This is a really hard blog post for me to write, partly because the back story is complicated, partly because it means I’m exposing my own flaws to the world and partly because its just plain embarrassing. However, I feel it is important to tell this story because I don’t want other photographers, artists and creatives to fall into the same trap I did.

That trap is thinking you aren’t good enough.

You see, I never set out to start a photography business. It just kind of happened. I'm acutely aware that I have no background in business, and instead of seeing that as an opportunity for growth, I sometimes view it as a weakness. I’m constantly tweaking how I do things and am always on the lookout for ways I can better myself as an artist and small-business owner. For a long time, turning to the blogs and businesses of other photographers for help and inspiration was a huge source of comfort.

​But recently, I learned the hard way that relying too much on the advice of others can backfire. You see, I started to let people I don’t even know influence me in a very negative way. Namely, I was told that the key to success was finding my own, unique style.

I saw and heard this message over and over and over again -- so much that I started internalizing it. I became obsessed with wondering when I would find my style. The more I followed this path, the clearer the instructions got: signature style touches are inserted in the final stages of the photography process, during what is known as post-processing.

One specific photographer – someone who I admired and who is highly successful – even promised to show people how, and I fell for it. I spent hundreds of dollars on an online course thinking it would magically lead me to my style. It didn’t. Instead, this photographer showed the post-processing elements they apply to create their own signature look, and actually encouraged other photographers to copy their style.

​I didn’t think twice. I got sucked in. I spent hours trying to match this photographer’s post-processing style, and came away frustrated when I couldn't. I began believing that their look was the standard and if I couldn’t match it, I was a failure.

There was just one problem: I didn't need to find my style because I'd already found it. I had developed it years ago. I just didn’t recognize it because I internalized negative messages and believed there was something wrong with my photos because they didn't look like the photos another photographer produced. Instead of seeing that as a good thing, I took it to mean that my photos weren't good enough. That I wasn't good enough.

I didn't see the light until a friend and mentor talked to me about drastic changes he saw in my work. He helped me regain confidence by realizing there is nothing about my style that needs changing. Looking back, I'm so thankful for that conversation, but that doesn't mean owning up to my insecurities has been easy. I wasted a lot of time and money going down a path that led to nowhere, and I actually had to re-teach myself my post processing style because I got so confused.

The good news is I do feel more aware of negative messages that are out there and more confident in my own abilities after this experience. I'm also hoping my experience will help others. You see, it doesn't matter if you're a photographer, parent, student, athlete, business professional or something else entirely. We are all barraged with the message that we somehow aren't good enough, and that if we buy this one thing we'll magically be fixed.

What those ads and negative messages fail to show is that life is a process, and we are all in a constant state of learning, flux, growth and development. 

Trust me when I say the next time I see or hear something that tells me I'm not good enough, I'm going to remind myself that it's all garbage. I hope anyone reading this does the same. My advice? Trust yourself. Trust the process. Enjoy the journey.

One of the questions clients most often ask is where they should get photos taken. I encourage clients to take a lead on picking locations, especially if there's a place that has special meaning to them, but more often than not, they defer to me for answers... and I'm always happy to help.

I love having a list of great go-to spots for family and engagement photos, but as of last week, my list shrunk. A place I always used to recommend recently implemented a new photography policy, and now requires photography permits that can cost as much as $180 for a two-hour session! That's a cost I have to pass onto my clients, and unless clients have a deep emotional attachment to the area, I just can't justify that kind of expense.

So, with a little help from my friends Katy and Josh, I spent a few hours over the weekend scouting out great locations in another favorite place -- Sligo Creek Parkway. Can I just say how much I LOVE Sligo Creek Parkway? Cliff and I call it the enchanted forest because, well, just look at those pictures! It's pristine wilderness in the middle of the city!

For those who don't already know, Sligo Creek is just northeast of Downtown Silver Spring and runs nine miles from University Blvd. down past Washington Adventist Hospital. It's also where Cliff and I got our own family photos taken, so I can vouch for its beauty in more ways than one. The tricky part is finding secluded areas that make great spots for photos. Within that nine mile stretch are tennis courts, soccer fields, a golf course and lots of street crossings -- which aren't ideal for backdrops.

After a drive through the parkway, I selected a few spots from the road that I thought might make great photo locations, but I needed to test them. That's where Katy and Josh came in. (By the way, if they look familiar to you, its because they are!) They were kind (and patient) enough to put up with some crazy while I directed them to sit on rocks, walk over bridges, stand under trees and, yes, even crawl through brush to test locations. And you know what? I think I found some great ones!

