I agree.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_01: I agree.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_02: But again, it's totally fine.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_02: I'm never gonna pressure any of my couples into doing one.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, that's just my take.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_02: So make an educated decision and then have expectations too.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that's so important.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_02: Like, have the expectation that you're not gonna be part of cocktail hour because some people think that you'll still be able to get to cocktail hour.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_01: It's what some couples don't care at all.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like I've started asking that to couples.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, do you want to be at your cocktail hour at all?
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_01: Because if you do, I will fight for you to get there.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_01: Right, I will help as any way that I can.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_01: But if you don't, or if you maybe don't even want to go because you just want to do whatever else.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, maybe they don't like to mingle.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_02: And that's fine too.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_02: Like if you don't want to have to like specialize, it's exhausting.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's like the biggest mingling that you could do.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you are mingling.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_02: And like you think you're gonna eat the food because the food is the best at cocktail, you're not.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_01: But I will say I would much rather you mingle there than mingle while you should be having fun dancing on the dance floor.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_02: Right, exactly.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_02: And we can get like candid photos of you mingling with your guests rather than like walk around table to tables a little bit harder.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_01: What would you say is something that couples should be asking you specifically or or a vendor in your category photographer that they're not.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_02: Approach.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_02: We talked about that a little bit.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_02: That's your top.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's my top because I've been running into it so much lately, and I probably would have given a different answer answer maybe last year.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_02: But approach, especially just lately, because there is this like documentary focus right now, but people don't genuinely know what that means.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_02: And there are, I know a bunch of photographers that are truly documentary, yeah, and are going to look like lead that way.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_01: So approach is definitely yeah.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_01: Did that shift come?
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_01: Like, did you see that shift in your business, or are you just seeing like couples asking different things?
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think that I've seen the trend okay really up, you know, up and coming and just like full heavy on social media right now is like the documentary.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, even like how I choose or what I choose to post has changed.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, it's kind of interesting.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, tell me more about that.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_02: So a lot of couples want that like documentary look.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_02: And I I haven't changed how I'm shooting, but I'm changing what I'm posting.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_02: So like before I would post a lot of portraits, like these perfectly curated images that like I'm obsessed with, I'm still obsessed with, you know, they're like my bread and butter.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_01: Like, because if I had to like put a word to what I would maybe see more from you is maybe more of the editorial sort of like, you know, vogue look, if you will.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm also just getting maybe like one or two percent of a whole gallery.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_01: So that like decision that you've made to post has has sort of shifted.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, anymore.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not necessarily choosing these like perfectly curated, beautiful, like editorial, like perfectly composed, beautiful stunning portraits.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but sharing more, and I am still sharing those, but I'm also sharing an equal amount of those like caught in the moment images as well.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_02: So, like I a lot of cocktail hour, a lot of, you know, your couple like talking to somebody, but it's still a beautiful photo, but it's not necessarily like what I would have chosen before to post, which is just interesting.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_02: Like social media is changing so much and it's constantly changing.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_02: But so is like it's frustrating.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but so are like what your couples are looking for.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_02: I think clients are looking for that now, and I've noticed it because of the inquiries that I'm getting.
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_02: Almost all of them say we want this documentary style.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_01: Like if I hear documentary one more time.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_02: This word, yeah, which I think is beautiful.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_02: Again, I'm not knocking documentary at all.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's just important to understand what it is.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I do feel like it's it's kind of coming out of this like desire for like the authentic.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_01: Which I think as much as I don't necessarily love that word because it's used all over.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but um that like authentic, like genuine, genuine, yeah, moments.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_02: And you know what will give you that?
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_02: And I think this is important, I tell my clients this too.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_02: You need to focus on presence over perfection and performance.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_02: And that's how you're going to get those beautiful images that are just caught in the moment because you're present.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_02: If you're so worried about getting these perfect photos or looking perfect, or you're running to the bathroom every couple minutes because you want to check your hair and your makeup, which I get, like I get that.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you're not actually living in the moment though.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_02: So your day goes by so fast.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_02: Be present, and that's what's gonna allow me the freedom and the creativity to be able to get those photos of you actually being in the moment.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_02: I can't make that happen.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and also you'll be looking for the hair and the makeup.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_01: If there's something that's off, I'm on it.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_01: Like and also if you've curated a team of vendors that's all on the same page and that they want the best for you and your day, they want you to experience the best day.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone that's there is gonna be thinking the same.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_01: They're gonna be looking out for you, yeah.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_01: Hopefully making it so you don't have to worry about the the little small things.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, vendors working with vendors.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_01: What do you like?
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_01: What's your perspective on how do we all come together and actually make what I just said happen where we're all putting our heads together, giving the couple the best day of experience that we can.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_02: I think it starts with just focusing on the client.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_02: Like, we need to all be on the same page that it is client first.
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_02: It is what what they want, their desires need to come before us and before that Instagram shot that you want to get or that like you know what I mean?
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_02: Putting your priorities aside and focusing on the client and making sure that we're all on the same p the same page and the same team.
• 39:16
  SPEAKER_02: Whenever I start a wedding day, like, say with a videographer, I probably said this to you.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_02: I'm always like, hey, I'm Hannah.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_02: It's so great to meet you.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I like to work as a team.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we're a team today.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_01: So you're like forcing the team.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_02: We're like, we are a team.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_01: We are a team.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_02: What are we?
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_02: A team.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_02: Hanson.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_02: So that's important to me.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I want to become friends with all the vendors and make sure they're all on the same page and serving the couple the best.
