Graceful Gathering Speaker in Cleveland, Ohio | Jasmine Norris

Interview with Jasmine Norris Photography

1. What do you love most about being a wedding photographer? 

What I love most about being a wedding photographer is really getting to know each of my couples and hearing their love story!  Every couple and wedding is unique and I love being able to capture and document that special day for not only my couples to relive and look back on for the rest of their lives but also so their ancestors can look back on the images and get a better feel for their love story.  A couple’s wedding images aren’t just important to them but they are also important to future generations to come!

 

2. Can you share a little bit about how you use blogging to influence your client experience? 

Yes!  I use blogging in three different ways that help my client experience!  The first way is that I blog every single session. This lets clients get a better feel for my work and my photography style.  It also helps end my client experience on a good note because my couples love seeing themselves on the blog! The second way I use blogging to provide a great client experience is that I blog tips and tricks all about weddings and wedding photography each week.  This allows couples the opportunity to learn more and get advice that will help make their wedding planning a little more stress-free and helps them see me as a trusted source in the industry. The third way is that I blog a few personal blogs each quarter. This allows my clients to get to know me and my personality.  The more they know me on a personal level means they can connect with me more. 

 

3. How many times have you been published? Do you have quick tips that you think make a big difference when submitting work to be published? 

I have been fortunate to have been published quite a lot!  In the last couple years I’ve been published around 150 times.  Here are three quick tips to getting published!

• • When it comes to the images that you choose, focus on the details.  Publications provide inspiration for couples who are planning their wedding and those details provide that inspiration!
  • Make sure you are writing a compelling submission story to go along with your submission!  Talk about the wedding in detail in a way that makes the editor feel like they were a guest at the wedding.  Focus on talking about things that you can’t get a feel for from the images.
  • And lastly, make sure you are submitting to the correct publication!  Not all publications feature all photography styles or all types of weddings.  It seems like a no brainer but I see so many photographers submitting to publications that don’t match their photography style or the style of the wedding. 

 

4. Can you tell us a little bit about your education as a photographer?

I am pretty much self taught when it comes to photography!  Ever since I was a child, I always had a disposable camera in hand and then as I got older my cameras evolved and I kept learning about photography.  I also think it’s always important to keep learning and investing in your business no matter where you are on your photography journey. I am constantly learning and improving my craft either by attending trade shows and conferences or participating in workshops and masterminds.  The more I can learn, the better I can serve my clients. 

 

5. Do you have any quick tips on blogging or a program that you love to use? 

I love BlogStomp for quickly resizing images for my blog.  It makes the process quick and painless! My quick tip for blogging is to start a blogging calendar and to set aside a day each month or so to pre-write and schedule your blog posts.  Having a plan in place will make sure that you know exactly what you will be blogging and writing and scheduling those blog posts in advance will mean you won’t have to sit down at 6am and frantically write a blog post that will be going live that day. The #1 objection I hear from photographers about not blogging is that they don’t have the time.  When you build a blogging day into your schedule, you make the time and are able to write out multiple blogs at one time.  

 

6. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? 

Traveling has always been a big part of my life and my husbands life.  We actually met while we were both working on a cruise ship! We try to travel as much as we can in the off season.  When we’re not traveling or working, then I love to just curl up on my couch with our two cats, Dior and Luna!

 

7. Is blogging and submitting to publications part of your typical workflow? 

Yes!  I blog and submit every single wedding and engagement session so I build it right into my workflow.  I always want to make sure I’m blogging every session because not only does it help future clients see more of my work but it also helps with SEO and it makes my clients feel loved because they made it onto my blog!  Once the blog is published, it makes submitting for publications easy because I pretty much will use the same images and story that I used for my blog for the submission.  

 

Check back on February 24th to view more details about The Graceful Gathering!