Weddings, Point Blank

So this is an email that I just wrote out for a bride that I will be doing wedding photos for this year. I felt so bad when I was done for the huge speal, but I realized that I should use it in the case of any wedding. Some people don't understand where the lump sum of a wedding photography price goes. Well here is my message.

"Hi ___________,

I just wanted to check in and talk to you about pricing. We hadn't really discussed it and I'm a progressing kind of person, so I'm modifying my wedding package. Last year was my first year and I was able to find things that worked and didn't work, this year I'm trying to work out that kinks. I'm a really easy going person and will work with any bride to make her photos the best that I can. I am also flexible on making the price fair and right for both of us. This will be the first year that I am doing prints not a disc (hopefully) I'm going to be testing out print companies and such. I eventually want my own printer and set up, but they are 5000 + the paper 200 a roll + ink (12 colors) 120ea so it's like a 10g start out investment so it won't be happening anytime soon. That's why I am looking into print companies. I am also looking into wedding books that I would be willing to include and put together if you would like one. We'll go through this together or you can let me do my thing for a certain price and leave me to it, I just like to let the bride know that I am behind her 100%, but if she rather not worry about it I can handle it alone. So I'm giving you the info on your options.
What I planned for this year for the basic wedding price was 800.00 this includes my services the whole wedding day - I am yours from whenever your start getting ready, to the vows, to the after photos, to the first dance and til the end of the reception - it also includes 150 4x6 prints, 10 8x10 prints, and 1 10x15 print, and the possibility of a wedding book. (I can also do up your thank you cards if you would like me to handle those as well, but those prints won't be included in the wedding price) This 800 digit may seem a bit big, or maybe it doesn't, small towns usually find it a pricy, but the work and hours I put into editing the photos is something that you wouldn't believe. Some people say "OH that wedding day must be so stressful! with all that pressure of holding the entire day in the palm of your hands, everyone counting on your photos to be just AMAZING" which it is a HUGE pressure, but I find the wedding day a completely amazing rush, being included in a couple big day makes me feel so special! The wedding day is the fun part! It's the next week of slaving over a desk infront of a computer screen for hours upon hours doing monotonous clicking and pasting and altering and blah blah blah, that is the rough part of it all. That is the hard work. It's also the work that no one sees and doesn't realize it's happening. I know that's the biggest chunk of money. And each wedding is different, so photos take longer to edit and some photos are faster, so some weddings it seems like I'm making easy money and others I feel I should have charged a million dollars.
I really hope that we can get together and figure out exactly what you are looking for for your big day.

I'm really excited about it even though it's months away, I bit you're even more excited. Let me know what you think!

But that's the business haha."

I LOVE working with the bride, and the groom if he is into it. So are some aren't. And when people make comments about pricing and how "steep" in may be. They have to realize that my price is only a fraction of what wedding photographers charge away. But I chose to live in a small town and I choose to make my prices fit where I live, or else I wouldn't have any clients haha. But comments can hurt sometimes, because I put all my energy into a wedding, and it's past the wedding day too, it's a wedding week or more for me. But that is my business, I have equipment that I haven't used loans to by and so that money goes towards paying that off in a sense. I love what I do and so I've done everything I can to further myself in my field, even if that means spending my savings on lighting equipment rather than buying new clothes or you know just saving it like a smart person. I take the risk on investing in myself because I believe in myself. 

Even though I had lost my way for awhile, if I look back I was still doing everything for the same reason. I bought my house, so I could have a space to build my studio, I took up my fulltime job to make money to pay for said house and save money for my dream. Has it got me far these past 6 months? No, I'm broke and trying to keep my head above water, but my faith in myself and passion for what I love has come back to me, so I'm fighting and staying ahead. 

Back to weddings, I take time to meet with the bride, talk to the bride and make it all about the special couple. I want to give them what they want. Some photographers say, "this is my style, this is what you pay for, this is what you get" but I don't like to do that. Yes I have a style, but I'm an openminded, flexible person and that shows in my photography. I'm okay with change or something different so I make sure that I give the bride the closest to her perfect. That is included in that chunk of money. I may seem alittle spacey sometimes, but I've got a big heart and a big passion for pleasing my clients. 

If you're planning your big day and your in my area, even if you aren't on the island, I will travel away for weddings! I hope that you atleast consider me! I hope that this post was informative about my process of a wedding. 

