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Forget something for your session? No worries--I've got you covered!  Let's face it--there are a lot of portrait photographers out there! One way I stand out is by prioritizing not just exceptional photography, but also providing a thoughtful and comprehensive client experience. I understand that small details can make a big difference, which is why I meticulously prepare for every session with a kit that includes essentials like a Tide stick for last-minute stains, Hollywood tape for wardrobe adjustments, a lint roller, and even Q-tips for makeup touch-ups. This attention to detail ensures that you feel confident and cared for throughout your session, allowing you to relax and truly shine in front of the camera.
I’m not just capturing images–I’m creating a comfortable and supportive environment where every detail is considered. From oil blotting sheets to hair ties and frizz tamer, I anticipate and address potential concerns before they arise! I want to enhance your photography experience while ensuring that your senior portrait session is not only memorable but also stress-free and enjoyable. It’s not just a portrait session–it’s an experience! Join me!
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 Choosing a great location is one of the most important pieces of setting your senior session. The backdrops you select will set the stage for the entire session and will be an essential piece of every shot, pose and, ultimately, the finished product. I recommend picking a spot that’s special to you, either a spot you love, somewhere you frequent or a place that best represents you. If you play sports, some images on the field/track/court are a great place to start!  After you've narrowed down the list, it's important to think about some key logistics: are there restrooms? Is the distance from the parking lot to the actual shoot location far? If so, pack comfy shoes for everyone! Will there be places to change outfits, retouch hair and makeup and relax between shots? I do bring a changing tent for clothing changes but you may want to bring a mirror to check hair and/or makeup. Also, think about the popularity of the location you are choosing--will there be crowds nearby, and, if so, are you comfortable shooting in front of others?  I've seen amazing sessions everywhere from backyards to baseball fields, lakes to open meadows. If you are really at a loss for locations, no worries! I do know the southeastern Wisconsin area quite well and can help make recommendations based on your unique needs, personality and inspiration.
Have other questions about senior portrait sessions? Shoot me an email to request a copy of my Senior Guide or visit here to request my Senior Tips brochure! I'd love to help! We all have that one family member who is uncomfortable being photographed. They are the ones who mysteriously disappear whenever the camera comes out at family events. Maybe that person is you! My mom is that person in my family–a search of my photo archives on my phone resulted in zero photos of my mom and a few of my dad. The last formal portrait made of my mom was on her wedding day (almost 64 years ago!) The few snapshots I have were taken surreptitiously so she wouldn’t realize that we were taking photos of her–we’re like paparazzi in the bushes! What remains are only a handful of images of us as a family and, honestly, it makes me sad. Both she and my dad are in their 80s. They won’t be here forever. I know, I know–I have the memories but I wish there were more portraits and photos to go along with those memories. If I’m being completely honest, there were many times when I was that one mysteriously disappearing family member too! I am much more comfortable behind the camera and this has always been the case. I always felt awkward, the person who didn’t know how to pose, didn’t know what to do with my hands, didn’t like the way I looked in photos. And then one day, I realized that I had so many photos of my daughter but hardly any with us together and again, that made me sad. So I made a point of making sure I included myself in our photos (although I am always happy if I can have access to the digital files so I can retouch–old habits die hard!) As your photographer, I get it and I’m here to help–I want your session to be a fun, relaxing experience for everyone–I want to see your genuine smiles, emotions and relationships with each other! That’s why I take my time to get to know you during our pre-session consultation as well as during the actual session. Don’t fear the camera--let me help you borrow your moments in time. Schedule your complimentary consultation today!
