Getting Real: 2021 VIP Team | Twin Cities Senior Photographer, MN
St Paul Minneapolis high school senior photographer VIP Team focusing on who you really are
I’m going to ask you to consider the same for me - except I want to tell you why I feel joining my 2021 VIP Team is different from what you may be used to - and how my VIP Team can be very beneficial to these incoming seniors. If you are here as a teen looking to gain a different and positive experience for your senior year - you are in the right place! If you are here as a parent or guardian who wants a truly extraordinary experience for your daughter in her last year of high school…read on!
(pictured above are my Class of 2019 VIP Team images from throughout their senior year)
Many high school photographers will ask junior girls to be a spokes model for their company, or to become an influencer for their studio. Some photographers focus more on high fashion and will provide more couture-style sessions for their team; others may try to partner with other local businesses and cross-promote each other’s business products. All programs may have incentives or bonuses/perks, depending on what the studio’s terms are.
I’m here to talk about my current senior VIP Team, and how I can help your daughter stand out and hold her head high as her best self not only during her senior year-but as she grows to become an adult out in the real world. I’m not out to really promote any other company, I’m here to promote self-worth to your daughter.
My VIP Team is not a program to be all about just me-me-me and my business. I’ve tried a few different team styles in the past to get my program where it is today. Sure, I want for my VIP Team to share images to the world on social media from their sessions with my studio each season-because I’m proud of the heart and soul I put into those images and I’d love for them to spread the word about my studio - but moreso - my VIP Team is more about how the experience with my studio makes THEM feel - inside and out. And when they share those images, I know that they share because they genuinely feel good about themselves overall, and that is what is most important to me.
I’ve been doing a team on and off over the past 5 years. And here is what I’ve learned in those few years:
girls want to feel part of something exclusive (sometimes guys do, too!)
self-confidence boosts are invaluable
many struggled to fit in but wanted to also be an individual
they want to feel beautiful and comfortable in their own skin
everyone is unique in their own way and to have those qualities recognized was important
bullying is very, very REAL in the hallways, in home life, on social media, and off campus
Because of this, many have struggled with loving themselves and knowing their worth
every day they have many different pressures they are dealing with - from relationships with friends to home life - larger than what they show on the surface
drugs and alcohol are more accessible than most think
addiction is real
girls need more people in their corner to support them
teens have a voice that was longing to be heard
they want to make a difference but didn’t always know how
suicidal tendencies are common among teens
girls needed someone to trust
their parents needed someone they could trust, too
teens long for a real connection
depression comes with many different faces
when given a chance, these young ladies will open up and let you into their world
And this is where my purpose really came to be on having a VIP Team-and overall why I do what I do as a photographer. They needed someone like me in their corner. Their experiences are what has influenced my VIP Team’s purpose today. My VIP Team is a place where kids can be real - where they can talk about anything. It’s really helping them see themselves in a positive light during the VIP photo shoots-which many of our themes come from the girls themselves with my creative twists. The girls learn how to be physically present when we do group hangouts. (Yes I have made them put their phones away before!) By being on my VIP Team, I create a safe space where the girls know they can trust me, and feel confident in expressing their true self.
I love to connect with people on a genuine level. It helps to show I care. What warms my heart is watching these girls become excited when they talk about things that are important to them. Maybe it’s a special book they are reading. Maybe we chat about a charity that is close to their heart. Perhaps it is the love they have for a grandparent or special family member. Whatever it might be? When their face lights up - that is when I know we will get the best images from them because their emotions are real. When they have connected with me is when I capture the essence of who they really are. It’s in that very moment where they realize that they can express themselves openly and freely. And this tiny skill carries with them beyond my VIP Team. They take it with them for the rest of their lives. That for me? HUGE.
My VIP Team really focuses on promoting self confidence and helping these young ladies see their worth. And when I bring a group of these gals together where they can now connect and bond with others who are maybe going through the same thing both within the current team and among their own communities? They come up with solutions from each other on how to become better individuals. They lift each other up, and practice kindness. They laugh, they cry, they figure it out together. They are connecting.
The sisterhood bond is real. Sometimes I even do coordinating sessions with my younger teen program “i am me” girls for the ultimate mentoring positive bonding experience with the underclassmen and elementary-aged girls. The VIP Team members are finding out that they DO MATTER, and I think it’s safe to say they start actually believing it for themselves-which is such an amazing breakthrough in their young lives. They carry themselves with a little more pride and with more confidence. The VIP photo shoot images are just proof that they are accomplishing great things within themselves, which is more than I could ever ask for.
A few of my Class of 2017 Team (then called Model Team) for a spring “Umbrella” shoot
Of course there are other perks to being on my team - like special referral bonuses, and opportunities to earn their senior session order for free. You invest in me, and I invest in you. I’ll be honest with you - I’m probably not the cheapest photographer in town. I am into my 10th year in business as an entrepreneur photographer. I will tell you there is only one ME, and I’ve spent many years perfecting and honing in on what is important to my clients and providing them the best unique experience as I possibly can so that they can be the best version of themselves. You can read my business declaration on my home page attesting to my core beliefs here.
Thank you so much for tuning in. And forgive me for being long-winded. I tend to be this way when I grow passionate about something-I just keep talking! Plus, today I felt compelled to share with all of you what is on my heart, and this is it.
I’m blessed to be able to do what I do. I hope you’ll consider spending your senior year with me as your photographer and friend.
-Monda the Photographer
