But a few months ago, Facebook decided to toy around with functionality (again) and introduced its “Community Page” functionality. (Remember Facebook telling you how all that stuff you liked—the TV shows, the music, the way you liked to take long walks on the beach—would now be links? Yeahhhh….now it’s ringing a bell.) Like the 400 million other users out there, I blindly said “Okay whatever” to the request and moved on, ’cause, you know, I had Farmville requests to hide and friends to congratulate for being pregnant. But after a coworker at Ball State explained the whole concept a bit more to me, I realized this whole switcheroo meant Facebook was CREATING A FAN PAGE FOR ME.

Even more embarrassing than not having a presence for my business on Facebook? That I accidentally liked this pseudo page!

So I broke down and created my own fan page and while I may have grumbled a bit about it and I still have a lot of work to do to get it looking the way I want it, at least it’s there now and I’m not letting Facebook dictate my social media presence (or lack there of) any more. Why am I posting about this? Well, I guess because a) I want all my photographer friends (who don’t have pages for their businesses) to know about this switcheroo too and b) to be that annoying person I wanted to avoid being in the first place by now asking  “If you like me, will you “Like” me on Facebook and become a fan of my page?

And for all you photographers out there, how do YOU handle your Facebook presence? Do you still post blog entries to your personal pages? Just to your fan pages now? Help a girl out with some ideas!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

So thanks, Courtney, for giving me that documented proof.

By the way, don’t ask why I have my flash pointing at that angle for this shot. A) I wasn’t using it at the time and B) it tends to have a mind of its own. Kind of like my body when I’m shooting a wedding and drape it on the ground and on the floor in a million different positions and then wake up the next morning wondering why I can’t move.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

For all of you who sent me emails or left me questions in my comments on my recent post about my marketing materials, this feature should have a lot of the answers you’re seeking. Thanks Robyn!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

I want to say something here and it’s about the importance of the QUALITY of your wedding album. With today’s market for wedding photographers, I know there are plenty in the industry who offer prospective brides what these women think is a lot of bang for their buck, packages for less than $2,000 that promise you all the bells and whistles and include your digital files and a wedding album.

Brides, it will be up to you to to discern who’s being honest in what they’re trying to sell you. In my opinion, if you’re going to invest in a wedding album, you want to invest in something your grandchildren’s grandchildren can pass down some day. I promise you, these new Leather Craftsmen albums I’m offering WILL NOT disappoint in that department!

Every spread is designed by me using InDesign, a software program I just adore! I prefer to stick with clean and simple layouts for your pages because I want my clients’ books to have a timeless feel.

I truly believe your wedding album is the best investment you can make of your wedding day—so much so, that it doesn’t matter WHEN you want your album from me, I just hope you get it. So if you’re a past bride of mine or one in the near future who hasn’t budgeted an album into your plans, just know I’ll still be here and ready, HAPPY to design your book if (and hopefully when) you want one!

If you’re a client interested in wedding albums, drop me an email to ask about payment plans. Again, I’ll just say that I think albums are a quintessential part of your wedding day memories. I adore my own and my wish is for clients to recognize their importance when trying to preserve the moments of their own big day.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

I believe everybody loves a good love story. That, whether they realize it or not, everybody HAS a good love story. They just don’t always know it should be told. And that’s where I hope to come in.

If you didn’t know this about me, I was a journalist before I left the industry to work in communications for my alma mater, Ball State, and, in the process, pursue photography. For six years, every day I banged out stories about people like Larry Matteson and Brenda Englehardt. And truth be told, I loved it—all of it, from getting to know people to learning about them to sharing their stories in the paper. And while I may have quit being a professional journalist, I’d go on to discover that being a journalist didn’t quit me.

Recently, I’d given a lot of thought about how I could bring a part of my past back to my present. A few months ago, while I was riffling through a box of stuff from MY wedding, I came across Nick and I’s story. When Nick’s family wrote this sweet article, had it printed up and then placed at the tables of everyone at our rehearsal dinner, I thought it was the sweetest thing. So perfect for two people who met and fell in love all because of a newsroom.

Coming across this slip of paper couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. With my yearning to be a storyteller once more, in that moment, I knew this was what I wanted to do for my clients too.

To my current and future couples and families who decide to share their stories with me, I hope you appreciate this keepsake from your session with me. Maybe you’ll put it out for display in your home, telling your family and friends the story about how your story was shared by me. Or maybe, like my own version, yours gets tucked away in a keepsake box, a memory that surfaces every now and then to bring a smile to your face.

So that’s the story behind my passion for sharing stories and the catalyst for this new philosophy to my business. Now, who wants their story to be told next?

