https://soundcloud.com/photofocus/mind-your-own-business-podcast-with-brent-watkins-photofocus-podcast-february-8-2019 Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Please, post a review on iTunes. Welcome to the Mind Your Own Business Podcast! Today we chat with portrait photographer Brent Watkins! We discuss: How Brent got started as a photographer in a small town The importance of staying up-to-date on the latest techniques and being relevant The importance of giving your client a great experience during their photo session … [Read more...] about Mind Your Own Business Podcast with Brent Watkins | Photofocus Podcast February 8, 2019
marketing
Making money with your work — Manchester Arms Restaurant
(Editor's note: Bob Coates is a photographer whose talents stretch over many genres. Bob has authored books and articles on photography. He has presented seminars and programs from Hawaii to the Caribbean. He is Panasonic Lumix Ambassador who to stays up with the latest technology in micro four-thirds cameras. Bob is a successful commercial and fine art photographer based in Sedona, AZ with his wonderful wife, Holly, who makes it possible for him to do all he does in the industry.) An editor of Photofocus mentioned to me that many … [Read more...] about Making money with your work — Manchester Arms Restaurant
Photography Marketing: Beware of scams targeting photographers and models
I don't know about you, but when I receive a new client lead over email, I have a mini woo-hoo! moment. As photographers, we try so hard to market ourselves and get the word out there about what we do. But what happens when things go sideways, and when everything isn't as it appears? Recently, I was contacted for a photoshoot. Multiple emails and hours of preparation later, I learned it was a scam. Sensitive information has been blurred due to the legit parties getting involved in going after the scammers. Initial communication and … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: Beware of scams targeting photographers and models
Guide to Facebook Ads, part one: The basics
There's no question Facebook is still a major player online in 2019 and its ad platform is an important tool for many marketers. As a photographer, there are a lot of reasons to use Facebook ads: Wedding photography, portrait sessions, workshops, tutorials and more. It's a great tool to target specific groups of people and it's well integrated with many other services. Facebook's ad interface can be intimidating and ad campaigns can be counterintuitive, so this is the first post in a series of articles about Facebook Ads. Over the next few … [Read more...] about Guide to Facebook Ads, part one: The basics
Photography Marketing: More ways to get the word out
A few years ago, I wrote a piece on how to find your first client, and how to get the word out about who you are as a photographer. Things like sharing your photos, communicating with past connections, volunteering and more are great ways to get your work out there as a photographer. Now that you've landed your first client, what else can you do to gain even more clients? Build that portfolio Even if you don't have clients, that doesn't mean you can't start building your portfolio. If you're interested in photographing portraits, grab some … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: More ways to get the word out
Photography Marketing: Supplementary services for the slow season
As a corporate event photographer, January and February is undoubtedly one of the slower parts of my year. During this time I do a lot of reflection and preparation for my business, so I'm ready to go once spring hits. But let's be honest, we all need some income. The bills don't stop. This year, I was asked by an ongoing client to create some graphics for the headshots I had just taken. The client wanted me to come up with social media and web graphics that they could use for their promotions. So I got down to work. Relying on my experience … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: Supplementary services for the slow season
Beyond Technique Podcast with Adam Mowery | Photofocus Podcast January 16, 2019
https://soundcloud.com/photofocus/beyond-technique-podcast-with-adam-mowery-photofocus-podcast-january-16-2019 Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Please, post a review on iTunes. Welcome to Beyond Technique, a podcast empowering photographers to bring their businesses to the next level. In today's episode we chat with outdoor photographer Adam Mowery. We discuss: How Adam got started as a photographer The things he did to stay focused and chase his dream The role of relationship building as he furthered his career … [Read more...] about Beyond Technique Podcast with Adam Mowery | Photofocus Podcast January 16, 2019
Photography Marketing: Asking for a review
in previous columns, I've discussed the importance of getting reviews, especially on platforms like Google and Facebook. So what's the best way to do it? How do you ask for a review without sounding desperate? Why are reviews important? Reviews on both Google and Facebook are important because they help build your reputation. Whether it be a simple star rating or an in-depth recommendation from a client, having these is important as you continue to build your business. Whether it's the case or not, having no reviews might show that you're … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: Asking for a review
Photography Marketing: Using Instagram stories and highlights for a mini-portfolio
Instagram is a powerful tool, and one that I use on a daily basis. While posting and seeing everyone's photos as you scroll down your feed might be great (and fun), there are actually some other tools within the app that can help enhance your profile. Take one that I just updated — Instagram Story Highlights. These are those little circles you see on people's profiles. You can use this to save past Instagram stories, whether they be video or stills. This is a great way to show off your work, in a sort of mini-portfolio of sorts. For me … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: Using Instagram stories and highlights for a mini-portfolio
