photography

Episode 55: Overcoming Jealousy as Photographer

June 14, 2017

Feelings of jealousy, comparison and inadequacy sometimes come with the job description as photographers and creative entrepreneurs. Today, I’m discussing those nagging feelings that no one wants to talk about and how you can overcome them in your own business and everyday life.

Related Links:

The #GirlBoss on Instagram Vs. Real Female Entrepreneurs
Being Boss: Jealousy and Competition (these ladies talk about becoming friends with anyone who you’re feeling jealous of—I love this idea!)

Your Turn to Share!

I’ve set up a call-in line you to call in and have your comments included in future episodes. To share your feedback to this episode, photography questions or your own tips to be featured on the show, call my Google Voice number and record your message: (616) 522-2515

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

September 22, 2015

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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.

Your Turn to Share!

Never Miss an Episode

To get future episodes and other goodies, be sure to subscribe in iTunes, and sign up below:

Episode 22: How Sara Wolfram Grew onelove photography to a Team of 40 People

April 22, 2015

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Sara Wolfram started her career as a sports photographer, but after shooting her first wedding, she was hooked. Now, Sara has a team of 40 people shooting and assisting for her company, onelove photography, where she does all of the editing.

A few topics from this show:

How sara transitioned from a single photographer to a team, and how she grew into multiple cities.
Building a team with likeminded photographers while protecting a specific vision and style.
How sara balances training and managing her team, selling new business across multiple cities, shooting ten weddings a year and editing every wedding that goes through her company.
How Sara learned to do sales.
What the client experience looks like with a team setting.
How sara feels about studio space—does it matter for selling?
What is the mistake that many young photographers make that Sara has overcome?
Setting clear expectations with clients

View some of Sara’s work below, and be sure to check out more work on her website, on Instagram and on Facebook.

Episode 21: How Nick Ulivieri Found a Unique Perspective in Commercial Photography

April 22, 2015

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Not many photographers can call a helicopter a part of their regular photo equipment, but Nick Ulivieri regularly flies high above Chicago as a part of his professional photographic work.

A few topics from today’s show:

How Nick made the leap from a full time job to full time self employed photographer.
How Nick figured out what to charge for his work.
How Nick learned the technical aspects of photography.
How Nick finds new clients (including Instagram).
How Nick got into ariel photography (and got clients to pay him to fly in helicopters).
What does a week in the life look like for Nick?

Check out some of Nick’s amazing photos below. Check out his website and follow him on Instagram to see more.

Episode 20: Maria Bayer: How to Sell as a Creative Entrepreneur

April 22, 2015

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As creative professionals, we photographers are often drawn in by the artistry of creating beautiful images, and many of us struggle with the necessary business mindset that it takes to turn photography into a viable full time business. Maria Bayer is on a mission to change that mindset for photographers and other wedding professionals—she’s a sale coach who specifically works with wedding professionals to help them win clients and charge what they’re worth.

A few topics from today’s show:

Listen to Maria talk about the selling mindset that you must have to win clients and charge what you’re worth
Learn how to build value with your clients (hint: it’s harder to do through e-mail)
Learn a few quick tips that you can implement now to start vetting potential clients and leading them to book larger packages
Hear Maria talk about the two different ways her clients go about selling products

Learn more about Maria’s training at mariabayer.com and on Facebook.

Episode 19: How Ian Holmes Niched Himself as an English Speaking Romantic Photographer in Paris

April 22, 2015

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Before he was a photographer, Ian Holmes was an image retoucher living in Paris. The more he worked on other peoples’ images, the more he became interested in photography himself.

Eight years later, Ian has built a name for himself as an english speaking romantic portraiture photographer in Paris. He shoots 25 weddings each year and three to four portraits sessions each week. During his off season, he heads off to the French Alps to recharge for the winter.

I met Ian in 2013 when he took photos for me and my husband while we were in Paris. We love the photos, and they have a special place in our home today.

A few topics from today’s show:

Find out how clients discover Ian
Find out how Ian connects with wedding clients who travel from out of town
Hear how Ian grows his skills in the off season
Find out why Ian is starting to incorporate film into his business
Find out which lens Ian can’t live without
Hear Ian’s advice about what every photographer should be doing to grow

Check out a few of Ian’s photos below, and head over to his website to see more.

Episode 18: Jill Devries on Standing Out in a Crowded Market

April 22, 2015

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Jill Devries studied communications in college and landed a great full time job after school. While second shooting weddings on the weekends, she realized that she wanted to transform her passion for photography into a full time career. For the next year, Jill continued to do photography on the side, learning, growing, networking and building up her professional equipment. After a busy year, she gave herself a goal of 20 weddings on the books before quitting her full time job. She went full time in April, 2010, and she hasn’t looked back.

Over time, Jill has learned to take photos that reflect how she sees the world—photos that are true to her unique vision. Rather than trying to be like someone else—an easy trap to fall into—Jill does her own thing, and she never feels like she’s in competition with other photographers who have their own styles.

In this interview, Jill tells her story and addresses what it’s like to run a business as an artist—dealing with fear and uncertainty while always pushing forward.

Recommended book: Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders

A very small sampling of Jill’s amazing body of work:

See more amazingness on Jill’s blog.

Episode 17: Michelle Moore on Breaking in as a Fashion + Senior Photographer

April 22, 2015

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Michelle Moore is a fashion and senior photographer based in Seattle. In this podcast interview, Michelle shares how she went from studying atmospheric sciences in college to leading a successful photography studio that focuses on fashion and senior photography.

I always love to ask for book recommendations from other professionals. Michelle recommends 4-Hour Work Week. While the book becomes a bit convoluted at the end, the overall concept of living your life now rather than working life away helped Michelle refocus her work life balance.

See more of Michelle’s work on her blog.

Episode 16: Meg Borders on Creating a Plan For Your Business

April 22, 2015

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Like many others, Meg Borders became interested in photography after her daughter was born. And like others before, Meg made some mistakes during the early days of her business. She finally put her business on hold to create a plan and work on branding—and her new focus on senior girls has allowed her to thrive.

A few topics from today’s show:

Don’t rush into business—have a business plan
Take time to concentrate on branding
Give yourself time to discover which aspect of photography you like the best
For outdoor portraits, don’t leave clients an option on timing—Meg always shoots her senior sessions two hours before sunset
Be who you are, and don’t try to be someone else

Recommended Resources:

Check out some of Meg’s gorgeous work below, and see more on her blog.

Episode 15: Justin + Mary Marantz on Creating a Profitable Business

April 22, 2015

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Justin and Mary Marantz blew me away at WPPI back in 2011, so I knew that I had to talk with them for the Field Notes podcast to share their story and words of wisdom. In this interview, learn how Mary Marantz went from Yale Law School to co-owning one of the fastest growing photography studios on the East Coast when she met her now husband, Justin.

“Nobody else in this world is going to give you permission. Nobody is ever going to write you a letter or an email or knock on your door and go, ‘Okay, now you get to go out and chase your dream.’ And nobody did that for us, and when we first decided that we were going to have the business and I was going to turn down the law firm offers, there were a lot of people who said, ‘What are you doing? You can’t be serious’…You have to be the ‘can’ in your own life. You have to be the permission that you give yourself to chase whatever it is that you want to do.” —Mary Marantz

Recommended Reading for Photographers: