Relax. It’s all going to be ok! You’ve booked your time with me so allow me to take over and lead you along the way. Don’t over think it, don’t stress about it, just trust that I have your best interest at heart!
Try to imagine this space we go into as a space where it’s just you and I hanging out for the afternoon.
STEP 2: GET YOUR OUTFITS TOGETHER.
So much of a good shot is the clothing. Not just because it looks good on you, but if your outfit makes you feel good, then that’s going to come out on camera!
The more comfortable you are, the more naturally flattering your outfit, the better you’ll feel, and the more confidence you’ll exude!
On a more practical level, the more your outfits compliment the background you’re going to be shot against, the better. If you’re going to be shooting in a green field, choose an outfit that will stand out against the green, but that won’t overpower it. Also think about how those colours compliment your branding and designs if these photos will be used on a website.
STEP 3: FIND INSPIRATION.
Please find some inspirational shots you’ve seen that you would love to recreate in your own style.
Whenever I’m working with someone for the first time, I like to put together a secret board of image ideas that capture the look they wish to create! I don’t necessarily try and recreate them, but just take those ideas and we can create our own style that suits you.
STEP 4: Posing Tips
Follow my lead on the day but if you’d like to practice here is a great YouTube video you can watch on posing.
STEP 4: Makeup and Hair
If you’re getting your hair and makeup professionally done for your shoot, it’s worth doing a test run of both. Make sure both come out how you want; this way, you’re not worried about how your hair or face will look on the day of your photoshoot.If you are considering getting professional makeup for your photoshoot please make sure the finish will be something that is natural looking and makes you feel confident. The last thing you want is to get your photos back and realise the makeup wasn’t you and doesn’t look like you.
As celebration for my 10th Birthday I will be doing a round of promos one a month for 10 months! Every month there will be something different. So keep your eyes open and ready as there will also be limited spaces!
Today only [Until 12pm 11th Jan] 50% off services with the bonus of 10% of sales for today going to Celeste Barber’s bushfire appeal.
This month’s promo is a 11% off all services, spaces limited book before 31 Jan.
It’s taken me a while to find the right words to say about my business turning 10. January 10, 2010. I spontaneously went right that’s it let’s do this and ask my family for help to set up my ABN. I remember sitting in bed that night with my partner at the time as we brainstormed the names for my business… I had a few. After hours of debate I really liked the word Epic and I kept playing around with the word Em and so merged together Emepic was born.
Check out the baby face on that one… Ha ha!
At the time I was working for a local magazine company in Gladstone Qld, where I was feeling a little undervalued and I knew I had more to offer than the constraints layout design. I had picked up a camera 5 years before this and it was a strong passion building within me. My first camera experience was with a Minolta film camera walking around Melbourne CBD. After getting the photos developed, I realised I had a keen eye for lines, textures and light.
My passion and love for photography was ignited when I was 16 I worked at a Mexican restaurant called Cactus Jacks in Gladstone, QLD it was here where I fell in love with Mexican food… I used to work that floor every night after school and weekends, every month some businessmen used to come and get their regular table and regular orders over the coming months I was to experience an encounter that would change me. One particular man named David was at the table and he took a likeness to me and my passion for life in general. He saw something in me which I hadn’t even really seen nor allowed myself to feel.
I told David how I had an interest in photography and that I took some shots in Melbourne while visiting family, turns out David was a professional photographer and late one night he stayed until close and showed me a series of photographs from a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam. These photos are etched into my mind and I could probably draw them and tell you the very detail of each one. The thrill and the life that ran through me in that moment was pivotal for me. It allowed me to take a deeper belief in something I knew I wanted to do.
I remember the first year in my business being so exciting, the work and the bookings for photoshoots flowed in. Friends and family all had their fair share of an Emepic shoot. I was the business that was everything to everyone. I was doing business cards for builders, musicians and beauty therapists while also doing maternity and newborn photography on top of taking my first wedding bookings!! Three years in I started to realise that being the all-rounder I had been wasn’t really serving me or the way I did business. In 2011 I booked myself out for weddings, and I was also doing graphic design for a lot of medium and large companies within Gladstone by the end of that year I was moving into burnout faster than my shutter speed. In October 2011 I found out I was pregnant, so my passions and my priorities had to take a shift.
