Business advice for photographers | Jacki Bruniquel Photography

How To Stay Inspired

by Jacki Bruniquel | Sep 23, 2019 | My approach to Photography

If you’re a wedding photographer who only looks at wedding photography, your work is probably boring.

Harsh

I know!

If you’re guilty of this and I am pushing your buttons I apologise. I don’t want to rile you, I want to get you out of your rut!

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The fact of the matter is, if your work isn’t distinctive you’re always going to be competing on price!

There are so many photographers out there these days.

You need to stand out in order to be noticed.

Humans are so bombarded with imagery these days, it’s going to take something exceptional to make people stop and really look at your work.

Otherwise it will just come down to money.

Creativity needs to be nurtured and if you want to create exciting work and stay inspired you need to make time for this.

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Go to art galleries and look at work that is not of your genre
Go to bookshops and look at the art and photography section
Watch films and study how cinematographers use composition, light and colour
Hang out with interesting people who inspire you
Journal
Carry a book with you to scribble down ideas
Write lists of your favourite photographers and figure out why you love them
Drink in all the beautiful imagery that you possibly can
Diarise time in your schedule to inspire yourself – this is as much of a priority as eating properly

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Get enough sleep
Eat properly – A healthy body is a healthy mind
Meditate – this has been proven to improve stress, anxiety, EQ, creativity, empathy. If you battle you can use an app like Calm or Insight timer.
Get off your phone – Give yourself the time and space to day-dream. It has been proven that allowing your mind to wonder whilst walking or doing the ironing actually improves creativity. If you’re always on your phone whilst doing other things your brain doesn’t have the chance to access your creative ideas.
Exercise increases serotonin and endorphins, which improves mental help which will ultimately improve mind-set which will help you with negative thought patterns.
Read books
Shoot for free! In other words don’t only make work for clients. This is where you can play, experiment and grow.
If you’re feeling burnt out and uninspired take the day off, or even better take the weekend off, or better yet take a couple of weeks off. You only live once and having time and space away from your normal life will enable you to put things into perspective and hopefully inspire your creative heart.

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Be more present. Be more curious. Stop and smell the roses. The magic is always found in the moment!

Stop making excuses and just do it! You start by stilling the mind and then putting one foot in front of the other!

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How to shoot in tricky locations

by Jacki Bruniquel | May 15, 2019 | My approach to Photography

Oh my gosh, it smells like pee here!

Yip that literally came out of one of my bride’s mouths as I directed her into a vacant plot festooned with litter!

Why in gods name would I ask her to pose there?

Well it was day two of a very busy Hindu wedding and she was getting ready in her family home which was teeming with people. The house was chockas with family who were all directing her this way and that way, demanding her attention and taking pics over my shoulder with their cell phones. They all meant well, but I had to get her outside and away from all the humans for some portraits. There wasn’t time to drive to a fancy hotel or a pretty beach and most of the garden had been tented for a function. I had to make do with what was around and so I had to think a bit differently!

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As wedding photographers we are often challenged with tricky shooting situations and not so pretty locations.
If you are a good problem solver and have a creative mind plus a good dollop of technical ability, chances are you will be able to turn these situations into creative possibilities.

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It’s so easy to panic and get stuck in a thought process that says, “I can’t possibly make anything interesting here. It’s all a mess. I just can’t do this” The mind loves to amplify fear and when things look difficult and this fear mode might kick in which can spiral into panic. When you’re in a flap you’re so busy thinking about all the reason why you can’t that there isn’t much space for all the reason HOW you can.

If you battle with this the first step is to BREATHE!

And then stand back and really look at the situation.
Don’t look at all the problems. Look at the possibilities.
Look at the light. Look for compositions. Look for interesting shapes.
Look for things that can help you block the ugly bits out.
Look for blocks of colour.
What will happen if you change your point of view?
What will happen if you introduce flash?
What about using a different lens?
What about opening up your aperture?
What if you hold something up to the lens?
What about using lens compression?
What about exposing for the highlights?

Here’s another example of me being challenged by the surroundings!