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I am going to stand up for the couple.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_02: Like, if something is happening that isn't really what they want, like I'll speak up on their behalf.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_02: I've had to do it before.
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I don't think that that's what the client wants.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um, because maybe the client told me that.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and I I will say that.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_02: So I am your biggest advocate and I am going to work together with the team to make, you know, to make it your best day.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_01: That's what, yeah.
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I feel like if we had more vendors client focused, like you said, videographers, like that one shot, the epic whatever with your drone or like that's not gonna like make your film jump up a level.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_01: So I I feel like if we can get ourselves out of the way, focus on the on the client, the couple, and all be on the same page, we're gonna end up with a better end product.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_01: For us, yeah, it's a media related end product.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe for planners or florists, it's a design installation something.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um but at the end of the day, this couple is getting married and they've they've hired us to come together as a team.
• 40:49
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 40:49
  SPEAKER_01: Uh for couples that are like in the midst of planning, like they're in the trenches, so to speak, right?
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_01: They have decisions on decisions.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_01: What's your best advice for them when they're in that process working through that together?
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_02: Work as a team.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_02: Like, so many times I think that a lot of the decisions fall on the bride.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_02: Like, that's just naturally kind of how it goes.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_02: But make it a fun thing as a couple.
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_02: I've had couples who do like wedding planning date nights.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_02: I love that idea.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, like that's so fun.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_02: They go to dinner and then they, I don't know, maybe take their like workbook with them, they make decisions or just do like a fun thing at home.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_02: Like, make it a priority to do it as a team.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_02: And then I think it's so fun.
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_02: Like sometimes grooms show up on the wedding day and everything's a surprise, which is kind of funny to me.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_02: And I like I like no, this will sound fun.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_02: I don't love it, but I kind of love it just because I think it's funny and it's so typical.
• 41:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's very typical.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_02: It's so typical, but be involved, like so many times.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_02: I think as I was a bride at one time, many years ago.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and my husband was helpful, but like it's fun to do things together, and sometimes you just want to bounce ideas off of somebody.
• 41:57
  SPEAKER_02: So to be able to do that with your spouse, I think can only make you grow deeper and grow together.
• 42:02
  SPEAKER_02: So make those decisions together, make a date night out of it.
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_02: It's so fun.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but also just like don't let the stress of planning take away from the process because you can look back and it have like the time has just gone by so fast and you miss this whole period.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_02: Like being engaged and having that engaged season is so fun.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and it can be so fun.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_02: But if you're so stressed about the wedding planning details, you're gonna miss it.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_01: It almost seems similar to what you said about the wedding day, like staying present, being there and like experiencing it because it is a season of life that's gonna come and go.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_02: You never get to be a bride again, hopefully.
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I think about the time I would love to go back and get married all over again.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_02: So I'd see I'd keep the same husband.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 42:45
  SPEAKER_02: He's a good guy, he's a good guy.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_02: I I'll keep him.
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I just think it would be so fun.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I would do things differently.
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_02: I think everybody would in five years, I would do things differently than I would do now.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_02: So you can't change that.
• 42:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but just being more present, and that's just such a big thing, honestly.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_02: Like presence, I'm gonna say it again.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_02: Presence over perfection and performance is so important.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_02: And like, when else do you get to be with all your favorite people?
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah I say this all the time.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_02: Like, weddings are so special because never in your life will you ever be in the same room again with all of your favorite people.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I that concept is like top of mind for me.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_01: I had a guest interview where the the bride's brother said that, and I was like, dang.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so true.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's so true.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, how can we do a better job as creatives to capture all of those people as opposed to like, yes, we are there for the couple and we want to capture what they're doing, but there's also like a room full of people that are either close family, best friends, close friends, maybe distant friends that they haven't seen for a while, grandparents, like you just never know what's gonna happen.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_01: So it's just like, man, if you're creative, like look around the room.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, seriously.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_02: And that that's so important to me.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_02: So if you look at full galleries of mine, I have so many guest photos.
• 44:05
  SPEAKER_02: So many guest photos.
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_02: And that's like I I don't always get to do them myself.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_02: Like a lot of times my second shooter is the one that's doing them.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um not all the time, but you're getting some back and you're like, oh, this is so great.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, right.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, I can't wait to share this.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um not all the time, like obviously I'm my head's on this wobble constantly, but focusing on guests is so important, and I don't think every photographer does that, and that's fine, but that's something that I really want to be able to deliver.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I want to give you the gift of like maybe this is your grandparents' last photo.
• 44:32
  SPEAKER_02: Like that sounds so sad, and I hate taking it there, but it's so true.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_02: Like these are fleeting moments.
• 44:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and uh like if I can give you that gift and preserve that moment for you, like that's so special to me.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_01: Speaking of like the deliverables, walk me through like are you offering like the same type of collection?
• 44:53
  SPEAKER_01: Most brides are are picking the same thing with you?
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_01: Are you are you doing like hours?
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_01: What are they what do they get with all of the collections that you have?
• 45:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so two collections, an eight-hour collection and an up to ten hour collection.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, really the only difference is the amount of hours, and then my up to ten hour collection also comes with a go or an album.
• 45:10
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, awesome.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_01: So and are they getting like sort of a similar number of photos?
• 45:15
  SPEAKER_01: Are you kind of like letting the day kind of dictate that?
• 45:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I usually say you can anticipate about a hundred images per contracted hour.
• 45:22
  SPEAKER_02: So eight hundred to a thousand.
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 45:25
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe more.