-Robyn :) 

My Sincerest Apologies!

I'm been putting off making this post, but I know that I have to face it and just write it already. This winter has been a very difficult one and I hope that most of you can understand that. I didn't do much photo work in the fall because between work, courses for work and the new house. I felt alittle over whelmed by it all, so I put my photography on the back burner. Then as the cold set in, photography isn't as it's peek during the winter months, so it has been kept on my back burner, but the cold isn't the only reason that I have been neglecting my photography. I struggle with depression through the winter as it is, I guess some call in the winter blues, and I get affected by it greatly, to add to that my family has suffered a painful tragedy this winter that has made being happy, having any motivation and finding inspiration very hard. And on top of that, relationship failures and being laid off has made my outlook a little more bleak this winter. I would love to say that I'm not affected by all these things life has been throwing at me, and that I'm just so strong I can shake it all off, but I am human and I have fallen inside myself, but I have not given up. This post is me picking myself up and dusting myself off, or the start of that anyway. I haven't forgotten about my true passion for photography, even though I have little inspiration at the moment. So here is my apology to you all.

I want to apologize to my clients and possible clients. I am sorry if I have seemed distant for months and uninterested. It is very unprofessional and although it may have not been my best decision, I needed to put other things before my photography to get through life's wrong times. I feel that I have disappointed and let people down. I send my sincere regrets to people that I have done this too. It was nothing personal and I love all my clients and hate that I could have possibly hurt feelings or caused any hard feelings. Please if anyone that I have hurt, would like to tell me, my email is robyn.guptill@hotmail.com or feel free to inbox me on facebook. With all my free time these days I am going to try to get myself back up, running and inspired.

I would like to inform everything that my site is down for awhile. I don't have the money at the moment to keep in running. Until I do, this blog will be my site. I am also planning to re-name the business and I had started a poll last summer/fall but didn't get much feedback, probably because I wasn't quite invested in it myself. I will be working on this as time goes on.

Again I am so very sorry for being distance and non-responsive. I am available for booking weddings and I will be starting a spring and summer waiting list. I will not however be taking prom bookings yet,  I have two cousins that will be graduating in two different provinces and I am unsure what these days fall on and I'm sorry but family comes first, so until I know the dates I can't for sure say that I will be here for GMCS prom and grad.

I will be doing the waiting list a bit differently this year. If you are interested in a shoot this Spring/Summer, it is first come first serve. Please leave your name, number, email/facebook information, and shoot occasion with me and I will contact you when I start my photography season. The first on the list will be called first to set an appointment. If they are unable for that day/weekend, they can set another date and the next person will be called. Specific dates can be booked if there is a date that everyone will be around, etc. But it will be first come first serve for a spot on the list, this does not apply for weddings. Weddings are booked for the whole day, although if there are two in one day, then it is first come first serve.

Last but not least. I am currently available for indoor photos. I can't do large groups inside, but I can do maternity, baby portraits, portraits and couples. I just wouldn't be able to do family photos, unless someone has a very large space for me to shoot in. Also, I would prefer that the client come up for a location. I may be able to assist in helping find something, but even your home or a family members home can work.

Please feel free to message me on facebook (this is the best way to reach me and I promise to be more responsive) if you are interest in booking any indoor shoots this winter, having your name put down for spring and summer 2013, or booking a wedding! :)

Thank you for understanding! And Let's hope for a wonderful spring and summer season. Please feel free to start contacting me. PRICES WILL NOT CHANGE for shoots until I completely re-vamp when making my business official. Please contact me for wedding information and prices, it differs on times and what the special couple wants.

-Robyn Guptill

Changes and Progression

So, I am thinking of changing the name of my photography business. I had always wanted to go with "robyn guptill photography" because it got my name out there, but now that I've used it I've found it too long and not very catchy, I almost stumble over the letters when I say it. I'm also hoping that I'm not always going to be a guptill so I would like to do something fun with my first name, Robyn. I would also like to have something cool as a logo, something to go along with the "bird" theme for the obvious fact that I share the same name as the "robin." I may hold a contest for logo ideas and I will post a poll for the name of my business. I am open to suggestions so if you have an idea please leave a comment about it and if you're artistic and think you have a cute logo idea also feel free to send it my way or wait until I possibly have a contest for it.

Check out the poll and vote! Comment if you have suggestions or opinions! I welcome construction criticism :)