Commercial Photographer: Your Guide to Marketing, Creativity and Growth

The Dual Challenge: It’s a high-stakes start to 2026. While the January 31st Tax Return for Photographers deadline is looming, an even bigger shift is coming this April. Specialist accountant Vicki Pascoe joins us to provide a two-part roadmap for your business.• The 10-Day Warning: If you haven't filed yet, hear the critical reason why you cannot afford to wait until the 31st—and the specific "Gateway" hurdle that catches most photographers out.• The April 6th Shift: We pull back the curtain on "Making Tax Digital." Find out if your Commercial Photography turnover triggers the new mandatory requirements and what the quarterly filing actually means for you.• The Case for Outsourcing: Why hiring a professional for your Accounting for Photographers is often a profit-making move rather than a cost, and how to decide if it's finally time to stop doing your own bookkeeping.⁠Download the free guide to Marketing and Creativity here

The Critical Gap: Why do some high-quality images fail to get results for clients? Strategy expert Uta from Carrot and Karma joins us to explain why Commercial Photography is only as effective as the planning behind it.• The Clarity Trap: Discover why a lack of Brand Strategy makes it impossible for a photographer to represent a business accurately, regardless of their technical skill.• Target Audience Alignment: Learn how to identify if your client actually knows who they are talking to before you ever press the shutter.• The Impact Checklist: A guide for the Brand Photography professional to ensure the messaging and "feeling" of the brand are locked in before the shoot begins.Download the free guide to Marketing and Creativity here

We received the sad news this week that photographer Martin Parr passed away. Our show this week is a mix of personal stories, reflections and discussion about the life and work of Martin Parr. Hear what Martin thought about Marcus's photography during his degree and about the fantastic legacy and foundation he leaves behind. Marcus shares with us a glimpse into Martin's commercial photography.

STOP GUESSING: Your website holds the key to your Commercial Photography Marketing success, but only if you know what the numbers mean. This essential show breaks down the noise of Website Analytics for Photographers into three actionable points.The Vital Few: Discover the exact 3–5 Commercial Photography statistics that genuinely measure your site's performance and income potential.The Dangerous Distractions: Learn which "vanity metrics" you should immediately ignore, as they waste your time and sabotage your business focus.The Diagnosis Checklist: Find out the critical signs in your data that signal an urgent, revenue-killing problem you need to fix this week.

The Challenge: Every Commercial Photography session starts with a client saying, "I hate having my photograph taken." The Solution: Expert listener Colin Smith reveals the Commercial Photography Skills that help you immediately build trust, relax your subject, and capture authentic emotion.• The 10-Minute Mindset: Discover the specific psychological framework you must adopt upon arrival to master Photographer Rapport Building even before you pick up the camera.• The Golden Prompt: Learn the single, magic sentence you can use while shooting that shifts the client’s focus and unlocks genuine expression for the perfect photo.• The Inner Practice: Find out the counterintuitive 10-minute listening exercise you can practice at home to instantly improve your essential Commercial Photography Skills.

Is your Commercial photography income seasonal? Wedding photographer Nick Church reveals the reality—and huge potential—of offering Photography education. Learn how this strategic service can be the ultimate tool for Photography business growth.• The Passive Income Lie: Find out why the promise of automated recurring income is false, and what level of sustained marketing work is actually required to make your course profitable.• The Conversion Secret: Discover the specific type of marketing content that attracts genuine buyers, and why high-spend generic ads fail to generate high-quality leads for your Commercial photography business.• The Overlap Advantage: Learn the simple branding trick that turns your existing Commercial photography clients and network into your warmest, most valuable source of education leads.

Are you leaving money on the table? Marcus breaks down event photography, a high value, high pressure genre that perfectly complements your commercial photography marketing. Learn how to capture the atmosphere and emotion that brands need for their future campaigns.• The Preparation Blueprint: Discover the essential questions you must ask your client before the day begins to guarantee you capture the client's full vision.• The Gear Guarantee: Discover the essential equipment setup you must adopt to guarantee reliability and professional results in unpredictable, low light venues.• The Relationship Advantage: Learn the powerful, simple strategy borrowed from wedding experts that helps you turn venues and speakers into your best source of repeat bookings.

In this insightful discussion, Alex Vita, a web designer and consultant for photographers with 17 years of experience, dives into the changing landscape of SEO in the age of AI. He highlights why traditional metrics like traffic are outdated and urges photographers to focus on valuable inquiries instead. Alex introduces the concept of zero-click marketing and emphasizes the importance of clear positioning and online reputation in attracting premium clients. He also shares common website mistakes that can deter potential clients and offers practical advice on portfolio management.

Discover the true numbers behind the industry's gender split and see exactly why brand photography is attracting so many women photographers right now—and why it’s not just a coincidence.Uncover the 'magic ingredient' of successful brand photography that allows you to charge more, secure repeat business, and turn simple images into powerful brand stories for your clients.Identify a huge commercial advantage that many photographers are currently missing, which represents a clear path to high-value, consistent bookings if you understand how to approach it.This week, we're diving into a topic not often discussed in the photography world: why brand photography is so heavily dominated by women photographers, both behind the lens and as clients. We go beyond the gear and business strategy to look at the psychology and personal connections that truly drive success in this niche.Marcus and Sam discuss the surprising statistics showing the gender ratio and break down what makes women excel in this area—it's less about technical skill and more about empathy, storytelling, and emotional intelligence.But here's the kicker: The show uncovers a huge commercial opportunity. We discuss an untapped segment of the market and what you need to know about their distinct visual approach. If you’re a brand photographer looking to increase your income, stand out from the crowd, and secure more repeat clients, tune in to find out where the real money is and how to get it.

Marcus is back this week with a fantastic guest: Colin Jones, CEO of The Society of Photographers (The Societies).In this powerful episode, Marcus and Colin dive deep into the state of the professional photography industry, focusing heavily on the commercial and B2B sectors. Colin shares critical insights on how a 5,000-member international organisation supports photographers and what it truly takes to succeed in today's demanding market.What You Will Learn. We’re covering the three key takeaways you need to navigate the evolving industry:How to significantly improve your photography and build a more profitable, premium business by leveraging the support, mentoring, and community of a dedicated professional body.How the commercial photography market is changing, addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, and exploring which specialised markets (like food, architecture, and product photography) are thriving.Why ideas are the gold standard of your business, and why technical excellence alone won't cut it in the future, especially as technology advances.