When I started as a photographer, I was really just feeling my way through. I jumped in feet first and learned along the way. This is obviously not how all people do things. I am pretty much the same when it comes to everything!
I have learned a great deal over the last number of years as a photographer and I feel very blessed for all the help I have had getting answers to questions, giving me questions I didn't even think of, support from others in the business, and more than a few ideas to help spur my creativity.
A lot of this help has come from belonging to professional forums and networking with others in my area.
One such forum that I just joined recently but am already in love with is NAPCP (National Association of Professional Child Photographers) .
There are several reasons why I found this forum among the others I belong to as an incredible group.
First, The Member Community! I can't say enough about the responsiveness and the willingness to share from the members of this group. Whenever I have posed a question or put something out there, a number of people are always ready and willing to assist and share of themselves.
The Support Team, I have never seen such a quick response from the administrative people. Often, I get a response almost before I hit send on my email. I jest, but the turn around time is really quick. And the conversation is always friendly and super helpful.
The video series: There are a great deal of videos on this forum covering many aspect of the business of photography. This is something that I find very helpful. I am always looking for new marketing ideas, more information about business, tips from other photographers. There is no additional charge for these videos, it is just part of the package. It makes you feel like the team here is invested in your success.
The expert articles: Owning your own business, especially a creative one is a hustle. You are always looking at trends. You need to know how to keep yourself current. You also need to know how to make it your own style. You are bogged down with the day to day administrative stuff, having fun with your photo shoots and spending a lot of time editing. When you have resources at your fingertips to tell you what others are working on, what current trends are, how others are styling their shoots, or just how to do things a little better or a little more efficiently, it is huge. Every moment helps. Especially when you balance a family too!
For these and many other reasons I am so happy and proud to be a member of NAPCP! After reading this, you will completely understand why I was so happy when they chose me as one of the photographers to feature in their Meet the Photographer series!