• 45:26
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe more.
• 45:26
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe more.
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_02: Like I don't know.
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_02: I tend to overshoot a little bit, so I try to how many photos do you come back with?
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_02: Oh gosh.
• 45:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the other weekend I had six thousand photos.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_01: Six thousand.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_02: Not all my own, like between myself and my second shooter.
• 45:39
  SPEAKER_02: That's a lot of images.
• 45:40
  SPEAKER_01: Guys, it's difficult to cull those down too.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_02: It's a lot, it takes a lot of time.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_02: It takes a lot of time.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_01: So fun.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_01: So they're getting about a thousand images.
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 45:49
  SPEAKER_01: Do you uh the album process are you kind of like curating those images and putting together that album?
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_01: Or does a couple have like some input on that?
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_02: So I actually have them pick out their favorite images, and then from there I'll design their album.
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_02: That's so fun.
• 46:05
  SPEAKER_02: That's how I go.
• 46:05
  SPEAKER_02: I I've gone back and forth on that.
• 46:07
  SPEAKER_02: Like, do I pick out the images?
• 46:09
  SPEAKER_02: But just because I love an image might not be an image that they love.
• 46:12
  SPEAKER_02: Then it's something that's gonna sit on their coffee table so and be looked at.
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_02: It's not sitting on your coffee table.
• 46:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, exactly.
• 46:18
  SPEAKER_02: So I let them pick the images and then I kind of tell the story through the album.
• 46:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and it's so fun too, because I've noticed this in having couples film their reaction to watching my films for the first time.
• 46:30
  SPEAKER_01: They call out stuff that I in my mind I was like, that's just a passing clip.
• 46:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 46:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just showing maybe a part of a scene.
• 46:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but they see that and they're like, oh, no way, like, or like you know, like that kind of thing.
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_01: I would imagine it's similar for your photos.
• 46:45
  SPEAKER_01: You're probably like, this one's a banger, this one's epic, I love this shot.
• 46:49
  SPEAKER_01: And they're like, no, actually, that one where you said she was in the corner and and mom was kind of dark and shadowy, it's black and white, like that's an image that they're like, whoa, this is one of my favorites.
• 47:00
  SPEAKER_02: It's always so interesting to me, like which ones people pick out as their favorites.
• 47:04
  SPEAKER_02: I love seeing it.
• 47:04
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like so curious all the time.
• 47:07
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I can't, whenever I send the galleries, I'm like, I cannot wait to see which ones are your favorites.
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_02: Because usually they're not my favorites.
• 47:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 47:12
  SPEAKER_02: Or not that I don't like them, but they're not the ones that I've picked as like my top.
• 47:15
  SPEAKER_01: But we're like creative mindset.
• 47:18
  SPEAKER_02: Like I'm looking at lighting, I'm looking at composition, I'm looking at things like that, and they're looking at like the real and they're all the moments.
• 47:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the memories.
• 47:25
  SPEAKER_02: How how the photo makes them feel instead of like how it looks to us, which is so interesting to me.
• 47:30
  SPEAKER_02: It is.
• 47:31
  SPEAKER_02: I had a wedding last weekend, and the groom could not stop talking about how excited he is to see this photo of like a random guy in a pizza polo, like putting on his bow tie.
• 47:39
  SPEAKER_02: Like that is what he could not stop talking about.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, which is he's excited for that, and like maybe I wouldn't have even like kept it when I was cold.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_02: Because it was like, you know what I mean?
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, probably glad that he said something so he did keep it.
• 47:50
  SPEAKER_02: Right, exactly.
• 47:51
  SPEAKER_01: Because I would have seen that and been like, I don't need that.
• 47:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, like, yeah, exactly.
• 47:54
  SPEAKER_02: Doesn't fit the value.
• 47:55
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_02: So it's just interesting how everybody is drawn to like different images for different reasons.
• 48:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
• 48:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, jumping back to like business stuff.
• 48:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, when you first started out, uh we obviously know nothing, right?
• 48:12
  SPEAKER_01: We're jumping into a business.
• 48:13
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe we've from second shooting, we've kind of gathered some stuff here and there.
• 48:18
  SPEAKER_01: What do you wish you would have known when you first started out that you know now?
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_02: I think I would have second shot a lot more, yeah, honestly.
• 48:26
  SPEAKER_02: And I did a good amount of second shooting, but I think I still would have second shot with like so many different types of photographers to see how different people do things because everybody does differ does things differently.
• 48:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 48:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so that's like my biggest advice to any new photographers that are looking to get into the space walk before you run.
• 48:46
  SPEAKER_02: Because it's so easy to just jump into like booking a wedding, and maybe you got it because you're charging like you know, so little and the couple doesn't have a big budget, whatever.
• 48:55
  SPEAKER_02: And that's great, you can get your feet under you.
• 48:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, however, it's such a big day and it's a really big responsibility.
• 49:00
  SPEAKER_02: I would not want to go into the day without having all the right systems in place, having the right tools, and just feeling confident about how to handle different scenarios and different situations that come up.
• 49:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, are you backing up your files correctly?
• 49:13
  SPEAKER_02: Like, do you have all that figured out?
• 49:15
  SPEAKER_02: Because that's a huge aspect.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_02: I've learned the hard way, unfortunately, like in that situation.
• 49:19
  SPEAKER_02: So just walk before you run, really start slower, take in as much knowledge and information as you can from other photographers who have been in the industry longer, uh, and then go to do it on your own and like figure out what you like from other people and implement it into your own business.
