With over 150 MJ2Day alumni now taking over the globe, I thought it would be fun to do a series on my blog to check in on past attendees and see what they're up to now and how their businesses, lives and photography have been impacted by their experience at the workshop. I've heard so many fun stories from past attendees that leave me beaming with pride at their coolness and I can't wait to share!
Today, I'd like to introduce you to Tina of Tina Jay Photography -- an attendee of the very first MJ2Day ever in May of 2009. Tina is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and specializes in weddings. She is so sweet, and stylish to boot!
Today, I'd like to introduce you to Tina of Tina Jay Photography -- an attendee of the very first MJ2Day ever in May of 2009. Tina is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and specializes in weddings. She is so sweet, and stylish to boot!
We get photographers at all stages of their businesses at the MJ2Day and Tina was just starting out. She had shot a few portrait sessions and had four weddings booked. Only one week after attending the workshop, she shot her very first wedding of her own. Even though she was a newbie when she attended, she knew deep down that she wanted to make a business out of wedding photography. But at the time, she was working full-time as an accountant and wasn't sure which steps to take to make her dream a reality. It turned out to be the perfect point in her journey to attend the MJ2Day and I'm so glad she did! It was such a blessing to get to know her and to be a part of seeing that dream become a reality!
I interviewed Tina for this post and I appreciate what she shared in answer to my first question:
Q: What is the biggest difference in your photography since attending the MJ2Day?
A: My photography has improved SO much since the MJ2DAY. There were two big changes for me. First, it gave me a lot more confidence as a photographer. Also, I learned how to look for light and use light to my advantage. I used to just run for the shade and not experiment with beautiful light. I was pushed out of my comfort zone when I saw MJ shoot!
Here are some examples of Tina's work before the workshop:
I interviewed Tina for this post and I appreciate what she shared in answer to my first question:
Q: What is the biggest difference in your photography since attending the MJ2Day?
A: My photography has improved SO much since the MJ2DAY. There were two big changes for me. First, it gave me a lot more confidence as a photographer. Also, I learned how to look for light and use light to my advantage. I used to just run for the shade and not experiment with beautiful light. I was pushed out of my comfort zone when I saw MJ shoot!
Here are some examples of Tina's work before the workshop:
And here are some examples of her work since attending:
Gorgeous work Tina! Way to have mastered the art of backlighting! :)
Q: What is the biggest difference in your business since attending the MJ2Day?
A: The MJ2Day made an impact on every single area of my business. Before attending the workshop, I was all over the place. There is SO much to think about and learn when you’re starting your own business, and it can be completely overwhelming. I found myself jumping around a lot – one day I’d think “Oh my gosh I need to research web design! And start an awesome website asap!” Then the next day I’d be thinking “I need to start thinking about albums, and figuring out how to design them!” I was constantly jumping from one project to the next, never really completing anything I was working on. "Overwhelmed" doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt. After the MJ2DAY, I had this amazing sense of confidence and calm. It was a HUGE relief leaving the workshop feeling like, “I can DO this!” I think that was the best part of the workshop for me. Melissa puts thing in very real, attainable terms….she explains everything in a way that gives you the confidence to go out and do it on your own. She definitely doesn’t hold back!
Q: What are some of your goals that you set after attending the workshop that you have since completed?
A. When I attended the MJ2DAY my goal was to book more weddings in an attempt to maybe….possibly….making wedding photography my full time job one day. As much as I hate to admit it, I never thought I’d be able to do this full time. Even when I was at Melissa’s workshop I kept thinking, “Is this possible for me?” By the end of the workshop, I had concrete steps to take to further my dream. I’m SO happy to say that I’ve been a full time photographer for 3.5 years now (I left my day job 1.5 years after the workshop), booking 20-25 weddings per year. Sometimes I still can’t believe that dream became a reality. That “I can DO this!” feeling is something I’ll never forget, and I truly believe Melissa’s workshop was instrumental in my success.
Q: Have you raised your prices since the workshop and/or seen a change in your booking rate?
A: I have absolutely raised my prices since the workshop! They’ve just about doubled since that time. In our one-on-one chat at the end of the workshop, I distinctly remember Melissa telling me she thought I could charge $3,000 for a wedding. I thought that was CRAZY and didn’t think I would ever have anyone willing to pay me that amount. All of my weddings are booking well beyond that price now…..I wish I would have had a little more confidence & belief in myself way back when!
