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And if you prefer to watch a video of the answers, see video below on my YouTube Channel :
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The Q&A in text format
What’s the one thing that you’re really worried about right now?
My main revenue stream / income ( almost 90% of my entire income ) used to come from photography. Because of COVID19, that income stream has dried up to almost zero. Thankfully, since I always strived for multiple revenue streams, I had a couple of other options to look at. I have since pivoted to doing more work in the workshops & consulting space AND I’m also being more aggressive with selling my paintings and brooches. But, I am worried that my Instagram audience – people who followed me for photography content – might leave if I start posting content related to my workshops or consulting. THAT is my biggest worry right now.
I’m a wedding photographer who hasn’t posted on IG since March. How do I start posting again? Posting about weddings just didn’t seem right … how do I re-approach it now, 4 months later?
If you look at Instagram as a platform where you share your work – have you stopped working? If you haven’t stopped working, I do not see any reason to stop posting on IG. Be sensitive about the caption & communicate that you’re hopeful of things getting better. Not because this is something people want to hear but because this is the truth. We are all hopeful. Meanwhile, here’s a bride & groom who chose to make a new beginning in these bleak times, giving hope to all of us. POST NOW! Briefly mention why you stopped, why you’re re-starting & what you’re hoping to do differently. ( That’s three content ideas! )
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If there are so many things you want to do… how to zero in on one?
Who says that you have to do only one? Try everything and evaluate what makes you happy, what makes you money, what makes you famous, what earns you authority, etc. You won’t know till you do it. Do everything. Prioritize. Eliminate. If you’re spending too much time doing X & it’s not getting you what you want ( fame / money / peace ), then stop and try something else.
In the context of “You are not your customer”, how do you price your products?
My pricing is based on CoDB : Cost of Doing Business plus what the market is willing and able to pay. And of course #GoalKyaHai aka what am I trying to do by pricing a certain product / service a particular way. Some elements of pricing are also brand positioning and signaling. Not all pricing is meant to generate a sale ASAP. When I say “I am not my customer“, my pricing is not for me. It is not based on whether I would buy the product / service or whether I am able or willing to pay a certain amount for it. It is based on whether my typical customer is able and willing to pay for the product / service I am creating / selling.
What is the photography equipment that you use and what is your workflow?
Nikon D800 or D810 cameras. Nikkor 24-70, 70-200, 14-24 F2.8 lenses and the 85mm f1.4 lens. Nikon SB900 speedlights. Smartphone is the Pixel 3XL. Workflow is SHOOT. EDIT. SHARE. I shoot RAW on the DSLRs, I shoot a LOT, I bring the files into Adobe Lightroom, I edit, I export and organize and then I upload client files and publish the assignment on my blog.
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What is #NAINAMAMA? : “Naina’s Monday Ask Me Anything”.
Having used the “Ask Me Anything” questions box on Instagram Stories over the last few years, I’ve considered doing it in a more structured way and I’ve observed that a lot of the questions are repeated. The repetitiveness is understandable because of the nature of Instagram. Stories are gone after 24 hours and not everyone gets to see them. This is not only a waste of my time, but also a loss of information that someone might find useful. I have, indeed, considered saving these stories as “Story Highlights” on my Instagram profile but I do not like how they eat up valuable real estate. Someone visiting my Instagram profile for the first time, sees my profile photo, my statistics, my bio and then an entire row of Story Highlights and THEN they get to the real reason they are likely to engage with me : my work. Without the Story Highlights, they can see six posts and 1/5th of another three. With the Story Highlights they can only see the first three posts in their entirety, which, to me, is unacceptable.
Every Monday, I will put up the Q&A box on my Instagram Stories and attempt to answer about 5-10 questions. I will also document those questions on my blog, similar to today’s blog post.
