Allie Siarto, Author at Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers

Episode 39: Alex Noriega on Making a Living as a Landscape Photographer

October 14, 2015

Alex Noriega started out with portraits and architecture in Minneapolis, but in 2011, he took a road trip out west, and ended up moving to Portland, which led into a shift toward landscape photography.

A few topics from today’s show:

How Alex taught learned the skills it takes to be a landscape photographer
How do you make a living as a landscape photographer?
Planning landscape photography trips (and finding community around it).
What is the most important thing to know as a landscape photographer?
Where do landscape photographer clients come from?

Check out Alex’s stunning work below, and be sure to check out his website to see more.

Episode 38: How Angeliki Jackson Grew Her Instagram Following to 130,000+

October 7, 2015

Instagram has opened all kinds of doors for freelance designer, Angeliki Jackson (@astrodub on Instagram). She’s been named one of the top Instagram photographers to follow by multiple outlets, she’s had her photography work displayed at the W Hotel in Times Square, along with other galleries, and she’s had the opportunity to experience amazing travel adventures.

A few topics from today’s show:

Growing your Instagram following
How to approach which photos to share on Instagram
Instagram editing tools
Other recommended Instagrammers

Episode 37: Kristy Ryan on Turning Photography Clients into Raving Fans

September 22, 2015

Kristy Ryan from went from shooting her first wedding for $200 when she founded Blush Wedding Photography five years ago to being named British Columbia’s top wedding photographer. She now photographs 35 weddings a year—about a quarter of those are destination weddings ranging from Barcelona to Bali.

A few topics from today’s show:

How Kristy got started with as a destination wedding photographer
Why SEO matters
How Kristy builds amazing relationships with her clients
Client gifts
Entering contests to boost credibility
Attracting the clients and work you want

“I think part of why I love photography was…the collaborative nature of it…coming up with an idea and bringing creatives together to make it come to life.” – Kristy Ryan

“One foot in front of the other. Take action. You need to make it happen.” – Kristy Ryan

View a few of Kristy’s photos below, and be sure to follow her on Instagram to keep up on her latest work.

Episode 36: Ashley Goodwin on Networking, Social Media & Hustle for Photographers

September 2, 2015

When Ashley Goodwin moved to Oahu, Hawaii, she had nothing on her books as a photographer. In fact, she had spent the first part of her photography career relying on her sister to help her win clients as a part of a photography team. Within seven months, Ashley had photographed 12 weddings and 15 sessions, and she had booked 19 weddings. Listen to the full interview to find out how networking, social media and a lot of hustle helped her to make a successful transition to a new state.

A few topics from today’s show:

Starting over in a new place as a photographer.
How should I network with other wedding vendors as a photographer?
How should I approach social media for my photography business?
What does Ashley wish she’d done differently when it came to shooting film?

Be sure to check out Ashley’s BEAUTIFUL photos on Instagram (you may find yourself planning a trip to Hawaii after you see them).

Episode 35: Derek Cookson on Selling Yourself as a Photographer

August 28, 2015

Derek Cookson left behind a life in IT when he moved from Canada to the U.S. and decided to pursue his passion for photography. Today, he’s bringing the (trademarked) Derek Cookson joy to weddings and family sessions as a full time wedding photographer in the Detroit, Michigan area. I’ve had the pleasure of shooting with Derek—he’s the kind of guy that you want by your side at a wedding.

A few topics from today’s show:

Standing out from the crowd and selling yourself as a photographer.
What should you look for in a photography studio space? (And hear how Derek shares his space to make it more affordable)
Is a storefront photography studio a good idea?
What’s the benefit of presenting photos in person after the wedding?
Find out what kind of gear Derek likes to have along with him during weddings and shoots.

Check out Derek’s gorgeous work below, and be sure to visit his website for more.

And to go along with our conversation, Derek was kind enough to share a few examples from his very first wedding. Thanks, Derek!

Episode 34: Vickie Black on Standing Out in the Senior and Teen Market

August 20, 2015

Vickie Black and her husband, Jeremy, have been self employed for years, so it wasn’t a huge leap for them to start a photography business together. The leap came later, when Vickie decided that she wanted to drop weddings to specialize in senior and teen photography.

A few topics from today’s show:

Letting go of a lucrative market (weddings) to specialize.
How Vickie and Jeremy got into schools for senior photography.
Creating a model program (Vickie had 60 teens apply for her latest program).
Creating unique experiences for clients—from pre-session consultations to makeup to the shoot and afterward, including a charity fashion show for her teens.

Check out some of Vickie’s photos from a Footloose themed photo shoot that she did with her models, and be sure to check out her website and follow her on Instagram.

