• Like I've mentioned before, I’m a big believer in the power of community, and connecting with others in person. It’s how I’ve been able to stay afloat as a business owner. In this time where we are in limbo and can’t meet up regularly, it’s even more important to build those relationships online. I’m so happy to share that I’ve been able to do that over the course of the last year. That said, I’m sharing some tips on how YOU can build your own community online 👩‍👩‍👧‍👧 ✨ Keep a reminder list of people you want to keep in touch with or engage with. It might seem robotic, but honestly, it works, and it's worth it. On Instagram, you can keep this list in a saved Collection — simply go to someone's account and save one of their posts. ✨ Remind people of what you do, and how you do it. You won't sound like a broken record, I promise! People need to see things an average of, what, 7 times before it sticks in their brain? Even if someone sees your service but isn't currently in the market, they proooobably know someone who IS in the market for your service. 😉 ✨ Show people behind the scenes! Instagram is a highlight reel. I know literally everyone says it, but it is. I've actually found that people respond better to a REAL peek behind the curtains because it's relatable. Use your feed for your highlight reel, and your stories for your every day behind the scenes! How have you kept your online community growing during this time? Anything you’d add to the list? ——— Event coordination @jennxbradley @soniabegoniablog Picnic set up @mnmlgardens Wardrobe @ShopIVORI Wine @eden.rift Charcuterie board @thegrazesoiree Cake & cookies @shabby_sugar Pastries @cestsibonbakery Handmade name tiles @taylormmedeiros
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    Like I've mentioned before, I’m a big believer in the power of community, and connecting with others in person. It’s how I’ve been able to stay afloat as a business owner. In this time where we are in limbo and can’t meet up regularly, it’s even more important to build those relationships online. I’m so happy to share that I’ve been able to do that over the course of the last year. That said, I’m sharing some tips on how YOU can build your own community online 👩‍👩‍👧‍👧 ✨ Keep a reminder list of people you want to keep in touch with or engage with. It might seem robotic, but honestly, it works, and it's worth it. On Instagram, you can keep this list in a saved Collection — simply go to someone's account and save one of their posts. ✨ Remind people of what you do, and how you do it. You won't sound like a broken record, I promise! People need to see things an average of, what, 7 times before it sticks in their brain? Even if someone sees your service but isn't currently in the market, they proooobably know someone who IS in the market for your service. 😉 ✨ Show people behind the scenes! Instagram is a highlight reel. I know literally everyone says it, but it is. I've actually found that people respond better to a REAL peek behind the curtains because it's relatable. Use your feed for your highlight reel, and your stories for your every day behind the scenes! How have you kept your online community growing during this time? Anything you’d add to the list? ——— Event coordination @jennxbradley @soniabegoniablog Picnic set up @mnmlgardens Wardrobe @ShopIVORI Wine @eden.rift Charcuterie board @thegrazesoiree Cake & cookies @shabby_sugar Pastries @cestsibonbakery Handmade name tiles @taylormmedeiros
  • I’ve pictured saying this to you for the last several weeks… It’s a lot. Because a LOT has happened in the last several weeks! First of all, many of you likely knew that I’ve actually spent the last 3+ years working full time in the tech world, while also running my photography business. I never really considered transitioning to full-time photography (because face it, I kind of already was), until last year. I found myself in a conundrum that so many of us face: it was either time to take the leap and let the business grow, or time to step back. I chose to take the leap ✨ Now, of course once I decided to go full time with Emily Kim Photography, another dream fell into place - the dream of running my own creative studio. I was in the middle of vision boarding and dreaming and then suddenly, the perfect place hit. And it was then again that I realized I had to either go for it, or give up on that dream. So I went for it. So in case you’re wondering why this caption is so lengthy, here you go: 1) I WENT FULL TIME, AND 2) I AM OPENING A CREATIVE STUDIO, PEOPLE 🎉 The Sunlight Space (@thesunlightspace) is the open, airy, bright and happy space of your dreams. You can use The Sunlight Space for your product, brand and lifestyle imagery. You can customize staging to your liking, to make sure things are always on par with your aesthetic. (There’ll even be different portions of the space to compartmentalize and use as “rooms” 👏) Centered in the cutest little area of Los Altos, The Sunlight Space is something I’ve been dreaming up for awhile now - a home for my fellow South Bay area creatives to rent and use, and a place to someday host many meetups and collaborations. ☀️ I’m so excited to shoot in and share this space. Who else is feeling the excitement too?! (PS: you can sign up for updates on The Sunlight Space’s grand opening at the link in my bio!)
