FAQs

About working with me

• How to I receive the photos? Photos are usually uploaded onto a disc and then posted but some people just prefer to have them sent over the internet. I recommend using dropbox for the large files. 
• Do you have a studio? No I don't, I usually work on location however I have done studio style shoots using a plain background. This can be any location of your choice, depending on the type of shoot. Parks work well with kids to make them more relaxed. I can also shoot in your house which is great for baby shoots! 

Example on shoot on location.

Example of 'studio style' shoot.

• What should I bring to the shoot? All the info you'll need on what to bring to a shoot can be found on my previous blog post here. 
• How much do you charge? The prices differ depending on the type of shoot and whether you want a standard shoot or a surreal one. All prices, including wedding prices can be found on my website at www.Beckynetley.co.uk or your can email for enquiries at becky.netley@live.co.uk
• When do I pay? I usually ask for a 20% deposit of the overall price for weddings to secure the date for both of us. For all other shoots I usually take payment on the day of the shoot or whenever is best for you before you receive the photos. 
• Do you do prints or an album? The wedding packages shown on my website don't traditionally include prints or an album, however I can do these as extras. Please enquire for more info. 

About my personal work.

• Do you sell your personal work? Yes! I love when someone takes an interest in my personal work and I'm so happy that people would actually pay for it! You can buy prints online at my etsy store here.  I also occasionally do craft fairs and pop up shops within Brighton so be sure to keep an eye out on my social media pages for these dates! 
• Where do you get your ideas? There are a few different things that are reflected in my work, one being my personal experience with mental illness and the other is my love of all things fantasy and mythical! This is just the short answer, as I could write alot about this topic (thats for another blog post!)
• Do you need models? I will always, at some point need new models! If you are interested please like my facebook page as I often advise any model work on there! 

Any other questions please don't hesitate to ask! 

Becky x

The best and worst business/freelancer books I've read.

Over the years I've read many business books, trying to find ways to help me get clients and provide a great service. Some books just state the obvious while others offer some genuinely useful advice and ideas. Here are some I've read and my thoughts on them.  

Best for: People who are keen to be entrepreneurs and make alot of money doing it.
Review: While this book did have some good ideas about running a business, alot of it was about running a team and getting a loan. While this is great for many business, it didn't really offer alot for me as a freelancer. I did however learn some good techniques for assessing your process every 6 months.  
Score: 4/10

Best for: Anyone wanting to pursue a passion!

Review: This easy to read book is great for anyone who has a dream. Its not strictly aimed at business people but anyone who has goals. Its written well, directly and gets straight to the point. It doesn't go into alot of detail on how to achieve the goals as such but its a motivational booster!

Score: 5/10

Best for: Anyone who wants to get ahead in business. 
Review: I had seen the author Shawn Achor on a Ted talk about this very book, before reading it. I really enjoyed it and decided to give the book a go. The book talks through 7 main principles that help people get ahead in their work. Theres alot of information to take on board but all very interesting! Check out his ted talk below if your interested. 
Score: 7/10

Best for: Entrepreneurs and freelancers

Review: This is probably one of my favorite business books. Its easy to read, and gives you step by step tools on how to achieve things. One of the main things I've learnt from it, is that people buy YOU as the business owner/freelancer. If people like you, and you make them feel good, they're more likely to use your services than someone else!  I keep refering back to the book whenever I get stuck! 

Score: 9/10

Best for: Freelancers

Review: I read this book a while ago and I cant really remember much of it, so I don't think it really taught my anything new. Alot of the freelance books make the same points which can be quite obvious. 

Score: 2/10

For future reading:

• The 4-hour work week by Timothy Ferriss 
• No contacts? No problem. How to pitch and sell and freelance feature by Catherine Quinn
• Creative Inc. The ultimate guide to running a successful freelance business by cho IIasco
• Like a virgin by Richard Bandson 

The creative person's 'quit list'.

I came across a blog today called 'Cordelia calls it quits' written by a lady who gave up her day job to pursue her passion. Shes got tonnes of great articles to check out when you're lacking in motivation, Click here for her site. Anyway on her blog she makes a list of things that shes going to quit, for example things that don't benefit her life or help her to pursue her goals. This gave me the idea to write a list of things that we should probably quit as creative people to help us develop our practice. 

Lets get started...

We need to STOP..

1. Judging ourselves. Although seemly impossible to do, we have to practice being non judgemental of our work and just enjoying the process of making. After all thats why we started right?
2. Comparing work. Again we're all guilty of this and sometimes it can motivate us, but most of the time it just causes unnecessary worries about ourselves and our work. There is probably someone out there comparing their own work to yours and wondering why they can't be like you! 
3.  Being impatient. The best things in life take time, like great art work or a steady freelance business. I often get impatient, wondering why I'm not a full time photographer yet, hoping that it'll suddenly happen over time. But of course I know it doesn't work that way, and although its been a slow process, I've definitely come along way from when I started out, I just need to remember this. 
4. Feeling guilty. Just because you're not doing a 9-to-5 job and some days may be slow doesn't mean you need to feel guilty about doing something you love. If you enjoy it but work hard then what is there to be sorry about? 
5. Second-guessing pursuing your dream
6. Worrying about the future. Enjoy the now! (Learn some mindfulness techniques for this!)
7. Perfectionism. Sometimes I'm a super perfectionist with my work, and if I show it and I'm not 100% happy with it, I will always judge that photo. I need to get rid of this idea and just enjoy the process of creating it. 
8. Letting people take advantage. When you're starting out in a creative career path, you usually do things for cheap or even free! (God knows I did my fair share of freebies) This can become a little bit of habit, but you have to learn your worth! You need to remember that you are doing them a service, and you deserve the right pay for that. 
9. Saying YES to every job, even though its not worth it. Saying yes to a job even though, for whatever reason you are doubting it, don't do it, its often more trouble than its worth. 
10. Being fearful of showing our work.

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this. I'd love to hear any ideas you have for your creative quit list!

Many thanks to Cordelia's great blog for inspiration and motivation! 

http://www.cordeliacallsitquits.com/