2020 Mini Headshot Special

UPDATE 2/7: There was a cancellation so one last minute spot is available for 12p! Grab it here!

UPDATE 1/17: All of the spots have been booked!

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Since discontinuing my seasonal Mini Sessions (and making them available year round- so don't think you're missing out on anything lol), the Mini Headshot Special is now the only annual special I offer, aaand today is the day booking for the 2020 Mini Headshot Special is officially open!*

*to everyone. The mailing list actually got first dibs on Monday so if this is your first time hearing of this, then you mayyy want to join the mailing list so that you can stay in the know! ⠀

This special is $450 and includes the following:

• Professional makeup application for 1 
• 20 minute headshot session for 1 
• One outfit 
• Your choice of 3 retouched high-resolution images 
(w/ option to purchase additional images)

 Note: Full body photos will be included, for a diverse final gallery!

Note: The photos pictured have been taken at the same location where we will be shooting!

I’m really excited about this year’s special because we’ll be at the same location it was held last year and it was PERFECT! It’s such a beautiful space that works well for just about everyone!

We can do a clean headshot and “working” photos in a number of different places. If you’re a fitness professional, we can grab some photos in the gym. Need some chill photos in the kitchen, on the couch, or on a nice bed? We got that too 😉⠀

This is the perfect option when you just want a few updated photos and don't need a full session. 

Past mini headshot clients have used their photos for podcasts, social media, websites, pamphlets, speaker announcements, email, linkedin- everything! It's a great option that will serve you well, long after your investment!

But I don't want you just taking my word for it:

How cool is that?! I LOVE seeing the varied ways my clients use their photos, and even more so, learning that the photos are helping them achieve their desired outcomes 💛 So if you’re looking for a great headshot and a few other lifestyle images to jumpstart your 2020 marketing, this just might be for you.

Here's the fine print:

To take advantage of this offer, you must be located in (or willing to travel to) Washington, DC. Your session is secured with 50% of the session fee and your balance will be due no later than February 1, 2020. 

There are (were) 6 spots available- 3 remain. All headshot sessions will be photographed at an awesome indoor location in DC, so we'll be good to go no matter the weather.

Note: If you think you may need a little more than the Mini Headshot Special provides, check out my regular business sessions to see if one of those would be a better fit for you.

I look forward to connecting with you soon!

3 Reasons You Should Take Photos This Winter

Before the winter season officially begins this weekend, I want to show you something cool:

By the look of each photo, can you tell what season it was?

Some were taken in the spring & summer, a few the fall, and the rest? Winter! That’s the magic of *waves hands* indoor locations! A favorite of mine in the winter because I don’t like being cold lol

Although it’s not a season most associate with photo taking (spring and fall have that on lock), here are 3 reasons why you shouldn’t overlook taking photos this winter:

1. Winter photos ≠ cold photos

Take a look at the photos above. You couldn’t tell what season it was because no one looked cold! Unless my client specifies otherwise, I tend to gravitate to indoor locations during the winter months because nothing kills the picture taking mood faster than being cold.

This is often what keeps folks from even thinking about a winter session because the automatic thought is- I don’t want to take photos in the cold!

Fortunately living here in the DC area, even if you don’t want to take photos at your home, we have soo many beautiful indoor locations we can use for photos, and I make full use of them when the weather calls for extreme cold, precipitation, or high winds. I’m all about client comfort :)

Let’s dive into our second point- this is a big one.

2. There is never a wrong time of year for family photos

Fall is typically a very busy season. Between family responsibilities, work, spending time with friends, shopping, get togethers, wrapping things up for the year, planning for the next, and trying to find a few moments for yourself… the time slips by quickly, and you realize that you didn’t get a chance to take fall family photos!

But who said that fall is the only season you can take family photos?

I know folks like to send (and receive) cards from their loved ones this time of year, but think about it… when the month changes from December to January, does that mean that family photos don’t matter anymore? That no one wants to receive a card from you? Of course they still do!

That’s my point.

Sometimes we can limit ourselves thinking that if something doesn’t happen at a specific time, then it can’t happen anymore. I know I’m guilty of it, but when it comes down to it- there is never a wrong time of year for family photos, never a wrong time of year to send and receive greeting cards, and never a wrong time to let your people know how much you love them.

What’s the third reason? This one is geared a bit more towards business owners and professionals:

3. Start the year off with fresh photos

When was the last time you updated your headshots? Do you still look like the person in your LinkedIn photo? If not, what better time than the start of a new year as inspiration to update the photos you use to represent yourself?

Even if you have updated your photos semi-recently, I don’t know about you but I love how a fresh look can often inspire a fresh start!

This third reason is actually why I started offering the Mini Headshot Special a couple years ago and this February I’ll be offering it again for year 3! Details to come on that in the next week or so, but if you’re interested, save the date of February 22!

Still not sure? I actually just created a resource that can help reduce a bit of the anxiety associated with taking winter photos:

You can click the image or click here to download the lookbook!

I’m really excited to share this because so often there’s a very linear view when it comes to winter photos, but I created this resource to help you SEE the beauty that can be captured indoors.