My bookings have definitely increased since the MJ2DAY as well. Like I mentioned, I had 4 weddings on the books when I took the workshop. The following year I booked 11 weddings, and the year following that, I booked 22. I have been consistently booking 20-25 weddings per year since that point, which is my happy spot. Melissa also taught us the importance of being ourselves. When you put a web presence out there that truly focuses on who you are, and not someone you’d like to be, it’s amazing what kind of people enter your life. I honestly feel like I’d be friends with just about every couple that I have the pleasure of working with. Being yourself is such an important part of the business!
Q: What relationships did you build as a result of the workshop?
A: As much as I absolutely loved soaking in all of the information Melissa provided at her workshop, I can’t talk enough about the relationships I’ve gained from the workshop as well. That’s one of the best parts about attending workshops – forming relationships with people all over the country. I met one of my very closest friends, Gail, at Melissa’s workshop. Her and I clicked instantly, and I’m so glad the MJ2DAY brought her into my life. To this day, we still email each other and Skype as regularly as we can. We’ve also made it our goal to visit each other once a year, switching back and forth between Pennsylvania and Indiana. You can’t put a price on a friendship like that! I’ve also kept in touch with Allison of Allison Marie Photography, who is one of the sweetest, kindest women I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. She also runs an amazing full time photography business for herself, and I absolutely love that her and I can bounce business ideas off of each other, or just give each other advice when any issues come up. It was SUCH a great group of attendees at the workshop, which made the experience even better than I could have anticipated.
Q: What is the biggest difference in your business since attending the MJ2Day?
A: The MJ2Day made an impact on every single area of my business. Before attending the workshop, I was all over the place. There is SO much to think about and learn when you’re starting your own business, and it can be completely overwhelming. I found myself jumping around a lot – one day I’d think “Oh my gosh I need to research web design! And start an awesome website asap!” Then the next day I’d be thinking “I need to start thinking about albums, and figuring out how to design them!” I was constantly jumping from one project to the next, never really completing anything I was working on. "Overwhelmed" doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt. After the MJ2DAY, I had this amazing sense of confidence and calm. It was a HUGE relief leaving the workshop feeling like, “I can DO this!” I think that was the best part of the workshop for me. Melissa puts thing in very real, attainable terms….she explains everything in a way that gives you the confidence to go out and do it on your own. She definitely doesn’t hold back!
Q: What are some of your goals that you set after attending the workshop that you have since completed?
A. When I attended the MJ2DAY my goal was to book more weddings in an attempt to maybe….possibly….making wedding photography my full time job one day. As much as I hate to admit it, I never thought I’d be able to do this full time. Even when I was at Melissa’s workshop I kept thinking, “Is this possible for me?” By the end of the workshop, I had concrete steps to take to further my dream. I’m SO happy to say that I’ve been a full time photographer for 3.5 years now (I left my day job 1.5 years after the workshop), booking 20-25 weddings per year. Sometimes I still can’t believe that dream became a reality. That “I can DO this!” feeling is something I’ll never forget, and I truly believe Melissa’s workshop was instrumental in my success.
Q: Have you raised your prices since the workshop and/or seen a change in your booking rate?
A: I have absolutely raised my prices since the workshop! They’ve just about doubled since that time. In our one-on-one chat at the end of the workshop, I distinctly remember Melissa telling me she thought I could charge $3,000 for a wedding. I thought that was CRAZY and didn’t think I would ever have anyone willing to pay me that amount. All of my weddings are booking well beyond that price now…..I wish I would have had a little more confidence & belief in myself way back when!
My bookings have definitely increased since the MJ2DAY as well. Like I mentioned, I had 4 weddings on the books when I took the workshop. The following year I booked 11 weddings, and the year following that, I booked 22. I have been consistently booking 20-25 weddings per year since that point, which is my happy spot. Melissa also taught us the importance of being ourselves. When you put a web presence out there that truly focuses on who you are, and not someone you’d like to be, it’s amazing what kind of people enter your life. I honestly feel like I’d be friends with just about every couple that I have the pleasure of working with. Being yourself is such an important part of the business!
