Paying it Forward in the Newborn Photography Business

Lovely Liliana is the brand new daughter of a repeat customer.  Her brother was one of my first newborn photography customers many years ago and we just couldn’t resist sneaking him into some of the pictures.  He’s already so handsome!  I’ve been lucky to have about thirty percent of my photography business be repeat customers over the years which takes so much of the stress off!  The newborn photography business is very competitive throughout Georgia so any edge a photographer can employ is critical.  I believe my edge comes down to two things:  A unique style that stands out and treating your customers like they’re family.

Before I was a newborn photographer I was a children’s photographer for years and I would routinely do photo shoots of the daughters of mothers who were clients of mine years before when they were children!  I’ve even had a couple of newborn shoots where the baby is the son or daughter of one of those aforementioned daughters whose mother I also did pictures of – crazy!  Suffice it to say I started early in the photography business here in Atlanta.  I’ve gone from film to digital, phone calls to email, and art shows to websites…. all in a days work!

So after a few decades in the photography business, I’ve learned that repeat business is the cornerstone of success.  And that can only be accomplished with one thing – time.  Newborn photography and children’s photography has a limited space in the lives of growing families…. once the oldest child enters high-school I usually don’t hear from those customers as often, but I do get referrals from them which is why treating your customers well is so important!  I always try and go the extra mile with my customers which can include anything from working on a photo in photoshop until I get the picture absolutely perfect – no matter how long it takes, or working with a client who need a little help with the prices from time to time.

I’m a firm believer that if you don’t skip the fundamentals, the hard work and good customer relations will eventually pay off, and not just your appointment book, but in your pictures as well.  Stay safe everyone!