Well that’s it for today! I hope this has helped to spark a new thought when it comes to winter photos, and I do hope to work with you this coming season!

2019 Wrap-Up | Fall Recap & Winter Preview

Happy first week of December!

2019 is drawing to a close, but before we get too deep in the month of December, I want to take a look back at some of the gems we captured this fall season and look ahead to what we can expect for winter!

Autumn tends to be a quick season in general, but it felt particularly short this year! Overall, it seemed like the fall colors were a bit more muted than they have been in years prior and we only had a few nice weather days before we got hit with winter temps! I actually just saw an article that said November was the first colder than average month we had all year!

Despite the less than stellar weather, thankfully my clients and I were still able to create some magic, and I even stepped in front of the lens a time or two :)

On the days it was really cold, we headed inside and honestly, I wasn’t mad about that. It reminded me of what I tend to do during the winter months anyway- shoot indoors! lol

These look great, right! I’m actually really looking forward to doing more indoor shooting during the winter season, it’s always a nice change of pace :)

Well, that’s it for today! Next week, booking for early 2020 will open and I'll be sharing a pretty cool resource to help you with planning if you’re thinking about booking a winter session.

Have a wonderful week!

Yours Truly, The Overthinker | 3 Things I've Found Helpful

I’m way overdue for a blog post… I decided to take an unplanned, but much needed break, and I’m glad I did!

I realized that I’ve been dealing with quite a bit of self-imposed overwhelm, and it was increasingly causing me more and more anxiety. Thankfully, last month my therapist reminded me of the importance of prioritization and in the days following my session, I was able to be more focused and productive than I had been in weeks!

What made the difference? Focusing on fewer things. Such a novel idea, I know lol. But man… actually putting it in practice? Made a world of difference.

So today I want to share 3 things that I’ve found helpful to give my overactive brain some structure and help me move through overthinking paralysis.

ONE

Brain dump- often. I write out everything that’s swirling around in my mind causing me anxiety… often it’s very task heavy, but this helps because it can act as a master list of sorts, so that I can reference ideas, actual to-dos, goals, etc.

When everything is all in mind, determining priority is hard because it all feels like it needs to get done NOW! Seeing things in writing helps me organize what needs to be done today/this or next week/month, what requires further planning, etc.

When I don’t do this, I bounce from one thing to the next and don’t finish projects. Then I end up feeling frustrated because I’m moving from one “urgent” thing to the next, and hardly ever get to the important things.

TWO

Shrink my daily to do list to be a realistic estimation of what I can do given the size of the project and my energy. This is really important because although I CAN get a lot done when I have a lot of energy, I need to plan for the far more realistic likelihood of having low energy. Setting my sights a little lower helps me to actually accomplish what I set out to do instead of being disappointed that I didn’t get to the 17 things on my list (that was unrealistic to begin with).

A book I started the year excited about (Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results) referenced this principle- setting a small goal and then crushing it, as opposed to a huge one and being disappointed when you inevitably don’t make it. It’s SO easy for me to read and agree that these things make sense, but quite another to actually DO them and feel the effectiveness. But it’s pretty cool when I’m actually able to put it in practice.

Three

With that in mind, another thing that’s been super helpful is to break down the to do list even further. This helps me realistically estimate how much time may be needed for something and gives a boost when I can cross something off my list even if the whole project isn’t complete.

Here's an example- I need to clean my room. That could be good enough to go on the to-do list, but if that will be a large project, why not break it down even further?

-Organize shoes
-Hang up clothes
-Vacuum floor
-Organize dresser
-Sort clothes to wash
-Wash clothes
-Fold clothes
Etc…

You see what I mean? This was a real life example because I did need to clean my room and planning out things like this was really helpful. I didn’t finish everything in one day, but I was able to cross out a few things on the list and feel super accomplished.

By no means am I saying that I’ve mastered productivity, anxiety, and overwhelm- or that any of these are new ideas, I just wanted to share a few things that I’ve found helpful.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been able to move with a little more intention and I’m hopeful that I can start to make progress on the projects I’ve had “in the works” for some time. If you have a mind prone to overthinking as well, I hope you’ve found some of these things helpful too!

10 Things I've Learned in 10 Years

After counting down for the past month, today marks the official 10 Year Anniversary of DFinney Photography! It’s really the “unofficial” official anniversary 😆I was laid off the day before I turned 22, so I decided to make my business anniversary the same day as my birthday so that I would remember lol.

The past 10 years have been full of highs and lows, both personally and professionally, but I can say that I am incredibly thankful for the journey and the lessons I’ve learned. Today, in celebration of 10 years, I want to share a few of the things I’ve learned along the way:

10. Everything can’t happen at once.
This one thing could be numbers 1-10 because this is a near constant reminder. My default is to want to do everything NOW, but I’ve learned that 1) not only is that not feasible, 2) it’s extremely frustrating and overwhelming, and on the occasions where I am able to do a lot at once, 3) it’s not sustainable. So I’m still very much learning how to pace this brain of mine to get plans in place for maximum effectiveness.

