PhotoBizX The Ultimate Wedding and Portrait Photography Business Podcast

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Vanessa German of www.vannfineart.com and her photography business was a bit of an enigma to me. I was excited to dive in and learn more about what I believe is an incredibly successful business… but I just wasn't sure. Here's some background… The photography on her website is exquisite. It's studio-based and classic in how her subjects have been lit, posed, and framed. Her clients all look happy, mostly looking down the lens and smiling. I'd also describe them as looking wealthy, like they can afford to invest in a luxury experience. Her Instagram and Facebook accounts appear to take a back seat with few posts, the last one on Facebook being over four months ago and Instagram a month ago. I can't see any current ads running. I know she's had sales over the $10,000 mark. Whenever I read her comments or posts in the PhotoBizX Members Facebook Group, they scream business savvy, intelligent and realistic business operator to me. In this interview, Vanessa shares how living in a small town doesn't exclude you from big profits and how to build a thriving photography business, no matter where you're based. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: How to grow beyond your local market – Struggling to find clients in a small town? Learn how to attract bookings from outside your immediate area. Why profitability isn’t about high-income clients – Vanessa shares how she built a thriving business by focusing on middle-class families who truly value photography. The secret to managing client expectations – Offering a mix of formal and casual portraits. Here’s how to guide your clients to make the best choices for stunning results. Why studio sessions are a game-changer – Higher efficiency, better profit margins, and less time spent editing—Vanessa reveals why studio photography is a smart business move. Silent auctions done right – A marketing tool that brings in new clients… but only if you do it properly. Learn how to set minimum bids and ensure gift certificates actually get used! Transforming your sales process – Discover how an effective consultation, projection software, and the right messaging can significantly boost your print sales. Time is money: How to simplify your workflow – Drop shipping, outsourcing, and smarter systems—how to free up your time while keeping profit margins high. Adapting when business shifts – Market trends change—are you keeping up? Learn how to test, pivot, and drop what’s not working. Finding the balance between creativity and business – Mastering your craft is one thing, but building a sustainable business requires a different mindset. Vanessa shares how to shift gears. The fastest way to grow: Learning from those who’ve done it – Why mentorship and proven strategies are the real shortcuts to success. What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. My focus is on being a six figure salary studio, not a six figure revenue studio. – Vanessa German You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. I would rather be one woman show and outsource as much as I can and run really lean and efficient because that's just so much less stress for me. – Vanessa German In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Vanessa shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode. I do find that the auction system, I call it, or the Golden Circle of giving. I do find that to be one of my most successful marketing plans, because it is one way that I can bring people to my studio that don't live near me. So I can bring them from a farther distance to me. – Vanessa German If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Vanessa or want to say thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. I found as my children grew and my personal life changed, my focus shifted also, what I felt was more important changed over that time. – Vanessa German If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. My client avatar is someone who values what I do. So that can look like a lot of different things. – Vanessa German Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​ Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: Vanessa German Website Vanessa German Fine Art on Instagram Vanessa German Fine Art on Facebook Episode 476: Arica Dorff – How to have your own photography supported road tripping adventure Projector People Episode 595: Claire Thomas – Chasing stories and an income as a documentary and fine art photographer Free Download from Vanessa — The Auction Program Essentials Checklist Thank you! Thanks for listening! Huge thanks to Vanessa for sharing her game-changing insights on building a profitable photography business. From attracting the right clients to running a smarter, more efficient studio, she’s proof that success isn’t just about talent—it’s about making smart business moves. To be successful no matter where you are, at some point you have to transition from being the artist to being a business person. If you don't make that transition, you'll just continue to chase your art. – Vanessa German. That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business! Thanks, and speak soon Andrew The post 603: Vanessa German – How to build a small town thriving photography business appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Noel Marcantel, a leading headshot and branding photographer from New Orleans, shares his innovative approach to photography. He highlights the importance of expression coaching, emphasizing that a headshot serves as a 'digital handshake' with potential clients. Noel discusses his premium pricing strategy, earning over $3,000 per session, and the necessity of valuing client experience over cost. He also shares insights on maximizing studio space and the balance between personal branding and professional growth to enhance client engagement.