I would have never envisioned my business would have taken an educational turn. But I probably should have known I would become a Topeka photography mentor. I have spent decades learning about photography and years giving my knowledge to others.
In the beginning
Yes, I took class after class. But what strikes me the hardest, was the lack of support of other photographers I received, in the beginning.
I learned so much about light, Lightroom, Photoshop and strobes. Composition and shooting in manual mode both fascinated me. (You mean automatic mode, isn’t the way to go?)
Eventually, I upgraded to a full-frame camera. The Canon 5D Mark II was the bomb! I loved every second of using that camera. It took me a while but I finally figured out how much I love back button focus. Talk about nailing focus! This was incredibly helpful for my shooting style.
Kelvin coloring system, this probably took me the longest to nail in camera.
My Mentors
Then things got serious. I booked a wedding as a favor for a friend, but also I knew this would require me to level up my skills and my business. My goal was to be the Topeka wedding photographer or the Lawrence wedding photographer. I sought out a wedding photographer and she became my paid mentor. We spent months together going to different weddings. I picked her brain about anything and everything, and we became friends. But there was still more to do and learn!
I met and paid for a second mentorship. This one was different and offered an experience which allowed me to learn anything I wanted. It allowed me to specialize and focus on pain points in my business and how to fix them. .. outsourcing, social media planners, all the things.
But that was still not enough. Next, I took advantage of a free mentorship offered with my membership from Kansas Professional Photographers of America (KPPA). I am just going to say, the KPPA membership are only $60 for a year and the mentorship is for ten hours of discussion on anything you wish to learn more about. That is a win, sister.
“Mentoring is a brain to pick,
an ear to listen,
and a push in the right direction.”
— John Crosby
All this to say, if you are looking for a mentorship, let’s connect. This is about learning. It is about community over competition. This is about you and your business. For more about my business journey, check out my blog here! Topeka Wedding Photographer – My Little Corner of the World
