Headshot Day in support of UKRAINE 🇺🇦

My son started Kindergarten this year- a big milestone for every child and their parents. It is heartwarming to see him being excited about his school and teachers, bringing back home fun schoolwork and art pieces, and sharing how he enjoyed recess at the playground. Not every child in Ukraine has that opportunity right now. 

The current events in Ukraine remind me of an important blessing that I take for granted; the peaceful sky overhead while I drop my son off at school each day. Many children in Ukraine do not have this anymore, and schools in many cities have been destroyed.

I am proud to be a sponsor of the PWIC Global Impact Music & Art Benefit for Ukraine event. The fundraising event will be held on October 9th at Webster Hall SF to help raise money to rebuild schools in Bucha, Ukraine. To support their efforts, I will be donating headshot sessions. All of the proceeds from these sessions will go to this fundraiser. 

Please, sign up HERE if you would like a new headshot session with me by donating to PWIC Global Impact. 

Thank you for your interest and please feel free to share this with anyone who might be interested in attending the Music & Art Benefit for Ukraine event on October 9th, 2022, or would like to get new headshots on November 5th, 2022.

Why Headshot Photography?

If you read my previous post about How I became a photographer [HERE], then I want to let you know that I didn’t choose to be a headshot photographer, either. Headshot photography took me by surprise, which I humbly integrated into my career, and eventually, it occupied all of my photographic career. 

I moved to San Francisco back in 2009. At that time, my English wasn’t very strong. Despite my lack of confidence in my English language skills, I refused to give up on portrait photography. I decided to start with Craigslist. I made a post offering portrait, wedding, family, and newborn photography services.

One of my first requests was from a guitarist who was preparing for a tour to South America and needed new headshots. 

“What is a headshot?” I went to my dictionary and read the translation “shooting someone in the head”. Thank you Craigslist, but no thank you!

When I told my husband about this creepy email, he burst into uncontrollable laughter. “No, honey, she is not a Craigslist weirdo, a headshot is a type of portrait photography for actors or professionals”. 

I met the guitarist in person for a consultation, and to my surprise, she spoke my language! I got so excited about the opportunity to work with her and asked if she would like a whole creative photoshoot as well as getting a new headshot. 

The result of our photoshoot exceeded all of her expectations. She was so impressed! She asked me why I don’t work with musicians from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. “What conservatory?”,  I asked. She offered, “I will take you there and introduce you to my instructors and friends.”

That’s how I was introduced to musicians and opera singers. I hadn’t known that I lived just 15 minutes from SFCM. I found out that students have recitals almost every evening, open to the public… for free. I took a program for a whole semester and would go to listen to live classical music. I made friends with the musicians there and invited them to be my models for test shoots and assignments while I pursued my MFA at the Academy of Art University. 

To this day, classical musicians and opera singers are my favorite and most loyal clients. I often find that a simple headshot session can result in inspirational portraits. 

That’s not the end of the story. There are more things to be grateful for from that Craigslist post. The guitarist was Arina Burceva. During her tour to South America, she got approached by many publications, and that is how my work became published for the first time, in a Peruvian music magazine.

Thank you Craigslist! Thank You Arina Burceva! Thank you San Francisco Conservatory of Music! Thank you to all my friends and clients for trusting my skills. I hope my photography brings you success in your career and personal life. 

Photography Chose Me

When I am asked why I chose photography as a profession, I always answer that I didn’t choose it. Photography chose me. 

I was born in Lithuania, one of the greenest countries in Europe. My teen dream was to become a fashion designer and study at the Academy of Art of Vilnius. However, I was sure the doors were closed for me due to not having the right connections, money, or even talent. 

After graduating from Pedagogical University I didn’t know what to do with my life. During that time I was in a relationship with a guy who was a graphic designer and owned a marketing company as a family business. One time, looking at my images taken after a vacation together with a pocket digital camera he said, “You know, you take great images.”

 “Yeah, so what?”, without much interest, I answered. He said, “Wait, you don’t understand the seriousness. I’m not just complimenting you here. I see that you have an eye for composition, light, and angle. Why don’t you consider working with me in marketing? Take some photography classes, and maybe potentially, afterward, we will hire you as a photographer for our company.” 

For a young person right out of college who had no idea what career to pursue, this felt like destiny calling me, directly and loudly. I searched for a photography school in my hometown and found a two-year program at City College. The timing was perfect. It was right during new student enrollment, and I got accepted easily. 

After the first semester of photography school, my boyfriend and I broke up, but I am still in a strong relationship with photography, and my headshot business in San Francisco Bay Area is proof of that. 

More than a Business Portrait Photoshoot

My first experience with professional photography was back in 2004. Not as a photographer, but as a model. I was sitting in a restaurant with friends when a guy approached me and asked if I was a model because he would like to have my phone number and to invite me for his new hair catalog photoshoot. At first, I thought it was some kind of cheesey hook-up line and I started laughing. 

At that time, like many young people, I had a poor self-image and would not dare to think about myself as a model. But he truly was a professional hairstylist and he was very serious with his proposal. 

I gave him my phone number and next week we met in his hair salon for a photoshoot production. There was a professional photographer, make-up artist, hair stylists and about 12 other models, some of them professionals from an agency. The whole time, I was very nervous, and fearful that I was going to embarrass myself, because I didn’t know how to pose in front of the camera. 

Each model had about 30 minutes of shoot time with the photographer. When it was my turn, I was asked to sit down on a chair and after ten minutes she said: “I think we're done, I already got great shots of you”. It was easy and quick, and the portraits exceeded my expectations. This experience changed my whole belief system about my appearance, and took away my fear of the camera. 

I knew that the success of those portraits was thanks to professional make-up, hair and most importantly - the skillful direction of the photographer. I didn’t have to do anything except listen to her guidance: “Bring your chin up, a bit to the left… now look this way… bring your shoulder closer…”.  In those 10 minutes, the photographer improved my confidence ever since. That is the power of a truly professional portrait photographer. It’s not only about having an expensive camera, knowledge of equipment and composition, it's about a flow of direction, like in filming movies.

Two years passed. I decided to learn and pursue my own career in the direction of portrait photography. I knew that, along with studying technical and composition rules, I needed to master direction skills, so the person in front of me, the subject of a photoshoot, doesn’t have to do anything, except just enjoy the photoshoot experience and be amazed by the results. 

As a headshot photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area, I work with real people who usually don’t have modeling or acting skills. Typically, they are professionals or small business owners. Getting their headshot is for their marketing needs, and not necessarily a fun thing they are looking forward to doing. That is why my job as a professional photographer is to acknowledge their beliefs of being “unphotogenic” and not knowing how to pose. I explain to them that it is a photographer's job to guide you through the whole session process and make you look like you would look on the best day of your life. 

How Post Pandemic Changes Are Going

What a different world we are living in now. We meet with people mostly online or via Zoom and when we see them in person, we don’t see their faces. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought huge changes in our work and personal life. 

How has it been for me?

I have to admit that covid nearly ruined my photography business, but I haven’t felt so much gratitude before, in my life. The pandemic helped me to discover my toxic attitudes towards work, swinging between two extremes: from workaholism to total work anorexia. I will always remember the date of March 16, 2020, when San Francisco issued a shelter-in-place order. For me, this date is the birthday of my new journey to a more prosperous relationship with my career, time, and money. Around this time, I began to discover the meaning of workaholism. I could no longer be a proud workaholic. I began to see the dark side of my working life, where there was no balance between rest and work, where “living in the moment” was some kind of fantasy, and obsessive worries were my daily normal. Our culture glamorizes workaholism, but I could begin to see it for what it is in reality, a powerful addiction that eats you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

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Not Only Smart, But Very Organized Business Owners Finish Rich

One of my favorite authors on financial education is David Bach. I have read all his books and I am a faithful follower of his blog. Several years ago, after reading one of his books, Smart Women Finish Rich, I took a close look at my financial goals and struggles. One of the main suggestions of David Bach is a file system for your financial life. I created this system not only for my personal finance, but also implemented the key elements for my business filing system. 

As a Headshot Photographer, I work a lot with small business owners and freelancers, sharing my experience and knowledge with them. Today, I am inviting all Smart Business Women / Business Men to a filing system that I am using to keep my business documents tidy. 

I keep two filing systems: Paper and Paperless. In this article, I am concentrating on the Paper filing system. It’s always a good idea to have all your printed documents handy to work with should your power source, Wi-Fi, or mobile data fail. I use the Paperless filing system daily. My paperless filing system runs on my computer’s hard drive and I have an extra copy in cloud storage. This allows me to access my documents and business information anytime and anywhere. Also, it is an extra protection in case if my physical folders are lost or damaged in a disaster. 

1. File Name: BUSINESS PLAN

Subfolders:

• Business Plan

• Workflow of customer service: from first email to image delivery

• Marketing Plan

2. File Name: GET LEGAL

Subfolders:

• Business Documents - This folder contains all state and federal documents related to my business: DBA, EIN, EFTPS, State Board of Equalization, Tax Collector and other documents, as well as all licenses related to the registration of my business. Make sure you are running business or freelance practice following all federal and state law. Decide what identity works best for you: Sole Proprietorship, LLC or Corporation. Take care of all licenses that is required by law for your business. Also, in this folder, I keep a list of all important dates for license renewal, since many are required to be renewed annually. 
   
