I just changed everything on my website, the site, the blog, the pricing, everything. So any critic on anything would be GREAT!

http://heathergarland.com

your work is really solid.

Your website and blog are easy to navigate.

your portrait pricing is ok, but your wedding pricing is really low.

Thank you! Any suggestions on pricing, I am trying to easy my way to what it should be, but I don't know what that might be.

Hi Heather - Ok, I'm going to give some CC here! I mean... a lot of it. I hope you are not offended by any of this, because honestly I just love to see young photographers and want to see all of us young'uns succeed. Side note: a big woohoo for being young. I see that you are new here and that's awesome. By the way, you are four months older than me still.

I like your website opening, it's very cute. In the photographer section the following line is a little awkward: "I will use this love to design for you the perfect greeting cards." I think this section should be more about you. I can read almost the same thing on every photographer's website: I love photography, I breathe photography, etc. But what do you do in your spare time? Do you have a undying love for jazz music, or lollipops, or bad 80s tunes? I'm just throwing ideas out there.

The clothing suggests under "sessions" are good, and there are some cool suggestions there. The line about "A good tip is to not wear heels though, unless you absolutely must, because it limits the fun" kind of makes me think just because I LOVE heels and wouldn't consider doing my future (some day!) engagement shoot without them. But if that's totally your style, and you are going for really relaxed casual couples rather than more dressed up, urban engagements then stick with that. Up to you!

There is a LOT of information under the "sessions" section and it's a little overwhelming. I think maybe it would be best to have this in a .pdf document that you can send to clients after the initial inquiry.

I think the following paragraph of your "sessions" section is unnecessary...unless you have had a ton of requests for this or something. I think too much information can confuse a client and maybe turn them on to somebody a little simpler. There is a fine line between educating your clients and then just scaring them off with tons of info!!

"Basic retouching encompasses color correction, slight blemish retouching, and conversion to black and white. Any other editing such as coloring effects, such as sepia, cross-processing, or textures (you may contact me to see examples of each if you are unsure), or slimming down, fixing an element of clothing or feature on the model, or any other request will be $25 an hour extra. Basic editing is not optional, I never give out my original unedited files for various reasons (if you would like all the explanations I would be more than happy to explain), but mainly because I shoot RAW and you can not open RAW files you open JPEG, meaning I have to edit them before you can ever see them."

I'm wondering why all the different portrait packages? They all look pretty much the same. Set them all to $200 and call it good! Simple.

I agree that your wedding prices should be raised, actually you should double them. I know it's scary, but it works. You'll reach a higher end client and the job will be just that much more enjoyable. Also, additional hour price needs to be raised. $25 an hour is very cheap and seems to "devalue" your talent. I charge $200 per additional hour on the wedding day.

Once again, your "printing" section is just giving me information overload. I keep scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. I can't ingest it all! How about giving a short blurb about your professional lab and printing procedures and then send the product information after a client books.

I think your logo and colors are great, and I adore your blog design. Your photos are solid and you are well on your way!! Looking forward to following your progress,

Jamie

I didn't really know what else was very interesting about me to put on the about me page, so thats why there isn't much of anything else there haha.

See when my clients wear heels, it becomes a mess because I like to have fun at my sessions, jumping, twirling, rolling in the grass, one time someone did and we ended up getting really boring. Thats why the heel note suggestion is there, just to have them think.

I know the sessions and printing is overwhelming I was about to change that actually! The paragraph about editing is because I really do get that ALL the time, "Can you make me skinnier" "Can you fix my dress" "Can you make me zit free" I've only had one session I have not gotten that.

All the portrait packages are because honestly if I just put something basic people still ask well is ____ $200, is ____ $150. And freak out. People in my area are interesting.

I will deff. up my pricing on extra hours, I am inching my way up on weddings, people here are still very cheap, I don't have high end clients. So I am working on that.

But thanks for all the tips I really appreciate it! And can I say WOW, your 17?? Are you sure?? haha how long have you been in business?? Your stuff is incredible!! And I wasn't offended in the least, I really appreciate it!!

Haha ok I upped my wedding prices, a little bit more, just enough I hope people don't get scared away but enough that I feel like my time is being paid for, do you think they look better now? And you promise I won't lose all my business? haha!

i suggest you put your gallery button before your information button. you want them to be wowed by your work before anything else.

Tami, great suggestion THANKS! Didn't even think of that!!

Hi Heather: Yup, 17. I'll be eighteen in about five and a half weeks though. Counting down the days. Haha. Um, been in business for a year? Doing weddings on my own for the first time this year. There are so many resources to learn here it's incredible. You'll be there in no time. Glad to see my suggestions helped.

Thanks Jamie, yah I just found this through Jessica Claire actually. I had been on flickr for a while but I really like it here!

I changed some stuff on my about me page, is it anymore personal now?

And then I think I have done every other suggestion people asked!

Looks a lot better! Still not sure why you have all the different prices for all your portrait shoots. Very confusing to me... but everything else is lookin' better.

It's just because when I tried to have one, people freaked out that, they did have that many people or want that many hours or need this or that because theirs was different, so I just made it so they would be like oh I need Engagements, oh she has one for Engagements...ok I am good. Thats my one catering to clients in my area.