Q: What relationships did you build as a result of the workshop?
A: As much as I absolutely loved soaking in all of the information Melissa provided at her workshop, I can’t talk enough about the relationships I’ve gained from the workshop as well. That’s one of the best parts about attending workshops – forming relationships with people all over the country. I met one of my very closest friends, Gail, at Melissa’s workshop. Her and I clicked instantly, and I’m so glad the MJ2DAY brought her into my life. To this day, we still email each other and Skype as regularly as we can. We’ve also made it our goal to visit each other once a year, switching back and forth between Pennsylvania and Indiana. You can’t put a price on a friendship like that! I’ve also kept in touch with Allison of Allison Marie Photography, who is one of the sweetest, kindest women I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. She also runs an amazing full time photography business for herself, and I absolutely love that her and I can bounce business ideas off of each other, or just give each other advice when any issues come up. It was SUCH a great group of attendees at the workshop, which made the experience even better than I could have anticipated.
Speaking of Allison and Gail, one of the coolest experiences was that we all reunited about two years after the workshop for Allison’s wedding. Allison hired Gail as her wedding photographer, and Gail in turn hired me to fly out and second shoot with her! It was a perfect wedding, and I was SO much fun that we were all able to have that experience together!
Q: Are there any other changes or exciting developments you'd like to share?
A: I can’t speak highly enough about the MJ2DAY experience. I’ve attended many workshops, but Melissa’s is one of two that I recommend to anyone I talk to. If you’re in the beginning stages of your business, or feel like you need to step up your game, don’t hesitate to sign up. It had SUCH an impact on my personal life and my business, one that I can’t put a price on. I left the workshop with confidence, concrete goals, and steps to achieve those goals, as well as amazing friendships. Those were the huge takeaways I had from the MJ2DAY. It also improved my workflow so I wasn’t constantly chained to my computer, and I’ve even been published on a few wedding blogs (Delancey and Penn, Wed Loft, and Bayside Bride) since that time! I’m so glad there are people like Melissa in the photography industry. She runs an AMAZING and impressive business, and she’s an open book when you attend her workshop. Besides that, she is such a sweet, warm-hearted person, and you can truly feel that she wants to help everyone succeed. Keep doing what you’re doing Melissa!!
Wow Tina -- thank you for your kind words! And you have SO MANY exciting things to celebrate!! I'm so proud of you and blown away by your growth!! I can't wait to see where the coming years take you! Thank you for sharing so openly with us.
If you're a photographer and would love to take your photography and business to the next level like Tina has, join us at an upcoming MJ2Day! The Phoenix workshop in January is sold out with a waiting list, but we still have spots open for June in California! It promises to be beautiful and life-changing!
Q: Are there any other changes or exciting developments you'd like to share?
A: I can’t speak highly enough about the MJ2DAY experience. I’ve attended many workshops, but Melissa’s is one of two that I recommend to anyone I talk to. If you’re in the beginning stages of your business, or feel like you need to step up your game, don’t hesitate to sign up. It had SUCH an impact on my personal life and my business, one that I can’t put a price on. I left the workshop with confidence, concrete goals, and steps to achieve those goals, as well as amazing friendships. Those were the huge takeaways I had from the MJ2DAY. It also improved my workflow so I wasn’t constantly chained to my computer, and I’ve even been published on a few wedding blogs (Delancey and Penn, Wed Loft, and Bayside Bride) since that time! I’m so glad there are people like Melissa in the photography industry. She runs an AMAZING and impressive business, and she’s an open book when you attend her workshop. Besides that, she is such a sweet, warm-hearted person, and you can truly feel that she wants to help everyone succeed. Keep doing what you’re doing Melissa!!
Wow Tina -- thank you for your kind words! And you have SO MANY exciting things to celebrate!! I'm so proud of you and blown away by your growth!! I can't wait to see where the coming years take you! Thank you for sharing so openly with us.
If you're a photographer and would love to take your photography and business to the next level like Tina has, join us at an upcoming MJ2Day! The Phoenix workshop in January is sold out with a waiting list, but we still have spots open for June in California! It promises to be beautiful and life-changing!
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