I shared some exciting news last week that I am building a team.  I am looking for a handful of associate photographers to expand my photography business.  Click here to apply!  After several years of trying to do it all I have realized it’s nearly impossible.  Our third baby was born in March and our family dynamic exploded, having 3 kids is no easy task, I have a kid, toddler, and a baby, all who need me in different ways.  In order to be more available for my family I had to make a decision, either to scale back photography or build a team and expand.  I have never been one to choose the easy route, so I made the decision to jump both feet in and expand. I am not so sure this is going to make life easier as I will be leading a team of associate photographers who represent my brand.

I have read several blogs about building an associate team and it seems that no two programs are alike, so I decided to create my own with policies that were most important to me, such as customer service, a passion for people, and being detail oriented.  I have spent nearly a decade curating and crafting my brand to represent my dream business.  Ethereal, light and airy, kind, romantic, soft, sunlit, clean, organic, and authentic.  I have crafted my brand through my own imagination, I have steered clear of using other artists in my field as inspiration, instead I have built a community outside of photography for inspiration.  I have always had a love of fashion, fine art, and Europe, I look to artists across the globe for direction.

The average photographer stays in business between 3-5 years, I am approaching my 8th year in business.  The main reasons for building an associate team are when you have outgrown your current market in price and availability.  Price can be a touchy subject since there really are no rules on how to price your business, only supply and demand.  The last several years I have had to raise my pricing to remain available not only for my clients but for my family.  In 2012 I shot 180 days in a row, that was the tipping point in my business.

I have decided to bring on 5-8 associate photographers to bridge that gap between price and availability.  An associate photographer is a contractor.  They will be notified of assignments on an as needed basis. There are no set number of hours or contracts available. The associate photographer agrees to work for the studio as an independent contractor providing photography services when needed. After the assignment they will turn over all images photographed to me for editing, blogging, social media, and final client delivery.  By hiring an associate photographer the client will receive a significant discount, they will book their session and make payments to Nicole Conner Photography.  After final images have been received and reviewed the associate photographer will receive payment for the assignment.

I have had such wonderful response to my announcement I will be interviewing  a handful of associate prospects this week.  I can’t thank my community, clients, and friends enough for their love and support through the last 8 years, I am so hopeful for the future of my brand and to build a team of amazing associate photographers to deliver an even more amazing experience than before!

Love, Nicole Conner