Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Fabrizia Costa

Fabrizia Costa is a portrait and wedding photographer who also helps photographers raise the level of their work and their business through workshops and personal coaching. Her work is all about deep shifts in perspective, seeing things with new eyes, and thinking outside the box. If you’re a professional wedding or portrait photographer, you can join her free Outside the Box Evolution group on Facebook.

Latest posts by Fabrizia Costa (see all)

Warp-speed your culling in Lightroom

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We shoot digital. We shoot a lot. Often way too much. Hey, that’s the beauty of it, right? One shot or a thousand shots cost the same if your memory card is good. But is that really true? Aside from the fact that I remember my fashion editorial days, when we shot three rolls of film for every image, if not four. That’s between 100 and 140 shots per image, not so different from what we do today — but I digress, although this is probably a good topic for another post. The point is if we have to spend hours culling our images, are those extra … [Read more...] about Warp-speed your culling in Lightroom

Five quick ideas to grow your business before Christmas

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Less than four weeks to go, but plenty of opportunities 1. Those last-minute gift ideas There’s a time in September/October when we send out “Christmas gifts alerts” — those e-mails that remind your current clients that this would be the best time to print that album or create that cluster of wall panels, or order the copy of their wedding album as a gift to their parents, because it takes time to print and deadlines will be looming soon. And you’ve probably been dealing with those orders until now, and happy to be done with them as you meet … [Read more...] about Five quick ideas to grow your business before Christmas

How to work less and achieve more

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I’ve been traveling again, and as usual when the schedule becomes tight, time for certain things flies out of the window and we find ourselves having to make decisions about what we really need to do and what can be set aside for a few extra days — until we get our breath back or our feet on the ground and covered by Wi-Fi again. The fine art of making intelligent workflows When our time is tight, we learn to prioritize, and there’s no skill more valuable than that when it comes to running a business or simply getting our projects done. … [Read more...] about How to work less and achieve more

How to make peace with TIME

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8 killer tips to work smarter, be more productive and conquer a myth There’s days and there’s DAYS. Those days that are so full we almost dread them from the moment we wake up in the morning. How did we get to this? Why am I late with everything? But most importantly, how do I make sure this doesn’t happen again? EVER? Let me come right out of the gate and say that time management is a myth. You cannot manage time. You can only manage work, and that’s a BIG difference right there — to manage time, you’d have to be Doctor Who (and that’s … [Read more...] about How to make peace with TIME

Closing the gap

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“Photography makes me feel alive. I never get tired of shooting!” “Oh, this sucks. Didn’t turn out the way I saw it!” “Trying to find my style! Aaarrgghhhhh this is so difficult.” “If I think of my hard drive and all the courses and videos I bought? Embarrassing.” Let’s face it, f-stops will only take us so far After refining technique and learning the magic triangle where most images seem to sink anyway, at the end of the day we’re still unhappy with what we’re doing, and there seems to be no reasonable explanation for that. I mean, … [Read more...] about Closing the gap

How to run your one-man band with a SWAT team

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We all get there, sooner or later We all get there, sooner or later. We start our business, we make photos, we get clients. We make more photos. We get more clients. Then we need to market, raise our prices, find new products. We offer prints. We up our service. We do more photos. We struggle to edit it all. We drop the ball. We work late nights. We wonder why we ever started. We read articles on work/life balance and sigh (deeply). We think if only we were better organized. We look at others and wonder how they do it. While … [Read more...] about How to run your one-man band with a SWAT team

Why you know about Michelin stars

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…and why it matters to your photography business We’ve all heard it. “A Michelin star restaurant is not a McDonalds, and people know the difference.” I hear it all the time when some photographers talk about their idea of a “boutique business” and how clients should understand the difference between that and the guy selling files and printing on cushions and mugs down the road. As if. As if people really should automatically know the difference between a Fine Art print and a machine-spewed glossy piece of paper with a picture on it. … [Read more...] about Why you know about Michelin stars

How deliberate is your business model?

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To be or not to be, and why hybrid doesn’t work These days, there’s a lot of discussion about “shooting and burning” vs. “boutique studios.” Photographers giving away all the digital files, while others guard them with their lives and would never part with anything less than a fine art print. Sessions ranging from 15 minutes to 24 hours, or even longer for destination shoots. Studio settings with a million props, or pure documentary catching toddlers in bathtubs. The range is as wide as an intergalactic highway, and way more busy on any given … [Read more...] about How deliberate is your business model?

Am I good enough?

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Why this is a really dangerous question. You just started in photography. You set up your business a year ago and clients are not banging on your door to reserve sessions. You realize you need to make some money or you’ll end up homeless, and agonise to make a price list you can live with. You’ve been a photographer for years, and business is not going as well as you think it should. No matter where you’re at, the terrifying question is lurking at the back of your mind. All. The. Time. Are my photos good enough? You sign up for … [Read more...] about Am I good enough?

