June 20, 2009
When I got hit, they bandaged up my wounds, and somehow my skin had an allergic reaction to the tape that they used — that in turn caused a bacterial infection in my throat, which turned into a severe allergic reaction which sent me to the emergency room a couple times. Last week, after countless tests — when I went in on Thursday they didn’t even know where to poke me because both my arms were so black and blue — they finally got to the root of the problem and now I’m on antibiotics to treat the problem. I feel better already and the doctor said I should be good to go by tomorrow. I’m SO relieved. I’ve never had a baby or anything even remotely that painful, but I’ve broken a few bones (in the past, not now), I’ve been hit by a car, I’ve had stitches, I’ve been poked in the eye, I once landed on my head doing a back tuck, all kinds of crap — and this is easily the most miserable experience of my life. All last week at night I would wake up screaming bloody murder because I literally wanted to scratch my eyeballs out. Have you ever felt like your pupils itch and you were going to claw your eyes out for real? Because let me tell you, it’s not a good feeling.
There’s a photo under the jump, so honestly, keep reading only if you’re not easily grossed out.
June 18, 2009
So today S. and I were talking and we decided that we wanted to photograph another wedding for free this year. Last year’s experience was probably more rewarding for us than the double bride and groom so I can’t say this is a totally unselfish decision.
I am posting on this without having really thought it through though — mostly just because I’m having a bad day after being in the hospital 5 out of the last 6 days (and tomorrow will make it 6 out of the last 7) and I’m feeling sorry for myself. But, that’s just ridiculous. I should be up skipping through the forest and whistling and happy to be alive! Anyway, I thought I might feel better if I did something nice for someone else. And I’d like to continue generating good karma so that the next time I get run over by a car I’ll survive again. 
Here’s how it’s going to work, although I may re-think this and change some of the details. I want to let my blog readers choose who the wedding is going to. But, I want this gift to go to someone who really deserves/needs it. I’m looking for inspiring stories of love that triumphs over all — distance, medical problems, financial problems, discrimination, etc. And there are a few hitches. Said couple must be getting married on a date that we are not already booked or traveling between the months of October (2nd week at the earliest)-Feb within the general Santiago region.
So anyone who would like to apply for this wedding, please send me your story telling me why you should be the one to win the free wedding photography. Or you may nominate someone else. Please also send a photo of the couple because when we vote I would like to upload all the photos/stories to the blog so that you guys, the readers can be the judges! All entries should be sent to kylehepp@gmail.com before September 1, 2009 in Spanish or English, doesn’t matter. Please feel free to repost this in your blogs or email it out if know anyone you think might be deserving.
Please note: We’re not putting any kind of monetary limit on how much people should earn for a living to be eligible for the contest. But do not apply if you’re just someone who wants to save a few bucks on your wedding. That’s not what this is about. This is about finding and hopefully helping out a couple who has to overcome.
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Hoy dia mi esposo S. y yo estabamos conversando y decidimos que queremos fotografiar a otra boda gratis esta temporada de bodas. Probablemente salimos ganando mas nosotros que las dos parejas a quienes fotografiamos sus matrimonios el ano pasado asi que tengo que admitir que la decision igual fue un poco egoista.
Estoy posteando esto sin hablero pensando mucho — mas que nada porque hoy fue un dia malo despues de tener que visitar el hospital 5 de los ultimos 6 dias (y manana ya seran 6 de 7) y me estoy lamentando un poco la suerte. Pero eso es totalmente ridiculo. Debeo estar brincando y silbando en el bosque con la pura alegria de estar viva! Y bueno, me dio una locura de una idea que me podria sentir mejor si es que hiciera alguna cosa simpatica para otra persona. Ademas, me gustaria seguir generando buena karma para que la proxima vez que alguien me atropelle sobrevivire de nuevo 
Bueno, asi va a funcionar, aunque a lo mejor lo voy a re-pensar y re-hacer algunos de los detalles. Quiero dejar que mis lectores de blog eligin para quien va a ser la fotografia de boda. Quiero que este regalo va a alguien que realmente lo merece o lo neceista. Estoy buscando historias de amor que inspiran y triunfan sobre todo — distancia, problemas de plata, problemas medicas, discriminacion. Pero si, hay algunas cositas pequenas. Esta pareja tiene que estar casandose en una fecha que tenemos libre y estamos en Chile entre los meses de Octubre (2 semana a lo mas temprano)- Febrero, dentro de la Region Metropolitana.
