About two months ago, I asked those following me on Facebook if they had any question that they would like to know about me… Sadly, this post got put on the back burner due to a busy schedule, but I am finally finding some time to sit down and answer those questions!
I don’t know about you, but I love getting to know other photographers regarding who they are, what they enjoy doing… other passions besides photography etc. I hope you enjoy reading this little post and getting to know me a little better!
Q: Besides photography, what else is a passion of yours?
A: I absolutely love music. I sing and also play the piano and can plunk around on the guitar a bit. I lead worship at my church and work with the Worship Arts Department as well. I have a huge passion for God and expressing my love for Him through music. I also love gardening and being out in my yard. It sounds crazy – but yard work is my escape from all things “work.” Pulling weeds is not work to me… I know, I’m crazy – but I really enjoy it.
I also loooooove DIY projects! I’ve taken multiple pieces and refurbished them and love it! It’s so fun to take something old and ugly and make it pretty again! Here’s a picture of the hutch I found off Craigslist that now sits in our dining room after a coat of paint! 
Q: How do you take the time to spend with your family with so many booking’s? With me just starting out in my own studio I seem to find it hard to do.
A: Creating a balance is definitely a constant struggle and honestly, very difficult to do. There are some weeks when I am swamped with shoots and feel like the editing list is growing bigger and bigger. However, I make sure to block out dates on my calendar that are “family days” where I will not book a shoot that day. If I have a client that inquires for that day, I kindly say that I am unavailable and provide them with a list of other days and times that I am available. My family is #1 over my business. It will never be more important than my husband or my daughter. Ever.
One thing I would recommend to aspiring photographers is to have set work days and hours. For example, my daughter is in preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30-11:30, next year it will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I have 2 hours to edit, reply to emails etc… Those two days are my “crunch hours” where plow through a LOT of stuff. Other days, my editing happens during my daughter’s quiet time (oh how I miss her naps!! lol!) and sometimes in the evenings. Fridays & Sundays are generally our family days in which I try not to schedule sessions. I have also chosen to only shoot one Saturday a month. Like the rest of the population, I enjoy having a weekend. I am available to my clients during regular business hours, Monday – Friday… Therefore, scheduling sessions can be done on those days. For the Saturdays that I do schedule shoots, I pack in as many shoots on that one Saturday a month as I can so that the remaining Saturdays are open for weddings and other events that are taking place.
Q: Do you mind when customers suggest ideas they want?
A: I personally don’t mind, because generally, the suggestions and ideas are typically coming from their excitement about their anticipated session. However, if I receive an email from a client with loads of images from other photographers, I will respond as such:
“Thank you so much for providing me with these great ideas you have found! I would be happy to use these as inspiration for your session, however, please know that I will have my own artistic expression and prefer to not copy another photographer’s work. Please feel free to browse my portfolio, which will provide you with other fun ideas for your up coming session. Thank you, again, for providing me with these great ideas.”
When I first started shooting, I would take offense to clients showing me ideas they saw on Pinterest and other photographer’s websites etc… But I quickly had to remove any offense because my clients were coming from a place of excitement and not a place of meaning to offend. Plus, inspiration can come from anywhere… If clients have suggestions etc, then I look at it as a collaborative effort for a fun session. If the idea is 180 degrees opposite of my style and who I am as an artist, I will kindly let them know and then show them other ideas that stay true to who I am as a photographer. It is MY job as a professional photographer and artist to create beautiful images for my clients… not my client’s job.
Very rarely do I have clients provide me with ideas or suggestions anymore. It is important PRIOR to the session to teach your clients that they can trust you and your artistic ability to produce extraordinary images. Collaborate with clients before hand and provide them with enough information about their session so that they don’t even need to worry about looking for ideas. They already know they can trust you.
Q: Do you ever have days you just dread the upcoming shoot?
A: I’ve never “dreaded” an upcoming shoot… Although, I’ve had days where I would rather stay home… But once I step foot into my studio, I’m loving every minute of it. I love people and capturing such intimate times with them. Every session is a new opportunity to create, express, and challenge myself. So “dreading” an upcoming session doesn’t really ever happen.
Q: How do you challenge yourself creatively?
A: I love doing personal shoots, although, the amount of time that I have to do them isn’t as often as I would like. Personal shoots provide me the opportunity to try new things and not feel pressure from anyone other than myself. It allows me the opportunity to “break the rules” and do things that I generally would not do in a client situation… Then when I’ve mastered that “something new” I will use it during a session.
A special thanks to my Associate Photographer (and hubby) for doing a quick photo shoot of me. I gotta admit, it was a lot of fun! Thank you, again, to those who posted questions! I hope to answer more of your questions again soon! =)
follow me on facebook!
all images copyright protected and property of {michelle newell} photography
please do not copy | save | alter images from blog in any way
feel free to {pin} on pinterest