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Jane Thompson of www.janethomsonphotography.com is a Canadian-based dog and portrait photographer who came from the commercial television world before discovering and studying photography. Take one look at her photography, and you'll be drawn in by her classic and dramatic style, shot against simple canvas backdrops without the distraction of props. Her work truly is fantastic! It was long-time premium member and pet photographer Jo Lyons who made me aware of Jane in her email where she said: I had a coaching call this morning with Canadian photographer Jane Thomson. I’ve admired her work on Instagram and recently learned she was available for coaching. Jane recently completed an incredible calendar project for a children’s hospital, which is nothing like I’ve ever seen. I asked Jane for this interview, and she warned me by saying… I have a small and simple portrait business…nothing luxurious. I work out of my home, strictly on my own (no assistants or staff). I do pretty well and have pretty much no overhead other than all my subscriptions. That was enough for me, and I'm rapt to say Jane agreed to record. In this interview, Jane shares her secrets to organic growth, a different approach to photography business success, with takeaways for every photographer. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Stay authentic and avoid comparisons to grow personally and professionally. Niche & Online Presence: Specialise and leverage a strong online platform for growth. Late-Career Reinvention: At 58, Jane turned a hobby into a thriving photography business. Organic Growth: Started with friends’ dogs and grew through word-of-mouth and online engagement. Passion-Focused Work: Success driven by love for creativity, especially editing. Lighting & Composition: Dramatic, painterly lighting inspired by TV and self-taught techniques. Consistency & Style: A clear style builds client trust and attracts bookings. Adaptability & Learning: Continuous growth through online resources and skill refinement. Marketing That Works: Organic Instagram growth, Google visibility, and referrals—no paid ads needed. “Calendar Project” Impact: Emotional rewards, awards, and bookings, but limited hospital exposure. Work-Life Balance: Sets boundaries (mornings only, no weekends) while fostering client connection. What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. I was looking for something between my projects…I thought, I have no hobbies. I just keep going out for lunch with friends. You know, I need to do something more productive, learn something. So I thought I'm going to get a camera. – Jane Thomson You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. I will never shoot without being tethered. It's the most productive, and it's the most productive thing I do. – Jane Thomson In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Jane shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode. Nobody sees your style. They don't know what they're going to get. When they come in to have a shoot with you, they do not know what they're going to get. Whereas each client that comes in with me, they know, because. If you look at my feed, it has a style… – Jane Thomson If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Jane or want to say thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. I love being busy, not not just busy. I like to wake up in the morning and have a plan. – Jane Thomson If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. I love getting that painterly, beautiful, soulful portrait of a dog looking right down the barrel of the lens over its shoulder at you. It's just fantastic. You know? It's very human. – Jane Thomson Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​ Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: Jane Thomson Website Jane Thomson Photography on Instagram Jane Thomson Photography on Facebook Portraits of Dogs on Instagram Thank you! Thank you so much for tuning in! A huge thanks to Jane for sharing her journey and insights into running a successful dog and portrait photography business. From mastering dramatic lighting to building trust with clients and growing organically, Jane’s approach proves that passion and simplicity can lead to incredible success. If you’re looking for ways to refine your style, connect deeply with clients, and grow your business on your terms… you'd do well to emulate Jane and her approach. I’d love to hear your thoughts—let me know your biggest takeaway! I think it's because it's a style, and they can see, they can imagine their dog or their them and their dog in that style, and it works for them. And so it consistently brings people in. – Jane Thomson That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business! Thanks, and speak soon Andrew The post 601: Jane Thomson – Secrets to Organic Growth. A different approach to photography business success appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Welcome to a very special milestone episode of PhotoBizX—our 600th! This week, we’re not just reflecting on the journey so far, but celebrating you, the incredible Premium Members who have made this podcast what it is