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

When Nicole contacted me shortly after her fall engagement session about wanting a guest book, I happily reported I was in the process of seeking a vendor for that very thing. With guest books and wedding albums, I give my client the option to pick their favorite image or images from the session and from there I design a cover based on their selection. This was Nicole’s pick for a full spread cover and I can see why. Doesn’t she have the SWEETEST smile here?

Inside the book, the pages are customized with photographs from your engagement session. I make sure to leave plenty of white space throughout the book so your guests have plenty of room to sign their names and offer the couple well wishes.

The size of the book is 8 inches by 8 inches and contains 15 spreads (so 30 pages total, front and back)

The pages are gutterless, but still lay flat for easy browsing and are made from heavy, creamy paper — you have to see one in person to see how gorgeous they are!

The books are made with quality materials to ensure that years after your wedding, you’ll still be able to crack it open as if it’s brand-new!

For 2010 brides who’ve already booked with me, there’s still time to order a custom-designed guest book of your wedding day! Contact me via e-mail for more details. The guest books are available at an a la carte price but are also included in a wedding package I offer that includes a wedding album. Both make excellent mementos of your wedding day

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

This morning, I was reading this article on CNN.com about, you know, the question of is it really an honor just to be nominated? I didn’t think much more of it — just another form of commentary building up to the big ceremony.

Then tonight I get an email from my friend who writes, “Congrats on being nominated for a “ShowIt Best of 2009″ award!” So I check out the latest poll on Show It’s Facebook site (and if you’re unfamiliar, Show It is the auh-mazing Web software I used to create my Web site, which I gushed about here last fall), and what do you know. … There I am— in not just one category (Photographer of the Year) but two (Dig the Design)! Right up there with — OMG ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

Jasmine Star. Bob and Dawn Davis. Dane Sanders. Oh, you know, just some of the people I look up to most in this industry!!!!

So I’m all, “Honey, get in here!” so Nick comes and stands over my shoulder as I’m looking at these lists and he plays the faithful husband role with an “Oh babe, yeah..I mean, no question. Yours is definitely the best.” (ahhh right?) My actual response? “Are you kidding me? BOB AND DAWN DAVIS HAVE MET OPRAH!”

And on that note, I can say with utmost certainty that absolutely, 100 percent it’s an honor to be nominated. I don’t care if it’s the Academy Awards or a poll for the Web site software you so dearly love, seeing your name up there with industry peers you’ve followed for years will put a smile on anyone’s face. Yesterday it may have been Sandra Bullock. But tonight … tonight it’s my turn to grin.

And by the way, I recognize I’m the underdog of all underdogs in this here little contest. But if y’all wanna vote for me — a vote of confidence, if you will — well, I’d be much obliged

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Falling asleep the night of my wedding happier than I thought it was possible a person could be. Beside me was my best friend, my HUSBAND (the first few times you say that is so surreal!) and in my mind what exactly did I remember about my wedding day? Well, not much actually … it was all such a blur. The images that carried me off to dreamland that night literally were the moments caught by our wedding photographers, Turtle Pond Photography — still fresh on my mind after seeing them play on a slideshow at our reception.

People will tell you your wedding day flies, but until you experience it, you won’t believe how much it’s true. Or how, what you WILL remember of it — whether it’s as your head hits the pillow that same night or the next year or 20 years from now — is what was reflected through the lens of your wedding photographer. This photo above of Nick and I? When I think of our wedding day, it’s this image that Amanda captured of us that is the very first memory that comes to mind, every time. And to me, it is perfect.

So, shortly after our wedding, I got caught up in this intoxicating world of wedding photography. I’ve had photography friends and new photographers alike share with me that, for them, what got them going in this business was someone telling them they had a knack for photography. Those first photos they’d taken, and shared with others, were their catalyst.

Me? Not so much. That’s not how my journey started. No, it all began with one night — the best of my life — where I fell back on a bed, exhausted but EXHILARATED.

And it’s in those moments when I come home from a wedding I’ve just photographed, peel off my sweaty clothes and fall back on a bed, exhausted but EXHILARATED, that I realize I’ve been chasing that feeling every since.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

]]> http://gailwernerblog.com/how-but-more-importantly-why-i-got-started-in-photography/feed/ 11 http://gailwernerblog.com/i-be-up-in-bn-just-working-on-my-bizness/ http://gailwernerblog.com/i-be-up-in-bn-just-working-on-my-bizness/#comments Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:18:18 +0000 Gail Werner http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=1396 So the POINT of this blog entry (aside from setting up a Fergie song that may get stuck in your head the way it’s stuck in mine – THANK YOU FOR THAT EARWORM MR. LOCAL DJ) is to talk about books. Specifically BUSINESS BOOKS.