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If you would like to learn more about how to problem solve in tricky shooting circumstances. This is one of the many things that will be covered in my upcoming Unstuck Yourself Creative Photography workshops, which are happening in:

Jozi on the 5 + 6th June 2019 – Bookings close 30th May – Only 5 spots left!

Durban 26 + 27th June 2019 – Bookings close 25th May – Only 4 Spots left!

Click here for more information about my Unstuck Yourself Workshop.

I’m currently offering a “Friends Special” – where 2 friends booking will pay R8000 each for the two-day workshop as opposed to the R11.5K price.

Click here for a bit more info about that.

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I haven’t had a bridezilla in eight years

by Jacki Bruniquel | May 14, 2019 | For Photographers, My approach to Photography

I haven’t had a bridezilla in eight years, actually no I have had one but she wasn’t really my typical client!

Considering the fact that I have literally shot hundreds of weddings, this is a pretty amazing feat as when I go into certain photography forums I am often shocked at the amount of photographers having a huge moan about their clients online.

My Mom always taught me to never write anything down that could incriminate you or hurt someone’s feelings as once it’s down on paper or in cyber space you don’t really control over where it could land up.

I’ll be the first to put my hand up and say I’ve slipped up here and there but I don’t have the need to complain about my clients because they are awesome!

How did I do that?

Crystal Barn Destination Wedding in the Natal the Midlands shot by top South African Wedding Photographer Jacki Bruniquel

Step One

I’m unapologetically myself in my work and what I put out online. When people resonate with my work, they have already seen into a bit of my soul. If they connect with my photos, they are responding to the way that I see the world.

My clients are not choosing me because I am the cheap photographer. They choose me because they like my vision and the way that I express myself.

This means that there is a respect.

I have found that the more I charge the less hassle people give me. My clients trust me to deliver. A trustworthy reputation is earned over time.

So my advice is to only put up work that is YOU. Don’t put up work that you think people will like, or work that everyone else is making. Put out the work that you want to attract and make sure that you know what you are all about and who you want to work with.

Step Two

Before I even take on a client I always ask them to tell me their story.

This is the next step in forging a connection. The more information my clients give me about who they are and what they want, the better I can serve them. When people open up about who they are, then I am able to tap into their energy and so the bond begins to form. It is vital for me as an artist to be able to connect with my client’s heart space so that I can shoot from my heart. This is where I find my inspiration.

Step Three

I educate my clients about the way that I work and what I need from them. It is important for me to set the expectations. Failed expectations = the mother of all disappointments.

Step Four

When I shoot a wedding I am totally present and 100% there for my clients. Nothing else exists to me on their day.

Step Five

I am more than a photographer on the day of the wedding, I am there to serve my clients and give them an incredible experience. This means we will fetch them water if needed, find a headache pill if needed and calm frazzled nerves if need be. Many of my clients have in fact become friends after the wedding.

Step Six

I am upfront about how long it will take for the images to be ready and my attention to detail is razor sharp from the beginning to the end of the process as I am not shooting 45 weddings a year. I am only doing a maximum of 15, which means I can give every client the attention they deserve for the price they are paying.

Step Seven

Let’s face it my work is a bit offbeat. Yes I photograph the shoes and the décor and all those details if required, but my clients generally hire me because they want something more than an album of what their wedding looked like. I’m sure that is why I don’t attract the bridezillas. My clients are cut from the same cloth as me. We’re slightly offbeat and we love beautiful, bright images filled with creative soul. We love images that move us and tug at the heartstrings. We love images that are silly, humorous and painted with quirk. When people hire me because of me – I know that it’s going to be a special working relationship!

Check out my Facebook live where I talk about this topic.

Hurdhi Celebration with holi fight at the Ayoba Zimbali part of a five day hindu wedding shot by Top South African Wedding photographer Jacki Bruniquel

Thanks to all the wonderful couples who have graced my lens. I am so incredibly grateful to you all!