today. Your engagement, insights, and stories inspire not just me but the entire PhotoBizX community. We’ve also just hit another significant milestone: 2.5 million downloads! This achievement is a testament to the power of community, the value of shared knowledge, and the collective drive we all have to grow, learn, and succeed in the photography business world. Thank you for being such a big part of this journey! In this episode, you’ll hear directly from Premium Members sharing their big wins, valuable lessons from 2024, and their exciting goals for 2025. Plus, there’s no shortage of inspiration—from Abi’s journey of building an authentic brand to Ina’s first five-figure sale to Ryan’s success with a bold new advertising strategy. These stories prove what’s possible with focus, determination, and the proper support. This is also your chance to join the celebration. As we look back on 600 episodes and 2.5 million downloads, I can’t wait to see what we achieve together in the next chapter. Thank you for being here, for sharing your journey, and for making PhotoBizX the vibrant, supportive, and inspiring community it is. Here's to making 2025 our most successful year yet—together! Let’s celebrate this incredible milestone and all we’ve achieved as a community—dive into the stories below, share your takeaways in the comments, and keep the conversation going.​ Abi B – Sunbury Professional Pet Portrait Photographer Expanding Service Offerings: Diversify photography services with outdoor natural light photography, broadening client appeal and creative opportunities. Mindful and Intentional Actions: Commit to intentional business decisions by reducing reactivity and staying focused on long-term goals. Building an Authentic Brand: Trust personal values and instincts to create a cohesive brand that reflects unique style and builds stronger connections. Pursuing a Career Transformation: Transition from teaching to fully focus on photography and embark on an exciting journey as a growth coach. Abi B Website Abi B Photography on Instagram I need to be a bit more discerning and trust my own values and instincts as to what is right for me and my business…Rather than trying a little bit from here and a little bit from there, I’ve realised the importance of creating something cohesive that truly reflects me. – Abi B Jeany Aerdts – Dog Photographer Overcoming Fear to Achieve Growth: Embrace the “do it scared” motto, pushing through challenges and building a successful photography business despite fears. Embracing Action and Progress: By taking small, consistent steps, Jeany turns big goals into achievable milestones, demonstrating that action leads to success. Building Client Trust and Loyalty: Despite facing rejection, Jeany builds a loyal client base that appreciates the art and creativity of her dog and pet photography. Jeany Aerdts Dog Photography Website The worst thing that could happen was that my the door got bruised or that people said no to my face. Well, they did a lot. And I'm still here with clients who value my work and love the art I create for them. – Jeany Aerdts Damien Blacklock – Las Vegas family photographer Networking for Growth: Attend industry events and engage with fellow creatives to expand business opportunities and increase client leads. Diversifying Client Work: Leverage relationships with other professionals to secure varied photography projects, such as weddings and family shoots. Embracing Serendipity: Be open to unexpected opportunities that arise from networking, leading to unique and diverse work. Strengthening Industry Presence: Build a robust reputation within the local creative community to increase visibility and potential client referrals. You never know what you're going to get, but you need to get in there and talk to people. – Damien Blacklock Damien Blacklock Website Tom Ryan Casey – Family Portrait Photographer Diversifying Business Ventures: Explore new opportunities by expanding into photography studio operations, offering a broader range of services for long-term growth. Streamlining Focus for Growth: Prioritise high-value clients such as large corporations and government agencies to ensure a steady income and reduce time spent on less profitable tasks. Overcoming Operational Challenges: Address client satisfaction issues by focusing on quicker turnaround times and optimising workflow to maintain quality and reliability. Rebuilding Online Presence: Plan to relaunch a photography website to showcase services and attract new clients, building on a solid foundation in the construction sector. The one thing I've learned this year is stop doing the things that are taking over time and that you don't make money on. Um and the answer to that then is stick at the things that you're doing well. – Tom Ryan Casey Paul Elby – Brisbane Dog Photographer Working with a Business Coach: Collaborating with Joel Dunn on mindset has provided valuable lessons on backing oneself and taking messy action to move forward in business. Setting Clear Business Goals: Aiming for 10 clients and 10 photo shoots in February 2025, with a gross income target of $70,000 by June 2025. Long-Term Growth Strategy: Planning for sustained growth, targeting $100,000 in revenue by 2026, and continually expanding the business. Paul Elby Website Paul Elby on Instagram Episode 556: Johl Dunn – Unlock Your Photography Business Potential and Stop Failing I think that's probably the biggest thing and that's something I would say everyone should do is get a business coach, especially someone especially with mindset. – Paul