Jeremy also runs Rockology, a rock “school” for kids and teens.

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love for you to leave a review on iTunes so others can find it!

Episode 33: Alicia Caine on Why Specialization Matters as a Photographer

August 12, 2015

After I talked with Jonathan Canlas a few weeks ago about why he refuses to specialize as a photographer, I thought it would be fun to counter his views with the views of Alicia Caine, a super wiz on branding, pricing and making it rain in the photography business.

Alicia actually just came out with a course on how to take yourself from generalist to specialist as a photographer, and she’s passionate about the power of specializing. In fact, her own specialization was what took her from stay at home mom to full time breadwinner for herself, her husband and their three children (she’s now up to seven kids, and her business has shifted to focus on helping other photographers).

A few topics from today’s show:

How Alicia found her specialization and why she recommends specialization for other photographers.
What she would do differently if she was starting her business in today’s market.
What is specialization versus a category? For example, newborns and weddings are categories, but specializations go even deeper.
Alicia points out why Jonathan Canlas actually does specialize (she’ll explain how)
Building sustainability into business.
Building a brand (branding elements).

You can find more from Alicia through the links below:

Profit First Photography
The Photographer’s Pricing System: Get paid what you’re worth for portraits and weddings
That Thing You Do Course (Going from Generalist to Specialist)
Alicia’s free ebook: Create Something Bigger

Episode 32: How Amy and Jordan Demos Both Quit Their Jobs & Took Wedding Photography by Storm

August 5, 2015

Amy and Jordan were high school sweethearts— they met when they were 14 years old in freshman english class. After becoming teachers in the same school, Amy found herself getting pulled in by the world of photography. Jordan soon followed, and within a few years, they had both quit their day jobs to run their wedding photography business full time as a husband and wife team.

A few topics from today’s show:

The journey toward becoming a full time husband and wife wedding photography team, including why Amy and Jordan chose to quit both of their jobs at the same time rather than having one jump all in first, and how they made it work.
How Amy and Jordan have used their blog to attract clients (sometimes they even attract clients before they meet their future spouses).
What does the client experience look like for Amy and Jordan couples? How many touch points do they have with clients throughout the experience?
Why do Amy and Jordan always meet couples at Starbucks for their first meetings?
Learn why Amy and Jordan insist on engagement sessions.
Listen to how Amy and Jordan talk about how they connect with clients throughout the year through personal social media.

Check out Amy and Jordan’s free ebook, Make Your Dream Job a Reality for more advice about making the leap into full time photography.

Check out some of their beautiful work below, and be sure to check out their website and follow Amy and Jordan on Instagram to see more.

Episode 31: Jean Smith on Starting up during a downturn and traveling the world

July 29, 2015

International travel seems to be quite a trend in my interviews lately for getting people started in photography. When Jean and her husband, Travis, traveled to China for an internship for her husband, they knew that they wanted to bring a nice camera along. What they didn’t know was that this camera would change the course of their lives. Jean became obsessed, and after getting back to the States, she started her business.

They moved to Michigan soon after for Travis’ job, but when the economy took a nose dive around 2009, Travis was told that he needed to start looking for a new job. That’s when he jumped into commercial video and photography, making the couple completely self employed in photography.

A few topics from today’s show:

The one mistake Jean made in the beginning.
Building a brand.
How Jean approaches social media marketing and built a Facebook audience of 17,000 (50-75% of her business comes from social media).
How Jean and Travis took a full year traveling Europe and Asia with their four kids while working along the way.
Balancing home responsibilities when both spouses are self employed (hint: outsourcing helped).
Advice for beginners getting into business.

Check out some of Jean’s work below, and be sure to check out her website and Facebook page for more.

Episode 30: Jonathan Canlas on Shooting Film & Refusing to Specialize

July 8, 2015

Jonathan Canlas discovered photography while living in Japan. 20 years later, he’s running a thriving business, and he’s still shooting film.

FIND: Families Guide (From Jonathan: “I’m laying out how to shoot a family portrait session in a way that’s fast, fun and profitable.”)
FIND: Biz Guide (From Jonathan: “What if a single book could turn your photography business around? Whether you shoot film or digital photography, FIND: Biz covers the nuts and bolts of operating a profitable photography business.”)

A few topics from this show:

Why Jonathan never switched to digital photography
How shooting film impacts how Jonathan approaches weddings and sessions
How many photos he shoots for weddings and sessions, and how many he delivers
How Jonathan preps for a wedding
Why Jonathan doesn’t work with second photographers
Why Jonathan thinks photography specialization is a bad idea
Jonathan’s biggest wedding disaster story

Be sure to follow Jonathan’s latest work on his website and Instagram.

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