Christmas Freebie - Photoshop Storyboards!

Merry Christmas peeps!!

For those of you with photoshop, check out our 3 Free Photoshop Storyboard Templates here.

FREE PHOTOSHOP STORYBOARD

 

The templates are some of my favourite storyboards - ones Rob and myself use mainly for cake smashes, but there's plently of uses for them.

PS. if you post online, send me a link! I'd love to see what they get used for >.<

Love, 

Georgee xxx

Beautiful Autumn-y Colours

How much I love this time of year is crazy. I don't love it now because it's freezing and wet and windy, but a month ago? It was beautiful. Orange and red and yellow everywhere.

We knew it was getting prettier and prettier so we set out to do a week of mini sessions where met families in a park local to our house. Mini sessions aren't something we do often, but coming up to Christmas they are a great way to appeal to people who know of us but have never used our services personally as well as get to have some fun with a whole bunch of people :)

One of my favourite sessions of the week - though it was hard to choose - was this gorgeous family who we had to reschedule due to dark, wintery weather. And what a good job it was that we did - the next day was perfect. Despite it being a half an hour session we took so many photos it was almost impossible to choose - so here's 5 out of about 40!!

Love, Georgee

Less is More...

So I thought I would update you guys with a super secret tip to boosting your Facebook page profile. Something we learnt early on in the game which helped our marketing and saved us time.

We're very downhearted about Facebook nowadays (our fans see maybe 20% of our posts compared to when we first started thanks to FB's money-grabbing and my stubbornest to not pay them to boost every single thing) but there's still something very effective in posting recent shoots and seeing the reaction of their family and friends. 

How to Be an Exceptional Wedding Photographer

There's the obvious - take great photos. But that's not what I wanted to talk about today. You can take gorgeous wedding photographs - the best - and still be a sub-par photographer. 

I once spoke to a bride who told me about her sisters wedding where the photographer actually stopped the ceremony (THE CEREMONY!!) in order to get them to pose. It was pretty simple - no matter how gorgeous the photos were, they were not going to hire him again.

It's customer service that you need to pride yourself on, as well as the photos. If you want the bride's sister's wedding, her friends and family, then you need to be remembered as the wedding photographer. That person who made the wedding just a little bit better and took the best photos ever. My Dad was always naturally good at it, I think. He never advertised - it was all word of mouth because he's a brilliant at photographer and such a wonderful guy to have at your wedding.

So here's a few tips to making sure you are remembered for all the right reasons;

Regularly Scheduled Programme

So I've been a little bit slow to post the last two weeks, I've not disappeared or anything, just very overworked!!

Rob showed me this yesterday... (except the 'no we don't have time' we always make time) it's spot on!! 

6 Practical To-Dos for When Your Photography Business is Slow

Photography is such a seasonal service. One minute you can be up to your ears in shoots and weddings and editing, then the next you're looking at your calendar and there's nothing going on. Especially in winter months.

It's the same with us, we've been at this for just 3 years now and the trends are pretty clear. Photos are a great Christmas present for grandparents so we have a lot of family shoots up until mid-December. Summer is wedding season, which finished for us this year around late-August. Now weddings are one-a-month at best (which is super sad because autumn/winter weddings are so magical!!). There's March-April when everyone is enjoying holidays and Easter.

Then there's January.

January is quiet. It's not a surprise, because beyond beautiful winter weddings and newborns, most people don't have money to spend after Christmas.

I know January is a few months off, but if you're just starting or an old hand, it's always hard to not be busy so here are a few tips that we use to get through the quieter seasons.

 Plan.

Especially in January. We plan the entire year in January. Obviously it's very loose and usually veers off course, but it's good to have a goal. We plan everything from our future goals to our monthly newsletters.

Mini Sessions.

Mini Sessions are such a fun way to draw in business and new customers. It's a great way to meet new people who want to use your services but - especially in January - can't afford a higher price of a normal session.

Get Your Social Media on Point.

It's easy to let it fall to the wayside in summer and coming up to Christmas, but when it's slow you'll have a chance to pin, tweet, instagram and google+ everything you and other local businesses have been doing.
 

Host a giveaway. 

Facebook is a great way to get people to share and like for a free family or engagement shoot - although specify that they are in your location! This is a great way to get yourself noticed, share your content and not be bored!

Note: Don't do too many giveaways as people will wait for these instead of booking your normal shoots.

Get Networking.

Chances are, businesses local to you are feeling the same after-Christmas blues. Shops and anything retail is crazy because of the sales but some other service-based businesses are in the same boat as you. Ping them an email, set up a little meet and greet.

Rob and I want to do a post-Christmas dinner in January - for other self-employed people who work all through Christmas - it's fun and a great way to make friends with other people on a similar path to yourself. (So if you're in Kent, give us a call, you'll be welcome!! :) )

Take Time off.

I know this sounds like a filler tip, but it's a very practical one. Sometimes you can forget - as a self-employed person and especially in the early days of your business - that you need a holiday. It really helps to take a step back sometimes.

