Building a Photography Team You Can Trust
We all have the same 24 hours. As a business owner, there (hopefully!) comes a time when your calendar fills up, inquiries keep coming in, and you find yourself wishing you could be in two places at once. As a photographer, usually the only way to scale your business is to bring on help. When the amount of work became overwhelming, and I wasn’t able to clone myself, I decided that I needed to build a team I could trust.
Why Build a Team?
Turns out there are only so many hours in a day. You can only take on so many shoots in a day or week (believe me, I’ve tested that theory more than I like to admit), and since photography necessitates being on-location, the complexities of travel only hurt your availability. Building a team gives you the ability to accept more bookings without stretching yourself too thin. It also means you can accommodate last-minute requests, overlapping events, or multi-location shoots without having to say no to loyal clients.
For me, having a team means we never have to turn away clients we love working with, and they still get the attention, care, and quality they came to MKP for in the first place.
Teamwork That Protects Your Brand
Clients want a seamless experience, it doesn’t matter to them how packed your calendar – they want to know that their shoot is in capable hands. Having a dependable team allows you to maintain consistency, avoid scheduling conflicts, and make sure every gallery is delivered on time with the quality your brand is known for.
Even if I’m not physically present at a shoot, I’m still part of the process from start to finish. I personally review every image we deliver to make sure each gallery reflects the style and quality of Melissa Kelly Photography. This level of collaboration has been key to building trust, and keeping it.
What to Look for in a Great Team
Not every talented photographer will be the right fit for your brand. When hiring or collaborating, I look for:
People-first photographers – Technical skills matter, of course, but how someone interacts with clients and represents my brand matters more.
Strong communicators – I need people who will communicate clearly, timely, and professionally, both with me and with clients.
A similar creative eye – Their style doesn’t need to match mine perfectly, but it should complement it.
Reliability and professionalism – You can train technique, but you can’t teach someone to care about your work like you do, so find people who sync up with you in dependability and work ethic.
Grateful for My Unicorns
The past few years have taught me that none of this would be possible without the incredible photographers I’m lucky enough to work alongside. They’re more than just team members, they’re creative partners, problem-solvers, and true professionals who treat my clients like their own.
To my unicorn team: thank you for showing up with heart, hustle, and high standards. You make MKP better, and I’m so proud of the work we create together! You are magical land mermaids, each one-in-a-million, and I’m so lucky to have collected such great partners along the way.
If you're thinking about expanding your team, start small. Test the waters. Create clear expectations. And always keep your hands in the process until you're confident in letting go.
You’ve worked hard to build your brand. With the right people beside you, you can grow it even further.