Change sometimes is hard for me, but in this industry changing
things can only mean one thing; I am shaping, molding, and learning new things
that will help me get to where I want to be and to better serve my amazing
clients. Simply, I am growing. And I can’t
be ashamed about that. So thank you for staying on my little journey that
started three years ago. It’s because of you all you that I am able to make
this big change.
I think every photographer goes through this; a change in
style, a more focused direction, or just the desire to have their brand match
their work that has been improving since they first started. Whatever the
reasoning, there comes a time to re-brand or to give your current brand a
facelift. For me, this has happened too
many times than I care to admit. So much so that I almost didn’t write this
post as to let some future changes slip right on by. In the end, it was a
business learning lesson for me so I decided to write this post because I am
just too excited not to share.
If you are a photographer, you have probably realized that
you can’t do it all on your own. Whether it is editing, brand design, bookkeeping,
marketing, designing albums…the list goes on, something that you are not so
good at is probably taking a lot of time away from the thing that you are good
at. For me, that is brand designing.
This past spring I sat down with Steve and had a very
serious discussion with him about investing in a professional brand designer to
get inside my head and my dreams for the business, and then translate that into
the brand I have always wanted. Sometimes, when life is crazy trying to raise
two littles, it makes more sense to hire someone to collect my thoughts for me J . Throughout the past
three years I have discovered things about my style that I just can’t relay to the
design on my site and blog. I need someone
to collaborate with me on all the ideas I have and help me focus it to a very
purposeful and very custom brand that is unique to who I am and what my work reflects.
Then, I need this person to design it from scratch so that it is consistent all
across the board- from the logo, to the site, to the blog on down to the
marketing materials. It didn’t take much
convincing my husband. He just gets it. He knows where to make a smart
investment and he saw a need for it in my business. With his approval and a lot
of research I found the perfect person for me.
Enter Jeffrey Shipley of J. Shipley Creative.
He is taking my whole entire brand and giving it a HUGE
facelift. I’m not saying “re-brand” because I honestly believe I am so
close to getting exactly where I want to be. My new brand will keep the same
name (I think), but with a focus on the shoots that make my heart go pitter-patter and a style that matches
me AND my work. It will be focused on
the “new family” because…well, because I am crazy passionate about the life I
am living- the wife to an amazing man and momma to two beautiful little beings!
I’m inspired by the everyday and in-between moments of my own family even if
they are chaotic and disorganized at times. I know I can’t be alone in this feeling.
There are thousands of other women out there that feel the same and I relate to
them. I don’t want to give too much away for right now because I want you to
get the whole story when you see the site for the first time. I just wanted to
give you a little hint about what is to come of my photography and my blog.
This designing process has been in the works for over a
month now. I have had Skype and telephone meetings, discovery questions to
answer, Pinterest boards to fill, and images to gather. It’s been very exciting
and I am lovin’ my designer, Jeffrey Shipley. He is full of personality and
bleeds creativity! He created these two sites recently that I am just dying
over (see below)!!! I cannot wait to see where he takes my whole brand. All I
know, is that as of right now, my new brand is going to be just like my dream front
porch; my go-to spot to get all cozy and relaxed and to chat it up with some of
very best friends. Cannot wait!!