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    I’ve pictured saying this to you for the last several weeks… It’s a lot. Because a LOT has happened in the last several weeks! First of all, many of you likely knew that I’ve actually spent the last 3+ years working full time in the tech world, while also running my photography business. I never really considered transitioning to full-time photography (because face it, I kind of already was), until last year. I found myself in a conundrum that so many of us face: it was either time to take the leap and let the business grow, or time to step back. I chose to take the leap ✨ Now, of course once I decided to go full time with Emily Kim Photography, another dream fell into place - the dream of running my own creative studio. I was in the middle of vision boarding and dreaming and then suddenly, the perfect place hit. And it was then again that I realized I had to either go for it, or give up on that dream. So I went for it. So in case you’re wondering why this caption is so lengthy, here you go: 1) I WENT FULL TIME, AND 2) I AM OPENING A CREATIVE STUDIO, PEOPLE 🎉 The Sunlight Space (@thesunlightspace) is the open, airy, bright and happy space of your dreams. You can use The Sunlight Space for your product, brand and lifestyle imagery. You can customize staging to your liking, to make sure things are always on par with your aesthetic. (There’ll even be different portions of the space to compartmentalize and use as “rooms” 👏) Centered in the cutest little area of Los Altos, The Sunlight Space is something I’ve been dreaming up for awhile now - a home for my fellow South Bay area creatives to rent and use, and a place to someday host many meetups and collaborations. ☀️ I’m so excited to shoot in and share this space. Who else is feeling the excitement too?! (PS: you can sign up for updates on The Sunlight Space’s grand opening at the link in my bio!)
  • It’s no secret that I’m a big, big fan of getting the best bang for my buck. I won't pay for things unless I KNOW the value is there. That goes for material items (cough headbands 👑 cough) as well as business investments. So today, I want to share with you why brand photos are worth investing in, if you didn't already think so. Here are three reasons to get your brand photos done! 👇 ✨ Reason 1: For your Brand, Obviously Just think of all of the times you wished you had a good set of images to use, rather than having to search stock photo sites. Having your own library of on-brand images will save you time and create a more cohesive marketing strategy across social platforms and your website. Plus, it is a HUGE time and energy saver! ✨ Reason 2: For your Personal Use Many of us have a work Instagram and a personal Instagram. Who doesn’t want some good photos of themselves to share with friends and family? It sure beats those self-timed photos we *try* to take 1-2 times a year. ✨ Reason 3: For Self-Care So uh… many of us are feeling just a little bit drab right now. We’ve got little to no plans, and no reason to really get dressed up. Why not invest in making yourself feel beautiful and special for a day? Photoshoots are the perfect excuse to get dressed up, put some makeup on and let your hair down. I’ve had so many women come to me and tell me how good it made them feel to see how good they looked in their own photos! What do you think? Anything you’d add to this list? Tell me below!
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    It’s no secret that I’m a big, big fan of getting the best bang for my buck. I won't pay for things unless I KNOW the value is there. That goes for material items (cough headbands 👑 cough) as well as business investments. So today, I want to share with you why brand photos are worth investing in, if you didn't already think so. Here are three reasons to get your brand photos done! 👇 ✨ Reason 1: For your Brand, Obviously Just think of all of the times you wished you had a good set of images to use, rather than having to search stock photo sites. Having your own library of on-brand images will save you time and create a more cohesive marketing strategy across social platforms and your website. Plus, it is a HUGE time and energy saver! ✨ Reason 2: For your Personal Use Many of us have a work Instagram and a personal Instagram. Who doesn’t want some good photos of themselves to share with friends and family? It sure beats those self-timed photos we *try* to take 1-2 times a year. ✨ Reason 3: For Self-Care So uh… many of us are feeling just a little bit drab right now. We’ve got little to no plans, and no reason to really get dressed up. Why not invest in making yourself feel beautiful and special for a day? Photoshoots are the perfect excuse to get dressed up, put some makeup on and let your hair down. I’ve had so many women come to me and tell me how good it made them feel to see how good they looked in their own photos! What do you think? Anything you’d add to this list? Tell me below!