• 49:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I do.
• 49:36
  SPEAKER_01: I sort of wish I would have done more second shooting.
• 49:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 49:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, one now it's just really fun to not be in charge.
• 49:42
  SPEAKER_02: I love second shooting.
• 49:44
  SPEAKER_02: I never have time to, but I love to when I can.
• 49:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 49:47
  SPEAKER_02: I'm more creative, honestly.
• 49:49
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's definitely something that I wish I would have done more because I really didn't do a whole lot of second shooting.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_01: And honestly, it's fun now to second shoot.
• 49:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, love second shooting.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_01: You're not in charge.
• 49:58
  SPEAKER_02: Can be so much more creative because you can take a step back.
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_02: Like you're not worried about you know, meeting certain criteria.
• 50:05
  SPEAKER_02: For sure.
• 50:05
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 50:06
  SPEAKER_02: I wish I had more time to do that.
• 50:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you definitely don't have time for second shooting.
• 50:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you spoke a little bit about systems.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um walk me through like what tools, habits, systems you're using to help you run a successful business.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_01: If you have a lot on your plate, like you said before.
• 50:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_02: I think I would probably stress anybody out who is an organized person.
• 50:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I stress my husband out.
• 50:33
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not super organized, like I am in my own way, yeah, but maybe not to other people's standards.
• 50:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but it's just all right here.
• 50:43
  SPEAKER_02: Just kidding.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_00: I would be that would be insane.
• 50:46
  SPEAKER_02: No, it's not.
• 50:47
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just very type B.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not type A at all.
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so I do have systems in place.
• 50:53
  SPEAKER_02: I, you know, back up all my files correctly.
• 50:55
  SPEAKER_02: I make sure that everything is organized and backed up appropriately, appropriately.
• 50:59
  SPEAKER_02: All my memory cards go in a fireproof safe.
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_02: Don't clear them before you've set a gallery and all those things.
• 51:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I have a client management system, which is great.
• 51:08
  SPEAKER_02: Couldn't do it without that.
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um so, but honestly, I'm not the I'm not the person to give advice on systems and organization.
• 51:16
  SPEAKER_01: So if you want a big photo business like Hannah, don't do what she's doing, but also do what she's doing.
• 51:22
  SPEAKER_02: You need to have my personality, I think, because I truly just have it all up here.
• 51:26
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I know that I'm a crazy person.
• 51:28
  SPEAKER_02: I get it.
• 51:30
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, I mean, I I have I have enough systems to make myself successful.
• 51:33
  SPEAKER_02: But I think if anybody came in and did an audit on me, not like tax-wise or business-wise, but just like let me look at how you organize everything, they would be like, Where is this?
• 51:42
  SPEAKER_01: Like, where do I begin?
• 51:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, honestly.
• 51:44
  SPEAKER_01: I'm terrible.
• 51:45
  SPEAKER_01: I can't remember anything unless I go into Honey Book and I'm like, oh yeah, that's where the sweating is.
• 51:50
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, yeah, what this couple told me.
• 51:54
  SPEAKER_01: I gotta write it all down.
• 51:55
  SPEAKER_01: And I tell them in the calls, I'm like, I'm gonna write all this down because I will forget it.
• 51:58
  SPEAKER_01: Not because I don't care, yeah.
• 52:00
  SPEAKER_01: But I just it just is like I know it's true.
• 52:02
  SPEAKER_02: I talk to so many clients, like potential clients, I do a lot of consult calls or even just my current clients, like 30 to 35 brides plus next year.
• 52:10
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm already talking, I'm talking currently talking to like 50 people.
• 52:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and it's a lot.
• 52:13
  SPEAKER_02: Like I couldn't do it if I didn't have everything written down.
• 52:16
  SPEAKER_02: So in that way, I'm organized.
• 52:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 52:17
  SPEAKER_01: So you've brought up the consult call a couple of times now.
• 52:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um I mean, I know the benefit of it, but for those listening that maybe don't do consult calls, like why do them?
• 52:28
  SPEAKER_01: What's in it for the couple?
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_02: I think a consult call is so important because you can actually talk to each other, you get to understand who that person is, what energy they'll bring, maybe like yeah, personality.
• 52:41
  SPEAKER_02: Personality is so big, like that's such a major aspect of it that people don't always think about or look at.
• 52:46
  SPEAKER_02: Like you're gonna spend most of your day with whoever your photographer is.
• 52:49
  SPEAKER_02: And so I hope you like that person.
• 52:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 52:51
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm very realistic in that I am not the right photographer for everybody, and that's okay, right?
• 52:57
  SPEAKER_02: And not every client's the right client for me either.
• 52:59
  SPEAKER_02: So it's a mutual decision, I think.
• 53:02
  SPEAKER_02: Like I haven't ever turned anybody down because I didn't think we got along well.
• 53:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but like if somebody is a little more reserved and calm and like just more quiet and like relates to somebody that's better in that sense, yeah, maybe I'm not the right person because I'm not like a loud person, but I am very energetic.
• 53:23
  SPEAKER_02: I'm bubbly.
• 53:24
  SPEAKER_02: And if that's not what you're looking for, that's okay.
• 53:28
  SPEAKER_02: But you can find that out in a console call.
• 53:30
  SPEAKER_00: For sure.
• 53:30
  SPEAKER_02: You wouldn't know that otherwise.
• 53:31
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I use a lot of exclamation points, so you might figure that out.
• 53:34
  SPEAKER_00: I do as well.
