Growing up in India, one thing you can't miss is seeing millions of people dependent on clean drinking water. You'll see lines of people swirling around villages, waiting for trucks to deliver much needed water. Or, another common sight are clusters of women (I've almost never seen guys do this for some odd reason), carrying heavy pots of water on their heads, from wells or hand-pumps to their homes. I've also witnessed people eking out a living in parched landscapes thanks to an extended drought and corrupt politicians whose policies almost always fill their own coffers. It's enough to make me feel blessed with what I have access to on a daily basis.

Water has been on my mind for a long time and because we are all equally dependent on it for our very survival, I figured this was the year that I would step up and offer my services to Thirst Relief International for their annual mentor auction that kicks off on February 6th. I join over 50 other photographers who have chosen to donate their time and even some goodies for those who bid and win the Ebay auction. Lots of details about how you can find and work with a photography mentor here.

As I said, there are lots of choices and some truly amazing and generous photographers. While I am not asking you to bid only on my mentor auction, I would be thrilled to work with you.

I wanted to know more about Thirst Relief and so I asked Adam McKibben, the organization's Director of Communications to take a few minutes to discuss how the group came to work with photographers and what its plans were for the future. I suspect what you are about to hear will inspire you.

More about Thirst Relief International.

If you have been at it as a wedding photographer, you've at one point or another wanted to create a wedding album for your clients. The process can be tedious, long and overly stressful.

Andrew Funderburg, or at least his company, Fundy Software, is a household name now. I interviewed “Fundy” several years back when I was attending the Mystic Seminars. His programs evolve … constantly. His applications Fundy Album Builder and Fundy Album Proofer are, by a very wide margin, the industry leaders in their respective niches.

I heard from Fundy that he was working on something revolutionary. In most other cases if someone came up to me and dropped that kind of language, I would be very skeptical. Not in Fundy's case because he has time and time again delivered on that promise and made the lives of thousands of photographers more efficient, and perhaps even more meaningful.

When you have an opportunity to interview the guy who defines and directs how wedding photographers run a major part of their business, you jump at the opportunity to see what he is cooking up next. Fundy and I sat down and chatted and he shared his screen with me, showing me the various features of Fundy Designer & Album Builder version 6.0.

The video is long, but well worth your time, if you are considering either buying or upgrading from your current version of Album Builder. We talk about his beginnings, where his ideas come from, what the new version of the software looks like and what we can expect in the future.

Do note that tomorrow (January 31, 2014) is the last day to upgrade at an insanely low price of $30! It would be absurd if you didn't upgrade.

February 1, early-bird pricing will end. Album Builder v6 will be $329, Upgrades from v5 will be $79, upgrades from v4 will be $179, and upgrades from v3 will be $279.

I believed in Fundy's ideas before he even launched his company and that belief is even stronger after seeing what he is bringing to the table now and what features are planned in the coming months. Frankly, it's time again to be excited about photographing weddings and designing wedding albums with ease, efficiency and elegance.

It’s funny how some of the moments that have impacted us the most as photographers come from the most unexpected places or at the most unpredictable times. Sometimes we don’t even realize their influence until much much later. For me, that mother of the groom at that wedding all those years ago was one of those moments.

My husband Chris and I were shooting her son’s wedding and at one point during the day she pulled us aside. At this point my mind was racing thinking about what was so important she felt like she had to tell us then and there. She proceeded to say that she wanted to personally tell us how much she loved her son and new daughter in law’s engagement photos from their engagement session a few months prior. She thought they were just beautiful. And then, it came. What she said next changed everything. She said, “I loved the photos because they were just SO THEM.” She didn’t mention the beautiful light or gorgeous scenery. She didn’t compliment us on the flattering poses, the exposure or anything like that.

The “So Them” Factor

Weeks went by and what she said still stuck with me. It was one of the most amazing compliments I felt like I could receive as a photographer. I wanted all of my couples and their families to look at their own photos and feel the same way she did about her son’s. I wanted to truly capture what I have come to call the “So Them Factor.”