How to keep your website smelling fresh

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Why a regular clean-up is recommended We’ve been looking at websites for some time now (if you haven’t followed, put my name in the search box and fish out the articles – they’re still wriggling), and you got the gist of how to build one and make it visible, and have it up there shining as a beacon in the galaxy, attracting visitors from near and far. Brilliant. And then the same visitors come back again, because of another useful link to it — and they see the same thing again…and again…and again. Same home page, same galleries. Same images, … [Read more...] about How to keep your website smelling fresh

Showing up where it matters, part three

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Building online visibility Visibility online is built with a bit of patience, a lot of care, good content and most of all… links. It takes a while to draw enough traffic to your website, and most of us would love to cut a corner or two and get there quicker. This week we look at a few more ways, besides blogging, to get the clicks going and the visitors flocking. Landing pages If you run an offer, a promotion, a presentation, a new project, or whatever else you want to explain in detail to potential clients, you will need a landing page. … [Read more...] about Showing up where it matters, part three

Showing up where it matters, part two

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Click here to read part one. Blogging is not a dirty word Being visible, in a web that grows at incredible speed and offers everything you can think of and stuff that you can’t even imagine in your wildest dreams, is no walk in the park — and if you don’t put a little thought into it you may find yourself wasting a lot of time for very scanty results.  Take blogging, for instance. Many photographers have a blog. And many of the photographers I speak to complain that they don’t have time for it, that they’re “behind” (behind what, I often … [Read more...] about Showing up where it matters, part two

Rock Your Vacation Family Photos This Year, Part Two

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Ten vital tips to give them a different spin, part two Looking for part one? Click here to start reading. Here's a few more tips — some for my geeky side as well. 6. Pack light You don’t have to take every lens you own and come back thinking you wish you’d married a chiropractor. Think about what you want to shoot and just take minimum gear for it. Limitations expand creativity! I once went on vacation with one camera and a 50mm lens, and really learned how to use it. It has since become one of my favorite lenses. If you’re unsure, take … [Read more...] about Rock Your Vacation Family Photos This Year, Part Two

Showing up where it matters

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How to be visible on the web You have your website up, your branding sorted out, your logo is cool, your colors are gorgeous and it’s all spanking new and glittery. It looks just like you and totally represents you, your style, your energy, your personality. You run one last, quick but super-thorough check that all the links are working, and your mouse hovers over the Publish button. Click. There. You just opened up shop on the High Street. At least, that’s what it feels like. You’re there for everyone to see — which can actually be a bit … [Read more...] about Showing up where it matters

Rock your vacation family photos this year, part one

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Ten vital tips to give them a different spin Family vacations. Late night packing, last minute checks, car trips, crowded stations, airport check-in queues, cranky kids. But of course it’s all worth it. We get to our destination and some days are good, some fall a bit below our expectations, but the overall feeling is that this is a special time and we want to make the most of it. And we take photos, lots of photos — because of the benefits digital cameras offer. How many files do you bring home? How long does it take you to sort through … [Read more...] about Rock your vacation family photos this year, part one

It’s Not About You

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Everyone clicks on the About page. Don’t you? That’s how I realized that About pages are not all the same, and some are way better than others. But what makes a good one, and how do we go about getting ours to be effective? The Most Important Page on Your Website If you’re anything like me, there’s nothing worse than browsing through a photographer’s website filled with images we like, and then ending up on a long and boring About page, usually devoid of images (‘cuz we don’t like to be photographed — that’s why we’re photographers, right?) … [Read more...] about It’s Not About You

What Happens in Your Next 30 Days?

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July just started. It’s a busy month for most photographers, and this one will be no different. Last year, was it better or worse? More work, less work? It’s likely that this month won’t be too different from last month. And the following month. Lots to do, some exhausting days, a few BBQs here and there. If You’re Happy With the Way Things Are, Keep Doing What You’re Doing Otherwise, you may want to spend a little time to find your own superpowers, and to warp speed your life in the direction it’s meant to go. To unlock, unblock and … [Read more...] about What Happens in Your Next 30 Days?

Your Homepage and the First Five Seconds in Your Clients’ Lives: Part 2

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Editor’s Note: Fabrizia Costa is a portrait and wedding photographer who also helps photographers raise the level of their work and their business through workshops and personal coaching. Her work is all about deep shifts in perspective, seeing things with new eyes, and thinking outside the box. If you’re a professional wedding or portrait photographer, you can join her free Outside the Box Evolution group on Facebook. You have your homepage set up, the logo looks good, the colors match and you’re on a roll. Making a website has never been … [Read more...] about Your Homepage and the First Five Seconds in Your Clients’ Lives: Part 2

Your Homepage and the First Five Seconds in Your Clients’ Lives

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Editor’s Note: Fabrizia Costa is a portrait and wedding photographer who also helps photographers raise the level of their work and their business through workshops and personal coaching. Her work is all about deep shifts in perspective, seeing things with new eyes, and thinking outside the box. If you’re a professional wedding or portrait photographer, you can join her free Outside the Box Evolution group on Facebook. You may have heard how important it is to make a good first impression and how quickly that happens when we meet someone, … [Read more...] about Your Homepage and the First Five Seconds in Your Clients’ Lives

Why Your Story is the Center of the Universe

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Very few products can stand on the strength of their packaging without an identifying brand. The opening image above is a good example. This article takes a hard look at branding and differentiates it from marketing, advertising, and public relations. Editor's Note: Fabrizia Costa is a portrait and wedding photographer who also helps photographers raise the level of their work and their business through workshops and personal coaching. Her work is all about deep shifts in perspective, seeing things with new eyes, and thinking outside the … [Read more...] about Why Your Story is the Center of the Universe

Get Out of the Shark Pool

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Editor's Note: Fabrizia Costa is a portrait and wedding photographer who also helps photographers raise the level of their work and their business through workshops and personal coaching. Her work is all about deep shifts in perspective, seeing things with new eyes, and thinking outside the box. If you’re a professional wedding or portrait photographer, you can join her free Outside the Box Evolution group on Facebook. Why the Business of Photography Can Only Go One Way — UP I hear it all the time. On social media. At meetups, networking … [Read more...] about Get Out of the Shark Pool