Elby Ryan Erickson – Denver dog photographer Increased Marketing Efforts: Boost advertising spend and social media campaigns to drive greater visibility and client engagement for photography services. Opening New Opportunities: Leverage expert insights to explore untapped business avenues and enhance marketing strategies. Building Effective Campaigns: Focus on crafting compelling social media campaigns to reach broader audiences and elevate brand presence. Ryan Erickson Website Ryan Erickson on Instagram Episode 587: Ryan Erickson – Fetch Photo Truck – A Mobile Pet Photography Business Wagging its Way to Success Thanks Andrew! You helped me get started with the ad campaign, and then I got connected with someone in my local dog network who is starting his own marketing business. He helped me launch new ads over the last week, and I’m seeing great success! It’s hard getting used to spending that money every day, but I’m betting on it balancing out in the long run. I’m getting better at those phone calls. I’ve made about 100 calls by now and feel like I’m dialling things in. Thanks again for inspiring me to get started with all that! I’m on track to have 215k in revenue this year, which is 15 more than last year. Moving forward, I have to get used to taking on a much bigger ad budget. Can you believe in 2023, I only spent 5k in advertising? That includes market event fees and such. Now, it seems that realistically, I need to spend 3-4 that much to get the kind of results I’m after. Keep doing great things! Ryan Erickson Thanks for everything that you do after being on your podcast. It really helped open up my eyes on how little I've been spending on advertising. So, uh you really helped open up some doors and get some campaigns on social media launch that is just really uh starting to to prove super helpful. – Ryan Erickson Crystal Gail – Central Coast Family photographer Investing in Personal Growth: Prioritise self-investment by attending workshops, working with coaches, and connecting with other photographers to enhance skills and broaden creative perspectives. Embracing Creativity and Growth: Step outside your comfort zone and push creative boundaries to elevate photography services and deliver an exceptional client experience. Enhancing Client Experiences: Focus on continuous improvement to deepen emotional impact and ensure every client's unforgettable, personalised service. Leveraging Industry Connections: Network with industry professionals to stay inspired, collaborate, and drive business growth through shared knowledge and experiences. Crystal Gail Photography Every investment I've made in myself this year has helped me to grow. – Crystal Gail Mike Glatzer – Atlanta Creative Portrait Photographer Streamlining Business for Efficiency: Reduced the number of shoots while maintaining the same revenue, enhancing profitability and work-life balance. Raising Prices with Improved Service: Increased pricing and delivered better client experiences, leading to consistent revenue despite fewer bookings. Pursuing Sustainable Growth: Shifted focus from quantity to quality, enabling sustainable business practices and more personal time while maintaining high revenue. Outsourcing Marketing for Growth: Plans to outsource Facebook and Google ads to a marketing group to boost leads and revenue in 2025 without the time commitment. Mike Glatzer Website Episode 518: Mike Glatzer – A solution for photographers not ready for a subscription-based CRM And one of the big things or big wins I had this year was I had probably my fewest shoots in a number of years. I think I did maybe like 20 something shoots. In previous years I had done like 40, 50, whatnot, and I still did the same revenue. I saw the same, you know, numbers coming in, which was tremendous because as a result of you know listening to the podcast. – Mike Glatzer Tracey Halladay – British Columbia Nature Photographer Inspiring Others Through Storytelling: Share personal journey and motivations at a nature photography conference, inspiring peers to pursue their dreams. Building Connections Through Emotional Storytelling: Deliver an impactful, emotional talk that resonates with fellow photographers, fostering deeper connections. Embracing New Opportunities: Seize public speaking opportunities to strengthen my professional presence and inspire others in the photography community. Tracey Halladay Photography Tracey Halladay on Facebook Tracey Halladay on Instagram One thing that I did this year that transformed my photography business is I spoke at a nature photography conference in front of approximately 300 of my peers telling my story and what inspired me to become a photographer and why I do what I do. It was a very emotional talk and also I hope inspiring to others not to give up on your dreams and to realize that sometimes you need to just open your eyes and take a look at what's around you. – Tracey Halladay Alexis Heisa – San Diego Dog Photographer Transformative Mentorship: Connecting with Lucy Dumis led to a business transformation, learning profitability strategies and mastering in-person sales with a focus on wall art. Effective Client Communication: Tweaking pricing conversations by sharing the average client spend first has resulted in increased sales above the average investment. Strategic Investment Choices: Prioritising mentorship and sales strategies early in business development ensures long-term growth and success. Optimising Pricing Strategies: Presenting pricing intentionally helps clients understand the value and drives higher spending