Asi que cualquier pareja que le gustaria postular para esta fotografia de bodas gratis, por favor mandenme un mail contandome su historia, diciendome porque deben ganar el concurso ustedes. Que les hace el amor que tiene muy unico, especial, duradero. O tambien puedes nominar a otra pareja. Por favor tambien mandenme una foto de ustedes porque cuando votemos quiero subir todas las fotos y historias al blog para que los lectores puedan ser los jueces. Todas postulaciones deben ser mandadas a kylehepp@gmail.com antes del 1 de Septiembre, 2009, en Espanol o Ingles, no importa. Por favor, reposten en sus bloges y mandalo por mail a cualquier pareja que tu crees merece algo asi.
Ojo: No estamos poniendo ninguna regla de cuanta plata debe ganar la gente que salga ganando el concurso. Pero, por favor, no postulen si son solamente una pareja que quiere ahorrar unos pesos en su boda. De eso no se trata el concurso. Se trata de encontrar y ayudar a una pareja que ha tenido que vencer obstaculos.
June 17, 2009
Today, like I had mentioned that we were going to, I did a short charla (talk) on marketing yourself as a wedding photographer.
I’m not going to mention every little detail of what we talked about on this blog, but I thought it would be good to cover the main topics for people who had to miss out.
There are three things that have been fundamental in starting a wedding photography business to me in Chile and those three things have changed the way I do business. I am still the same photographer, but truthfully, my way of looking at my little business has totally changed.
So here’s the basic rundown.
1. Market yourself to your clients via your strongest points. If I market yourself as “Kyle the most awesome photographer ever,” that’s just a lose/lose situation. Because I’m not the most awesome. I might be good as a photographer (or I might not, it doesn’t really matter), but I will never be the best. There will always been someone else out there better than me. So it makes much more sense to try and market myself as “Kyle, a really awesome person,” and truly that has worked for me. I feel much more confident going into client meetings now knowing that I don’t have to try and sell myself as the best wedding photographer ever. If people are hiring me it’s because they like me – the combination of a person and photographer!
~info from a talk I heard on a Jasmine Star video.
2. Specialize in something. You can’t market yourself as the best wedding photographer/baby photographer/family portrait photographer/pet photographer/landscape photographer, all at once. That’s part of why I changed my website. Now you can see all the shoots that I do on my blog, but only my wedding/couples shoots will go in my portfolio. Because I want it to be clear that when people come onto my website that I am a photographer who specializes in LOVE!!!!
~this has been banged into my head ten thousand times via Zack Arias’ amazing critique videos. I’ve watched them all, and they are all SO useful, can’t recommend checking them out enough!
3. Have a strong web presence. My first clients came from my personal blog. A lot of my clients continue coming from blog or from being a friend of a friend of a bride whose photos I uploaded on Facebook. I know, especially in Chile, it’s tempting to say, “Oh that person is a successful fill in the blank because they have a lot of contacts,” and obviously more contacts never hurt. But, Internet is the best way for people to locate me and has been where the vast majority of my brides and grooms have come from. I started with a lot of gringa brides via Chilespouses and other connections that I had, but honestly, now I get more people from Google than anywhere else that hire me.
My website is more to look professional for the people who find it while searching for a wedding photographer, but honestly, the blog is the number one thing that’s impacted my business. It gives my clients a chance to know who I am before they hire me. And that’s so important. And it lets me put my style out there so that people know what to expect when they hire me. It’s win/win for everyone! I’ve also put a lot of work into researching SEO techniques, which absolutely anybody can do because all that information is online, about how to get my blog to appear higher in Google and it seems to be working because right now I’m one of the first that shows up in www.google.cl for “fotografia matrimonios santiago chile” and “fotografia bodas santiago chile,” all because of a few veeeeeery simple techniques that I’ve implemented into my blogging. I’ve heard other photographers say, “You can be the best wedding photographer in the entire world, but if no one can find you then it doesn’t matter.” It’s sort of like that saying, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound? In wedding photography, the answer is no.
~info from me
So those are the basics of what we talked about today. We discussed toooooons of other stuff, but that’s all I have energy to write out because my new meds are kicking in and they make me not be able to keep my eyes open. If anyone wants to know more I’m happy to answer any questions with my tiny pittance of knowledge or at least point you in the right direction to some answers!
Tomorrow I’ll be writing about what everyone wants to know — how to make money in wedding photography. Just take my word for it when I say that there’s no easy way!
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