As a solo business owner I’m all about working smarter, not harder, and am always on the lookout for tools that actually make life easier, not just add more to my plate. Simplicity is the name of the game for me, so I don’t take on new technology or sign up for new platforms unless they really change the game and make my life easier.
I’ve noticed that there are a few AI (artificial intelligence) tools that I’ve been using for a while and actually really truly love. From client calls and behind the scenes work to culling to editing, these tools have seriously changed the game for me. So in this post I’m sharing a few of my absolute favorites, starting with one I use every single week: the HoneyBook AI Notetaker.
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HoneyBook AI Notetaker
HoneyBook has been my go-to client management system ever since I started my photography business! (See this post for more info on HoneyBook and why you need a client management system.) They’re consistently listening to their subscribers/clients and adding more and more features and updates for us!
In my opinion, the best new feature in the recent past has been the HoneyBook AI Notetaker. It automatically joins my client meetings (that clients can automatically book through my HoneyBook Scheduler, by the way), takes detailed notes, and pulls out all the key info like dates, preferences, and action items so I don’t have to worry about scribbling things down while trying to stay present.
It keeps everything organized in one place, which makes following up with clients way easier and way more professional. I used to write tons of notes after each client meeting, but now my AI notetaker does all that for me and I usually only add one or two extra details, which only takes seconds instead of 15 minutes. I’m amazed at how accurate it actually is at summarizing the key points and action items. It’s been a total lifesaver!
You can see some screenshots below for how the notetaker works. It automatically joins calls as a “person.” You have to let it into the meeting and your client can see that the notetaker is there as well.
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A few minutes after the meeting ends you’ll get an email that lets you know your notes are ready. Then you can log into the client project on HoneyBook and see all the notes. It also gives you an option to create action items within the project based on the meeting notes. It will also send a quick project recap to you via email before each meeting and a another summery before the project date. So helpful!
If you’re searching for a great CRM/Client Management System that makes life and business easier for you, you can get a discount with my code here!
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Imagen AI Editing
The best thing I did for my business in 2024 was to master AI editing with Imagen. You can read all about my review and process here, but basically it helps me cull thousands of images super fast (I’m talking 5,000 images in less than 30 minutes), and I’ve trained it on how I edit by uploading more than 20,000 edited images over the past year. So now it’s learned my personal style so well that the edits look just like mine and sometimes even better! (Yup, I said what I said!) I still do a quick final pass, but it gets me 90% of the way there and saves me so much time and money! They’ve also been adding new features like skin smoothing that can take even more retouching off of your plate. I love a company that’s constantly updating and improving!
Check out this blog post where I compare the AI edits to the same photo that I’ve personally hand edited. You’ll be blown away!
BONUS: if you want to save yourself the work of creating your own personal style, you can buy my profile here and get to editing right away! You can even try it before you buy! You can also get 1500 free edits with my code here.
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Photoshop + Lightroom AI Editing Tools
As a photographer whose style is based on simplicity with impact, I’m often removing distracting things from my photos and backdrops. Of course, I always look for backdrops that stand out on their own perfectly, but when that’s not possible (such as in this location below where there was a car parked in front of the area I wanted to use), Photoshop and Lightroom generative fill have been game-changers!
What used to take FOREVER to do can now usually be accomplished in seconds, and sometimes it literally feels like magic! Most of the time Lightroom generative fill works pretty well, but when it doesn’t quite get it, I can easily take the photo into Photoshop and the generative fill feature there does an even better job. You can really see it work in the photo below where generative fill effortlessly got rid of the car and extended the mural and sidewalk. It took me a few extra clicks to remove the oil on the sidewalk and piece of trash, but that was it. Pretty amazing, huh?!
You can read more about my favorite Lightroom and Photoshop editing tools here!
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