We recently connected with Terri Baskin and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Terri, thanks for joining us today. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

As a wedding photographer, the days leading up to the wedding day can feel stressful for a couple. Even with the best team hired and ready to take on their day, there are so many small final decisions that have to be made in order for the actual day to flow smoothly. Also, within the final month of planning before the wedding, the final balances for most of the vendors are usually due. Recognizing this, I started sending a “Date Night” gift box to my clients as a way to decompress and hopefully not think about the wedding and its stressors but rather to go out on a date and have some fun as a couple without the added expense. My couples love it!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For over a decade, I have been photographing wedding celebrations around the world for couples who are joyfully in love and sophisticated in their style. I encourage my couples to share as much of their story with me as possible because each couple’s journey is different and deserves to be told authentically though their photos. Behind the camera, I am looking for the timeless moments that can’t be staged and above all can serve as cherished memories for years to come. My dad gave me my first camera to document life through my young eyes, and I enjoyed every opportunity to do just that. As a kid, I became known as the friend with the camera! Years later, my dad taught me how to anticipate moments, and he was the first to train me when I found my way back to the camera in 2010.

My first experience with weddings came in 2012, when a client who I had taken engagement photos for asked me to photograph her wedding. I excitedly said yes, asked my dad to be my second photographer and prepared for their day by doing as much research as I could online and in books. I thought I had a well-prepared plan until the groom broke his ankle the week of the wedding when he was playing basketball with friends. This changed how long he was able to stand and walk and that was my first introduction into expect the unexpected with any wedding day! Now, I make it part of my mission to prepare couples as best as I can based on any experiences I’ve had with their venue, the anticipated weather, and family dynamics that could present themselves on the wedding day.

Today, I speak at conferences for photographers and entrepreneurs as well as mentor photographers who desire to grow their business. I have also launched an online course – Leading to Luxury- which is designed to help prepare photographers to elevate their work to a level of luxury no matter what type of budget their clients have.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I think everyone has a story of resilience from the pandemic, however one notable show of resilience was working with my couples that were planning to get married by creating what we called “Micro Wedding” packages. We followed CDC guidelines and held the weddings in open outdoor spaces. The couples were able to invite the number of guests allowed by the CDC and the weddings were abbreviated versions of a full wedding day. I am surprised at how well these were received but during 2020, I photographed 20 micro-weddings for my couples who decided their love couldn’t wait.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

What I’ve noticed from being an entrepreneur is that many new entrepreneurs and hobbyists want to be better business owners, but they lack either the knowledge or the confidence needed to do so. It’s my desire and mission to use my background in Sales and Marketing, my MBA and my decade plus experience to help other creative entrepreneurs find a way to stand out in a crowded market.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.terribaskin.com
• Instagram: @terribaskin
• Facebook:facebook.com/terribaskinphotography
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPsq5QoZsvCyYz8mq9zZ-9w

Image Credits
Headshot Credit- Christian Nwosu Photo