Not every idea I had worked, but I was pleasantly surprised by what did. The best part, in addition to spending fun time with friends, was discovering hidden gems that I didn't even know about! You can be certain you'll be seeing more from Sligo Creek on the blog soon!

When it came to learning Lightroom, one of the most helpful tools I found was a DIY workshop by photographer David Johnson. 

David has been a landscape photographer for a number of years and is passionate about helping others hone their craft. He operates Photography Roundtable, a blog and podcast that's a resource for all things photography, including tips, tricks, product reviews and advice. 

I was first introduced to David through another photography podcast I listen to regularly. Coincidentally, around the same time I was considering Lightroom as a viable photo editing option, David had just developed his DIY Lightroom tutorial. 

To be clear, I don’t know David personally, so purchasing his product felt a little bit like a leap of faith. At the time, I figured I’d learn something. What I didn’t realize was just how much I would learn, or how good completing his program would make me feel. Seriously! David’s workshop is 30 lessons long, so finishing it felt like a real accomplishment! 

David created his Lightroom tutorial for people like me -- photographers who are new to Lightroom and who are intimidated to the max. Because it's downloadable, users are able to work at their own pace and complete the course on their own time. I have a day job, so that kind of structure is perfect for me. I got up early in the mornings and went through a few lessons before heading to work each day. Learning a brand new program wasn’t easy, but David made it fun and exciting. It was kinda like going to school!

The best part was being able to see the fruits of my labor. After each lesson, I practiced what I learned and in just a few weeks, was utilizing Lightroom to it’s potential.
 
I have so much more confidence now than when I started. I’m convinced purchasing David’s workshop was one of the best educational investments I’ve ever made, and I can't thank him enough for sharing his knowledge with the world!

I wrote earlier that it took a lot of convincing for me to fully understand the value and benefits of Lightroom. For years, I'd been editing photos in Photoshop and I figured that was all I needed.

Gerry Suchy, photographer, graphic designer, and tutor taught me that I had a lot to learn. Prior to meeting Gerry, I had only heard about Lightroom -- I had never seen the actual program, let alone used it. At our first tutoring session, Gerry gave me a basic overview of the program. He explained how and why it's different than Photoshop, and showed me functions that would benefit me most. It was a lot to take in, but having someone physically sit next to me and walk me through each step made the experience less intimidating.

That doesn't mean transitioning from Photoshop to Lightroom was easy. For starters, getting the most out of Lightroom means using a RAW file format.. (For those unfamiliar with the term RAW, think of a dark room. A RAW file is like unprocessed film. With the right tools, it can be manipulated much more than a JPEG file.) I never shot in RAW before 2015 because I never needed to. Before I thought about starting a business, I was doing photography solely for fun and all of my post processing was done in Photoshop... The same version of Photoshop I got a license for when I was in college... The same version of Photoshop I had been using for almost 10 years. My Photoshop CS3 was so outdated that it wouldn't even read RAW files!  

So when I began exploring Lighroom as a viable photo-editing option, using the program meant more than just learning new software. It meant changing the way I work. I'm not gonna lie: that realization was frustrating and scary and felt like an intense uphill battle. There were definitely moments when I thought learning Lightroom was nothing more than a huge waste of time. 

It wasn't until I saw the program in action that I started to understand it's full potential. As challenged as I was, I can't thank Gerry enough for helping me see the error of my ways. It might sound silly, but learning how to use Lightroom taught me many valuable lessons, including how to be more trusting and more flexible and less judgmental. 

It's been six months since I started using Adobe Lightroom full-time for editing my photos and I can't believe the difference it has made! The program has allowed me to streamline workflow (which means less time at the computer!) while producing a higher-quality, more consistent product for my clients. It's a win-win for everyone. There are some days when I'm not sure how I ever lived without it!

As much as I love the program now, learning how to use it didn't come without some nudging. Even before I thought about starting a photography business, I knew a lot of industry photographers -- okay, let's face it, almost all industry photographers -- use Lightroom for post processing. My initial reaction to this was good for them. I'm not one to blindly jump on the bandwagon, so it took some serious convincing for me to really understand why Lightroom is such a valuable tool. Here's why I love it:

Better workflow 
Before using Lightroom, I used Photoshop to process all of my images. Because Photoshop doesn't have the database functions Lightroom has, this meant going through photos one by one and jotting down the individual file name on any photo I felt was worth keeping on a piece of paper. Then I had to open each individual file in Photoshop and make my adjustments. Depending upon the number of photos and my availability, editing a single shoot in Photoshop took me between one and two weeks. Lightroom offers a number of functions that completely streamline this process, making it much less cumbersome. The difference is like night and day!