Lastly, enjoy it!

It's easy to stress when you're not busy every day, but - as much as you love your job - you'll miss the lazy mornings when you're setting your alarm again.

Hope this gives you guys a few ideas! Let me know if you have any great ideas, I'd love to hear them :)

Georgee xx

Liebster Award!

Happy Sunday Folks!! 

So, I got nominated to take part in the Liebster Award, a super fun way of finding new bloggers with great content and getting to know each other. Thank you so much the lovely Steph from Autumn Dreamer for nominating me <3.

Here's how it works:

1. Link back to the person who nominated you

2. Answer the 10 questions set by the nominator

3. Create 10 new questions for 10 bloggers you nominate

4. Comment on your nominees blog with a link to your blog to let them know they've been nominated

It's that easy! 

So my questions were...

♥What's the inspiration to name your blog as you have done

If feels a little bit corny to admit it, but it's photography/design related. Pixels are what makes up a photo on a screen and pine is one of the soft woods used to make paper.
♥Why did you start blogging?

A very marketing-savvy person told Rob and myself to share only work photos on our social media sites, so I wanted somewhere to share our photos. I've been posting a lot of advice and tips too, which was a surprise to me but a really fun way to share what little knowledge I have :)
♥What is your favourite memory

A recent one - getting engaged, it was all very romantic and unexpected

A childhood one - playing video games with my siblings
♥If you had the chance to learn something new, what would it be and why?

I would like to be fluent in a few languages - I can get by in Italian and Bahasa, but I would like to be able to actually think in another language.
♥What is the one dream that you wish to achieve before you die?

Go back to the Philippines - possibly to live - and re-visit all my favourite places. They have a slogan over there 'It's more fun in the Philippines' and it's most definitely the truest statement ever.
♥What is your favourite book or film

My very favourite book series is Mark of the Lion by Francine Rivers. Such an unbelievably beautiful series.
♥What do you like to do in your free time?

Cinema is my favourite place to be, but it's sad to say a lot of my free time is out taking photos or designing things :)
♥What makes you smile?

My future husband's stupid jokes
♥Sunrise or Sunset?

Ooohhh Sunset, I think
♥Favourite season?

Summer - sunshine and flipflops are my very favourite things

So my turn to nominate, I've choosen...

1. PerhapsBananas

2. Rose

3. TheSpottedFox

4. Bloggerandthegeek

5. ACupofT

6. Little Sunny Kitchen

7. TeaStainedLauren

8. FaultierBeauty

9. TheGirlAndThePaperCastle

10. AprilsHomeMaking

My Questions

1. What made you start blogging?

2. Do you sleep on your front, back or side?

3. Name three things you couldn't live without

4. What is your favourite place in the world?

5 What's your favourite tv series?

6. What would you change in your life right now if you could

7. Windows or Mac?

8. If you could go back in time, what time period would you go?

9. Most inspirational person to you?

10. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Ahh, this was so much fun!! 

Don't forget to comment below with your post so I can read your answers everyone :)

Thank you again Autumn Dreamer for nominating me!

10 Warning Signs to Watch Out For When Picking Your Wedding Photographer

 Picking a Wedding Photographer is like picking a bridesmaid. 

 I know that seems a bit of a stretch but it really, really isn't. You are trusting this person to capture all the memories of your entire day, they have once chance to get it right. It's a big deal.

So I've written a few warning signs that I've learnt over the past few years.

Bella Italia Part 2...

 Rob and I are getting married in a beautiful town called Petritoli and have been fortunate enough to visit in order to plan/sneak away for a holiday.

My Dad and Rob were camera hogging throughout our stay - mostly because I was busy instagramming everything in sight :)
Post-production Rob's taken with a new panoramic ratio - it tends to look really striking with landscapes - maybe not so much with portraits - but I'm not 100%. What do you think?

Free Wall Art Printable...

I've been blogging for a little over a month now and it's been super fun. It's a new challenge that I have finally started after months of thinking about it and it's an experience that I'm enjoying immensely :)

So here's a free printable JPEG to say thank you to my new friends and followers!!

It's quite a large file as full size it's 24"x30" (equivalent of 10x8) so please be patient when downloading,

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Love Georgee xx

7 Tips to Make the Most of Your iPhone Camera

I'm still in Italy at the moment and it's super beautiful today. 

We all took carry-ons only, so we figured we'd only bring one camera between us this trip. It's a good plan as I don't take a lot of photos on my holidays because I tend to miss the moment when I'm trying to capture it on an SLR. 

So it's shared between my Dad and Rob while I snap away on my semi-new iPhone.

It's a different kind of challenge because there is very little control compared to a 'real' camera but I have a few tips for those of you trying to take holiday snaps with a small (but powerful!) camera phone.

Bella Italia - Le Marche

I'm in Italy and it's beautiful. The weather has taken a turn for the worse today but I know that's because a thunderstorm is coming and I love storms.

Rob and I are getting married next year in Le Marche, my favourite region of Italy, which is why we're here - to plan (and sneak in a mini holiday with our parents).

