Ever wonder what you really need to run a successful photography business. With so many tools out there, we get that it can be overwhelming researching, trying out the new products, or signing up for new services. Not only can it cost you a lot of money, but it takes time and work. I’ve put together a guide of the must-haves for my business. Seriously, these are the tools I cannot run my business without.

My rule when investing in any service or a product is that it must meet my criteria of three:

  • 1. Will it save me time?
  • 2. Will this create a better experience for my clients?
  • 3. Will I use it often?

While these services work for my business, note that they may not all be ideal for your business. It is important to invest in opportunities that fit your brand and will help your business grow.

Honeybook

Hands down the best investment, thus far! I can’t imagine running my business without this platform. Honeybook offers an experience that will benefit not just you, but your clients as well. It is an all in one service that allows you to view, and engage with inquiries. Literally, the second your prospective client inquiries you get an email with all the details. You are able to communicate with your clients, schedule meetings, send proposals, contracts, receive payment and create timelines. The best part is that you are able to customize a workflow that fits with your business. From start to finish, you do this with ease. BONUS: Their mobile app is just as amazing! If you have not signed up, stop what you’re doing and go! Use my code for 50% off your first year. HONEYBOOK 50% OFF CODE 

Photo Mechanic

If you’re trigger happy like me, then this is something you definitely need. I typically use this to cull through my wedding galleries, as on average I look through 1,500 to 3,000 images per wedding. Photo Mechanic has made it easy to be able to hand select the images through their service and edit on your preferred editing platform.

Noble Presets

Love these presets so much! I use the Signature and BLK Preset that Noble offers. These presets allow me to create consistent imagery that represent by brand. Here at SWP we are all about the timeless, soft and romantic tones. These film inspired presets are a must for light and airy photographers. BONUS: They offer a mobile preset too!

Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop

Lightroom Classic and Photoshop are where the magic happens. Once I have hand selected my images through Photo Mechanic, I open them up in Lightroom and along with my handy-dandy Noble presets, I start to curate the imagery to deliver my final product. While you are able to do some adjustments in Lightroom, cloning and what not, my preferred platform to touch up images is through Photoshop. This way nothing unnecessary or distracting to the eye will remain in the final product. BONUS: Once you enroll in their services, you also get access through their mobile app!

JPEG Mini

One of the newest services I have been using for my business is JPEG Mini . This platform is amazing, it allows you to reduce file size without affecting the overall quality of your image. This is a plus for many reasons, it allows me to have more space available as I store on my external drive, on my online gallery and as I upload onto my website. Definitely would recommend this to everyone, not just photographers. * I use this platform once I have edited and exported the final gallery from Lightroom.

Pixieset

There are tons of online gallery services out there, but Pixieset has worked best for my business. From their printing lab options, to their subscription plans, and the overall clean look when presenting the gallery to my clients. On there we are able to create a Favorites List, share with family and friends on Facebook, and customize what they’d like others to see. Sign up using our code! PIXIESET SIGN UP CODE

Two Bright Lights

Getting your work recognized isn’t always an easy task. Now, with Two Bright Lights you don’t have to stress about all the time it takes to send to each publication. With convenience and hundreds of editors and publications to choose from, TBL is an amazing platform to connect you to the community and put your work out there for others to enjoy.

Planoly

For a clean and consistent feed, Planoly allows you to plan ahead. Using this has given me the creative outlet to hand pick what content to share, without feeling overwhelmed. It is really a great platform to organize. BONUS: Planoly is mobile friendly!

Bonus! Favorite Mobile Applications

Unfold | A great mobile app for Instagram stories! They offer a wide variety of templates for photo grids, fonts and so much more.

Word Swag | Love using this for creative ads, elegant stories and so much more!

Sun Seeker | Ever wonder where the sun will set? You don’t have to anymore!

Canva | Also available on your desktop. This platform is great for creating ads, Facebook covers, Pinterest post imagery, PDF’s, and so much more.

Not sure still? No worries! Many of these services offer free trials. These are great to test the waters and see what works better for you! Remember, find what fits your brand and business model best!