We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nisa Triplett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nisa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?
I remember how excited I was whenever I was asked to be the photographer for a rehearsal dinner. I didn’t know the family at all, but they heard about me through word of mouth and looked at my online portfolio at www.photoxostudios.com. They liked my work, so I was hired right away. That was my highest paying gig to date! I had a ton of fun and learned a lot because photographing a rehearsal dinner is nothing like a regular session where people are posing for every shot. You have to be ready at all times to catch those special candid moments with family and friends, celebrating one of the most important days of their lives.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
I’ve always loved photography and taking pictures of my own just at random. One day I decided that I wanted to see what I could do if I really tried, so I bought my first professional camera and started taking landscape pictures. I played around with different camera settings to see what I liked and became more comfortable behind the camera. I started offering discounted sessions to friends to help build my portfolio, and once that grew I adjusted the prices on my website and started charging full price once I became more confident in my work. I offer landscape, family, and lifestyle photography and take great pride in my work. I never want to compare myself with others because my photography is a time for you to see from my perspective.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Once you decide on how you want to run your business, stick with it! Make sure that you’re doing what’s best for you and your business and not just what’s best for your clients. For example, if you offer a certain amount of edited photos per session, make sure you have a set amount to charge for each additional edit so clients know what to expect if they do ask for extras. Many times family/friends will ask for a discount, but if you allow that every time and don’t have a ton of sessions throughout the year, you’re defeating the purpose of having set prices for yourself to keep the business running. Charging full price shouldn’t matter if they’re wanting to support your business.
How did you build your audience on social media?
If you want to build your clientele make sure you have a social media profile for your business so you can share it on whichever platforms and also ask friends to share your profile with their friends. I still share my photography IG page on my personal social media accounts so I can reach more people, share my business name, and grow my clientele. You have to stay consistent with your social media posts because it’s very easy for people to forget since there’s thousands of other photography social media accounts out there. You want to stand out and be remembered.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.photoxostudios.com/
- Instagram: @photoxostudios