Essentials for a Tech-Savvy Photography Business with Dawn Richardson

08/01/23 • 50 min

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In this episode, Scott speaks with wedding photographer, software engineer, and educator, Dawn Richardson about her photographic and photography business workflows.

Dawn is a software engineer turned wedding photographer who helps creative entrepreneurs go from tech overwhelmed to tech empowered. Her mission is to create a safe, fun, and welcoming corner of the internet where creative entrepreneurs can learn how to leverage and implement technology in their businesses to spend less time working and more time with the people that matter most. If you're already familiar with Imagen, then you know that more time with family is one of the things we love seeing Imageners have.

When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her husband and two little girls or searching for the best Margarita in San Antonio.

(00:00) - 023
(09:25) - What is one thing that you do for the photographic process that has saved you time?
(13:25) - What is one thing that you do for the business that saves you time or money?
(17:23) - What is one thing that you do for editing that has saved you time?
(20:52) - What is one thing that you do after a session that has increased business?
(27:14) - Can you share an outlined breakdown of your workflow from lead to delivery?
(35:57) - What does the future of AI in photography look like to you?
(42:16) - How did Imagen impact your life?

Discussed in this episode

Blogging sessions and weddings out of respect for clients, not just for ranking or Pinterest pins.
- Treating clients well and making them feel worthy of being showcased online.
- Excitement over clients being dressed for their engagement session and showcasing them on the website.
- Respect for clients who don't want to be online but still providing content for those who do.
- The value of wedding anniversaries as opportunities for content creation and connecting with couples on social media.
- Emphasizing the need to back up photos on cloud-based services and locally to avoid potential data loss.
- Expressing gratitude to clients for allowing photographers to be a part of their special day.
- Comparing the transition from film to digital photography with the current transition to AI technology.
- Emphasizing the importance of trying AI technology and not dismissing it without giving it a chance.
- The significance of a consistent workflow for effective editing.
- Establishing a designated storage system for files to prevent loss and confusion.
- Creating a new Lightroom catalog for each shoot to enhance organization and efficiency.
- Breaking up a wedding catalog into smaller collections to make editing less overwhelming.
- Being repetitive and organized with file management for a sense of automaticity.
- Using the free tool Fathom for summarizing meetings with clients
- Addressing individual pain points and automating basic administrative tasks for consistency and professionalism.
- Using both card slots in cameras for in-camera backups.
- Benefits of rating images in-camera for quick selection and editing.
- Personal experience of using same-day slideshows with rating images in camera and Imagen software.

Join the Imagen Community on Facebook to continue the discussions between episodes.

In this episode, Scott speaks with wedding photographer, software engineer, and educator, Dawn Richardson about her photographic and photography business workflows.

When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her husband and two little girls or searching for the best Margarita in San Antonio.

(00:00) - 023
(09:25) - What is one thing that you do for the photographic process that has saved you time?
(13:25) - What is one thing that you do for the business that saves you time or money?
(17:23) - What is one thing that you do for editing that has saved you time?
(20:52) - What is one thing that you do after a session that has increased business?
(27:14) - Can you share an outlined breakdown of your workflow from lead to delivery?
(35:57) - What does the future of AI in photography look like to you?
(42:16) - How did Imagen impact your life?

Discussed in this episode

Previous Episode

Using Automation and AI to Enhance Photography Workflows with Frederick Van Johnson

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In this episode, Scott speaks with Frederick Van Johnson from This Week in Photo about the future of photography. The conversation covers a variety of AI and automation tools, including some you may not realize already play a role in your photography life.

The conversation went on for nearly two hours, so we split it into two easier-to-digest episodes. This is part 2.

We continue the discussion on the use of automation and AI tools in photography workflows. We also discuss the acquisition of Flickr and This Week and Photo by SmugMug and their commitment to preserving the Flickr platform for future generations. One topic that came up, which we are sure everyone has something to say about, is the use of artificial intelligence in photo contests both as entries and judging. We also discuss the idea of digital identifying when photos have been made or manipulated by AI just in the same way it's possible for text, and emphasize the importance of disclosure and transparency. Finally, we stress the need for backups in different locations for photographers as disasters happen.

(00:00) - 022 TWIP Workflows Crossover
(01:18) - Automation in album and book design
(07:45) - Photo contests judged by AI
(12:00) - Digital marking images that use AI
(14:30) - What's up with Flickr and Smugmug?
(23:54) - What Imagen is working on
(31:02) - Trusting AI for all your post-production tasks
(36:57) - Disaster recovery is so important
(45:01) - Nikon's anti-AI ad campaign

Discussed in this episode

Software that simplifies album design for photographers.
- Tech helps filter photo contest submissions.
- Marker needed for AI involvement in content.
- Smugmug saves Flickr for posterity.
- Smugmug passionate team guides photography's power.
- Photographer's disaster recovery solution with Imagen's new backup feature (coming soon)
- Redundancy and accessibility in cloud backups.
- Don't fear AI, use it to improve.
- Flickr's metadata can be leveraged for search.

You can find Frederick at:

Next Episode

The Art Of Zero Stress Wedding Photography with Taylor Jackson

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In this episode, Scott speaks with wedding photographer, YouTuber, and educator, Taylor Jackson about his photographic and photography business workflows.

Taylor started his creative journey with music photography, capturing images of bands he admired. However, his knack for photography didn't stay hidden for long. Friends started requesting him to cover their wedding days, igniting his passion for candid wedding photography, a niche he now excels in with over 90% of his wedding projects being entirely candid.

He's a trailblazer in the industry, being the first photographer in the world to offer both photography and highlight film coverage singlehandedly. It's no wonder then, that 80% of couples hire him for both services. Over the past 15 years, he has photographed over 600 weddings, primarily in the Waterloo area, and has also been featured in over 40 different wedding and photography magazines globally.

In his personal life, Taylor is married to the lovely Lindsay Coulter and is a father to named Richard.

(00:00) - 024
(04:16) - What is one thing that you do for the photographic process that has saved you time?
(06:24) - What is one thing that you do for the business that saves you time or money?
(11:53) - What is one thing that you do for editing that has saved you time?
(13:37) - Imagen's new Lite Personal AI Profiles
(18:28) - What is one thing that you do after a session that has increased business?
(20:38) - Backup to Imagen Cloud
(24:40) - Can you share an outlined breakdown of your workflow from lead to delivery?
(35:06) - What does the future of AI in photography look like to you?
(44:09) - What does the future of photography workflows look like to you?
(49:54) - How did Imagen impact your life?

Discussed in this episode

Decrease in stress after weddings and the importance of completing tasks
- Turning around galleries quickly as a game and its benefits
- Improved consistency and better customer service
- Clearing out workflow problems and reducing backlogs
- Sending preview images to couples soon after the wedding
- Relationship between online booking and all-in-one venues
- Desire for a camera that can automate culling, selecting, and editing
- Predictions for future camera technology and integration with smartphone platforms
- Services that generate headshot-style images from a few photos
- Use of AI-generated images by photographers and ethical considerations
- Changes in lead generation process by making pricing public
- Benefits of fewer but more serious inquiries
- Decrease in email communication with clients
- Use of video content to showcase authenticity
- Workflow improvements with Lightroom preset and AI Profiles
- Decreased popularity of engagement sessions
- Workflow for shooting and data backup