• 53:35
  SPEAKER_02: I I'm a big, I like have to tone down the exclamation points.
• 53:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I use a lot and I'm often wondering like, do they think I'm yelling or I'm excited?
• 53:45
  SPEAKER_01: Because I'm excited.
• 53:46
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 53:46
  SPEAKER_02: Always excited.
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_02: I literally like will write out an email and then I'll go back through and like change to a period.
• 53:53
  SPEAKER_02: Then I'm like, oh, I hope they don't think I'm like, hello.
• 53:58
  SPEAKER_02: I just read into that stuff way more than I should.
• 54:00
  SPEAKER_01: Which they probably don't do that at all, but I feel the same.
• 54:04
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, if I don't say hello, it's like like hey, like social point, it feels like hello hey, hello.
• 54:11
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, it's such a real thing.
• 54:13
  SPEAKER_02: That's so funny.
• 54:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, do you have a like a favorite memory?
• 54:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I mean, it could be like photo related, it could be business related, like wedding memory.
• 54:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so two come to mind one serious and one not serious.
• 54:27
  SPEAKER_02: So serious one, the one time I showed a bride same-day previews during her reception, she started crying.
• 54:33
  SPEAKER_02: And that was really special to me.
• 54:35
  SPEAKER_02: Like just to see the emotion that my images bring.
• 54:38
  SPEAKER_02: We don't see like you film, you're you've started filming people's reactions to your videos.
• 54:42
  SPEAKER_02: I think I should do that for my galleries.
• 54:44
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I just want to see people's reactions.
• 54:46
  SPEAKER_01: It's a it's a big ask.
• 54:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's a big ask.
• 54:48
  SPEAKER_01: I know that.
• 54:49
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 54:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but most of the couples that we work with are I know they're at least somewhat willing to be vulnerable on on camera, and when you're reacting to a film, it's bringing back emotions and all this stuff.
• 55:04
  SPEAKER_01: But it's so cool to see the moments that they loved, the moments that pull that emotion out.
• 55:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 55:11
  SPEAKER_01: Because to me, I'm looking at it from like a creative, like we talked about.
• 55:14
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I think it'd be so cool.
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I would love that.
• 55:18
  SPEAKER_02: So, to any of my clients, if you want to videotape yourself looking at your gallery, I would be so obsessed.
• 55:23
  SPEAKER_01: Literally, just set up your phone and just look through the pictures.
• 55:27
  SPEAKER_01: I would love that.
• 55:28
  SPEAKER_02: That would be amazing to me.
• 55:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so Jennifer usually I don't get to see people's reactions.
• 55:32
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, they text me their response, but um, so anyways, that just meant a lot to be able to like see how much emotion it brought to her was really meaningful.
• 55:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 55:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so my second story, uh, Bride wanted to do a cartwheel.
• 55:45
  SPEAKER_02: It was golden hour.
• 55:46
  SPEAKER_02: We were doing, she did a cartwheel.
• 55:48
  SPEAKER_02: We were taking pictures of it.
• 55:49
  SPEAKER_02: I went back through to look through the pictures to make sure I got it.
• 55:52
  SPEAKER_02: She wasn't wearing underwear.
• 55:55
  SPEAKER_02: And I basically, you know, was a gynecologist that didn't know.
• 56:00
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but she thought it was amazing.
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it was full, it was all there.
• 56:04
  SPEAKER_02: I had an 85mm on, so we were glush.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but she thought it was the best thing ever and actually like went and showed like all of her bride's and stuff.
• 56:12
  SPEAKER_02: But I will never bring it up.
• 56:14
  SPEAKER_02: Look at this.
• 56:14
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, she was like the coolest bride ever.
• 56:16
  SPEAKER_02: Like it was amazing, it was so funny.
• 56:18
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, did not make it onto her gallery.
• 56:20
  SPEAKER_02: Like, we we don't share those images, it was just hilarious.
• 56:24
  SPEAKER_02: We still laugh about it, and I will never forget that.
• 56:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I don't know how you could top that as like a funny wedding moment.
• 56:32
  SPEAKER_01: Hilarious.
• 56:33
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, so as a vendor, we we are put into a category of business owner, which I mean, probably true for not wedding vendors, but like you're a business owner, you're a photographer, you're a marketer, like you're a social media strategist, like you're all these things.
• 56:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what would be your best advice for other vendors that are trying to put themselves out there on social media, trying to attract the ideal couple, ideal client, um, and and still staying true to like who they are, but trying to stand out?
• 57:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 57:11
  SPEAKER_02: I think knowing your audience is so important and knowing who you're speaking to, and also realizing that everything that you put out there is going to be digested by everyone.
• 57:23
  SPEAKER_02: So knowing who you're speaking to, like the I forget the exact quote, but it's if you're speaking to the masses, like you're not speaking to anybody.
• 57:29
  SPEAKER_02: So knowing who your ideal client is and figuring out what your ideal client likes, what do they do for fun?
• 57:36
  SPEAKER_02: What do they like, what are they attracted to, and putting that content out there.
• 57:39
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm very strategic in what I post.
• 57:42
  SPEAKER_02: Like I only want to post things that are going to resonate with my ideal client.
• 57:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm focusing on that.
• 57:47
  SPEAKER_02: Even my stories, like there are things that I've wanted to post on my story, but maybe I feel like it's not going to resonate with my ideal client.
• 57:54
  SPEAKER_02: And so I just don't post it.
• 57:55
  SPEAKER_02: Or maybe I leave it for my personal page.
