Lucy And The Lens

Category: Advertising and Self Promotion

  • The Subconscious Mind With Mrs Mindset at Mums In Business

    Back in October 2023 I went to a networking event with mums in business, having realised you don’t have to be a mum but a woman in business.

    The talk was with Mrs. Mindset talking about how your subconscious mind affects business without you knowing.

    It was all about how our subconscious minds prevent us from doing the things we need to do to improve our business strategy.
    For example, if we’re worried about failing, our subconscious mind will tell us to give up before we even start.
    Or, if we’re worried about not being good enough, we’ll procrastinate and never get around to taking the necessary steps to improve.
    It’s fascinating stuff, and it really makes you think about how your own subconscious mind might be holding you back in business.
    If you’re not aware of it, it can be a real barrier to success.

    One of the things Gemma did with us is an exercise where we had to use non verbal communication to give yes or no answers to questions another person in the group asked us. It felt very strange as you just want to speak but it makes you more aware of how your subconscious mind reacts.

    The key takeaways from Mrs. Mindset talk are:

    Your subconscious mind is always seeking to protect you from harm and will often set barriers to prevent you taking risks.

    However, you can overcome these barriers by using your willpower to force yourself to take action.

    For example, if you have a fear of dogs like me, you can use your willpower to force yourself to stroke a dog next time you see one and get into a more calm zone. Which I did this morning in a coffee shop that has a resident cocker spaniel.

    Similarly, if you are afraid of public speaking, you can use your willpower to force yourself to give a presentation.

    By using your willpower to overcome your fears, you will slowly but surely break down the barriers your subconscious mind has set.

    So, if you want to achieve your goals, don’t let your subconscious mind hold you back. Use your willpower to take action and overcome your fears!

    Thanks for reading! Your insights on how your subconscious mind might be holding you back in business would be greatly appreciated. So please go give Mrs. Mindset a follow on linkedin or facebook if you want to learn more about how you can break down the barriers and strive for success.

  • Creating A Strong Personal Brand as A Photographer

    Here are my thoughts on why it’s important to create a strong personal brand as a photographer.

    A personal brand is the way you present yourself to the world. It is the sum of what people say about you when you’re not in the room. Your personal brand is what sets you apart from everyone else. As a photographer, your personal brand is especially important. In a saturated market, it can be difficult to stand out. Your personal brand is what will make you stand out from the crowd. It is what will make people remember you. Creating a strong personal brand will help you to succeed in your photography career. It will make you more marketable and ultimately, it will help you to make more money.

    In order to do this start creating a strong social media presence. This means regularly posting high-quality content and engaging with your followers. It’s a great way to showcase your work and I find that more clients find me this way than any other way. You should also have a website where you showcase your work and make it easy to navigate.

    Secondly, you need to be active in the photography community. Attend industry events, meetups, and workshops. Get to know other photographers and build relationships. These connections will not only help you grow professionally, but they can also lead to referral business.

    Third, always be marketing yourself. Make sure potential clients know who you are and what you do. Attend networking events, hand out business cards, and connect with people on social media. The more people you reach, the better chance you have of growing your business.

    Creating a strong personal brand is essential for any photographer who wants to be successful. Comment below if you’re working on building your personal brand!

  • The Importance Of Networking

    Today I want to talk about the importance of networking.

    I go to a variety of networking events predominantly CWS Creatives.

    Networking provides me with benefits for my business as it allows me to meet new people and build professional relationships.

    By attending networking events, I can connect with potential customers or clients, as well as other business professionals who can provide helpful advice or referals.

    As a freelance photographer who is looking to expand my customer base. Attending a networking event can put me in contact with businesses and individuals who may be interested in working with me . Networking can also help you connect with potential employers. And if you simply want to learn more about your industry, networking can provide you with the opportunity to speak with other professionals who can share helpful insights.

    Whether you are looking to meet new people, gain industry knowledge, or find new job prospects, attending a networking event can help you achieve your goals.

    If you’re looking to benefit from all that networking has to offer, comment below and let us know what events you’ll be attending!

  • Victorian Fair

    A Few months ago I went to Winckley Square in Preston to photograph a Victorian Fair with Preston Photographic Society. This involved people lots of people dressing up in costumes that depicted the victorian era and a couple of comedic acts.

    There was a juggler and a magician who used a crystal ball as a prop. He was my favourite because it enabled me to get reflections in the glass and made it a more interesting shot.

    I really enjoyed the fact that you could print your own victorian shopping bag by pushing down a wooden block through the ink to print the pattern on the bag and leave it to dry for 30 minutes.

    Lastly, there was a theatre performance titled The Palace of Curiosities from some actors dressed in Victorian Attire and I rather enjoyed the afternoon. I decided to post this now because from the 13th May-9th June there is an exhibition for this in Avenham Park Pavilion Cafe where three of my photos are on display so watch this space.

  • Photography And Social Media Marketing

    I’ve been passionate about photography for as long as I can remember and it’s only in the last couple of years I realised that you need more than just photographs.

    I’ve made social media marketing into one of my top priorities on the way to starting a business. It all began when I decided I needed a platform to showcase my images rather, than just making photo books as a portfolio and for people that know me personally to see.

    These days everything is online so in around February 2016 I bought my domain name Lucy and the Lens and I continue to update my work as often as I can. For the first couple of months I wasn’t sure where my idea was going to go and it wasn’t until April that I decided to start my blog and add a gallery.

    In August I decided that when your working it becomes even harder to take a trip to photograph something every week. So with my current busy schedule I decided that setting up photo challenge Friday as a new page where I challenge myself to post a new challenge every week was a good idea. I also tell people to participate in challenges on my blog and upload them to #lucyandthelens on twitter and instagram.

    I also set up a Facebook page and once I have completed a couple of new shoots I upload a set of new images on their and I also promote this website on my page.

    For my Instagram channel after every new shoot I upload my photoshop edited images to my phone and select my favourites for Instagram and make sure I #. No matter what I post I always #lucyandthelens and #photographer and I have also started to #nikond3200 (the camera model) and the lens I shot on and I believe that the rest should be kept a mystery apart from on my web galleries.

    For me I use twitterfeed.com because it creates a quick and easy way for me to upload my blog posts to my twitter and Facebook accounts.

    I am currently in the process of creating my twitter chat schedule as at the moment my twitter simply reposts my blog, but my aim is to do at least one tweet a day other than my blog post and Instagram feed. To be successful in my eyes I need to be tweeting other photographers and re-tweeting and reimagining trends in photography.

    In conclusion I think that the way you market yourself in this day and age is just as important as taking the photographs as you get nowhere without an online presence.

    I hope this post has opened your eyes to how I market myself and if you’re inspired then get social media savvy, you won’t regret it.