A Photographer’s Dilemma
By: Katie
I’ve got a confession to make. I edit our website: All. The. Time. At first this might not sound bad, especially since we launched January 1st, but it’s gotten out of control. One day I am content with our last round of edits and sit back to rest and then… I stumble across a blog post on how to create the best bio section, a webinar about specifying what type of bride you work best with, the next thing I know I’m 2 hours into editing something I was just happy with. It’s a vicious cycle, one I know I am not stuck in alone.
As photographers its easy to get caught up in the desire to constantly change with the tides, but consistency is key, right? There will always be one more thing to change, one more webinar to watch, and sometimes it’s okay. It’s overwhelming how many resources and suggestions and they’re great, but to a certain extent.
We just launched our beautiful new website and it’s a million times better than our old one. We spent 3 months meticulously working to create something that captured both Alec and I in a way that will show our awesome couples who we really are. That was no easy task and for those 3 months we were going crazy studying how to make it the best it could be. So why are we still going?
1. We’re stuck in the “never good enough” thought process.
We’re human y’all. We’ll never be “good enough” as society would define it. That’s not easy to swallow for most of us, but it’s reality. Breaking out of this mindset is key to finding a place to rest every now and then without worrying if you’re slacking, missing out, or falling behind.
2. We’re our own worst critics.
We know this is true, you’ve poured your heart and soul into your work hoping to attract your ideal bride and you want everything to be perfect. If you’ve put that much into something though you will be the one who sees every flaw, notices every small detail. There is a point where this becomes too much.
3. We think change needs to happen all the time.
Consistency is so important to making our clients trust us and see that we’re going to be a good investment. If you’re constantly changing every detail on your website they’ll be the ones to notice and they’ll become confused. You may want to hold off on making changes until you can make several necessary changes all at once instead of many little changes.
4. You feel like you need to do something constantly.
Right now it’s off season for most of us in the wedding industry and if we spend the entire season working and exhausting ourselves we’ll never be able to relax. I know we want to work hard to grow our business every chance we get. Finding time while you’re not shooting every single weekend and editing to truly rest is essential to our mental health and preventing burn-out during the busy season.
If you find yourself facing the same dilemma with your website, Instagram, or other web presence you may want to ask yourself the pros and cons of what you’re doing. It will be worth the time to sit and think through each change you make and if it’s got to happen right here and now.
Here’s to resting!
Katie
