Last year I rebranded and it was the best thing I’d done for my business up until then.  I knew I still wanted to take things to the next level with a truly legit site … but I wanted to be sure I’d be working with someone who would GO BIG OR GO HOME. Not someone who would plop my brand into a template or a wedding photographer formula. Then, I found Ribbons of Red.  Let me tell you a little story about working with the best designer ever. Immediately upon contacting Renee, I knew it was a perfect match.  Not only was she excited about my brand vibe and my vision … she totally “got” me and where I wanted to take my brand experience. I liked that she wasn’t a branding ‘factory.’ I was always only talking with one person … one person who really cared about my business, the process, and the execution of my site. Everything was customized to my business and not to anything else she had ever done before.

I’m the type of person who can’t send just one email. If you email with me often, you know there’ll be an addendum to the initial email — a PS, or even a PPS. I change my mind a lot and I’m random and I type ‘aloud’ to work through what I’m trying to convey.  My mind is basically a junk drawer that needs to be organized. Yet, as soon as it’s organized, I know it’ll be harder to find stuff.  Renee never once made me feel like a crazy mind-changing photographer. (Even if she thought it, haha.)  She was patient, kind, awesome, professional and yet personable, and most importantly … a VISIONARY.

I know how easy it is, as a small business owner, to make excuses when it comes to major investments like custom design work. And I don’t think it’s something to run after right away. I spent a whole year collecting inspiration before rebranding, and another 8 months sitting with that brand before pursuing a custom site. I think the biggest mistake we photographers make is thinking we can do our own print or web design. As creatives, we’re almost offended by the notion we cannot do it ourselves. You might dismiss my advice, but I believe that investing in custom design with a dedicated design professional is the best choice! And I think it’s okay, and good, actually, to take your time … you’ll know when it’s right to take that step. For me, it was when I finally stopped changing my mind about what I wanted. I knew exactly what my brand experience was … who my ideal client was … I had the identity work I finally adored … and I was ready to take it all the way. A clear vision for your business is crucial — no designer can read your mind.

I recommend working with Ribbons of Red without hesitation. She’ll take every little quirk that makes you you and showcase them in a way that’ll make your day. She did that for me. Finally, the Anda Marie Photography brand experience is everything I’ve dreamed of. And I’M THRILLED. Thanks for stopping by to see it all.

Please click around and let me know what you think!

xo,

AM

I got real in my last blog post and shared how I’ve been derailed and uninspired these past couple months. I always take December and January off from shooting in order to reflect on the previous wedding season, reassess my business, and to just have a breather and spend time with friends and family. The past couple years this has been totally necessary, but this year I think I made a mistake. I was crazy busy these past months, but I wasn’t doing anything to feed my soul. It’s a common misconception that wedding photographers work one day a week, but most wedding photographers own their own businesses, and the Business Owner hat consumes far more time (6 days a week, oftentimes 12+ hour days) than the Photographer hat (maybe only 1 or 2 days a week at about 12 hours total). Most of us spend a small percentage of our week actually shooting (the inspiring part, for me) … and the rest of the week is spent meeting with clients, fielding emails, sending out contracts and invoices, doing bookkeeping and accounting, setting goals, editing images, branding/marketing/social media’ing, writing copy for print and web materials, burning and packaging client discs, going to the post office and bank (my least favorite things ever), participating in forums and workshops, and (the most time-consuming for me) designing books and albums.

As I mentioned, the soul-feeding and inspiring part of my job is the shooting. And I need to do it consistently to feel alive and to feel myself. Even in the terrible winter, I’ve realized. So when Abbey told me she was coming to Madison and wanted to meet (we met previously only through the Twitterverse), I immediately let her know that I’d be shooting her (and she wasn’t allowed to refuse). Abbey is a fellow WI photographer (very new to the scene) who is a real talent. Talking with her was completely natural, exciting, and great. I felt like I found a long-lost friend and kindred spirit. We went out for tacos, tried some new Madison beer, and then ran around on Lake Mendota for 10 minutes. Those 10 minutes were all it took for me to feel myself and on track again. I woke-up this Monday morning fired-up for the week, for the coming year, and for being 30.

When I shoot, I prefer to observe before directing. One thing I noticed and loved right away about Abbey is how quickly she talks and how much she uses her hands when doing so. I wanted to capture some of that.

After being on that lake with Abbey I returned home feeling so revived and wanting to go back out there. So I took Troy along and he turned the camera on me instead. I wanted some updated photos that I didn’t take on my iMac, haha, and to remember the first awesome day of being 30 :)

Abbey, I love ya. Thanks for everything.

Hey, it’s me below. Feeling good.

From now on, even if I don’t have time (and especially when I don’t have time), I just need to get out and shoot something for myself on a regular basis. I don’t want to burn out on the Business Owner front because I’m not nurturing the Photographer side of things. Have a great Monday. Some GREAT things are in store here soon. I hope one of the next blog posts I write is on my NEW BLOG!!!

I’m done shooting for a month; I always take December off from weddings and engagement sessions. Working on my accounting/taxes/insurance/other exciting paperwork items until the New Year. Also planning to hibernate the last week or so of December … spend time with family and friends and nothing else. Recharge for 2012 and my first wedding of the year in San Francisco mid-January.

