Subject: You Do You!

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You Do You.

You know how it goes.

You ask a question in an online group and everyone chimes in on what you should be doing.

“You need to charge at least $xxx”

“You allow that? Oh, I require additional fees for all of that.”

“Pricing should be this way and

include x, y, and z.”

But let’s be real. There is no one way to conduct business.

Let me repeat that in case it didn’t sink in:

There is no one way to conduct business.

And truth be told, one of the greatest benefits to owning your own business is that it’s your call. All of it. Every little detail is up to you.

This can be a nightmare sometimes, but a blessing most days.

So here are a few helpful reminders for your Thursday:

You should be charging what feels right for you.

Yes, you should feel valued and appreciated. No, there is no minimum requirement or must-do range for pricing. Your market, your workflow, your financial needs, your life priorities, your included rights…. All of this plays into pricing, and you know what?

It can be different for every. single. person.

You can change your mind.

There. I said it.

You own the business, so you call the shots. And if those shots include changing up your rates every year or every 6 months or every single month until you find what works for you… then do it! Nobody is expected to know from day one what to charge, how to structure it, and how to have conversations with your clients over tough topics.

So go for it - change your mind as much as you damn well please.

You do not HAVE to do anything in particular, other than be genuine and honest with your clients while finding what fits you best.

This means that, no, you don’t HAVE to do walk-throughs for interior shoots.

No, you don’t HAVE to license out images individually if you prefer to bundle them.

No, you don’t HAVE to outsource your editing if you prefer to be hands-on or can take the workload.

No, you don’t HAVE to invoice with line items if your clients don’t respond to it well.

No, you don’t HAVE to stick to one type of photography if you feel like mixing things up.

This is why at The Grove Studio you’ll never see us tell you that things HAVE to be done a specific way. Rather, you’ll see us lay out options and give you more tools for that handy back-pocket of yours. It’s not about dictating how you need to do things; it’s about educating and informing you about possible ways to do things so that you can make a better decision for yourself.

Are you feeling the power of being your own boss yet?

I hope so. Because at the end of the day, you just have to answer to YOU.

Be strong, be kind, and I’ll see you next week!

PRO TIP:

You may already use the luminosity layer mode for blending exposures with lights on, but have you tried the screen layer mode instead?

Thanks to a tip in the Facebook group a few weeks ago, it’s now one my go-to modes to use! The main difference - at least as it relates to this use - is that it still retains some of the color from the lights. So this is a great option for when you want to have a little of that warmth from the lights still show through, but maybe just toned down.

One thing I noticed about using this layer mode is that it looks WAY bright compared to when it’s on luminosity mode. To help balance this out, you can add an adjustment layer for exposure or for levels to help tone back that brightness.

If you prefer to keep the light pure white, then luminosity mode is your best bet!

ON THE CALENDAR:

This is what your business SHOULD feel like:

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Subject: You Do You!

You Do You.