Biz Break | Purple Cow

You can be the absolute best at what you do, but if no one knows you exist does being the best matter? Nope. If you give your clients what they expect, nothing more or less, will they be satisfied? Maybe. Will they tell other people how great you are? Probably not. So, how are you supposed to get noticed? Be remarkable. Be a purple cow.

The Purple Cow was in the list of recommended reading I made during the Gray Photography Workshop. Being remarkable was a theme for the business portion of the workshop and it resonated with me so much that I made it part of my mission statement.

Seth Godin begins the book telling a story of his family driving through France and being amazed by the picture perfect cows but after seeing them for miles they all grew bored and started ignoring them.

"Cows, after you've seen them for a while, are boring. They may be perfect cows, attractive cows, cows with great personalities, cows lit by beautiful light, but they're still boring. A Purple Cow, though. Now that would be interesting. (For a while.)"

My review: 5 out of 5 stars
Where the E Myth was a crash course in business, the Purple Cow is a crash course in marketing. Godin explains the basic concepts and then gives scores of examples of how they used to work. He then presents case after case where following these traditional concepts is failing miserably while being a Purple Cow leads to success.

Nuggets from this book...

• Among the people who might buy your product, most will never hear about it.
• Stop advertising and start innovating.
• Don't try to create a product for everybody because that is a product for nobody.
• In almost every market the boring slot is filled.
• The opposite of remarkable is very good.
• Being safe is risky.
• If you just do what you are supposed to do no one will care. Be remarkable! 

Godin has challenged me to re-think the how's and why's of my business. Maybe the next time you see me you'll see a little bit of a purple glow ;)

Tuscaloosa, Alabama Wedding | Lauren + Jason

Lauren and Jason were married in a beautiful backyard wedding ceremony. And this backyard? It was made for a wedding. The couple said 'I Do' at sunset overlooking the family lake in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Prepare yourself for a lot of flower photos in this post. I just couldn't help myself... they're all SO pretty :)

I love the lace on Lauren's gown and the earrings passed down by her grandmother.



I definitely see a future photographer here. She was rockin' that disposable camera :)

Lauren, you are brilliant! And that bouquet... I. Die.

 

Halfway through the reception the wedding party decided it was too hot not to take a dip in the pool... still fully decked out in their gowns and suits. Jason and Lauren's mom followed shortly after. Then they all changed and danced the night away. What a fun group!!

Friday Faves and Raves

Happy Friday!!

This week's fave is my ExpoDisc. It's a white balancing tool used to get color right IN-CAMERA while you're shooting. I first used one at the Gray Photography Workshops and it quickly became one of my favorite pieces of gear. I'm a total photo nerd and wear it around my neck at every shoot now :)

Both of the images below are straight out of camera (sooc), which means I did not do anything to them in post processing. The image on the left was shot with my camera set to auto white balance. The one on the right was shot using the ExpoDisc to configure a custom white balance.  White balance is something that can be corrected in post processing, but I prefer getting it right while shooting. Less time editing = more time with my family. LOVE!

Rave: Wedding Detail... Cotton
You would think, being in the South, that cotton is a detail I'd see more often but I don't. I've only seen it in photographs. Cotton can be used in place of/in addition to flowers, as a cake topper, in a back drop. What do you think? How can you imagine using the prettiness of cotton for your wedding? It would give your guests (and your photographer) something to rave about. F'reals.

(photo credit: Jasmine Star, Aric+Casey Photography, and Anna Kuperberg)

*Sidebar*
As I wrote this blog I realized that if one of my brides used cotton in her wedding that I would probably have to touch it at some point during the day. And, well... I have an irrational fear of touching cotton. It's not a fear really, it's just that touching cotton (or hearing it squeak) makes my teeth hurt. Just another reason to love my second shooter :)

**Double Sidebar**
Pinterest is THE awesome.

Everyday

Olive,
I clearly remember asking you to stop growing up so fast. Didn't you hear me? I guess it's not your fault and I honestly do love watching you grow. I just know I'm going to miss you being little and all the cute stuff you do everyday.

You like to snuggle when you wake up. Sometimes your dad and I race to see who can get to your bedroom first.
You brush your hair to make it pretty after I've brushed it.
You crawl into the kitchen and ask to 'each' when it's time for dinner.
You've almost figured out how to unlock my cell phone. A picture of your dad appears on the screen when you press the big button. You love pressing it and saying 'DaDa'.
You hold all your toys to your ear and say 'hewoo'
You ask for your bath at night and get really excited when we turn the water on. I love hearing your happy squeals and giggles.
You try to eat all the bubbles in the tub.
You say 'night night' when it's time for bed. Bedtime kisses are my favorite.

Everyday you are awesome.

Pisgah, Alabama | Gorham's Bluff Wedding: Maria + Adam

Relaxed. That's the first word that comes to mind when I think back on Maria and Adam's wedding day. That and sweet. Sweelaxed? Hmm...

Maria and Adam said 'I Do' at Gorham's Bluff in Pisgah, AL and the setting suited them perfectly. The 'town' is just as sweet as can be. Houses with white picket fences and perfectly manicured yards lined the streets up to the Lodge which sits at the top of a gorgeous bluff. It was nothing short of picturesque.

Maria and Adam had a large wedding party so Alisa and I tag-teamed getting ready. I shot the guys and love this shot of Adam.

 

Overlooking the bluff. I broke out in a cold sweat when Adam stepped that close to the edge... you would NOT catch me out there.