Year 6 Reflections | Truthy Thursday

Happy Thursday lovelies!

Back in action from vacation this week with a very special post- a late Truthy Tuesday, so we’ll call it Truthy Thursday :)

DFinney Photography has officially been in business for SIX years! The official anniversary date was last Thursday, September 3rd… I still remember being laid off right before my 22nd birthday and deciding to do a little more with my photography until I found another job… Fast-forward to now and sometimes I am in utter disbelief at how far things have come from those humble beginnings.

I am quite simply amazed. Amazed at not only my growth as a photographer, but also as a business owner, and now instructor (what?!) The fact that I teach others is still something I can’t believe sometimes. I have so much more to learn and share and I am so ready for the lessons that the next 6 years will bring.

Since I’m calling this a year 6 reflections post, I think it’s fitting that I share a few! And not just facts regarding the story of how I got started- which can be read here :) So in no particular order, here are a few musings that reflect the current state of where I am as Danielle the person and as Danielle the artist and business owner.

Over the years I’ve learned many things about myself and now more than ever, I am becoming more okay with being introverted. I can be somewhat of an outsider and instead of seeing that as something I have to change (as I once did), I’m learning to accept it. Everyone doesn’t have to be “in the mix”- sometimes an outsider’s viewpoint is needed to tackle problems in a new way. I like to think of myself in that light :)

Something else I’ve learned? It’s okay to not “want it all”. It’s okay to not have the goal of expansion, building an empire, or traveling the world- instead, just being content and happy with what you do. That has honestly been my goal for a long time, but for a while I felt bad about it. I felt like I was missing something by not having a grand vision for the future. But now, especially since I began traveling more, I realize that what I truly crave is stillness and simplicity.

Being a sensitive artist and business owner is hard. I am responsible for everything that goes on with my business and the older I get, the more sensitive I’ve become. Learning to manage these feelings while still being productive is quite the struggle at times. This is partially some of what I planned to cover in Part 2 of my Superwoman post, but still fitting for this one…

In short, I am extremely humbled, appreciative, honored, grateful, and quite emotional about how far my (not so baby :) business has come! There are many more lessons to learn I’m sure, but even more awesome experiences to have, and beautiful people to meet. So, regardless of when you joined this journey, I’m happy and thankful you’re here ♥

-Danni

Miami 102 Group Session [June 13] | Miami, FL Photography Mentor

Next up for today? Day 2 with Session 102 where I got to talk business with Eboni, Eli, and Latoya!

Eboni & Eli flew in from the Bahamas for their session and I seriously could not feel any more honored! It always moves me when folks travel any amount of distance to work with me, but to make a special trip?! Sigh. I really love these two.  

Latoya actually attended my first Miami group session last year, so this time we linked up for business! 

Now… Miami is hot. I know this, but I kind of am never really prepared for it until I actually experience it lol. Heat is exactly what we experienced when we ventured for the headshot portion of our session. We actually had to go out later than planned because we were about to get caught in a rain shower, but our second attempt was successful and you’d never know how sweltering it was given how beautiful these folks look :)

Hear directly from two-day mentee Eboni on her experience:

“I was extremely excited for the workshop. I saved up for over a year to go. And Danielle definitely made it all worthwhile. From the moment I met her I knew the class was going to be awesome. Her personality was very warm and inviting. Her style of teaching was something that truly enjoyed. She kept everything simple and to the point. When we went out to practice what we learned I was in complete shock that I was able to apply what I just learned so quickly. As I reviewed the images on the back of my camera I just couldn’t believe that I took those images. I have been working as a photographer for a few years but felt that something was missing in my work. I wasn’t able to show and capture the image the way I saw it in my head. But with Danielle’s help I finally could! It was such a great feeling. Words can’t even describe how that moment felt. The two days I spent with Danielle have changed my life and business in ways that I couldn’t imagine.”
-Eboni Bullard

Thank you sooooooo much Eboni! It means a lot that you were able to greatly benefit from our time together! Especially given that you invested so much to be in attendance! I really look forward to working with you in the weeks and months to come to help you further your business goals ♥

If you would like to have the DFinney Experience yourself and participate in the next group mentor session, check out full details here, including upcoming cities and dates, and email me today if you’re interested in attending or scheduling your own one-on-one session! 

Miami 101 Group Session [June 12] | Miami, FL Photography Mentor

Happy Sunday loves!

A Sunday blog? Yep! Bringing you Mentor Monday a day early today because I missed last Monday AND because tomorrow officially begins my week long vacation! :D *excited* doesn’t even begin to cover it lol.

So today? My group session recaps from Miami! This 101 session was actually one I did a giveaway for and it turned out super awesomely :) We all had a great time and our beautiful model Eugenia was the best! She’s actually a flight attendant and flew from Atlanta just for our session! It was definitely worth the trip as she absolutely worked it for the camera!

