today i want to talk about something that EVERY photographer struggles with!!! giving credit where credit is due. am i saying the photographer doesn’t give credit? no…sadly, it is quite the opposite. we build our businesses off of referrals, word of mouth and social media. i’m going to just dive right in… 🙂

giving credit where credit is due. this is an eyebrow raiser for sure. photographers need referrals through word of mouth and one of the biggest ways we get that is through social media. did you know you can tag your photographer after you upload your digital files to Facebook and instagram?! yeah…neither do 80% of clients that post portraits. as a photographer, this is a little bit of an insult. we spend hours planning a session with our clients, packing gear, shooting their session/wedding, uploading images, editing images, creating the perfect gallery and sending it to our clients. they get excited and post to social media…and don’t tag us or credit our work. it is a little hurtful. sadly enough, it is our friends and family that are the first to do this.

i know when i am surfing through Facebook and see gorgeous images, i am curious who took them! i know it isn’t just an iPhone shot…and i want to know who created it!!! by tagging or linking to the photographer, you are helping spread the word about our business and acknowledging us as creatives!!! it’s one of the best compliments to have a client immediately upload an image to their profile and tag us, letting us know how happy they are with their images and their experience with us!

here are a few tips in crediting the creator….

1} like their business page!

i cannot tell you how many clients i have that found me through Facebook, but DON’T like my Facebook page! it’s the best way to keep up with what’s going on with my business and to be able to be the first to know about mini sessions and deals that i’m offering!

2} tag them in each picture, or credit the album to them!

i love seeing wedding albums being posted! i also love seeing that they credited them to the proper photographer 🙂 sometimes there are videographers there that need credit as well, don’t let everyone assume the photographer did video too…tag them all!!!

3} vendors need credit too!!!

i love shooting weddings. i love the connections i make when shooting those weddings too. i’ve met so many small businesses through the wedding industry and they all tell me, “would you mind sharing a few and tagging us? no one ever tags us and we only have iPhone photos to show to our future brides!”. this shocked me…i love crediting vendors! i do not want to answer 50+ emails about where kaleigh had her wedding…i want them to know right off where her wedding was, that’s why i tag the venue in the album! it gets the venue business and it also shows the venue the professional images that i captured of their wonderful space! they will forever be grateful! so credit your baker, your boutique, your hair stylist, your photographer, your videographer, your planner, etc.

4} even though your a friend…your still a client 🙂

i love love LOVE being able to shoot for friends and family. my business was founded on friends and family. however, it’s still how we support our families. tag us in the images…we love it! i require EVERYONE to sign a model release and a contract. it’s the best way to protect me and them. it helps to keep the business and personal relationships separate!

5} it’s the right thing to do

i would never take credit for something i didn’t do! we learn this at an early age… giving credit where credit is due, is a MUST! 🙂

 

***the lovely cake in the image above was made by Sherlene Coffey*** – (see how easy that was!!!) 🙂