Consistency
In addition to its time-saving features, Lightroom allows me to be consistent from one photo to the next when editing for exposure, color, tone, and saturation. These things can be done in Photoshop, but Lightroom makes the process incredibly easy.

Pre and post-processing organization
One of Lightroom's best features is its ability to organize photos. A lot of photographers swoon about it's pre-processing organizational capabilities, but my favorite is the kind of organization Lightroom allows you to do post-processing. In one fell swoop, I can resize, name, tag, and save all images from a single shoot!

Regular readers of this blog who are social media whizzes might not find this post terribly helpful. But if you're like me -- somewhat new to social media -- keep reading :) 

One of my goals for this year is to learn how to better market myself. Part of that involves better utilizing social media to reach clients and people in my community. A lot of photographers rely heavily Facebook for this, but I've actually had more luck with Twitter. I love Twitter!

For months now, I've been using Hootsuite to manage my Twitter account. I love the platform's user-friendly interface and am especially fond of the function that allows users to pre-schedule tweets. But there's been one problem: for the longest time, I was unable to schedule tweets with photos attached. Don't get me wrong--the function was there, but it wasn't working. I'm a photographer. That's a pretty significant problem, but one I haven't had time to look into until just recently.

I mentioned this to a few friends who are social media experts, and they suggested Tweetdeck. So, I decided to check it out. Late last week, I scheduled my first tweet with a photo using the new-to-me platform. (For the record, this is Snorri, the Icelandic goat!)

I must say: I'm not that impressed. Maybe it's because I'm relatively new to the program, but I don't find it as user-friendly as Hootsuite. There's a lot of up-and-down scrolling just to schedule a tweet, and the scheduled-tweet column doesn't populate immediately. This makes it take about three times as long to schedule a tweet in Tweetdeck than in Hootsuite. Given that I do most of the work for my photography business in the morning before heading to my day job, my time is limited. 

There's no reason why I can't use both platforms, but for sanity's sake, I realize I need to choose one. Over the last few weeks I've done some testing of my own and Hootsuite is on a roll -- I haven't had any problems scheduling tweets with photos. So, Hootsuite it is! 

Those who don't following me on Twitter, now's a great time to do so! My feed is going to be, shall we say, picture perfect? (HAR!) Those who are already followers, be on the look out for great visual content!

(Keep reading for additional details about Tweetdeck and Hootsuite, including my own list of pros and cons!

One of the questions I frequently get asked is how I got my start in photography. I get asked so often that I thought I'd just write a blog post about it!

The truth is, I got my start in the art almost by accident. It started back in college. I majored in journalism and wrote for my college's student newspaper. I served many roles, including editor of the front and opinion pages, columnist, and co-editor-in-chief. At the time, photography was the farthest thing from my mind. I took my reporting and writing seriously, and was laser-focused on honing those skills.

During my freshman and sophomore years, our newspaper staff was lucky to have two amazing photographers. They were rockstars at what they did and made sure the paper had great visuals. As college kids so often do, one of them graduated, taking our photography staff from two down to one. The remaining photographer (who I'll call Kristen) was involved in all kinds of campus activities. In addition to serving on the student paper, she was in a sorority, numerous clubs, acted as a campus tour guide, and participated a plethora of other really cool things.

When you're in college, over-scheduling yourself is easy to do, and that's exactly what happened to Kristen. On the verge of an exhaustive breakdown, she realized something had to go, and that something was her involvement with the newspaper. Overnight, our paper went from having one incredibly talented photographer to having none. Frantic, our adviser ran into the news room, scanned the area, zoned in on me, and said, "You! Go take pictures!"

I had no idea what I was doing, but I accepted the challenge. My first assignment was to take photographs of a student play. Somehow, they turned out well, and I continued my role as the paper's make-shift photographer. I won a few awards for my work -- which I chalk up completely to beginner's luck -- and in 2009, purchased my first DSLR, a canon Rebel. I worked on my skills, got a few additional lenses, and upgraded my equipment. But it was all for fun. In my mind, photography was just a hobby -- or so I thought.