Photography Marketing: Five resolutions for the New Year
Happy New Year! As photographers, we often look to the future when it comes to our business. We think of booked sales, potential repeat clients and more to fill our calendars. Maybe you always take yearly photos of a family in your neighborhood or rely on several events that you're consistently hired for on an annual basis. While this is great to have, things can change with the snap of a finger, meaning you need to think of creative ways to pick up more clients. Below are five resolutions to get your marketing going into 2019. 1. Get … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: Five resolutions for the New Year
Photography Marketing: Gift ideas to boost your business and marketing
With Cyber Monday officially here, now's a great time to take advantage of some deals to help your photography business grow. Below are a few of my favorite tools for photographers, and some of them have some great Cyber Monday savings! Now's the time to finally invest in that customer relations management tool (CRM), much-dreaded accounting system or legal tools that you need to push your business ahead into 2019. Be sure to check out all of our holiday deals and ideas in our Holiday Gift Guide. Studio Ninja My choice for workflow … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: Gift ideas to boost your business and marketing
Beyond Technique Podcast with Brad Mangin | Photofocus Podcast November 21, 2018
https://soundcloud.com/photofocus/beyond-technique-podcast-with-brad-mangin-photofocus-podcast-november-21-2018 Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Please, post a review on iTunes. Welcome to Beyond Technique, a podcast empowering photographers to bring their businesses to the next level. In today's episode we chat with sports photographer Brad Mangin. We discuss: How Brad got started in sports photography Lessons learned from the great icons Paying dues and working hard The role of relationship building The … [Read more...] about Beyond Technique Podcast with Brad Mangin | Photofocus Podcast November 21, 2018
Photography Marketing: Know your platform
As photographers, we spend a lot of time sharing our images and trying to market ourselves on social media. It's no secret that we spend about 20% of our time actually photographing, while the other 80% is spent on our business. In order to be effective on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, however, you have to know the platform. And you have to know your audience for those platforms. Facebook When Facebook was initially launched in February 2004, its audience was clear. It catered specifically to college students. But two years … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: Know your platform
Photography Marketing: What Flickr’s changes mean for photo sharing
When I first got started in photography, I was constantly on Flickr. I uploaded all my photos there, browsed tons of groups and crossed my fingers that some of my work would make it to the coveted Explore gallery. While I'm no longer active on the service, I know several photographers — amateurs and professionals — who use Flickr on a daily basis. It's a great method of sharing your photos and getting feedback from the photography community at-large. It can even help in terms of showing off your work to clients. By Flickr changing its … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: What Flickr’s changes mean for photo sharing
Weekly Wrap-Up: November 4-10, 2018
Welcome to a brand new feature — the Weekly Wrap-Up — a compendium of some of the articles published this week on Photofocus. Controlling the "feel" of an image with the Illuminati meter After years of shooting, I also tend to get set in my ways. However, sometimes it’s good to get out of your familiar bubble and explore with new techniques and equipment, especially if it can help you become more efficient. Read more... Photography Marketing: Are leave-behinds effective? As we sat down to enjoy an amazing ice cream cone from Brooklyn Ice … [Read more...] about Weekly Wrap-Up: November 4-10, 2018
Mind Your Own Business Podcast | Photofocus Podcast November 9, 2018
https://soundcloud.com/photofocus/mind-your-own-business-podcast-photofocus-podcast-november-9-2018 Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Please, post a review on iTunes. Welcome to the Mind Your Own Business Podcast! Today we chat about your holiday marketing plan, as well as planning tips for the year ahead. We discuss: Christmas cards: Always use a photo you've taken, and always include your logo and studio information as well. In addition to it being a product you can sell to your clients. Christmas cards (or even gift … [Read more...] about Mind Your Own Business Podcast | Photofocus Podcast November 9, 2018
Quick Tip: Start using Instagram Stories to promote your brand
To help build your brand on Instagram, start using Instagram Stories to showcase projects you’re working on, future events or share something you just learned. This will attract new followers plus it may give your current clients ideas for future shoots. Want to learn more? Check out this podcast, "The InFocus Interview Show with Jonathan Tilly | Photofocus Podcast June 29, 2018" … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Start using Instagram Stories to promote your brand
Photography Marketing: Are leave-behinds effective?
Last Sunday, I was in Brooklyn to photograph the Brooklyn Bridge with a few other Photofocus authors after PhotoPlus Expo. As we sat down to enjoy an amazing ice cream cone from Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (seriously...best ever!) we stumbled upon this flyer taped to the side of one of the freezers next to where we were sitting. It got me thinking — how can leave-behinds be effective? Understand your audience Now, obviously this flyer wasn't meant for us; it was meant for locals in the Brooklyn area. Because the mini session was … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: Are leave-behinds effective?