Here’s the funny thing: In all the bookstores I’ve been to (a lot), over all the years I’ve been going (plenty), never once would I stop to check out the business section. In my mind, it was relegated to those other “Don’t come ’round here” sections of the bookstore. You know, the ones you didn’t really want to be seen in for certain reasons. That had titles that might involve words like kama and sutra … if you know what I’m sayin’ (and I think you do).

Riiiight…where was I?  Yes, to me, business books were BOH-RING. Snoozefest. Stuff a professor like Ben Stein would have me read IF I had studied business in college and needed extra credit in an econ course — which, of course, I didn’t.

But then, something happened. I STARTED A BUSINESS. And suddenly, all those business books I’d snub my nose at while breezing on to the fiction section? Well, they started MAKING SENSE. Here I am, in my second year of my business and I’m finding that for every good book I pick up for pleasure, I’ve got another in my hand that will be relevant for Gail Werner Photography. Case in point? I DEVOURED E-Myth Revisited on the flight to my workshop in Denver last month. Like, it was the lost volume of Twilight or something. (While we’re on that topic, seriously, come on Stephanie, release Midnight Sun already!).

So, there you have it. I’m suddenly trading booklists with my banker of a brother-in-law for new reads. Checking up on all the booklists out there for small businesses and those of some of my favorite photography mentors (hello David Jay ) and taking note of the fact that if you want to investin your business, you better be thinking beyond just new lens and new camera bodies. You should be investing in words too. And there’s an abundance of ‘em out there. You just gotta give ‘em a chance and turn the page.

And if you want to share some of your own fave biz books, leave me a comment below or friend me on GoodReads

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

]]> http://gailwernerblog.com/i-be-up-in-bn-just-working-on-my-bizness/feed/ 13 http://gailwernerblog.com/30-hours-to-recharge/ http://gailwernerblog.com/30-hours-to-recharge/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:56:08 +0000 Gail Werner http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=1368 They say the first step in treating an addiction is self-admission, right? Well if that’s true, here goes Internet: I AM ADDICTED TO MY PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS.

I’m fully aware this problem plagues ALL small business owners. And since I’m the full-admission type, I’m OK with being one of the ones who puts those seven words out there. I mean, really, how normal is it to be rinsing the soap out of your hair in the morning and thinking, “Well, I could offer a wedding album with THAT wedding package…” or twisting and turning at night with thoughts about your accountant and your lawyer keeping you from sweet dreams? NORMAL PEOPLE JUST DON’T DO THAT.

This is a down time of year for many photographers, but don’t let that fool you: Those of us vested in growing our businesses are like ants stockpiling food for winter. (Translation: Whereas we spend our summers shooting and editing, we spend our winters working to make the business side of things that much better for you—our clients—and for us, our sanity, and our loved ones who put up with us).

Just as I was beginning to wonder how I could afford myself a break to just, you know, have ONE HOUR OF MY EVENINGS not consumed with thoughts of my business, an e-mail hit my inbox from Sarah Petty of The Joy of Marketing. Sarah sent a note out to photographers encouraging us to make 2010 our best year ever and in it, recommended we set limits for ourselves as part of that mission. Here’s a snippet:

Do you ever feel like you are working ALL THE TIME? Brian Tracy, internationally acclaimed speaker and educator says to give yourself time to heal, like you would a wound. If you are hopping on your computer all weekend working a little here and there, it is like picking at a wound. He recommends having a 36 hour time frame EACH WEEK where you don’t work. That is how your engine recharges.

Sarah, here’s to taking your advice. For me, I’m aiming for 30 hours each week for myself. For my husband. For guilt-free Thursday nights spent watching The Office, Parks and Rec and 30 Rock. And for blissful Fridays spent with friends over long dinners or on dates with Nick or curled under a blanket with a book. OR FOR DOING WHATEVER I WANT THAT DOESN’T INVOLVED THE WORDS “PHOTOGRAPHY” and “BUSINESS”.

So it begins at 6 o’clock. TONIGHT. (and I’m typing this at 5:52 … working every minute ’til that self-imposed break can commence!) Wish me luck, ’cause I KNOWWWW I’m gonna need it. And if you want to join me and carve out 30 (or 36!) hours in your OWN week, go for it. Leave me a comment and I’ll be rooting for you as much as myself.

And because no post is a proper post on a photo blog without a photo, here’s a glimpse of what’s outside my back window on this cold January evening. Pretty isn’t it?

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.