That changed in 2013 when friend of a friend contacted me. She needed a second shooter for fashion line she was launching, and asked if I'd be interested. I thought she was crazy! I didn't consider myself a professional by any stretch of the imagination, but took a chance. I figured I didn't have anything to lose. The shoot went incredibly well and the next thing I knew, I had a website, business cards, and clients. The rest, as they say, is history!

I even got to meet President Obama when he was still a senator!

At a recent product shoot for The Shine Collection, I had the opportunity to work with models. It was so much fun, and the session was a huge success. Things went off without a hitch not because of any one thing I did, or any one thing the models did, but because an entire team of people came together to create an open, inviting environment where all parties felt welcome. 

As a photographer, I'm responsible for the end product, but during the shoot, it isn't about me. It was all about the models. The goal was to get them looking and feeling their best so they feel confident, relaxed and ready for their closeup!

If you're a small-business owner thinking about using models for a product shoot, here are a few great tips on how to make that happen:

For the last two years or so, this business has been a major focus of mine--as it should be. It's my baby. I think about it constantly. If I'm not taking or processing photos, then you can bet I'm writing blog posts, researching photo locations, checking and answering emails, and keeping up with social media. Given that I also have a full-time day job, the amount of work I have been doing any given day, week, or month has been practically endless.

All of that came to a head about two weeks ago when I got sick. Really sick. As unpleasant as it was, I took the illness as a sign that something needed to give. 

So, for the past two weeks, I gave myself permission to take a break from Jonna Michelle Photography. I actually postponed some client meetings, relaxed my responses to emails, and didn't think about this blog or photography work for nearly 10 full days. In addition, I limited my screen time, staying away from both the TV and the computer.

Doing all of this was much easier said than done. I'm a very goal-oriented person and an exceptionally hard worker. I always have been. So withdrawing from my labor of love felt strange, but I also learned a few valuable lessons along the way:

1. The world didn't end and my business didn't crumble because I took some time off. This may have been the most important lesson I learned. It's proof that a little me time never hurt anyone. 
2. My physical and mental health are most important. I always knew this to be true, but it wasn't until these last two weeks that I fully grasped what it means to be well. Physical, mental, and spiritual health are all equally important. Taking time out for myself is just as important as getting a physical or eating a balanced diet.
3. I like running? Never in a million years did I think I'd say or type that sentence, but here I am. During my down time, I did some research into wellness practices and learned about the benefits of running. On a whim, I gave it a shot. Spoiler alert: I am not a runner. I cringe at the thought of how I must look jogging along Sligo Creek Parkway, but, I kinda don't care. Running, or the little of it that I am able to do, actually makes me feel really good! As far as I can tell, the research is proving true. I'm sleeping better, laughing more, and my overall mood has greatly improved. 

Now that my hiatus is over, I'm ready to jump back into my groove. This time, though, I'm bringing a different outlook to the table: From here on out, I will focus on keeping a steady work-life balance. As the saying goes, balance is not something you find. It is something you create.

A lot of thought and work went into rebranding my business, but some of the biggest changes are those taking place behind the scenes.

For starters, I'm treating the new brand like a new beginning. When I first started this business, all I really knew is that I wanted to take photos of people. Now that I have a year of experience under my belt, I realize that what really love is family photography. It's so much fun -- and so rewarding -- to create a space where families can make memories together!

In order to create space for others, I really needed a space for myself, and I have it now thanks to a new home office that Cliff and I share. Oh, the joys of home (or, in our case, condo) ownership! Back in our apartment, we had desks set up in our living room. For convenience, it was great -- but for professionalism and practicality, not so much. There was no space to store things and no way to stay organized. If you can believe it, I was actually still using a portable, plastic shelving unit to store desk supplies! The thing was like 15 years old and falling apart!

That horrible, old set of drawers has been replaced with two, new pieces of actual adult furniture. The white cabinet is for camera equipment storage and the black set of drawers acts as an extension of my desk. In time, we hope to spruce this space up a bit by adding a rug, better lighting, canvas gallery wraps and some sitting chairs!

To help stay even more organized and create clear channels of communication between myself and the families I photograph, I developed a client questionnaire. Thanks to the questionnaire, I'll never forget to ask an important question, and I'll be able to better manage the expectations of my clients. 

Finally, I'm learning not to stress. I spent a lot of time -- a LOT of time -- over the last year worrying about things that were beyond my control. Not anymore! That new beginning I mentioned earlier? Yeah, it really comes into play here. A new brand offers a new way of looking at how I manage my business and my own expectations for success. It feels great!