• 57:57
  SPEAKER_02: Like finding that like fine line between sharing yourself and being yourself, but also like tailoring what you are putting out there content-wise to your ideal clients, even with how you dress, like so many things are so important and are all being digested in different ways, but like being intentional about every decision you make, which sounds exhausting and it can be exhausting, but doing it with authenticity of who you are and keeping that in mind and keeping that in focus is so important.
• 58:27
  SPEAKER_02: So, like what I wear to a wedding day, like I tend to dress up a little bit because I want to present myself well, because I want to attract clients who care about fashion, who want to present themselves, you know, in like a more upscale way, like upscale way.
• 58:42
  SPEAKER_02: And not everybody's like that.
• 58:43
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I have different friends who love maybe like the boho backyard wedding, and like that's so beautiful, and there's space for that.
• 58:51
  SPEAKER_02: And maybe they're gonna dress differently than I am, and that's totally fine.
• 58:54
  SPEAKER_02: Like there's a market, there's a client for everybody.
• 58:56
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but what you put out there is what you're gonna attract, and so true.
• 59:00
  SPEAKER_02: That's what I try to focus on.
• 59:02
  SPEAKER_01: And it sounds like you're saying that it's true for your work, but it's also true for like you and your personality and like the intentionality that you put behind like the version of you that's showing up for your business on social media.
• 59:16
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 59:17
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's social media is just like a wild, it's like the Wild West.
• 59:21
  SPEAKER_02: It's such an interesting world.
• 59:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but when you think about like your stories, like sometimes we don't put as much thought into our stories because it's up for 24 hours and then it's gone.
• 59:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but I'll have times I'll get like 3,000 views on my stories.
• 59:34
  SPEAKER_01: Dang.
• 59:34
  SPEAKER_02: And so, but like that's 3,000 people that are looking at my thing.
• 59:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, maybe clicking on your page or yeah, and maybe it leads to nothing, but like maybe 3,000 people saw me complaining about my kids, you know?
• 59:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, like it's just Do you want them to be seeing?
• 59:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so like choose what you want people to see, which sounds not authentic, but it is like in that you're representing yourself in your business.
• 59:56
  SPEAKER_02: So how like what you put out there is going to be a reflection of you, which sounds simple when you break it down, but I don't think everybody thinks about that.
• 1:00:04
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's no different than showing up on a wedding day.
• 1:00:07
  SPEAKER_01: If you act a certain way and maybe you have a logo of your business somewhere, or someone says, Oh, that's so-and-so photographer of so-and-so photography.
• 1:00:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like, everyone's gonna equate that version of you that was on the wedding day with your business.
• 1:00:23
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 1:00:24
  SPEAKER_01: The same is true from what I'm hearing.
• 1:00:25
  SPEAKER_01: Your experience is on social media as well.
• 1:00:28
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 1:00:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, super important.
• 1:00:31
  SPEAKER_01: Great advice, too, for other vendors that are kind of in that like, what do I post?
• 1:00:35
  SPEAKER_01: What do I share?
• 1:00:36
  SPEAKER_02: Kind of or how do I start attracting clients that I want?
• 1:00:40
  SPEAKER_01: For sure.
• 1:00:40
  SPEAKER_02: You know, which is important, which we want to say we want to shoot anybody, like you know, whatever, but we all have an ideal client.
• 1:00:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and it's okay that mine's different than yours.
• 1:00:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's good to have an ideal client because then you're attracting the right people, right?
• 1:00:52
  SPEAKER_02: You're speaking to an audience instead of speaking to everybody.
• 1:00:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:00:55
  SPEAKER_01: So uh you have just recently added film photography, or is it something that you've kind of dabbled in for a while?
• 1:01:03
  SPEAKER_01: Walk me through like what that process has been like and even just like the why.
• 1:01:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:01:08
  SPEAKER_02: Well, film is so fun, and it's something that I always wanted to do, but I was kind of like, this is kind of a big undertaking.
• 1:01:14
  SPEAKER_02: Like, do I have time for this?
• 1:01:15
  SPEAKER_02: Do I want to dabble in this?
• 1:01:17
  SPEAKER_02: So I would say last year is when I started dabbling in film, and then I just very quickly loved it and like dove headfirst into it.
• 1:01:24
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't charge extra currently for it.
• 1:01:27
  SPEAKER_02: So it's something that I still like to have as like a creative expression.
• 1:01:30
  SPEAKER_02: There's no expectation.
• 1:01:32
  SPEAKER_02: So get it now with Hannah before she starts charging.
• 1:01:35
  SPEAKER_02: Because I probably will, it's it's in the back of my mind.
• 1:01:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's so good.
• 1:01:39
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate that.
• 1:01:39
  SPEAKER_01: Just like as another creative, when you post your film stuff, I'm like, this is awesome.
• 1:01:44
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 1:01:44
  SPEAKER_02: I appreciate that.
• 1:01:45
  SPEAKER_02: I think a lot of people, general public, don't understand what it is.
• 1:01:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:01:49
  SPEAKER_02: I've had people during an engagement engagement session, I had a couple, I said, I like go a little bit slower, I'm gonna shoot some film.
• 1:01:57
  SPEAKER_02: And they're they thought I was like shooting video.
• 1:01:59
  SPEAKER_02: Like I was like videotaping them.
• 1:02:01
  SPEAKER_02: So which is fine, it's not a knock on them.
• 1:02:03
  SPEAKER_02: But people just genuinely don't know what it is.