Hear directly from one of the attendees on his experience:

“The mentoring class was excellent. It was intimate so everyone had a chance to ask questions and give experiences. Danielle spoke candidly about her ideas and experiences, and answered all of our questions! It definitely helped me to gauge where I was and to see what changes i needed to make.”
-D. Davis

If you would like to have the DFinney Experience yourself and participate in the next group mentor session, check out full details here, including upcoming cities and dates, and email me today if you’re interested in attending or scheduling your own one-on-one session! 

Just Announced: New Orleans Mentoring!

Eeeep! It’s my last city of the year!

It’s so bittersweet announcing this last date because as much as I love traveling and meeting all of you wonderful folks, I miss home. So I’m so happy that I’ll be able to travel one last date for the year and have a seat for a few months lol. There will still be plenty to do at home, but I’ll be sleeping in my own bed and spending much needed time with family and friends :)

So without further ado, the last city is New Orleans and the dates are as follows!

Session 101 will be held on November 20 and Session 102 will be held on November 21.

So this means… All of you fabulous New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houston, Atlanta, Little Rock, and Memphis photographers have one last opportunity to snag a session before the end of 2015! If one of your goals for the year was to improve your photography and your business, then this is the move for you- there is no time like the present to invest in yourself :)

Know FOR SURE that you’d like to attend? Please email me ASAP to attend! All that’s needed is a $100 retainer to secure your spot!

One-on-one sessions are available year round at any time, so you don’t have to wait for an opening to schedule one if you’re interested, just shoot me an email!

I can’t tell you how happy it has made me to be able to help SO many photographers this year! I’ve met so many beautiful people and have been amazed by the progress from attendees in the weeks and months after our class!

Most recently I had a great one-on-one session in Chicago with Latoya who went from shooting images like this:

To this!

In less than one week! Actually in less than an hour during our time together lol. The second photo is from the first shoot she did after her mentor session and I couldn’t be more excited for how well she is doing. 

If you’re interested, you can always check out the recaps from past mentor sessions right here which include testimonials from the participants themselves and shoot me an email to secure your spot ASAP!

That’s all for today! And I look forward to working with many of you amazing Southern photographers soon :)

-Danni  ❤

Sharing Proofs? | Truthy Tuesday | Photography FAQ

Happy Tuesday loves!

It’s time once again for another edition of Truthy Tuesday AND Photography FAQ :) I like to address these together when I’m dealing with topics that not only concern photographers but are topics that clients NEED to be educated on as well.

During my mentor sessions, I’m often asked how I deal with clients sharing their proofs without having ordered the images, and just recently I received an email regarding this same topic so I figured it was time to blog about it! 

Before answering the question though I want to address a question potential clients may have- why can’t I post screenshots of my gallery? To put it simply, because the images have not yet been purchased. Depending on how your photographer has arranged their packages, some may include the digital images (in which case, this post doesn’t apply), others (like myself), require that the images be purchased before use. So the proof gallery is JUST for viewing. You view the images that you can decide whether or not you’d like to order anything. Ok, now onto the question at hand:

What do you do when clients post screenshots of images from their proof gallery?

I’ve definitely run into that before and my biggest suggestion when it comes to issues like this in business are to always try to avoid them before they happen. How do I do it? First, I make sure potential clients understand all costs associated with booking with me. Second, in the contract it’s stated explicitly that proofs are for viewing only. Third, they’re reminded in the proof email that proofs are for viewing only and that sharing screenshots of the photos are in violation of copyright laws and their contract. Lastly, the way the photos are displayed- instead of simply adding my watermark to my images (that people don’t mind sharing screenshots of), my watermark says “UNORDERD PROOF” to further discourage clients from sharing the proofs.

Now that’s all well and good moving forward, but what do you do when someone has already shared screenshots of their proofs online? Just send a tactful email asking them to take it down. Here’s a sample of an email I’ve had to send previously:

Subject line: Copyright Violation

Hey [client],

I couldn’t help but notice you’ve used the proofs on your facebook and instagram pages.

While I’m glad you’re happy with you’re images, unfortunately the proofs are for viewing only. Sharing the low-res images is actually in violation of your contract and my policies (no. 8 specifically).

I would ask that you please remove the proofs from display until you’ve purchased the high-resolution files so that you’re in compliance with your contract. 

The policies are in place for a few reasons, but one of which is because the low-res screen shots of your photos aren’t an accurate depiction of my work, so I want to make sure any work of mine that’s displayed, is top quality :)

Please let me know if you have any questions and when you’d like to care for your USB payment.

Thanks so much!

I try to be kind and tactful, but still get to the facts- stop stealing my work! Lol. Hopefully this helps! And hopefully this has been educational for clients and potential clients alike!

-Danni  ❤