There are so many options out there for what to use/who to do business with. That’s why we decided to put together this resource manual for photographers.
In it, we are sharing our top pics for gear (and what we use it for), where we print, and how you can make the most of your photography business.
All that being said, you want to find what works for you.
With so many amazing companies competing for your business dollar, you want to make sure that it’s a good fit.
Let’s talk all things business!
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Resource Manual for Photographers
Photography Gear
Eric and I both shoot using full-frame Canon cameras, and L-series glass (which is Canon’s pro-line of lenses).
Camera Bodies
Canon 5D Mark III (Judith’s Primary)
Canon 6D Mark II (Eric’s Primary)
Canon 5D Mark II (Backup)
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External Lighting
Canon 600 EX-RT II Flashes and Trigger
Lenses
35mm 1.4L
50mm 1.2L
85mm 1.2L
100mm Macro 2.8L
24-70mm 2.8L
24-105mm 4L
70-200mm 2.8L
70-200mm 4.0
Workflow Programs
These are the programs I use on regular basis and my my business (and my life!) so much easier!
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Adobe Creative Cloud
In my opinion, this is the industry standard for photo editing.
For a small monthly fee, photographers can have access to editing programs like Lightroom and Photoshop, as well as free tutorials, online storage, automatic updates, and more.
Accessible on desktop or mobile devices, but does not require internet to run.
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BlogStomp
This program has been such a time saver to format the images that are uploaded to a blog/social media, etc.
After you set the parameters, the program will resize images, add your logo, create a border, and more.
There is a one time fee of $49, but it has been worth it’s weight in gold!
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Instaproofs and Pass Galleries
These are different ways that I send photos to clients.
Instaproofs is the subscription service I use to deliver just about every wedding, or portrait session we do.
It’s easy because we upload the images and clients can view and share the link with family and friends. This is especially helpful for weddings and sharing photos with out of town guests.
Pass is what we use for sharing unwatermarked images. It’s great because the gallery is live for 10 years, and clients know their images are safe and secure.
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Professional Products
Professional Prints
We have always used Richmond Professional Labs because the service is impeccable and we love using a local place!
Yes there are places you could go and get slightly cheaper prints, but the customer service and amazing products have been what keeps me coming back time after time.
If there is something that’s not quite right, a representative from the lab will call me and double check that it’s what I want.
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Canvas Prints
White House Custom Color is where it’s at. The canvas prints we give clients are a bajillion times better than anything you could order off groupon.
The canvas photo is stretched over a wood frame, then sealed and tightly bound at each corner.
Plus they have a lifetime guarantee – if anything happens to the canvas that could be a manufacturer defect, they will replace the item!
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Heirloom Albums
If you want the most luxurious album pages you’ve ever felt in your life, you have GOT to order one of the albums from Artsy Couture and get their lustre paper.
Plus you will NOT be disappointed when you see the custom presentation box it arrives in!
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Bonus Resources
There are so many bags to choose from, but I have the pink mini-evermore and absolutely LOVE it!
I would really like to buy another one because they’re all so dang cute! But this bag has lasted two years and is still going strong!
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WordPress Website (Avada Theme)
I’ll be honest, I don’t maintain or update my website (the awesome people at Formidable Tech do that!) but this theme is awesome because it is so user friendly and customizable.
There are an infinite number of plugins you can add, as well as limitless ways to personalize each page.
Plus, it looks gorgeous!
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Hands down, one of the best online education platforms! They broadcasts live classes to an international audience from studios based in Seattle and San Francisco.
I actually got the opportunity to fly to Seattle earlier this year and attend a live seminar and learn from Davina+Daniel (it was such a powerful experience!).
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Take Your Business to the Next Level
If this business resource manual for photographers resonated with you, let me know!
We’d love to help in your photographic business journey so you don’t feel like an island unto yourself.
Fresh Look Photography offers private mentoring to help with any aspect of running your business, and we’d love to chat with you!
Feel free to drop a comment below or click the { Contact Me } button and we will get rocking and rolling!
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