I’m all booked up for 2012 weddings now so I’ve been reflecting on how the 2011 wedding season was wonderful and surreal as always. I was able to travel all over the country once again to shoot engagements and weddings and portraits. The people I’ve met have proved to be one-in-a-million yet again. It’s A LOT of hard work (believe me, none of this just *happened* to me) and ups and downs (read THIS ARTICLE for an idea), but mostly I still can’t believe this is my life and I’m doing what I love every day … for a living. I hope I never lose that feeling of awe.

I was so honored to be featured on some of my favorite wedding blogs in 2011. Below are a few select features from the past few months. Thanks to all my clients (and now friends) for having beautiful and inspiring events and letting me into their lives to document them.

Holly & Kohler’s Wedding on Style Me Pretty

Katie & Ben’s Wedding on Green Wedding Shoes

Jody’s Bridal Session on Perfect Bound

Victoria’s Bridal Session on Perfect Bound

Megan & Brent’s Wedding on Style Me Pretty

Megan & Brent’s Engagement Session on The Loveliest Day

Holly & Kohler’s Engagement Session on Perfect Bound

Several more of my awesome clients’ weddings and engagements will be featured in the coming months in both print and online. If time doesn’t escape me again, I’ll be better about updating the blog with those new features :)

I’ll leave you with a beautiful song I discovered late last night and cannot stop listening to this morning. xo, AM

VIEW MY PORTFOLIO * LIKE ME ON FACEBOOK * FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

I ran to a bookstore and bought every book on wedding photography possible, including one that mentioned Jasmine Star’s name. That night, in my hotel room, I opened her blog and I read every single post … venturing all the way back and through her old blog as well … until 4am. I knew then, that this … shooting weddings professionally, traveling the world to do so, meeting the most amazing and passionate people, was the life I wanted. More importantly, because of Jasmine and her words, I knew that it was a reality and I could do it … that I didn’t have to come from a background of privilege to have my dream career. Before this very night I’d always brushed aside my desire for a photography/art career due to my need for security.

From that night through today, Jasmine has been a force in my life. I’m indebted to her eternally for all the knowledge she has shared with me through her blog, emails, her workshop etc. Oh yeah … in November 2009, I attended her workshop. It was there I met her and we talked at dinner. It was one of those right-place-at-the-right-time things … I’m grateful she sat down next to me toward the very end. And we connected. I never would have approached her myself to initiate a conversation … I am (or was) too scared to do those things. And I hate feeling like a fan girl … like really a lot I hate that. Jasmine was and is one of the sincerest and nicest people I’ve met. There is more to say about this encounter and what it meant to cynical little me … but I will say that I felt like our encounter set something in motion … a real friendship based on more than just photography. My oftentimes dubious self had no doubts that we’d stay in touch … and I’m really lucky to have her — with all her realness, talent, ambition, care, and heart — in my life. At the risk of using an over-used sentiment, I’m truly honored to call Jasmine a friend and I am so dang full of pride and love for her today because she WROTE A MAGAZINE.

This isn’t just any magazine. It’s legit. Promise Tangeman did the design and wow, yeah. Although it’s full of beautiful images, it’s not your light and fluffy fashion mag … there is a lot of text. Really, this is a book, bound in a magazine’s format. Jasmine shares untold stories from her life and goes in-depth about the first years of her business … from how she booked her first weddings to how she dealt with industry gossip and competition. Every story had me captivated, especially The Copycat. That story sticks with me … and when I’m getting a little upset that a local photographer is designing a new logo/site that looks alarmingly similar to mine, I remember that story and I have an attitude check.

I could write so much more … but really, you should be over at her site checking this thing out. I’m beyond proud of Jasmine … such an achievement … it was a labor of love. Anyone who is a professional wedding photographer or has aspirations of becoming one (or, if you just like to read about that stuff), do yourself a favor and read this magazine. Jasmine wrote all about it HERE. Go go go. xo.

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Seeing the sights is okay but when I visit a city I prefer to just immerse myself in its lifestyle. What I love most about Portland is how tightly it holds its local/sustainable values. So many restaurants are using seasonal ingredients that it’s actually become cliche. Every shop is lined with local artists’ creations. It’s just what you do there.

And, NoPo is where it’s at.

*It was sunny the whole time we were there.

Launching my new branding was such a weight off my shoulders … almost a year of working 24/7 that has already proven to be the hugest return-on-time-investment.  Thank you so much for all the kind words here, on Facebook, on Twitter.  My heart was so overwhelmed and so full.  I couldn’t be happier or more at peace about it.

I have another huge project underway.  It has me tossing and turning at night and wishing sleep was never necessary.  I’ll be around … but a little more silent here for a week or so yet.

Until later…

But, really, that wasn’t me.  I kept wanting it to be me because it was so dang safe and nobody had a real opinion about it.  I’ve very slowly been grasping the difference between a *brand* with fancy graphical elements … and a *brand experience* — about which I thought long & hard this time.  Before I even touched the design part.  What do I love about life, about being a consumer, about not being a consumer, about the subcultures I choose to be part of?  How can I take those elements and pour them into my own business and brand experience?