If you would like to learn more about how to attract the clients who resonate with you I still have a few spots free on my upcoming Unstuck Yourself Creative Photography workshops, which are happening in:

Jozi on the 5 + 6th June 2019 – Bookings close 30th May – Only 5 spots left!

Durban 26 + 27th June 2019 – Bookings close 25th May – Only 4 Spots left!

Click here for more information about my Unstuck Yourself Workshop.

I’m currently offering a “Friends Special” – where 2 friends booking will pay R8000 each for the two-day workshop as opposed to the R11.5K price.

Click here for a bit more info about that.

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Five star service versus two star service

by Jacki Bruniquel | Apr 22, 2019 | For Photographers, My approach to Photography

I was so fast asleep I was practically dead!

24 hours of traveling from Berlin to Bali had me in a virtual coma the instant my head hit the pillow.

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All of a sudden I was ripped into a foggy consciousness by the sound of a whiney, disgruntled female voice.

She was just going on and on and on AND ON!!

I couldn’t block it out.

I had to open my eyes.

And when I did I saw my newly arrived, fresh off the plane Australian friend being harassed by the Balinese lady who manned the front desk of the villas we were to call home for the week.

She was shouting about a double booking and how Amy needed to pay for the other taxi.

Considering the fact that Amy had paid for the taxi she was in and never ordered another taxi to fetch her from the airport she was confused and stressed by her rude welcome to our villas.

Somehow wires had been crossed and the villas had sent a taxi without the necessary confirmation from Amy for the transfer from the airport. The desk lady was adamant that she must pay.

This was not a good first impression on our first day.

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The Taxi mixup was eventually resolved. Later in the week we decided to take advantage of a rare sunny day and find a hotel that offered a day pass to the pool facilities. After a bit of online research we decided to head to the Royal Pita Mahai, a five star resort in the jungle just outside of Ubud.

Our arrival was a totally different experience. We were welcomed with a smile and given a cool, fresh towel scented with lemongrass to freshen up with. We were then offered a welcome drink and the receptionist explained their different packages and took us on a tour around the expansive hotel grounds to show us where the various pools were situated. We were totally blown away by the décor and gardens of this beautiful hotel, the attention to detail and the staff hospitality.

We were not only made to feel special, we were given an experience.

We told so many people about the Royal Pita Maha. We did however not recommend the villas to anyone nor would we! Word of mouth is a huge marketing tool that should never be underestimated!

This really got me thinking about the business of being a photographer.

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What kind of welcome are you giving your clients?

What are you doing to make them feel special?

What kind of experience will they remember?

Will they remember you for your five star-service?

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Here are some practical ways to make your client experience a better one as inspired by the Royal Pita Maha

A sunny welcome goes a long way. We don’t work in the corporate world. Smile with your emails.
Be approachable. Make things easy for your clients. Explain how you work and what your packages are.
Make things beautiful and a pleasure to be in. This includes your website. If things look good and it’s easy to navigate their first impression will be better.
Most people are getting married for the first time so if you want to serve them well, you will need to educate them about what you need in order to get great pics.
Your clients wedding day must always be about them and not you and your ego.
You are there to serve your clients and give them a beautiful experience.
Always do your best and be a nice person. Say please and thank you!
Don’t dress like a slob on shoot day and make sure you are groomed and looking like a five star photographer if you are wanting to deliver five star service.
Compliment people. Make them feel safe in front of your camera. Make them feel special! But don’t be false.
Under promise- Over deliver
Give that extra little bit that isn’t expected. This can be a gift, beautiful packaging, staying on for longer than expected, giving them a hand written note, delivering images earlier than expected. When people receive an added bonus that wasn’t part of the package they will feel special! This will help your word of mouth marketing.
Remember that failed expectations are the mother of all disappointments so make sure you deliver on your promises.
Definitely don’t ever respond to any miscommunication if you are angry or upset. Take some time to cool down so you aren’t reacting from an emotional space.
Please don’t write about your clients on social media if you’re upset. If you need to vent phone a friend you can trust.

And lastly remember that

Humans want to feel safe
Humans want to feel accepted
Humans want to feel special

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