• 1:02:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:02:05
  SPEAKER_02: So for the people that don't know what it is, um, take it back to like old school before digital cameras existed.
• 1:02:11
  SPEAKER_02: Like it's that one shot, it's that cheapy camera.
• 1:02:14
  SPEAKER_02: It's not cheap, but like picture the cheap camera you take to summer camp, right?
• 1:02:18
  SPEAKER_02: And you have to drop it CVS to get developed, and you have no idea what's on there.
• 1:02:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I don't use, I mean, I do use cheapy cameras.
• 1:02:25
  SPEAKER_02: I love them for receptions and stuff.
• 1:02:27
  SPEAKER_02: But um so yeah, so genu genuinely, like you have no idea what you're capturing or what it's gonna look like.
• 1:02:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you are focusing on light and composition and just trying to get it best in camera because there's not much you can play with it after you get it back.
• 1:02:42
  SPEAKER_02: So you can adjust it a little bit, but um the idea is that when you get it back, it already looks per like it already looks perfect.
• 1:02:50
  SPEAKER_02: Like you don't adjust colors really.
• 1:02:52
  SPEAKER_02: Your lab does that.
• 1:02:53
  SPEAKER_01: The crazy thing just from an outsider looking in on your work, film and digital, because you've posted some side by sides, and I'm like, this is crazy because the style is already like right in line with what your digital stuff looks like.
• 1:03:12
  SPEAKER_01: Was that intentional?
• 1:03:14
  SPEAKER_02: Kind of.
• 1:03:15
  SPEAKER_02: I like to say that I have a film-inspired look, so I don't hunch it.
• 1:03:18
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it works, yeah.
• 1:03:19
  SPEAKER_02: I guess it works.
• 1:03:20
  SPEAKER_02: Like I've gotten some scans back where I'm like, oh my gosh, like this looks just like mine, which is exciting.
• 1:03:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:03:24
  SPEAKER_02: Now, film is such a range though, I think, and like the lab can really alter how images look.
• 1:03:30
  SPEAKER_02: So when you send your your film canisters, so you shoot a roll of film, you send it to a lab and they process it for you, and then they put it onto the key onto the computer, and that's what they deliver.
• 1:03:39
  SPEAKER_02: So you get digital files back.
• 1:03:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but they also tweak like colors and stuff like that.
• 1:03:44
  SPEAKER_02: But film can look like so many different things.
• 1:03:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so it's kind of hard to necessarily say like this is you know, like you know what I mean.
• 1:03:52
  SPEAKER_02: You can it all depends on how you're processing it, the film stock that you're using.
• 1:03:55
  SPEAKER_02: There's different types of film stocks, um, how you shoot it, like if you overexpose, it's gonna be brighter.
• 1:04:01
  SPEAKER_02: If you underexpose, it's gonna give more of like a moodier look.
• 1:04:03
  SPEAKER_02: So, and I'm honestly like I'm gonna put this out there.
• 1:04:05
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not a film expert, like I am still very new to this world, and I am just kind of like learning as I go and fumbling through it in a way, but I've actually been so happy with how my scans are coming back.
• 1:04:18
  SPEAKER_02: Like, yeah, it's it's just super rewarding.
• 1:04:20
  SPEAKER_02: It's also, I think I like the thrill of it.
• 1:04:24
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I have no idea what this is gonna look like.
• 1:04:26
  SPEAKER_02: Let me send it away and see what it looks like because then there's the camp where it's it's like okay, but your digital files look very similar, so why shoot film?
• 1:04:34
  SPEAKER_01: That was gonna be my next question.
• 1:04:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I go back and forth my because it's very expensive, like it's a super expensive process.
• 1:04:40
  SPEAKER_02: I ship my film to Oregon, so like you have to pay for shipping, you have to pay for the like actual cartridges, cartridges are expensive, just the whole process is expensive.
• 1:04:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so it's not something you do because it's cheap and it's fun.
• 1:04:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, um, but there is like a really raw rawness, I guess, that comes from the film images that you can't get on digital that is so beautiful.
• 1:05:05
  SPEAKER_02: It's like the grain, like we have grain emulations that you can put on digital files, but it's never the same.
• 1:05:10
  SPEAKER_02: It's just not the same.
• 1:05:10
  SPEAKER_02: It's just not the same.
• 1:05:11
  SPEAKER_02: And I I don't know.
• 1:05:13
  SPEAKER_02: I still go back and forth, like why do it?
• 1:05:16
  SPEAKER_02: Because it's you can get the same look pretty much with digital, but I think it's the thrill.
• 1:05:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, I mean, there's gotta be something to um the like authenticity of like the fact that you actually had this film camera out on their wedding day, you're not just like taking a couple photos from your digital camera and like turning them film like.
• 1:05:41
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:05:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um yeah, capturing it in camera without having to like adjust it.
• 1:05:45
  SPEAKER_02: That's another thing too.
• 1:05:46
  SPEAKER_02: You get your scans back and you don't have to adjust them.
• 1:05:48
  SPEAKER_02: So in a way, it's saving you a lot of time.
• 1:05:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:05:51
  SPEAKER_02: Which is beautiful.
• 1:05:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um if a photographer is out there and listening and they're like, that all sounds awesome, but What do I even do to to even try to get started?
• 1:06:06
  SPEAKER_01: Offering film or or shooting film?
• 1:06:08
  SPEAKER_01: Like where do they go?
• 1:06:09
  SPEAKER_01: What maybe what camera should they get first?
