In This Digital Age

From the moment I opened my doors, I’ve deliberated over the pros and cons of offering strictly digital collections. When I first started out, I ONLY offered digital files. Frankly, because it was easier than being a full-service studio. However, I quickly realized that I was failing to offer an important service.

More than once, I had a mom call me for their next session and ask if this time I would help them do their prints because their disc from last year’s session was still sitting in the drawer collecting dust.

Others managed to fill the frames around the house, but commented that the quality of drugstore lab prints just didn’t look as good as the ones I showed them.

Then there were the really motivated DIYers who set out to do their own album or create their own wall art, but found it difficult to put images together for a cohesive, polished look. Maybe the lighting doesn’t match, or the cropping needs to be modified. They got frustrated and quit. Yet these were fixable problems!

All across the board, there were hurdles between getting a disc to enjoying photographic art in their home.

So, I restructured my workflow and packages to focus on being a full-service custom studio. Now, I love helping families tailor their art session from choosing the perfect location that has a special meaning for them, to styling their clothing and accessory choices, to incorporating meaningful props of their own. And the feedback from people who value my help with choosing just the right images for their wall or designing a storytelling album is wonderful. It’s very satisfying to see a project through from the first glimmer of an idea to walking into a house transformed by the art of their chidren’s smiling faces.

But, it’s not always time for a new home makeover.

Maybe you want to capture just a handful of images of the adorable stage your little one is in right now.

Or, perhaps you’re looking for a casual and friendly, but quality bio picture for all of your social media profiles.

Whatever the reason, I’m realizing there’s a need for some shorter, digital collections for people who don’t need a custom art session. So, I’ve tried to find a balance between my ability to produce quality images while providing convenience, solid service and great value.

How do I scale personal individual service?

I’ve taken a hard look at my processes and spent a lot of hours puzzling out how to make this work. I’ve realized a few things:

1Not every session needs to be fully customized. I’ve automated some of the scheduling process, we’ll agree on a nearby park or outdoor location, I’ll send you my What to Wear Guide, and we’ll do the viewing and ordering online. I’ll be available to answer any questions by email.

2You want all the digital files. But, not every image needs to be prepared for print. Giving you digital proofs lets you share images that look great online while saving me time editing files that are never going to see the likes of paper.

3I can streamline the workflow. It is faster and easier to bundle up the session I’m currently in and deliver it electronically. Waiting for orders, invoicing, packaging & shipping, and digging up old files takes a lot of time. This will help keep things moving forward. Plus, you’ll find some amazing savings on orders placed within 24 hours of your gallery opening.

Sounds great! How do I get started?

I’m excited about these new digital collections and I hope you are too. Let me know in the comments! To learn more, see our Short & Sweet Digital Collections.