Work Smarter, Not Harder | For Photographers

Share It On Your Social Media!

FullSizeRender

Happy Monday, friends!! I haven’t blogged on a Monday in awhile, but I thought this would be a perfect blog post for a Monday Motivation for some photographers!

Lately, I have been receiving the compliment from clients and other vendors, “You work so fast!!” I am so glad that they think so, because I know how excited they are for their photos! But, how do I get their photos to them so quickly and make them so happy? Well, I actually under promise and over deliver! I tell my clients 1-2 weeks, but I actually strive to get my client’s photos within 5 days! (Side note: you DO want to over estimate, just in case something unplanned happens!) But the real question is, how do I get the photos to them so quickly? I strive to always get it right (or super close to right) on camera! Do NOT have the mindset of “Oh, I can edit that later!” Because, well, in some cases, you won’t be able to OR you will be spending more time editing, then spending time with family or shooting future clients. In all honesty, photographing is what we love the most, right? Not sitting at the computer editing for hours at a time!

Orange-County-CA-senior-Photographers-Shelby-Danielle-Photography_0298Here is my first example! It’s a huge difference, right? You also thought I took a long time to edit it, maybe? Well, actually, no! It has taken me a couple years to find my style and now that I have found my style, I know how to shoot and how to edit to keep it consistent… Or try my best to keep it!

Below, I have showed the original settings to what I did!

Orange-County-CA-senior-Photographers-Shelby-Danielle-Photography_0297

Not much tweaking, but it makes such a huge difference! Since I know my style, I know what/how to shoot, so it will only take a few seconds to make the tweaks when it comes to editing.

But here is a better version of how close I was to getting it right on camera:

Orange-County-CA-senior-Photographers-Shelby-Danielle-Photography_0299

I probably could have received this exact look (the photo on the right) when I was shooting. By bumping up my ISO + Shutter speed, as well as, shifting my Kelvin (white balance) to be more warm, but in the midst of photographing her, especially with how the light was, it was best that I kept my setting the way it was. Which is what happens at times and that is okay!

Here is another one where it was a bit dark, but again, since I know my style, it only took a couple seconds to edit!

Orange-County-CA-senior-Photographers-Shelby-Danielle-Photography_0300

I do NOT and have never used any presets! I hand edit ALL my photos. It has taken time to learn my style of shooting + editing, but as soon as I have got it down, it has been so much easier to be consistent!

As photographers, we want to be able to work smarter, not harder! We want to be able to spend more time working on other business aspects or spending quality time with loved ones, instead of hours at the computer day and night! With being able to find your style and shooting right on camera, you will find your time on your computer editing is cut in half!

I sure hope this blog post gave you photographers some motivation to continue to figure out how to get it right on camera + your style, so you can work much quicker!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

XOXO,
Shelby Danielle
{Follow me of Instagram for daily updates: @ShelbyDaniellePhotography}

About Me

I am a wedding & portrait photographer based in Southern California and beyond!

I started at the young age of 16 in my hometown of Orange in Orange
County, California. As my photography business grew and I got married,
life took me to the Chino Hills area, making me more centered to all
major Southern California counties.

Here on the blog, you will
see a variety of posts regarding tips, sessions & weddings, and my
personal life of being a wife, mother, and business owner. To learn more
about me or to see more daily adventures, follow me on Instagram and/or
Facebook!

Recent Posts

Scroll to Top