I have done "photo a day" challenges in the past, focusing on the challenge for a month or two. However, for 2018, I wanted to truly push myself with 365 days of photography. I started 2018 with running around in sub-zero temps to get shots of the wolf moon and freaked out some poor guy who thought I was having car trouble in the process! But I got the shot and have continued on for the past week. A result of this challenge is I'm continually seeing, instead of just looking. I am also making myself go outside in the elements. We have been in the single digits and sub-zero temps for the past 12 days and my typical response is to hibernate for as long as possible. However, since I'm doing this challenge, I'm hiking around outside, enjoying nature, getting fresh air and seeing the beauty that winter offers. My 3 words for 2018 are experience, explore and fit. I am hoping this challenge will help push me out of my comfort zone to explore more of my home state and enjoy more experiences. Photos are taken with Canon EOS 7D and iPhone 7+. Follow me on Instagram (@coachrobynadair) or Facebook (@robynadairphoto) to see daily photos. In the meantime, here are photos from days 1-6.  Choose goals that are a little terrifying. Big goals force you out of complacency and push you to take on challenges you normally wouldn’t attempt.
The last big physical challenge I embarked on was a marathon in 2016. Marathon training tends to take over your life. However, when you see the finish line and realize you are going to actually finish, you realize it’s worth it. It’s even worth all of the missed opportunities for sleeping in on weekends and staying out late on Saturday nights that everyone else who isn’t training gets to do. It’s empowering, motivating and a definite confidence builder. I didn’t train for anything in 2017. And I’m not going to lie—it felt good to ride my bike when I wanted, run whatever distance and speed I wanted, sleep in on weekend mornings. I had enough on my plate with my business and it was fun to have a social life that didn’t end at 9:00pm every night! However, I am up for a new challenge in 2018 and that challenge is going to be the Ride Across Wisconsin, a 175-mile bike ride from Dubuque, IA to Kenosha, WI over two days. I am fortunate enough to have found a couple of training partners and possible RAW ride buddies and the ride is supported. It’s hilly—definitely a challenging goal! And I’m pumped to take up this challenge!  One afternoon earlier this year, as I was on my way home from a client appointment, my cell phone rang. My daughter was on the other end and she was in tears. Cecilia worked as an aesthetician at a spa/salon and had started a side business as a makeup artist for weddings and special events. The spa discovered her business Facebook page and issued an ultimatum: close your business and stay with the spa or pursue her business but lose her job. Mind you, she wasn’t taking any business away from the spa. She focuses on brides who want their makeup done on location, a service the spa did not provide.
She wanted to keep building her business but was afraid to lose the guaranteed income that comes with being an employee. I told her to let the spa job go and take a chance with her own business. Cecilia is not unaware of the ups and downs, fears and joys that come with an entrepreneur life. Both her dad and I currently have or have had our own businesses down through the years. She has seen us succeed and she has seen us fall on our faces. After some thought and conversation, she dried her tears, gathered her gumption and embarked on her entrepreneur adventure—and she has never looked back. Cecilia's initial goal was to book 12 brides. Since she launched, she has not only exceeded that goal but her makeup artistry has appeared on the cover of Milwaukee magazine, fashion runways and the faces of beautiful brides for whom she has created wonderful, timeless looks. She was a featured artist at the RAW show at the Rave last Wednesday. Yes, I am her biased mom, but I’m super proud of this girl, her bravery and her successes! Sometimes, life takes you places you don’t expect to go. As an entrepreneur, you have to be able to acknowledge your fear, pull on your big girl (or big boy) pants and take a chance. Are you a looking for a makeup artist? Check out Aesthetics by Cecilia for more information!  What is freedom for you? For me, freedom is having the opportunity to be an entrepreneur and pursuing the things about which I am passionate. How can fear of the unknown, those ups and downs that all entrepreneurs experience still translate into a feeling of freedom?
