Tips for Minnesota Family Photographers to Prepare for the Busy Season in the Twin Cities
Spring has sprung and that means the busy season is approaching for Minnesota family photographers in the Twin Cities. Here are some practical tips to get ready.
Get Your Camera Ready!
Before the busy season kicks off, take the time to examine your photography equipment. If you have never had your camera professionally cleaned and serviced, you should definitely consider it as it will save you time and money in the long run. One of the most trusted places which is also my favorite place to go is Northwest Camera Repair in Lindstrom, MN. This family owned business has been providing camera repair since 1935! They are not only known in Minnesota but across the Midwest as a go to for repair and service. Lindstrom is about an hour outside of the Twin Cities, but so worth it! I look forward to scheduling my appointment every year and make a fun day trip out of it. There are fun cafes and shops in Lindstrom which you can relax in while your equipment is getting top notch service!
Organize Your Workflow
From Honeybook to 17hats, there are many go-to client management systems to manage your photography business. I use 17hats and really love both the efficiency and the customer service that is available whenever I need help. The key to a successful photography business is good communication with clients. 17hats allows me to automate my workflow so that I can have consistent communication, session day reminders, and invoicing done in an efficient way and through an automated system so that I never forget to send important information in a timely manner. This will help you maintain organization and reduce stress during peak times.
Goals, Vision, Values, and Your Portfolio
Take some time and reevaluate your business, your goals, your passions, and your vision for what you want your business to be. This is so important. I literally ask myself, who is my ideal client? What are their interests? Am I serving them right now? What was a session that I would love to duplicate a million times? Then reflect on your art. What do you love to create? Is this present in your portfolio and in what you are delivering to your clients? If not, take a moment to refresh your portfolio with work that you are passionate about. Then, showcase this work on your social media, your website, and your blog. An updated portfolio can help attract the ideal clients that you are looking for.
Key Marketing Strategies for Minnesota Photographers
As the busy season approaches, it’s a prime time to ramp up your marketing efforts. In addition to utilizing social media platforms to promote your services and your work, really think about where your clients are coming from and how to best attract them. For me, having an optimized website is key! No matter what the platform, think about what keywords you want to use to attract your clients, make sure that your website has these SEO rich, keywords in your meta descriptions for each page, use alt text on every photo on your website, and make sure that each page on your site represents one main keyword. If you need some help with how to incorporate SEO successfully onto your site, consider help and education from Melissa Arlena at Picture Perfect Rankings. Her services and classes are concise, empowering, and will truly help you see results!
Some unconventional marketing strategies that will help you build a sustainable photography business in Minnesota are community partnerships. Again, ask yourself, whom do you serve and what other businesses are serving the same type of clients? For me, it has been a process of forming relationships with local doulas, chiropractors, and boutiques that serve pregnant moms and families with babies. Reach out and have coffee, write a blog together, offer to provide them with artwork for their offices, do an event together. There are a myriad of ways that you can partner and bless both of your businesses! Expanding your reach is key and these are great ways to do it.
Make Your Photo Editing More Efficient
Editing can be one of the most time-consuming aspects of photography. Consider creating a schedule that allocates specific times for photo editing after shoots. Look at editing as part of your creative process rather than a chore to get done. Enjoy creating your individual style and express it in each session. Also, set realistic expectations for delivery times to your clients. Don’t be afraid to have a turn around time that is a little bit longer and then deliver sooner than expected. All of this being said, there are ways that you can keep creative control over your editing style while making life easier for yourself and more efficient! Editing software has become even more user friendly and ingenious the past few years with the incorporation of AI. I primarily edit in Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, but have also begun using tools to make certain tasks easier. For example, editing skin, especially baby’s skin, can take so much time when done by hand. You want the skin tones and blemishes to be corrected, but you also want it to look natural. Instead of spending hours editing an entire gallery of newborn pictures, I have incorporated tools such as Evoto in my workflow. Evoto’s AI generated capabilities are truly remarkable! The best thing is that it pairs perfectly with Lightroom. After doing my creative edits that match my style in Lightroom, I can simply right click on an image that requires skin repair, select edit in Evoto, then open Evoto, move the sliders to correct the skin, and then save the image. I go back into Lightroom and the corrected image is in my gallery! This saves an incredible amount of editing time and is really satisfying to see!
Self Care and Community Connections!
The busy season can lead to long hours and exhaustion chasing toddlers during a family shoot. Make it a priority to schedule breaks and time for self-care. Whether it’s regular exercise, meditation, or spending time with loved ones, maintaining a balanced lifestyle will keep your creativity flowing and help prevent burnout. Also, remain connected to other photographers in the Twin Cities! We are here to help and support each other. By being connected, you may be able to receive and give client referrals or be a second shooter, or get good advice for handling a client situation.
Relationships are so important! Become a member of photography resource organizations such as the National Association of Portrait and Children’s Photographers NAPCP. From education, to opportunities to showcase your work, NAPCP is a great resource for you to grow in business and creativity. I am your Twin Cities NAPCP Ambassador and will be organizing networking and shooting events to support you! Join me for a NAPCP Gathering at my studio in Minneapolis on May 7, 2025. This is a free networking event for Twin Cities Family Photographers. Join me for a chance to connect, receive free creative headshots for your business and a chance to win a professional print from Miller’s Professional Imaging!
Conclusion
Preparing for the busy season is vital for photographers in the Twin Cities. By assessing your gear, organizing your workflow, updating your portfolio, and implementing effective marketing strategies, you can ensure a productive and enjoyable season. Remember to take care of yourself throughout the process, and connect with your community for added support.
Looking for one-on-one photography education, help with editing, marketing, client relations, or shooting techniques? I would love to be your Mentor!