without pushback. Alexis Heisa Website Alexis Heisa on Instagram Alexis Heisa on Facebook Episode 314: Luci Dumas – How to make larger wall portrait sales in your photography business She truly helped me transform my brand-new business, teaching me about profitability and in-person sales, especially with wall art. – Alexis Heisa Ina Jalil – Canberra Pet Photographer Achieving Financial Milestones: Ina celebrates an impressive first five-figure sale of $11,250, surpassing last year's revenue despite challenges. Expanding Expertise and Reach: Ina diversifies offerings by hosting workshops in collaboration with Sony Australia and plans to expand into mentoring and pet photography retreats. Setting Ambitious Goals: Ina aims to surpass this year’s revenue targets and grow the business through dedicated pet photography mentorship and workshops. Ina Jalil Website Episode 475: Ina Jalil – How to easily increase your portrait photography sales consistently My big win this year is that I made my first five figure sale, $11,250, which is amazing. – Ina Jalil Matthew Kauffmann – St. Louis Wedding Photographer Appreciation for Valuable Content: Acknowledge the high-quality business insights and interviews that address key photographer needs and foster growth. Personal Connection and Support: Celebrate Andrew's genuine care and support, ensuring listeners feel valued and heard. Building Relationships: Recognise the value of ongoing communication, creating a sense of community with listeners, and fostering deeper connections in the photography industry. Matthew Kauffmann Website St. Louis Boudoir Photography Matthew Kauffmann on Instagram It doesn't seem to matter what I'm looking for to learn on the business end of things. There are at least three episodes that pertain to it and the interviews are always probing and insightful and relevant. – Matthew Kauffmann Su Kaye – UK Pet Photographer Su Kaye UK Portrait Photographer on Instagram Su Kaye Hertfordshire Dog Photographer on Instagram Su Kaye Photography on Facebook Tony Knight – Victoria Pet Photographer Creating Unique Client Experiences: Offer an emotional and immersive client experience with high-quality video slideshows and personalised photo sessions, ensuring a memorable service that drives repeat business and high-value sales. Focusing on a Niche Market: Specialise in pet photography, particularly dogs, to attract passionate clients and maximise sales potential, leveraging high-quality studio setups and custom-designed rigs. Maximising Sales Through Strategic Display: Use large, striking prints to influence purchasing decisions, ensuring clients are drawn to premium products and generating higher-value sales. Embracing Adaptability and Business Growth: Continue evolving by focusing on areas of passion, outsourcing non-enjoyable tasks, and setting clear goals to streamline operations and enhance long-term business success. Tony Knight Family videographer Animals Down Under Episode 242: Tony Knight – How to Create a Photography Business with No Competition I can sincerely say that a lot of the things that we've learned or I've learned and then passed on to my wife Shelli has been through listening to the podcast. – Tony Knight Jo Lyons – Great Lakes NSW Dog Photographer Responding to Client Inquiries: Always reply promptly to potential clients, ensuring no opportunity is missed, even if emails end up in junk folders. Building Strong Relationships: Leverage personal connections to grow business, turning local encounters into lucrative opportunities. Offering High-Value Photography Services: Provide clients with exceptional experiences, leading to premium sales like $3,500 family portrait packages. Learning from Experiences: Use past experiences to make mindful business improvements, ensuring future success and growth in the photography industry. Jo Lyons Photography Jo Lyons on Instagram Jo Lyons on Facebook Took them through my experience in the studio, talked them through everything and they booked and we had an amazing day and resulting in a beautiful box of 25 family portraits and they were over the moon. The sale was $35,000. So I was pretty happy with that plus the session fee. That was my lesson learned that we need to respond and check our junk folders too. – Jo Lyons Tammy Miles – Adelaide Newborn and Family Photographer Prioritising Family Time: Build a business that aligns with family life, ensuring quality time with children while balancing work responsibilities. Embracing Flexibility: Structure business hours around family needs, such as working while kids are at school and taking breaks during school holidays. Implementing Boundaries: Be intentional about taking time off during school holidays to reconnect with family and avoid overworking. Gaining Life Wisdom: Learn valuable life lessons from experienced professionals to create a healthier work-life balance and a fulfilling career. Tammy Miles Website East Adelaide Photography on Instagram East Adelaide Photography on Facebook I've learned so many things from the podcast over the years, but I want to share a valuable lesson that I learned in 2024. It's not actually a business lesson, but a life lesson. So, one thing that really resonated with me recently is when you said something along the lines of, “Kids are only little once, time goes too quickly. So, make sure we build our business around our family and take time off to spend with our kids. – Tammy Miles Chris Miller – Windsor and Ascot Pet Dog Photographer Embracing Price Increases: Don't fear raising prices; clients will still buy, even