Raymond and Maria: Rockin it with style

A few weeks ago we were able to be apart of an awesome wedding. We became friends with Raymond and Maria after they booked us for their wedding. We immediately clicked with their humor and personalities. We knew they would have a radical wedding just by knowing they are awesome, and when the day arrived....we were right!

Raymond and Maria dated for 12 years before they tied the knot (and I thought mark and I had a long dating relationship of 5 years). They got married at the Millennium Biltmore in LA. It was amazing; from the flowers to the lighting. 

Thanks for letting us be apart of your fan-FREAKING-tastic day!

CLICK HERE FOR THE PICTURE SHOW!!!!!!

CLICK HERE FOR THE PICTURE SHOW!!!!!!

FAQ: Marketing?

Many of you have sent us emails asking questions like these:

"How do you get business and set yourself apart from other photographers?"

"What do you do to market yourselves?"

"How do you book someone on the spot?" 

"How can I get my booking percentage up?"

etc.....

We would like to answer one of these questions this blog post, and hopefully the answer will help you with your other questions....

Marketing:

Marketing is sooooo important to your business. When talking with Photographers I have found that the most popular forms of Marketing are these: Networking, word of mouth, wedding expos, Magazines, and wedding ADs. We have tried them all, and so have our friends in the biz. They are all great areas of marketing, and they will ALL help your biz. Of course word of mouth is a slam dunk. You get the Brides you want,  they will value your work, and they spread your name like it's free candy. I would say the second best is Networking. When we first started photography, we had an excellent group of photographers that would pass biz around. And we are still Blessed beyond all belief with great referrals from other photo friends. Also networking with Vendors has really helped our biz. They love our style and they believe in our product of photography. Any referrals we get from our vendor friends are very strong, and much more effective then a 1/2 page ad in some random magazine. 

Marketing your biz is fun, and if you do it right you will grow your business successfully. 

In our next post I will spend more time talking about different ways to network and get referrals. 

Completely off subject: Mark just got back from "Man-cation 2008!" He, Doug Boutwell (Totally Rad Actions), Victor Sizemore, Alex Hill, and Micheal Heddin of Evoke Photography, headed out to Vic's home town. 

They did many manly activities: Victor hooked it up and got us some private tours of the Louisville bat factory, Four Roses Bourbon distillery, Church hill downs (where the Kentucky derby is held) and shot some guns.....Yes very manly things!

Brittany Fay video in the light...

Mark Brooke photographers has an awesome Wedding videographer that we refer to our brides. She is artsy and super fun to hang with, and her new Biz is quickly growing! We trust her as a person and a videographer because she is one of our Bestest friends. She is the kind of person you want to be around, the kind of person that will make you laugh in all situations, and the kind of person that will be there for you in all of life's trials. 

This past week Mark Shot Brittany and I up in the hills behind our studio. We have shot there several times before, and we plan on shooting there lots in the future... But this time was different.  Mark used some awesome off camera lighting to spice up the shoot. 

speaking of Brittany Fay, today when speaking with her on the phone, she mentioned that she is going to swing on our neighborhood swing set for 10 minutes every day to clear her mind. This got me thinking....How much would our work flow, our lives, our stress levels, and our relationships change if we just took 10 minutes in the day to reflect? I am inspired.

Shawnie and Brock: Rocking the E-sess.

This past week we were able to hang with Shawnie and Brock. Not only do they both have radical names, they are both amazing people! When they first showed up for the shoot, We knew we were going to have  a blast with them! They were both in awesome outfits, and they both had the hugest smiles on their faces. Shawnie and Brock were so wonderful to work with, and they allowed us to take our creative thoughts to a new level. 

We decided to shoot their engagement session in Down town fullerton. This was their home turf, and ours, so the photos turned out great!

Thanks for letting us be apart of your Engagement!