I started to really learn about what sort of jobs I actually wanted to do. I took this downtime as a time to really reinvent and refine the work and services I was offering. It was then when I started to learn about niche marketing and how focusing on one service is better than trying to be everything to everyone.
I moved to Brisbane with my family in 2015 where once again I felt like I had to reinvent myself to fit the new crowd down there, it’s a very different vibe to the Gladstone I knew. I was lucky enough my graphic design clients kept sending me work from Gladstone and sometimes still do. The perks of technology! In 2016 I started contracting to Deliveroo taking photos of FOOD yum [that job had perks] and LOUENHIDE an international handbag company where I was able to really grow and learn about another industry environment. It was a great opportunity where I produced some great work.
It was also in Brisbane where I found the entrepreneurial woman… more and more I was attracting them. More and more I was loving the work and the connections.
2017 we moved to the Sunshine Coast! What a dream! Living by the beach, it was a relief to be back in a community that shares and cares. And here where I really grew into the services I now offer Logo Design, Business Branding, Websites and Brand Photography. 2
2016-2017 was my highest earning year in my business where I almost hit the 6 figure mark. I am proud of myself for that achievement considering I do it all the things myself. And considering 80% of my work is repeat clients I must be doing something right.
2018 and 2019 have by far been the hardest years for me personally and professionally with lots of personal changes as well as a change in focus for small business in the general economy. With that in mind I have had a reshuffle of my prices and packages. You can see the new price list here.
On location photography session at Wappa Dam, Sunshine Coast with Amanda from Motherhood By Design.
In October 2019 I started working for the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service where I am in a share role as the Publishing Officer providing design and photography! It’s been such a blessing for me allowing me the freedom to fill the gaps financially and still have things moving for my business.
This year for me I am focusing more on quality of work rather than quantity. Having the great opportunity working for the Hospital Service will allow me to again build on my skills as a graphic designer and photographer but also keep me fresh! I will also be studying some new skills soon which I will share with you in time. I am excited for what’s to come!
As celebration for my 10th Birthday I will be doing a round of promos one a month for 10 months! Every month there will be something different. So keep your eyes open and ready as there will also be limited spaces! This month’s promo is a 11% off all services, spaces limited book before 31 Jan.
Today only [10th Jan 2020] 50% off services with the bonus of 10% of sales for today going to Celeste Barber’s bushfire appeal.
If you got this far thank you for reading my waffle I hope we can connect, share and co-create! So much love! 💕 Em
Back when I started my business in 2010 I was young, I didn’t really have a plan and I went out trying to be the business that could serve all people, all businesses and all companies for all niches, sub niches and whatever else I could fit in there.
I did well. I have good pulling power when need be, I have my heart in the right place and my passion is strong. I love connection with people and I was eager to please. For the majority of the time business was good, but if I’m honest I was just winging it… I lacked direction, focus and structure. Things I that would have been so handy to know back then as I would be far more along the road then I am now.
Over that time I realised my passion wained when it came to working long hours on jobs I didn’t love, on working every weekend at every wedding or event I could. I worked long hours, nights and barely had a days rest.
It was about 5 years in when I realised I needed things to change. I gained age… WISDOM. And a little more confidence, patients and skills.. Maybe having kids helped put things into perspective. Now, today I run a business full of live, energy and flow. I gained confidence in life, in my true desires and my direction became clear.
Are you starting a new business venture.. or you might be a year or so in wondering why you didn’t invest in a good brand to start with and you’re now feeling ready to re-vamp?
If that’s you, you might want to download this branding and logo questionnaire around getting you clear on your message, your vibe and your tribe!
I so super passionate to help women in a whole new way to achieve #freedom, #confidence and #clarity within your #business by overcoming challenges such as not having enough hours to create a brand, social ads and ones that reflect you authentically, not feeling empowered in your online #branding, presence and having that lack of self-confidence that flows from you to your business that often stops you from achieving more sales conversions in your business and maintaining a brand and a business you can be proud of. We do this using the Personal Breakthrough Activation Program.
It’s about feeling empowered from soul level higher dimensions and grounding that into your body and your Business through Branding Embodiment and Marketing strategies.
I’m a business coach but more than that, it’s all the things you’ve wanted to invest in but in one package!
I’m very passionate about working with like minded women and helping them view themselves in a new light and transforming their inner light as well as their personal brand.
I have a unique background of graphic design and photography but the added skills of intuitive arts and energy healing/activations.