with higher rates for specialised services like dog photography. Selective Client Base: Limit the number of clients to maintain focus and quality, offering exclusive, personalised services. Learning and Growth: Continue learning from other photographers, regardless of their niche, to enhance one's own sessions and business. Connecting with Community: Stay engaged with the PhotoBizX community for valuable insights, fostering personal growth and business development. Chris Miller Website Chris Miller on Instagram Never fear to raise your prices. People will still buy. – Chris Miller Alan Moyle – Melbourne Family Photographer Adapting Project Strategies: Shift focus from large-scale projects to manageable mini-projects that maintain momentum and deliver results quickly. Understanding Personal Workflow: Embrace personal work styles, such as managing inattentive ADHD, to improve project completion and satisfaction. Streamlined Creative Execution: Leverage quick-turnaround projects, like a children’s happiness exhibition, to create engaging content and showcase work efficiently. Fostering Growth Through Reflection: Use lessons from 25 years in photography to refine approaches and balance long-term ambitions with achievable goals. Alan Moyle Website Alan Moyle on Facebook Alan Moyle on Instagram Episode 058: Alan Moyle – How to Network with Photographers and Having Your First Photography Exhibition Episode 200: Alan Moyle – Goal Setting, Weight Loss and a New Year This 2024 is the second year I've done the ‘happy exhibition,' which is just a quick headshot shoot with little kids making them laugh and finding out what makes them happy. – Alan Moyle Elle Payne – Melbourne Newborn photographer Taking Full Responsibility for Business Success: Understand that the success or struggles of a photography business are a result of personal choices and actions, not external factors. Setting Clear and Achievable Goals: Define what you want from your business and create a tailored plan to align with personal values and life goals. Focusing on Business Growth: Prioritise working on the business (not just in it) by dedicating time to planning and refining strategies, even during busy personal schedules. Seeking Professional Guidance: Consider hiring a coach to gain expert insights and actionable strategies for sustained business growth and achieving goals. Elle Payne Website Elle Payne on Instagram Elle Payne on Facebook Episode 429: Elle Payne – When business and service become the motivator over great photography If you're feeling overwhelmed, I think you just need to work out exactly what you want and work out a plan to get there. And if you're not not sure how to do it, then my number one advice to anybody who has a photography business is to get a coach. – Elle Payne Katie Phillips – Snowy Mountains NSW Family portrait photographer Transforming Business and Personal Life: PhotoBiz has been pivotal in transforming Katie Phillips Photography, empowering her to balance work and family life while growing her business. Comprehensive Learning Platform: Through PBX, Katie gained crucial skills in marketing, CRM, client relationships, and automation, ensuring her business's success. Supportive Community and Mentorship: The PBX community and mentorship from experts like Shireen Hammond and Katie & Jez have provided ongoing guidance and support. New Opportunities and Achievements: Katie's involvement with PBX has led to her own course creation and being interviewed on the platform, unlocking exciting business possibilities. Katie Phillips Photography Website Katie Phillips on Instagram Episode 514: Katie Phillips – Photography exhibitions as a marketing strategy and much more Episode 574: Katie Phillips – Photography exhibitions as a lead generator and sales machine for photographers Episode 324: Shireen Hammond – How to be the best photographer in your area and earn more Episode 112: Katie Kolenberg & Jeremy Byrnes – Putting Your Heart and Hard Work into a Great Portrait Photography Business Episode 545: Katie and Jez – How to elevate your photography business I learned marketing. I learned about CRM. I learned client relationships, IPS, I learned about website automation, anything and everything that was related to my business I found at PhotobizX. – Katie Phillips Ben Shakespeare – Islay Whisky Photopgrapher Focusing on High-Value Genres: Prioritise photography genres such as whiskey and weddings, which align with both personal interests and business goals. Embracing Business Focus: Learn to say no to additional requests, honing in on core services that drive business growth. Balancing Passion and Profit: Leverage the unique local market in a rural area, ensuring work is aligned with both passion and profitability. Improving Business Boundaries: Develop stronger boundaries by turning down opportunities outside of the preferred genres to maintain business focus. Ben Shakespeare Website Ben Shakespeare on Facebook My biggest business lesson for this year has been all about focusing on the genres that I really like to do and also the ones that are most useful for me business-wise. – Ben Shakespeare Anne Thomas – UK Storytelling Photographer Mastering Storytelling in Photography: Created an online course to empower photographers with storytelling techniques for marketing, addressing a common challenge in the industry. Speaking Opportunities as an Expert: Secured two speaking engagements at the Societies Show in Hammersmith, London, highlighting expertise in storytelling for photographers. Building a Thriving Community: Fostered