Sherry Hagerman - Never Missing a Beat

3/20/2015

I've written a lot about making the most of your time, especially when you're on the road. Time is your most valuable commodity and you'll never have enough of it.

Meet my good friend, Sherry Hagerman of Allusion Photography, just outside Chicago. I first met Sherry when she was in my live audience at Creative Live several years ago. We've kept in touch, catching up typically a couple times a year at some of the major conventions.

Sherry's an artist and simply loves to shoot and I look at a number of her images as what I call "Signature Moments". A Signature Moment is an image that demonstrates quality, art, passion for the craft and most important of all, it's an image that will make a client go "WOW"!

At this year's WPPI, since Sherry was on the road already and in a different part of the country, she made arrangements for models and went out and shot for the day. The results are all Signature Moments along with a great example of making the most out of being away from the office.

Even cropped to something a little unusual, the image still has strong impact.

Spending the day shooting in places that only Nevada can create, Sherry simply had fun, while at the same time experimenting with different styles and results. It's all about fine-tuning and sharpening her skill set. A trip through Sherry's galleries shows she doesn't compromise on quality. She's received "Best of the Knot" eight years in a row and is in the Knot's Hall of Fame.

I've written before about the three components to success as a photographer with the first third of the journey being developing your skill set. There's never time to just rest on your laurels and Sherry's a perfect example of never sitting still. She's a perpetual student, taking every class she can find the time for and constantly experimenting.

The second part of the journey to success is about your presentation and the quality you put into the products for your client. The last part is about marketing, which includes customer service, your reputation and building a strong brand through relationships, consistency and always quality.

Sherry stays focused on every aspect of her business. Put together with time management, when she's on the road at a convention, and she continues to produce solid results. If you're headed to ShutterFest, make it a point to meet Sherry. She's a great artist to have in your network.