How to post to Instagram from your computer — Easy as A, B, C
I hope this technique is as helpful for you as it has been for me. It's well known that you can only post to Instagram from your phone app. Which means you've probably done all kinds of digital gymnastics in order to get your best photos onto your phone to share. Many people upload them to Dropbox or another file-sharing site, then download to their phones. I thought I had a good system, which was to use Lightroom mobile to sync photos between my desktop and phone. But this is better. Soooooo much better. The Lr Mobile and Dropbox … [Read more...] about How to post to Instagram from your computer — Easy as A, B, C
Beyond Technique Podcast with Jeremy Horner | Photofocus Podcast October 17, 2018
https://soundcloud.com/photofocus/beyond-technique-podcast-with-jeremy-horner-photofocus-podcast-october-17-2018 Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Please, post a review on iTunes. Welcome to Beyond Technique, a podcast empowering photographers to bring their businesses to the next level. Today we chat with travel photographer Jeremy Horner. We discuss in detail: Relationship building and interacting with people The role of books and publishing in his business Advice to new photographers The importance of … [Read more...] about Beyond Technique Podcast with Jeremy Horner | Photofocus Podcast October 17, 2018
Photography Marketing: Getting ready for your next conference
October is full of different conference opportunities for me, so as I start to take care of the usual client communication (not to mention deciding what to pack), there are a few marketing items that are on my list too. Business cards This is the most obvious thing, and it's one that many photographers forget to bring. Business cards are a tried but true method of getting your name out there. You can use these to network with not only other photographers but also exhibitors, instructors, and others at the conference your attending. Make … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: Getting ready for your next conference
Mind Your Own Business Podcast with Scott Bourne | Photofocus Podcast September 14, 2018
https://soundcloud.com/photofocus/mind-your-own-business-podcast-with-scott-bourne-photofocus-podcast-september-14-2018 Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Please, post a review on iTunes. Welcome to the Mind Your Own Business Podcast! Today we chat with photographer, author, educator, Olympus visionary and President of Skylum, Scott Bourne about the following topics: Staying cutting edge in your technique, as well as how you run your business Fine-tuning your skillset The importance of education … [Read more...] about Mind Your Own Business Podcast with Scott Bourne | Photofocus Podcast September 14, 2018
Photography Marketing: Keeping your promotion going during the busy season
I'm about to enter my busy season — an entire month of shooting non-stop, sometimes with multiple events a day. Sometimes even multiple full days in a row! I wouldn't have it any other way. While having photoshoots lined up is great, and that ultimately means cash in your pocket, there can be a few unintended consequences. Things not related to your current photoshoots can fall by the wayside rather easily. If you have a plan in place in advance of your busy season starting, you can avoid this from happening, and keep your promotion going … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: Keeping your promotion going during the busy season
How deliberate is your business model?
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?
Beyond Technique Podcast with Jamey Price | Photofocus Podcast August 15, 2018
https://soundcloud.com/photofocus/beyond-technique-podcast-with-jamey-price-photofocus-podcast-august-15-2018 Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Please, post a review on iTunes! Welcome to Beyond Technique, a podcast empowering photographers to bring their businesses to the next level. Today we chat with motorsports and automotive photographer Jamey Price. We discuss in detail: the power of being able to leverage your network the benefit of being nice to people in the industry the role of … [Read more...] about Beyond Technique Podcast with Jamey Price | Photofocus Podcast August 15, 2018
The Mind Your Own Business Podcast with Jen Rozenbaum | Photofocus Podcast August 10, 2018
https://soundcloud.com/photofocus/the-mind-your-own-business-podcast-with-jen-rozenbaum-photofocus-podcast-august-10-2018 Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Please post a review on iTunes. [Editor's note: A word of caution: There is some strong language and topics in this episode. In an abundance of respect in our listeners, we've chosen to list this one episode as explicit.] In this episode, Skip Cohen and Chamira Young chat with boudoir photographer and educator Jen Rozenbaum. We discuss in detail: How … [Read more...] about The Mind Your Own Business Podcast with Jen Rozenbaum | Photofocus Podcast August 10, 2018
Showing up where it matters, part three
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
Photography Marketing: Facebook drops Lightroom share; a look at other options
You might not have noticed it, but when you went to set up a Facebook account to share to in Lightroom Classic or CC recently, you were greeted with the following message: "Facebook is Discontinuing Sharing from Desktop Applications: Starting on August 1st, 2018 Facebook will no longer allow applications like Lightroom Classic to post photos on your timeline. You can continue to use this feature until then, but after that date it will not be possible to share photos directly to Facebook from Lightroom Classic." So, what's this mean? Well, if … [Read more...] about Photography Marketing: Facebook drops Lightroom share; a look at other options
The Mind Your Own Business Podcast with Rudy Guttosch | Photofocus Podcast July 13, 2018
https://soundcloud.com/photofocus/the-mind-your-own-business-podcast-with-rudy-guttosch-photofocus-podcast-july-13-2018 Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Please post a review on iTunes. In this episode, Skip Cohen and Chamira Young chat with Rudy Guttosch from Illuminati Instrument Corp. We discuss in detail: how the process of creating an image is a mix of both art and science the process of launching a physical product the concept of released a minimum viable product the power of utilizing your network … [Read more...] about The Mind Your Own Business Podcast with Rudy Guttosch | Photofocus Podcast July 13, 2018
It’s Not About You
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