a supportive community of photographers enrolled in the storytelling course, enhancing collaboration and shared growth. Embracing Growth Through Risk-Taking: Stepped out of the comfort zone to launch a new course, unlocking unexpected opportunities and paving the way for future success in 2025. Anne Thomas Photography Website Anne Thomas Photography on Instagram The Conversion Story Episode 519: Anne Thomas – Utilising LinkedIn and storytelling to grow a personal brand photography business It's just those extra opportunities that come your way when you put yourself out of your comfort zone and kind of take that plunge. – Anne Thomas Michael Dion Thompson – Switzerland Wedding Photographer Capturing Life’s Most Meaningful Moments: Use photography to document precious memories, such as creating a “living funeral” that allows loved ones to share their thoughts while the subject is still alive. Embracing the Power of Photography: Recognise the emotional value of photography as a craft that brings joy, satisfaction, and meaningful connections in personal and professional life. Maximising Marketing Potential: Leverage Facebook ads and lead generation campaigns to consistently market photography services and attract new clients across various genres. Overcoming Business Challenges: Streamline business operations by tackling the challenges of admin and communication while focusing on long-term growth and marketing success. Michael Dion Thompson Website It's hard for me to do the admin and all this stuff, but that is my big goal for 2025 is to be constantly and continually marketing using my using Facebook and continually having a campaign running for um the different genres that I shoot. – Michael Dion Thompson Marcel Van der Horst – Melbourne Wedding Photographer Emphasising Unique Photography Style: Focus on highlighting personal skills and offering something distinct to stand out in a competitive market. Attracting Ideal Clients: Tailor messaging to attract the right clientele, leading to higher conversion rates and closing more bookings. Enhancing Profitability: Prioritise increasing prices while shooting fewer weddings to maximise earnings and spend more time on what truly matters. Marcel Van der Horst Website I've shot 60 weddings this calendar year and I said the year before I was going to shoot less, but it resulted in shooting more. – Marcel Van der Horst Alan Wright – Sussex Family Photographer Leveraging Facebook Ads for Growth: Maximise profit by running targeted Facebook ads, refining campaigns to attract ideal clients and increasing bookings. Building a Sustainable Lead Generation System: Avoid reliance on a single platform by diversifying lead generation strategies to ensure consistent growth. Taking Action Over Perfection: Combat procrastination by embracing imperfect action and staying focused on progress rather than waiting for perfection. Embracing Consistent Effort: Keep moving forward with clear goals and continuous improvement, overcoming creative blocks to achieve business success. Alan Wright Website Episode 538: John Glaser – Facebook Ads and what you need to be aware of when running yours Episode 503: John Glaser – Photography lead generation and qualifying tactics from a pro Episode 453: John Glaser – From photographer with a business to serious business owner Episode 433: John Glaser – You can have a super successful portrait photography business. Just do what I do. Episode 549: Richard Grenfell – The successful and profitable move from family to boudoir photography Episode 397: Richard Grenfell – The Coaching Diaries with Steve Saporito How to Advertise Like a Mofo – the training course by Richard Grenfell The more ads you run, the more you'll see which ones resonate and work with your ideal client. – Alan Wright What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re a premium member, you should have received an email with links to your version of this interview – the full-length and more revealing version where you hear the absolute best tips and advice from every coach. If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week and get access to a fantastic back catalogue of interviews and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, you have access to a members-only Secret Facebook Group where you can connect with other members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take what you hear in each episode and put it into action. You will not find more friendly, more motivated and caring photographers online. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what the PhotoBizX Premium Members shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode. If you have any missed questions or a specific question you’d like to ask me, feel free to add them to the comments area below. Thank you! Thanks again for listening, and thanks to Abi, Jeany, Damien, Tom Ryan, Paul, Ryan, Crystal, Mike, Tracey, Alexis, Ina, Matthew, Tony, Jo, Tammy, Chris, Alan, Elle, Katie, Ben, Anne, Michael, Marcel and Alan for coming on and sharing their thoughts, ideas and strategies for a successful 2025 in business as a working photographer. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post! That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business! Thanks, and speak soon Andrew The post 600: PBX Premium Member Recordings – Lessons, Takeaways and Goals appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Carolyne Cowan and Alasdair Cowan, a dynamic husband-and-wife team behind Carrie Southerton Dog Photography, share their revolutionary approach to sales. Renowned for transforming an old military trailer into a mobile studio, they now attract clients at dog shows. Their unique strategy of selling wall art before snapping a single shot is a game changer for photographers. They discuss the importance of building rapport with clients and creating an engaging experience that elevates the art of pet photography.