• 1:06:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:06:13
  SPEAKER_02: I um another photographer recommended the Canon Elon 7 to me.
• 1:06:17
  SPEAKER_02: It's a film camera, but it very much so operates like a digital camera.
• 1:06:21
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's a super easy one to try on or to start on because it's not there's not a lot of like manual technicalities to it or anything.
• 1:06:27
  SPEAKER_02: So I would start there.
• 1:06:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think it's a great starter camera, but I would say just buy one.
• 1:06:32
  SPEAKER_02: Like you can get it super cheap too on eBay.
• 1:06:34
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's like$300.
• 1:06:35
  SPEAKER_02: Like it's not expensive at all.
• 1:06:37
  SPEAKER_02: And then just go out and shoot a couple rolls and see how you feel.
• 1:06:40
  SPEAKER_02: I wouldn't invest in like anything big until you know if it's something that you want to do or not.
• 1:06:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and my inbox is always open too.
• 1:06:48
  SPEAKER_02: So if anybody ever has questions from somebody who's super not technical at all, but can tell you like how I've what I've figured out.
• 1:06:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:06:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, yeah, feel free to message me.
• 1:06:57
  SPEAKER_02: If I don't get back to you, my DMs are also like the Wild West.
• 1:07:00
  SPEAKER_02: I feel like I get a lot of DMs and I always miss them.
• 1:07:03
  SPEAKER_02: So you can shoot me an email or anything, but I'm always happy to talk about it.
• 1:07:06
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, I do, I do feel like um it's a fun little avenue that's just a little different.
• 1:07:12
  SPEAKER_01: You're kind of adding a little bit of a different service, um, branching out and maybe standing out a little bit as you know, hey, this is another thing that we can offer to our our couples.
• 1:07:22
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 1:07:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, well, Hannah, this has been so fun.
• 1:07:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh reconnecting and hearing all about your origin story and your business and how you're serving your couples.
• 1:07:32
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, where can people follow along with what you have going on?
• 1:07:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, on Instagram, Hannah Constantine Photography is probably the best place to follow along.
• 1:07:40
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, that's that's the best way to find me.
• 1:07:43
  SPEAKER_02: Again, my DMs are always open.
• 1:07:45
  SPEAKER_02: I have started doing every now and then I offer mentorships for photographers.
• 1:07:49
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, it's so fun.
• 1:07:49
  SPEAKER_02: So if that's something that a pot or a photographer is looking for, maybe they're just starting out, um, they have questions about business or editing or approach, console calls, anything like that.
• 1:08:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I offer them pretty rarely, but I would say every couple months I like open up a couple slots.
• 1:08:05
  SPEAKER_02: So I love talking with other photographers, I love helping other people grow.
• 1:08:09
  SPEAKER_02: We all started somewhere.
• 1:08:10
  SPEAKER_02: And so, so yeah, so find me on Instagram, that's probably the best place to find me.
• 1:08:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I will drop uh that link down in the description because I can never spell your last name.
• 1:08:19
  SPEAKER_02: I know it's you know, everybody always calls me Hannah Constantine, which I'm like, where are you getting all these extra letters at?
• 1:08:25
  SPEAKER_02: Like and I had a very basic maiden name.
• 1:08:28
  SPEAKER_02: My maiden name was Forwood.
• 1:08:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so nobody ever got it wrong, but now I'm like Constantine, Constantine, whatever.
• 1:08:33
  SPEAKER_01: So either way, it'll be in the description so you can reach out and connect with Hannah.
• 1:08:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:08:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, uh, do you have anything exciting that's coming up?
• 1:08:41
  SPEAKER_02: Man, I am honestly in a season of trying to figure out what the next couple years look like for my business.
• 1:08:48
  SPEAKER_02: So I will probably be slowing down, just saying this a little bit, not a lot, but I will slow down just a little.
• 1:08:53
  SPEAKER_02: My kids are getting a little older, they're getting involved in things.
• 1:08:56
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I'm trying to build out my associate team.
• 1:08:58
  SPEAKER_02: So I feel like I have a lot of knowledge and a lot to share with my team who can then serve and give the same product that I can.
• 1:09:07
  SPEAKER_02: So, how that would work, I would still edit the images.
• 1:09:09
  SPEAKER_02: They you just have my team shooting.
• 1:09:11
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm trying to build out my associate team at the moment.
• 1:09:13
  SPEAKER_02: It's very early, early on stage.
• 1:09:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but we do offer it as an option.
• 1:09:18
  SPEAKER_02: So maybe there's budget restraints and or I'm not available for your date, I do have a team that I could offer to you.
• 1:09:23
  SPEAKER_02: So that's what's going on right now.
• 1:09:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um, otherwise, I'm just we're in the thick of busy season.
• 1:09:29
  SPEAKER_01: So we're really we're really filming this episode in the thick of it.
• 1:09:34
  SPEAKER_02: We are.
• 1:09:34
  SPEAKER_02: I have five weddings this month, seven next month.
• 1:09:37
  SPEAKER_02: So it's crazy.
• 1:09:38
  SPEAKER_01: But it's so fun.
• 1:09:39
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for your time and for being.
• 1:09:41
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for having me.
• 1:09:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that's all for this episode.
• 1:09:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I appreciate everyone tuning in.
• 1:09:45
  SPEAKER_01: Make sure if you're liking the preferred list, that you're subscribed so you can see when new episodes are coming out.
• 1:09:51
  SPEAKER_01: We have more great guests like Hannah um lined up.
• 1:09:55
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, we'll catch you next time on the preferred list.