• Intellectual Property - Documents related to trademark, copyright or patent registrations. 

3. File Name: TAXES

Business taxes are much different than your personal taxes. For example, your folders will be filled with the payroll tax, sales tax, and income tax. 

Subfolders:

• 2014

• 2015
   
• 2016 - label each tax return subfolder by year. The law requires to keep your tax documents for the last 3 years, though I usually extend that back to 7 years. 
   
• Bookkeeping

4. File Name: BANKS

This folder should contain all your bank documents, contracts, checks, and statements. You will want to create separate subfolders for documents of each financial institution your business is connected to: business checking account, saving account, credit cards, loans, credit card processing companies, etc. 

Subfolders:

• SBB - Small Business Bank checking account. 
   
• Chase Ink - Business Credit Card that I use exclusively for all expenses. It easier this way to keep up with bookkeeping. My credit card expenses are even synced to Quickbooks (bookkeeping online service) which automatically divides my expenses by category. 
   
• EMS+ - My studio accepts credit cards, so I needed a card reader. I am naturally drawn to beautiful details and Square credit card processing device’s design is very sophisticated, but when it comes to saving money on transaction fee, EMS+ won my attention. The Square swipe rate is 2.75% and EMS+ only 2.25%. I made a quick decision to choose EMS+ low swipe rates over Square’s reader luxurious design.  
   
• Loans

5. File Name: INSURANCE

When you run a business, it is necessary to protect your business and family from the unexpected. This folder contains your business insurance certificates. As a headshot photographer, I have two. However, depending on what industry you are in, your business may require more or less.

Subfolders:

• Liability Insurance

• Gear Insurance - In this folder I also keep a list of all my photography gear. The list includes picture of all equipment, name, date purchased and value.

6. File Name: CONTRACTS

I cancel a photoshoot reservation if my clients don’t sign a Headshot Session Agreement before booking. All businesses should operate on providing clear policies to customers. To make this process simple and organized, all my contracts between customers, companies or contractors are signed digitally using SignNow.com and kept in this folder. I also keep printed copies of my all contract templates. Contact a lawyer who specializes in business policies to create a bundle of contracts for your business needs. Protect your business and yourself. 

Subfolder:

• Templates

• Signed Contracts

7. File Name: RENT

In this folder keep copies of rent agreements related to your business. Include statements of the payments and receipts. 

Subfolder:

• Studio Rental Agreement

• USPS P.O. Box Rental Agreement

• Equipment Rental Agreement

8. File Name: VENDORS

Create Subfolders for each vendor or contractor you have business with. Keep all agreements, checks, and documents in this folder. 

Subfolders:

• Design & Logos

• Advertising

• Website

• Vendors - List of vendors and contact information I have business with.

9. File Name: EMPLOYEE

Subfolders:

• Employee Information will include resumes, personal details, tax/pension forms etc.
   
• Payroll will contain the management reports for salary of your employees.

10. File Name: MEMBERSHIPS

• PPA

• BNI

Stay organized and finish rich! Share your business filing system and leave comments below. 

WELCOME to Valentina Sadiul Photography BLOG

I have always been inspired and intrigued by the beauty and individuality of the human spirit. In fact, I was immediately attracted to photography for the opportunity it provided to capture the unique spark within each person in front of my lens. Photography also provided me with countless opportunities to meet and collaborate with interesting and creative people, and to hear their stories and experiences. Now as a professional headshot and portrait photographer in the San Francisco, I provide headshots and promotional portraits for the Bay Area’s most fascinating artists, musicians, dancers, CEO’s, and entrepreneurs; as well as for start-ups, real-estate brokerages, and other corporations who are seeking to create a professional and successful, yet personal brand image. I also provide glamorous portraiture sessions for women of all ages. I feel so strongly that every women should have the opportunity to feel like a celebrity, and it is my mission to empower every woman to love her own individual and unique beauty.

In fact, empowerment is a lot of what drives my work. My portraits represent my clients as their most successful and intriguing selves. Though many of them are just at the start of their careers, their photographs make people take notice and view them as successful, confident, and accomplished. I love maintaining relationships with the people I have photographed, and watching their careers flourish.

This blog is dedicated to readers who are looking for balance in their professional and personal lives, and focussed on achieving career success, financial freedom, good health, and strong relationships.