Jasmine Star @ Creative Live Workshop

Jasmin Star is back at Creative Live for a workshop on "Building Your Wedding Photography Business." Here is some note from the workshop:

Why David Jay's website stood out:

• Use a video intro.
  
• Create an emotional connection via slide shows (no longer a viewer but also a participant)
  
• Unique bio section.
  
• I become invested in him personally.
  

On how to be good:

• Practice
  
• Do it again, again and again. It only makes you better.
  
• If you ask why you are just not getting any better, then tell me how much you practice.
  
• You need to understand what changes you are going to make.
  
• Whatever you have, you have to make it work.
  
• Open the manual and start from page 1.
  
• Create a personalized curriculum.
  
• Teach myself online:
  
  
  
  • osp forum
    
  • The B School (Get 25% discount by using jstar25 coupon code)
    
  
  
• you may not like where you are right now but you have come a long way and you like where you are going.
  

On second shooting

• Create trust (trust is the currency on the web)
  
• Offer feedback, start conversations, provide constructive criticism (when ask for)
  
• How?
  
  
  
  • engage online forum.
    
  • comment on blog (people like to know that you like them)
    
  • write on their facebook fanpage.
    
  • talk back on twitter.
    
  • leverage your assets.
    
  
  
• You are the anonymous support for that photographer.
  
• You are the extension of his brand.
  
• The only thing you have as a second shooter is your creditably.
  
• Never cool to pass out your own business card.
  
• They ask you to jump. You ask how high.
  
• Don't stand in the same position as the first photographer.
  
• We pick people based on how that person makes us feel.
  
• Solid 1st shooters always looking for solid 2nd shooters.
  
• There is no better way than to show your true color.
  

On why feeling bad: Comparison, Insecurity and Resistance.

• everyone else [has everything that I don't have] (I need to make myself feel better before I can make my photos better)
  
• Jealous and envious.
  
• Our work is the by product of who we are.
  
• Acknowledgment.
  
  
  
  • move on
    
  • help others
    
  • create a schedule
    
  
  
• Book that she just read and highly recommends: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
  
• It is not important to be the best. It is important to be difference.
  
• You will never be good enough.
  
• The minute you put yourself out there, the minute you grow.
  
• Get uncomfortable.
  

Finding a photography mentor

• The likelihood is none.
  
• Why would someone teach you to drive him out of business.
  

On business financing

• ~$3000
  
  
  
  • $1200 Canon 20D
    
  • $1400 24-70
    
  • $500 cool business cards
    
  
  
• Rent to own.
  
• First wedding was booked for $1500.
  
• Profit went to saving for future gears.
  
• Filing for a business license and tax id.
  
• Sole proprietor.
  
• Paying taxes.
  

On starting a business with my spouse

• It takes a very different dynamic.
  
• It doesn't mean that you married the wrong person.
  
• I have built the Jasmine Star brand but we built the business together.
  
• Have someone to believe in you even you don't believe in yourself.
  
• I would rather you fail on doing something you love.
  
• To him, my aspiration has no price tag.
  
• His + her perspective (he was having a husband/wife conversation but I was having a 1st/2nd shooter conversation)
  
• Create clearly defined roles.
  
• Set clearly defined goals.
  
• Set a schedule.
  
• (from JD) be patient.
  
• (from JD) assign project leaders.
  
• (from JD) play to each strengths.
  

Inspiration

• pages from magazines.
  
• throwing up there on the wall with things I like.
  
• Find those things.
  

On Posing

• how to I attract my clients?
  
• I don't pick my clients. My clients pick me.
  
• I need to get better on interact with clients before I get paid for the shoot
  
• Mental check-list
  
  
  
  • Check my ISO
    
  • Choose my aperture
    
  
  
• I never invented a pose.
  
• Copying is the best form of flattery.
  

How she learned to shoot manually

• The "Magic settings:" f2.8 1/2500 ISO 100
  
• Once I feel comfort with the camera settings, I can control the posing
  
• Posing and shooting attract the client I want
  
• if it is not your skill set, put it away until you get it.
  

Next dissecting the how:

• how was the photo illuminated?
  
• how was the photo captured?
  
• how was the subject posed?
  
• how did the photographer get them to pose that way?
  
• how was the story told?
  

More on posing:

• It's not the pose. It's the action to get to the pose.
  
• If I have to make them more than twice, then I make them feel that they are doing it wrong.
  
• The minute you can put them as ease, the minute you can get the good picture.
  
• My business is 80% business and 20% photography
  
• My goal for the engagement session is for them to have a good time.
  
• My job is to make them look good.
  
• It's my job to make them feel beautiful and empowered.
  
• I am proud to stand by my work.
  

On booking the 1st wedding

• I thought I would be starting at $3500 photographer
  
• I don't want to be the bottom barrel photographer.
  
• I want to be a mid-level photographer.
  
• I place the value on the tangible.
  

On Contract:

• Deposit is refundable. retainer fee is not.
  
• It is a list of my expectation.
  

On Pricing:

• Create a profitable business structure.
  
• Understanding my fixed cost.
  
  
  
  • $200 outsourcing (1000 images x $0.20)
    
  • $45 Average price per wedding for bookkeeping
    
  • $40 Average gas per wedding
    
  • $35 Average price per wedding for online proofing
    
  • $32 shipping hard drive
    
  • $20 disc, stationary, postage, etc.
    