How to Make a Basic .PSD Clipping Mask

Clipping masks are so perfect in photoshop. I use them all the time - for everything. The templates we make here pretty much all use clipping masks. It's such a simple but brilliant part of photoshop.

So in this tutorial I'm going to briefly explain how to make a clipping mask. Last week I went over using pre-made clipping masks in templates but if your design or a design you have purchased comes without it's an easy trick to learn and it saves so much time and energy.

Photo Present Surprise

 

Rob and I had the absolute pleasure of re-visiting this beautiful family this month for an outdoor session. It's such a joy to see them all again, especially their little lady who is no longer the tiny little baby girl we wrapped up in a blanket for photos.

These photos were taken in a park in Maidstone, Kent for a secret anniversary present for their parents. It was a lot of fun, they're all so pretty it's hard to get a bad photo! 

How to Use Clipping Masks (on a premade template)

A clipping mask is a layer that defines what's visible of the layer above it.

For a photographer or a blogger or anyone who needs photoshop templates in their day to day life, clipping masks will probably come up. Many of the digital templates I sell on my etsy store makes use of clipping masks, because they make life so easy - no need to crop every photo or line everything up every single time.

Good storyboards and photo templates from any one who makes them to sell or for personal use are almost always made with clipping masks.

5 Details That Improved Our Engagement Photographs

Engagement shoots, or pre-wedding shoots as some people call them, are important for a bride and groom. Maybe more than they realise. It's a time to get to know each other and let them get a better idea of what to expect on their big day.

So here's a few things that changed our pre-wedding shoots...

12 Tips to Being Awesome at Self-Employment

Rob and I are self-employed Photographers. It all seems very romantic, we go to loads of weddings and capture beautiful families and new babies. 

And it is very magical, but it's also very business-y. We're not just photographers - we're designers, customer service, sales people, accountants and more.

So we put together a list of tips to keep your business in order, whether you're a photographer or something just as exciting. We self-employed people have to have each other's backs after all :)

5 Instant Ways to Improve Taking Family Photos

I'm a big advocate of 'manual mode'. Depth of field is my life. Composition, framing and lead in lines are something I'll go over at a later date, but these things take time to learn and most people don't get the DSLR out every trip out. That's what an iPhone is for, after all. 

So I've got 5 very easy, instant ways to improve photos of your family and friends. (Even on an iPhone!)

Visiting the City

I have to admit, I'm not a city kind of girl. I love green fields and windy country roads, big grey buildings don't fasiniate me a whole bunch.

But London is very pretty, isn't it?

New Gadgets!! Inexpensive Remote Trigger :)

I love gadgets. Especially fun, inexpensive gadgets. This one is super cool and new and £5 from eBay so I'm sure we'll have to buy a few backups because how can anything work for £5?? 

We took this pic in front of the camera!!

Petritoli - Our Wedding Venue!!!

I'm super excited for my (our, whatever :) ) wedding next year. It's like a magical, Italian fairytale. We've invited around 60 of our close friends and family to join us for a week in a castle, in Le Marche, Italy.

Brotherly Love...

I thought I would share some of my favourite photos of Rob's little nephews before we sneak in another photoshoot of them... with the newest member of the family. She's almost 6 months now so we're late to the photoshoot party, but she's at a great stage where she laughs and smiles and looks at us with big, beautiful eyes.

Those photos are to come in the next few weeks, but at the mo here's the big brothers before little sister arrived :)

Lightning Photos

The weather in England went from summer to winter this week. Actual summer with flip flops and shorts and sunglasses to these sad, miserable days. The jackets are back. My feet are constantly freezing. I've got those cute fluffy microwave slippers but I'm too stubborn to use them in the middle of August.

I thought I heard thunder which - sadly - was wishful thinking, but it reminded me of some of Rob's photos sitting on the hard drive with no where to go.

Mr and Mrs Potter

 These two beautiful people were an absolute joy to photograph, despite Damon's camera-shyness.

The wedding had such a romantic setting at the beautiful Chilston Park Hotel, in Lenham, Kent. It's a gorgeous place, especially outside where there are actually garden games like a proper English Countryside Hotel. We even got a few sneaky pics of the bride and groom attempting chess!

The ceremony took place in a beautiful room, full of light, and the registrars were lovely. All in all, it was a fab day - for the bride and groom, guests and us :)

Wedding 'Passport' Invitations

Rob and I love designing stuff. I have my etsy store. Rob designs and updates our flyers and websites.

So when Rob spotted Passport invitations, he was sold on the idea.

We spent a little bit too long make them (literally days) but we love them and everyone was pretty excited to recieve them :)

Check them out....

My very own (and not at all cheesy) Save the Date Video

I have finally decided to take the plunge and added a blog to my life.

So this is my corner of the digital world to share our photographs, designs and learning how to run our very own business. 

And also the fun things in life, like my very own save the date video!! I love it, it was fun, it has fun things  and you just have to watch it cos I'm still happy about it.