The “So Them Factor” is the story, details, and personality that makes an individual and couple unique and therefore special. I wanted to capture the way Ava scrunched her nose when she was genuinely laughing so hard at her fiancé Steve’s jokes – something she has always done since she was a little girl. Her grandma does the same thing. I wanted to capture how Haley would randomly kiss Gavin’s hand as they walked together hand in hand – something she started doing when he was really sick a few years ago. For them it was a way of saying “I love you” with no words. I wanted to capture how big Emily and Brad’s smiles were as they squeezed one another hands back and forth as they sat next to one another – something they had done on their first date and continued to do throughout the years. I couldn’t have thought up direction or poses to elicit these authentic responses. But by knowing a couple and not giving too much direction, I gave them the space to be authentically themselves.

Authenticity versus Over Posing

What has helped me in capturing my couple’s uniqueness and chemistry – their “So Them Factor” – has been truly getting to know my couples. And not just getting to know how they met and hearing about the proposal. But by spending quality time with them and really observing and listening to their story; who they are and what makes them special as individuals and together as a couple. What they have been through, what they have overcome, their victories and imperfections and at the end of the day what makes them THEM. I then use this insight as I am photographing. So instead of telling a couple, for example, to face one another with hands on one another’s waists, his hands lower than her's and for her to turn her head 90 degrees and then both of them laugh really hard, I could tell them to hold one another tight and think about the time when he called her phone and was gushing about how much he loved her only to realize her grandma had answered her phone. Instant genuine laughs as they recall this memory. Conversation between the two. Authentic smiles.

As another example, maybe I see a golden retriever during their shoot and we all start recalling the story they told me during their consultation about how she tripped over a stranger’s dog leash in NYC and the person that helped her up was him. That’s how they met and their story began. These are all things that make them unique and special. They are all part of their story that is theirs and theirs alone.

I have found that for me, giving my couples too much technical or impersonal direction during a shoot and over posing them drains the uniqueness of a couple. It no longer matters who the couple is but becomes all about the pose. But when I really know the couple and they feel comfortable, I can give them permission to be themselves … permission to relax, have fun, and celebrate their story. I can capture them with no walls up. They have genuine laughs, hold hands the way they naturally would and occasionally position themselves with one another with minimal direction from me. They aren’t over thinking how they should stand or look or breathe. They are being authentically themselves in the moment, and THIS is what I want to capture. Because as the end of the day, when they look at their photos, I want them to say “these photos are beautiful and so US.”

Regardless of photographic genre, the primary factor a client will use to make their photographer hiring decision is going to be the photographer's images; if they see that you can produce great photos, that's going to be the most important thing. But there are a number of supporting factors that distinguish a true professional photographer; things that aren't always visible in your photos; but they contribute behind the scenes to being able to consistently deliver a great client experience.

A Professional Has Redundant Gear

I never arrive at a photo shoot with only a single camera, lens, or light; and neither should you. Like everything else, camera gear will break, whether it's just worn out or accidentally damaged. An equipment failure shouldn't derail a wedding, senior portrait session, commercial shoot, or other client endeavor. Responsible pros will own or rent an appropriate amount of gear to work through the occasional problem.

A Professional Photographer Is Insured

As a professional, it's good business to have insurance. Equipment insurance will cover your essential tools you use to make photos. Liability insurance will protect you if a client trips over your tripod. Errors and Omissions insurance will protect against other failures such as missing a critical photo in a scene that can't be re-staged. If you're not yet insured, consider the risks.

A Professional Photographer Knows Other Professional Photographers

It's the night before a big wedding. Or the morning of a day in your studio booked solid with clients. Maybe you're slated to head out first thing in the morning to set up for a day of executive portraits on location for a large company. And now you're violently ill. What's going to happen? A pro is going to have established connections with other pro photographers in the area that could potentially cover in a pinch.

Be Professional and Proud

Be a professional; and be proud of that. Your clients want great-looking photos, but they also want assurance that you've done the work to make sure that can happen. Let them know about what makes you a pro; it's a benefit to your client and they ought to know that you've thought about these factors. I can help them understand the value in hiring you rather than that guy off of Craigslist that'll do the job for 1/4 of your rate.

So, do you agree or disagree with Aaron Hockley? What other factors would you add to this list? Sound off below in the comments section!