Bravery and freedom are not an absence of fear. As an entrepreneur, I have plenty of fear. There are definitely things that keep me up at night. I know I will make mistakes. I know I may have days, weeks, months when I wonder how I will pay the bills. I know there will be mornings when I'm thinking what in the heck did I get myself into! I know some days will be an uphill battle to keep moving forward. I know I will experience small failures and I know there is a risk of completely failing. But, I accept those risks not because I am without fear, but because I am free to work at something I am passionate about. I am free to make and learn from those mistakes and failures. And I'm free to taste and enjoy my successes. Entrepreneurship takes us down some scary, bumpy paths and we may have days when we want to throw in the proverbial towel. But we don’t because we know that with hard work, a little bit of luck, some flops and all that learning, we are building something we love and we crave the freedom building our businesses gives us. Again, I ask you, what is freedom for you?  By Robyn Adair; istockphoto.com photo
We’ve talked about the brand promise being part of the brand definition. But there is more to a brand than the promise. What are brand perceptions and expectations and how do they define a brand? Brands are built by consumers. How your customers perceive your brand is what defines that brand. Once your customer has a certain perception about your brand, they will have certain exceptions from your brand. If your brand doesn’t meet those expectations during every interaction, you will confuse and alienate the very people to whom you are trying to appeal. Your now ex-customer will turn to another product or service that fulfills their perceptions and expectations. To illustrate this idea of perceptions and expectations, let’s take a look at Dove’s recent social media mishap. Dove’s brand promise is “helping all women realize their true beauty potential.” Their Real Beauty campaign was a solid success when the company initially implemented it. The campaign celebrated all women: all ages, body types, skin color. We perceived Dove as a brand that was for all women; it was a confidence boost, a statement that we all have worth, that we are all included. We expected future campaigns would continue to promote that inclusiveness. However, a recent social media ad showed that even big brands can screw up in a big way. The beginning of the clip asked if we were ready to get clean and goes on to show an African American woman removing her dark t-shirt and then morphs into a white woman in a lighter t-shirt. The perception is, well… you get the perception. The ad falls well short of consumers’ perceptions and expectations of the Dove brand. The ad was quickly removed amid a large outcry from consumers and Dove later apologized for their tone-deafness. And I sincerely doubt a racist ad was their intention. This is a great illustration, though, of how consumers’ perceptions and expectations can shape a brand. Think about your brand. How is it perceived? What expectations do your customers/clients have of that brand? Does your brand meet those expectations every time?  According to the SHRM Foundation, 35% of those in the US labor force will be 50 or older by 2022. Approximately 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day. What does this mean? We have an aging workforce. And this workforce has experience and knowledge businesses should be utilizing and exploring. The SHRM Foundation offers these aging workforce strategy goals: 1) keep your older workers as long as possible and keep them engaged; 2) If they are retiring, have them help pass their knowledge on to younger workers; 3) Take advantage of their skills after their retire through consulting or part-time employment; and 4) Recruit older talent. Just because potential recruits are of a “certain age” doesn’t mean they do not have the chops for the job! To learn more, check out the SHRM Foundation.
 What is a brand promise? It is the emotional tie from your clients’ and prospects’ perceptions of your product or service to the actual product or service. Disney’s brand promise is “magical experiences abound.” Dove’s brand promise is “helping all women realize their personal beauty potential.” Subaru’s is one word and simple: “love.” What is the common denominator? All three appeal to emotion. As much as we would all like to believe we approach purchase rationally and with common sense, the fact is we are swayed by our emotions. It’s what makes us human! So when we see the commercial about the aging process of the beloved family dog—and we are dog lovers—it affects our emotions and potentially our wallets when we buy that particular brand of dog food. When we see a print ad and see someone who looks like us, it affects our emotions and, again, potentially our wallets when we buy that particular brand of soap or moisturizer. Take a look at your brand. What is your brand promise? Even if your product is light bulbs, you have a brand promise. Your clients and prospects have experience with light bulbs, others and yours. What is that emotional tie? Just a reminder, if you are attending the Wisconsin State SHRM conference, I will be speaking about brand promises and branding your wellness program for success on October 12 at 6:30 a.m. Sensia will also have a booth there and I’d love to meet you!
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