  • I don’t know who needs to hear this right now, but you don’t need to say yes to that one client that wants to book you way too last minute. You don’t need to feel even MORE stressed out, all because you fear the repercussions of politely saying no. If you’re a photographer, it’s easy to feel steamrolled by your clients’ needs to book ASAP. The truth is, photography is important. It requires the right amount of time for preparation. And you, as the photographer, require boundaries and time, too. So, let’s talk about timing and booking in advance to protect your energy, okay? Timing ⏰ I recommend choosing a booking timeline, and sticking to it relentlessly. If it works for you to book 30-60 days in advance, quote that as a timeline in your proposals and on your site. IF it makes sense, you can always apply a rush fee for projects that have to come in sooner than that, but make sure you create parameters and rules for those rush fees, too. Booking 📓 Make sure you have a clear booking process on your site! I found that answering countless DM inquiries and requests was exhausting and time consuming. You need that creative energy - create a simple intake form on your site, and give it a “book with me” button. That way, people will always know how to get in touch. Say no 🙅‍♀️ There will be many times where clients overstep boundaries by requesting quicker photoshoots or things that you just can’t and won’t do. Don’t be scared to politely inform them that you’re unavailable, or not the best fit for the shoot. Trust me, we’ve all taken that project we didn’t want… and it didn’t end well. What tip did you need to hear today? Tell me in the comments! In frame: @rebeccacafiero Makeup: @kaileejordan__
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    I don’t know who needs to hear this right now, but you don’t need to say yes to that one client that wants to book you way too last minute. You don’t need to feel even MORE stressed out, all because you fear the repercussions of politely saying no. If you’re a photographer, it’s easy to feel steamrolled by your clients’ needs to book ASAP. The truth is, photography is important. It requires the right amount of time for preparation. And you, as the photographer, require boundaries and time, too. So, let’s talk about timing and booking in advance to protect your energy, okay? Timing ⏰ I recommend choosing a booking timeline, and sticking to it relentlessly. If it works for you to book 30-60 days in advance, quote that as a timeline in your proposals and on your site. IF it makes sense, you can always apply a rush fee for projects that have to come in sooner than that, but make sure you create parameters and rules for those rush fees, too. Booking 📓 Make sure you have a clear booking process on your site! I found that answering countless DM inquiries and requests was exhausting and time consuming. You need that creative energy - create a simple intake form on your site, and give it a “book with me” button. That way, people will always know how to get in touch. Say no 🙅‍♀️ There will be many times where clients overstep boundaries by requesting quicker photoshoots or things that you just can’t and won’t do. Don’t be scared to politely inform them that you’re unavailable, or not the best fit for the shoot. Trust me, we’ve all taken that project we didn’t want… and it didn’t end well. What tip did you need to hear today? Tell me in the comments! In frame: @rebeccacafiero Makeup: @kaileejordan__
  • When I say that I'm obsessed with @kayraus's Brand Experience shoot, I MEAN IT! 📢 I mean, just look. Katherine's whole vibe, the scenes we set up at @littlesundaystudio, her love for cats, everything is just 🤌🏼 Katherine is a content strategist at @squarespace. She also mentors UX writers who are new to the industry, and she has a podcast! She reached out to me to help her with brand photos for her new website. With website redesigns, it's important to create a variety of compositions so that they're easy to sprinkle photos throughout different pages. Here are just a few of my favorite images from her session. Her website is live now with the photos we created together! I'll post a few screenshots to my stories, but to see it in all of it's glory, head to her profile (@kayraus) and click the link in her bio. She also has her favorite cat video linked there, too. It's fantastic 😺 💄 lesson: @beautybysofiabee 🏠 space: @littlesundaystudio
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    When I say that I'm obsessed with @kayraus's Brand Experience shoot, I MEAN IT! 📢 I mean, just look. Katherine's whole vibe, the scenes we set up at @littlesundaystudio, her love for cats, everything is just 🤌🏼 Katherine is a content strategist at @squarespace. She also mentors UX writers who are new to the industry, and she has a podcast! She reached out to me to help her with brand photos for her new website. With website redesigns, it's important to create a variety of compositions so that they're easy to sprinkle photos throughout different pages. Here are just a few of my favorite images from her session. Her website is live now with the photos we created together! I'll post a few screenshots to my stories, but to see it in all of it's glory, head to her profile (@kayraus) and click the link in her bio. She also has her favorite cat video linked there, too. It's fantastic 😺 💄 lesson: @beautybysofiabee 🏠 space: @littlesundaystudio