9. It’s okay to move at my own pace.
This didn’t used to be much of an issue for me because for a long time, I DID move at my own pace and I was okay with it! Then the sneaky comparison monsters crept in and I started second guessing myself, being critical, and generally feeling like I wasn’t doing enough. But I had (and have) to remind myself that my journey is my own. I deal with my own unique challenges and it’s okay to slow down or take a break when I need to. In the moment it can be tough to overpower the negative thoughts, so I have to remind myself of this often. Which leads me to #8…

8. It’s hard to stop comparing myself to others.
Harder than I would like to admit, honestly. Social media has become such an integral part of our lives, especially for photographers, and man. If I’m not careful, with no effort, I can end up in a mindless scroll and end up feeling like a terrible failure! So how do I remedy that? Well a few things: I have to be mindful about who I follow and the content that I consume. I unfollow/mute anything that makes me feel bad. And often it’s not the content itself that’s the problem- it’s me! So that’s really only the first step. The next is for me to think about why it makes me feel the way it does (instead of dismissing the uncomfortable feeling), and see how it connects (or if it does) to something I need to work on. Now I’m not saying that I do this perfectly every time, but it is my goal because managing my mental health is really important, so I need to be intentional with how I use my time on social media to minimize the impact of comparison monsters.

7. I really value the work that I do and the people I do it for.
No, it didn’t take 10 years for me to learn this, but each time I work with a new or repeat client, I am exceedingly grateful that I have the privilege of doing something that I love AND helping others in the process. It brings me so much joy when clients tell me how much fun they had during their session and how much they love their photos, when I see brand clients’ photos in action on their websites and social media, and when I’m able to work with longtime repeat clients again and again. It really never gets old, and I feel at a loss for words for the deep gratitude that I have.

6. It’s okay to be vulnerable.
Prior to 2016, I may have felt differently about this one. But deciding to open up about my mental illness and being willing to #talkaboutuncomfortablethings has really been one of the best things I could have done. Because of sharing my story, I’ve been able to connect on a deeper level with others, receive (and provide) support, and in general be a more authentic person. The human experience is not one dimensional and it’s a privilege to not only share my experiences, but to hold space for others when they do as well. Although it’s not easy, I highly recommend it.

5. It’s important to honor what I like.
Overall, but specifically when it comes to my photography style, service offerings, etc because if I don’t enjoy what I do, what’s the point in having my own business? In the early years it was easy to allow myself to be swayed by what potential clients may have wanted from me, but I’m so thankful that I learned the value in leading with what I like because that has helped me align with the right people.

4. Try not to worry about making everything SO perfect.
This is still very much a work in progress. A while ago, I read some variation of the thought- “perfectionism is procrastination in a suit”. It’s not a direct quote (I looked it up for who to credit, and I can’t find it) but either way, it stuck with me. I am very much a perfectionist and although it can serve me well at times because I’m meticulous and very detail oriented, those same qualities can be a huge hindrance. It’s taken me entirely too long to get the ball rolling on certain things because I want them to be PERFECT. Knowing that perfect doesn’t exist, matters not lol. I’m still learning that done is better than perfect, but it’s a very deeply ingrained habit that’s going to take some time to overcome.

3. I really like making lists.
I feel so inspired and organized and on top of things when I’m making lists. Planning things out, getting logistics in order… “yeah, this is gonna be so great!” and… well, actually doing the things? 🤦🏽‍♀️It’s only recently that I was honest enough with myself to admit that it’s a fancy procrastination technique. While I haven’t figured out how to remedy it just yet (because lists are important), I have become more aware of the need to be realistic and try not to make super ambitious to-do lists.

2. Taking care of my health needs to be a priority.
For a long time it wasn’t and then I had no choice for it to be top priority. Now that I’m not in a crisis, it can be easy to bump to the back burner, but man. So much will suffer if my physical, mental, and spiritual health are neglected. It is still hard to manage everything that I need to be well, but I’m learning firsthand that wellness is a journey. Finding the working style/schedule that works best, the right therapist, exercise routine, diet, etc… it takes time to find what works. And I’m learning to be patient with myself and celebrate small victories.

1. I need help.
Despite what I’d like to think, I can’t do everything alone. And honestly, I’ve known. But actually DOING something about it? That’s new. That’s new new. This is number 1 because honestly it touches almost every one of the aforementioned points, but I HAVE to move past my fears and get a team in place before the end of the year is out. I literally don’t have the bandwidth to do everything myself as I did in the beginning and my way of operating is currently more of a hindrance than a help. So next week I will finally share what this looks like (I need 1-4 people) and the application will be available if you’d like to work with me.

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Whew. Those are my 10 things!

It was hard to narrow them down initially because I had so many things in mind, but I think this is a really accurate reflection of where I am currently. I’m immensely grateful for my wonderful family, friends, clients, mentees, and colleagues for their love and support over the last 10 years. And if you don’t fall into one of those categories, I am thankful for you too! Thank you for taking the time to read this post and for keeping up with my work 🖤

Over the next few weeks, I have some more cool things to share with you so I’d be honored if you joined the mailing list to keep up with me!

Now this post has officially gone on much longer than I anticipated, but I thank you again, truly.