My self portrait sessions doesn’t always go as planned. This is something a good thing (as in they turn out way better than expected) orrr sometimes a bad thing (it’s way worse than expected). Either way it’s a learning experience. Check out the bts for my makeup on my Instagram @leannielens

These are by far my favorite weddings to shoot but also hands down the longest and most work. They can be up to 3 day events and the actual ceremony on average last about 2 hours. All in all if you get the chance to do at least one, I can assure you it’ll be a fun experience and a great way to add some diversity and lots of color to your wedding portfolio.

If you’ve never heard of Shutterfest, it’s one of the biggest photography conferences in America that’s hosted in Saint Louis, MO. It’s a 3 day event and totally worth every penny no matter what skill level you’re at with photography. Here’s a tip on how I made sure to take home everything I learned while attending the conference.

Tip of the day, Keep It SIMPLE. You’ve heard less is more right? Well that can definitely be applied to photoshoot! You don’t need the fanciest equipment or massive lighting setup. With a little thought you can make the simplest setup and wardrobe look like a million bucks. Lol ok not really but close enough! Be sure to follow me on Instagram (@leannielens) to see exactly what I mean.

People prefer to see how you created an image, especially those who are just starting out and have no idea on how to get even the simplest of images. You don’t have to have a videographer or the fanciest editing software. Use what you have. Check out one of my self portrait sessions BTS video on IG, @leannielens. I’ll catch you in the next one!

The first step is getting together a portfolio. You always want to have something to show and back up your words. Take photos of products you have access to such as watches, shoes, etc and begin a portfolio. From this point you’ll make a proposal and along with your portfolio send it to product brands. Hope that helped!

Running your own photography business is more about the business side and less about the skills that you possess. Let me explain.

At the end of the day if you’re Leary’s trying to get better be aware that you’re going to always look for something wrong with your current work. Let that thought go to the waist side and appreciate where you are and learn from the mistakes. Period.

It all starts with networking. New and different people brings new opportunities and experiences. Reach out to some fellow photographers and see if you could borrow a new lens or piece of equipment. If that’s not an option you can always rent equipment for reasonable prices. Take advantage of the time you have with the borrowed or rented equipment because your time is limited with it. Make intentions to either use the equipment to add better images to your portfolio or to simply practice using it. Either way borrowing or renting equipment if a forsure way to quickly improve you photography skills.

Here’s a tip to build your holiday prop collection for those fun studio sessions. In exchange for a free photoshoot have the model buy one or two props that’ll end up staying and being added to your prop collection. After 3-5 sessions you should have a decent amount of props to build on for future shoots.