I work with ladies like you to really help you unlock the blocks you face personally, spiritually and through your business.
If your loving the sound of this, comment ‘activate me’ below and I will send you more info. One lucky person will win a free business activation.
A few months back before Christmas we did a soulful essence photography session for local Sunshine Coast Yoga Expert Emily Spurling, she is a game changer in her industry having a long list of skills under her belt. She runs world wide retreats and partners with many well known wellness programs, companies and tv subscriptions.
Here is a snippet of the of the photography session and the amazing photos we captured infused with the divine energy that moved through the session. I honestly had so much fun capturing her in her element and allowing her space to shine. It’s such an honour to be able to work with all the incredible women that I work with. ❤️💜💛
Emily Spurling of Karma Being is a Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher and Certified Holistic Health Coach who facilitates health and yoga retreats around the World. Recognised as an expert in her field, Emily has garnered much acclaim from her viewership on www.fmtv.com where she appears alongside other industry leaders including Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer and Dr Bruce Lipton to name a few.
With a decade of teaching experience under her belt Emily is also an eternal student of yoga globally with formal training in Hatha and Vinyasa flow. She has beautifully combined these styles to create her own much loved yoga experience. This ‘fusion’ style is the perfect blend of light and shade, one flow will have you generating heat and building lean muscle and in the next you will be blissing out in a slow, opening restorative sequence. Recently she has birthed her own take on the merging of Yoga and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for Yogis who want to take their fitness and physique to the next level. Emily’s style continues to evolve in unison with the ever changing landscape of her life. “Yoga has soothed my body after days snowboarding and surfing, nurtured me through the late stages of pregnancy and early days of motherhood and most recently helped me to be stronger than ever both physically and mentally.”
Emily is drawn to yoga and meditation as a way to become fully present and ‘show up’ as the best version of herself in all areas of life. “We are all expected to wear so many different ‘hats’ every day, as a mother of two beautiful children, a wife, entrepreneur and teacher, to name a few, it can be really confusing and challenging to stay grounded, positive and on my path. If we are not living in the moment then we’re not showing up, Yoga and meditation are my secret weapon and it is my pleasure to share this gift with you.”
This is Tori, a few months ago I got the opportunity to capture Tori’s beautiful essence at the Northern Beaches of Sydney. It took a little while for Tori to open up and relax in front of my camera, even though she is a pro in front of the Video camera she was self confessed at clamming up for still shots. We soon got chatting and the connection between us deepened. I had known Tori for around a year before the shoot but only through Facebook as we had connected previously through group chats and becoming ‘friends’ on Facebook. It’s so nice when you can finally connect with like minded women in the flesh!
After showing Tori a few moves for the camera and relaxing her through my terrible mum jokes, she started to shine! She started to have fun and relax into the space of joy and happiness and really allowed her truth to shine through.
Tori teaches female entrepreneurs how to grow their business through the use of video. Video is the strongest medium for engagement, traction and reach. It allows you to connect with heart & convert with ease. It is both an opportunity and essential skill in online business, whatever your stage.
Do you procrastinate around filming or do you ‘shoot n hope’? Sadly, neither convert your view time to clients. Grab my free guide to guide you through YOUR best next step with filming biz videos.
She believes that sound strategy and genuine client connection does more for your camera confidence than good hair. The purpose of video is NOT know, like, trust. If you think it is (as many ‘video gurus’ teach!), grab Tori’s free guide HERE for another perspective that will make hitting record WORTH IT.
I have such a wonderful life, so blessed being able to capture my dear friend and yes I say friend as Mitlé Southey had been an acquaintance, then a client and now a friend and it seems I’m even luckier as most of my dear clients have become my close friends and some even start to feel like family.
This is a photography session I captured back in September, I really strive to capture my clients in their soulful essence and I feel this was just how it was for Mitlé Southey thank you for letting me capture you in your inner light and essence. These photos were taken on Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast. \\
I also transformed Mitlé’s website from one of lacking direction and flow and we added graphics onto the images to create a brand and ease that ooses her personality and vibe. I can’t wait to show you what we have created, it will be released very soon.
I just love the way the sun kisses the sand and the mirror that the ocean creates all these synchronicities create the perfect environment for a photography session!
Here are some slides we created for the website… sneak peek!
Check out the baby face on that one… Ha ha!