I’ve worked on this brand for months & months … keeping in-mind both who I am and who my ideal client is.  I already know that my ideal client gets me and will get this new look.  They are looking at this blog right now and nodding along with me.  They will see my new website and understand the format and why it’s no longer flash-driven or wedding-esque and *pretty.*  It’s scary to alienate the others, but I know that is exactly what I need to do as I move forward.

So if you like what you see, my guess is that we already get each other.  And I like you :)

New print collateral is so fun.  Here are my new DVD inserts (front and back).  If you open them up, my print release is inside.  Clients get these with their image DVDs.  New sleeves for the DVDs are on the way in a couple weeks.

New business cards:

I’m packing my business cards in little clear bags … filled with heart confetti and 1-inch buttons (all unique, based on my mood/interests at the time :)).

And … new postcards!  Excited that I finally have branded correspondence.  Until now I was using generic notecards from completely random stores and desk drawers. Go ahead, give me your address.  I promise to write.

Along with a new look comes a new portfolio website.  It was important to me that my new site not be flash-driven.  I wanted it to look just as good on a 27 inch iMac as it does on the iPad and iPhone.  And nothing drove me more crazy than waiting for my old flash site to load each individual image.

**Updated to add**  It looks like there are still a few kinks with my new site’s servers and sometimes the portfolio link will bring you to my old flash site (you will recognize the old branding, obviously) and other times to my new portfolio site.  Sorry about the confusion … should all be good in less than 72 hours.  Until then, feel free to keep trying.  Lots of people have gotten it to work.  All works here on my iMac, Macbook and iPad :)

Ahhhhhhh…I did it!  A huge thank you to my talented in-house designer and husband, Troy.  I think he did a brilliant job of really listening to what I wanted and executing it so well.

Thank you for being here.  I hope you stay around. xoxo, AM.

Months later, I get an email from Meagan asking if I’d like to submit some weddings for consideration in BRAVA’s wedding guide.  I submitted Ryann and Tim’s rustic country-vintage wedding and it was chosen to be featured as one of three weddings in the guide!  I was extra-extra excited when my image of Ryann and her vintage bike was chosen for the cover!!  Yay!  Ryann and Tim had an amazing wedding — simply beautiful, creative and so reflective of who they were.  I felt so honored to be chosen to capture it; it will forever be one of my favorites.

To top it all off, BRAVA’s art director, Kristin, has asked me to start shooting fashion and cover stories for them — which is awesome!

And it all goes back to Library School…there is a reason I got that degree after all :)

But this year — almost 2 years into shooting weddings — I had an amazing time.  While last year I felt like I was drowning in a sea of photographers who simply intimidated me … this year I felt happy, content, and blessed to share life, dinner, heart-to-hearts and walks around the tradeshow with many now close and talented friends.  I’ve grown so much since last year and I’ve learned that getting out of my comfort zone (if only even a couple times) is what I need to do in order to get to where I want to be.  This year at WPPI I felt surrounded and overwhelmed, yes.  But in a different, better way.  Surrounded by love & encouragement, and overwhelmed by talented & beautiful friends I could have missed-out on if I hadn’t pushed myself.

The best things come on the other side of scary. My friend, Jesh, said these very words (or something really close) during his WPPI presentation.  I feel like that sums up my past year for sure.  I still am far from being as brave as I’d like to be … but at least I can muster the courage to say ‘hello’ to seemingly intimidating people now.  And many of those simple ‘hellos’ have turned into beautiful friendships.  I think it was Jesh who also said that all our best friends were once strangers.  Good point.

A big part of why this year was special is owed to my dear friend who helps me to be more brave, Gladys Jem (thanks for introducing me to the dancing fountains at the Belagio — my new favorite thing!).  We shared a room and countless heart-to-hearts.   One night we sat in an amazing Mexican restaurant, crying over our margaritas about how happy we were, truly living our dreams.  I know it sounds cliche, but it’s still unreal to me.  Absolutely unreal.

I didn’t carry my own camera around (so much walking and all day long), so I relied on other cameras to get a few snapshots.  Below are Smilebooth shots from the Airhorns & Blazers party (with Gladys, Michelle, and Chris) and a couple Instax shots of my new friend Lara Casey and I.

One of my favorite WPPI memories is running into Lara in the hall and her getting this photo.  I was smiling so big that I closed my eyes and she said we should re-take it.  So I was getting ready for the next shot when the following conversation happened:

Lara:  Let’s take an eyes-closed photo.

Me:  Okay. Really? (already closing eyes).

Lara:  No. (laughing).

Clearly, some parts of WPPI will always be a little overwhelming for me ;)

To all my new friends … I love you!  xoxo, AM.

Here are a few from our mini shoot.  Thanks for a fun morning, Ryann!  And for the mimosa, of course :)

Shot with the 35L, 50L, and 85 1.8 (thanks for all the tips on the 85L; I decided to pass on the seemingly frivolous upgrade :))  Besides, I firmly believe that it’s the vision … not the gear.