  • $372 per wedding
    
  • $1128 profit per wedding
    
  
  
• after booking 3 weddings, raised prices to $1800, fixed cost stayed the same
  $1128 -> $1428
  
• after booking 6 weddings, raised prices to $2100, fixed cost stayed the same
  $1428 -> $1728
  
• after booking 21 weddings,
  profit $3000
  
• my clients want the accessibility to the images, not the disc.
  
• I gave the disc but I charged for it
  
• Her initial packages:
  
  
  
  • 10 hours, 2 shooter, engagement session, disc of images: $1500
    
  • 10 hours, 2 shooter, engagement session: $1000.
    
  
  
• Post my collections starting at:...
  
• Average now is $9500 to $10500, which includes a disc and album.
  

Other interesting quotes:

• I can do more with my 20D and 1.4 than you P mode.
  
• In the old days, we were craving pictures on stones.
  
• It takes 9 months to have a baby.
  
• I shot an orange tree like nobody shoots an orange tree.
  
• I am worth it, worth it, worth it.
  
• We try to sell an educated service to un-educated audiences.
  
• The only big difference is you.
  
• I am only a competition if I act like a competition.
  
• Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
  
• I don't know which way is up.
  
• Risk the dream because the dream changes.
  
• Our photos are the reflection of who we are.
  
• Play the T-ball game as you are playing the World Series.
  
• I do thing wrong but I make it work.
  
• if I am in a bad place, then I will approach the wedding in a bad way.
  
• I am not a believer in talking in anger.
  
• Talk to the window.
  
• Name brand raisin theory. This can be applied to the business.
  
• Where I see his [JD's] goals, I see where his heart is.
  
• You make this work or go back the easy route.
  
• I don't pick my clients, my clients pick me.
  
• I sound like a 12 years old at the Hannah Montana concert.
  
• What the gift card from chili's represented is trust.
  
• They hurt you once, fine. they hurt you twice, it's your fault.
  
• My camera is speaking Japanese and I am speaking English.
  
• Get people to trust her.
  
• Out shoot, out run, out hustle.
  
• Educate as we shoot.
  
• Under promise and over deliver.
  
• My will power is that of a 5 year-old.
  
• It is not important to be the best. It is important to be difference.
  
• You will never be good enough.
  
• the minute you put yourself outside that the minute you grow.
  
• If you are not uncomfortable, you are not working hard enough.
  
• If my true color is not what they want on the wedding day, fine.
  
• Be 100% of yourself, you will move forward.
  
• It was a posing disaster. It was like Simon says.
  
• Next thing I know she is a broken chopstick.
  
• The computer matches me up with my twin sister.
  
• Talk it out - you don't know how dumb you sound until you say it.
  
• J. Crew doesn't sell clothes. They sell life style.
  
• We are not selling photos. We are selling the idea of the wedding day.
  
• I did the dip. Dip baby dip.
  
• If you want to get to a different level, you shoot wider than f5.6.
  
• I never used skin retouching.
  
• I don't talk trash. It is what it is.
  
• Repel or connect.
  
• If I don't see it, it does not exist. I am too busy being me.
  
• The haters drive me to be better, so sometimes they're okay.
  
• I wanted that wedding more than LA gear pump shoes.
  
• I paid for my photos. I don't want a homy hook up.
  
• Happy wife. Happy life.
  
• I should have say something cool, but Yahoo...
  
• The people who waited for me are the best clients.
  
• You don't know until you are out there.
  
• Be confident of who you are. Own it.
  
• (On haters) You come to my blog. You subscribe to my twitter feed. If you don't like it, then stop.
  
• 2010 is about taking the mould and breaking it.
  
• I try to be funny but it doesn't work all the time.
  
• I am clearly a hot mess trying to figure out what's going on.
  
• I don't pick my clients, my clients pick me.
  
• Everyone should be a server, it makes you better.
  
• If you are not in a constant state of being the 1st shooter, then you are not ready to be a 1st shooter.
  
• They are buying the experience. They are buying the trust.
  
• This is definitely not the right way. This is my way. It maybe not your way. Do what you do..
  
• Taking what you have and make it work.
  
• Learn the best man's name like you best friend.
  
• I don't book my weddings more than a year in advance.
  
• The minute you can put them at ease, the minute the picture they look comfortable.
  
• I want to be a photographer, I don't want to be a lightroom editor.
  
• Back then I called them packages. now I called them collections.
  
• I push you because I love you.
  
• Am I talking trash? Am I throwing it out?
  
• Maximum no. of people see the album: 10 - 20 people. Average no of friends on facebook:350. That's 350 potential clients
  
• I never want to be the business for running 4x6 prints.
  
• If you like it, awesome. If you don't like it, equally awesome.
  
• Your house burned down, that's ok. Your images are in the cloud.
  
• Powerful marketing: it should not be me telling how great I am. It should be someone else telling how great you are.
  
• People smell desperation. People smell good wills.
  
• It's happy hour somewhere.
  
• Go with the punches, wedding day is not going to be perfect.
  
• They are going to hire you because they like you.
  
• I am a firm believer to play up to my strength.
  
• I want to make you feel something about me.
  
• My love language is email.
  

Links for her previous workshop are here and here.