The
Alisandra Photography Blog

On July 7, 2010, Alisandra Photography became a business. Officially. I’d photographed weddings for years before that as a second shooter and about 5 or so on my own, but this was a special event because it meant that I had become a #girlboss. An entrepreneur. I found something I loved, and I was going to make it work for me. So today, I celebrate 5 years as a successful business. I celebrate those 85+ couples who’ve trusted me with their wedding memories. And I celebrate all of those who have supported me in this adventure. I’m humbled by the generosity of my family and friends for all they’ve done to propel my business.

I’m fully aware that 5 years is not long enough to claim expert status, but I’d love to give 4 nuggets of advice for those who are just starting out! I remember hearing about photographers who’d been in the business for 5 years when I started and I was amazed! I thought… where will my business be when I’m that far along?!

Find a support team. Finding people who are FOR your business and know what it’s like to own their own are key to helping you feel like you’re not alone in a very lonely position as a sole owner who works from home and on weekends. Read the linked article above to see how I had to overcome my initial “do it yourself” attitude.

Learn your gear. Software included. Education is important to me… not because I BELIEVE in it, but because I NEED it. I’m not good at teaching myself, but going to photography school is the best thing I ever did for my business. I cringe when I learn of professional photographers who don’t know how to use their gear and they don’t know how to edit photos. It’s worth the investment of money AND time! Here is a list of my favorite education sources:

• Walk Through A Wedding
• A Workshop Experience
• CreativeLive
• A Second Shooter Workshop

Define success. A few years ago, Shay Cochrane wrote a game-changing blog post about Defining YOUR Success. I’ve taken that and my experience with vision casting and realized it REALLY effects my satisfaction in my work.

Have FUN. Explore. Step out of the box. Take chances. This business is something that you started because you were passionate about something you could make money doing. So yea – have fun with it!