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Happy New Year, and welcome to a special podcast episode to kick off 2025. For this episode, I asked some of my favourite and new-to-me photography business coaches to contribute and share their thoughts on how this year will shape photographers running their businesses following what many thought was a tough 2024 and the potentially big impact of Ai on both the creative and business side of photography. Here's exactly what I asked each of them… Your 2025 Predictions Wanted for the PhotoBizX Podcast! Andrew here from PhotoBizX, hope you’re well! I’m putting together a podcast episode for a New Year release of PhotoBizX and would love to feature you and your thoughts on how you see photography businesses shaping up for 2025. I’ll need a 5-10 minute (strictly no more than 10 minutes) audio recording to take part.   Here’s what to include: 1. Start the recording with an intro saying: — Who you are — The name of your business — Briefly, what you do   2. Then, share your thoughts and predictions for photography businesses in 2025. — You can focus on marketing and advertising trends, sales strategies, branding, social media, shifting markets, shooting multiple genres vs. specialising, or anything else photographers need to do to succeed. Take this wherever you like! — Alternatively, share what you would do if you gave advice to a photographer moving to a new city across the country who wanted to get business up and running fast with new bookings.   3. Finish your recording by sharing where listeners can go to learn more about you. — Choose one place—Instagram, your website, a special landing page—whatever works best for you.   You'll see a list of contributing photography business coaches below, where you can learn more about them and what they do. I hope you enjoy and get something from this part one of a two-part 2025 New Year episode. Let's get into it! Brendan Taylor – Maternity and Newborn Photography Specialist Comfort Zone: Many photographers stay in their comfort zones, hindering their growth. Consistency and Dedication: Success comes from consistent effort and dedication to improvement. Marketing: Effective marketing is crucial for attracting clients and growing a business. Learning and Adapting: Embrace learning, testing, and measuring to refine strategies. Investing in Growth: Be willing to invest in courses, mentorship, and advertising for business growth. Baby Art Studio Baby Art Studios on Facebook Brendan Taylor on Facebook Brendan Taylor on LinkedIn The Tog Pod 502: Brendan Taylor – Facebook lives as a killer lead generator and some hard truths about business 557: Brendan Taylor – Photography business success all comes down to the follow up 580: Brendan Taylor – The TogPod CRM Revolution… The Future of Photography Business So many people still in the photography industry are relying on word mouth and organic social, putting some posts out on Facebook and just hoping for the best. And that is another example of wheel of doom. You're going to keep doing it and keep getting the same results. — Brendan Taylor Renee Bowen – Life and Business Coach, Luxury Senior Portaits, Branding and Headshot Photographer Organic Content: Stand out with authentic storytelling and high-end content in a market saturated with AI. Authenticity and Relatability: Connect with high-end clients through genuine experiences and relatable content. Networking and Collaboration: Partner with businesses serving your ideal client to expand reach and build trust. Referral Loops: Create referral systems with businesses offering complementary services to generate leads and long-term relationships. Renee Bowen Website  Renee Bowen Website How to Attract & Book Clients Renee Bowen on Instagram Renee Bowen on Tiktok The marketing landscape is evolving rapidly and while AI continues to dominate, I think the real standout in the next wave will be true organic high-end content. — Renee Bowen Hart Tan – Family Portrait Photographer Beyond Photography: Consider creating passive income streams for financial security and flexibility. Active to Passive Income: Transition from active income in photography to passive income sources for long-term stability. Preparing for Change: Build a parallel income stream that doesn't require constant work for peace of mind and future options. Financial Security: Create a financial safety net that allows freedom and choice in how you work and live. Tomato Photo Website Tomato Photo on Facebook Tomato Photo on Instagram Hart Tan on Instagram 252: Hart Tan – Advanced Photography Business Marketing for Big Success What is life beyond photography? What if the things that you have done suddenly don't work anymore? What could you have done to prepare for the days you think will never come? — Hart Tan Jeff Brown – Photography Mentor Passive Income Opportunities: Explore various avenues for generating passive income and reducing dependence on client work. Leveraging Skills and Influence: Utilize existing skills, social media presence, and industry connections for income streams. Books as Authority and Income: Publish books to establish expertise and create a lasting source of passive income. Diversification of Income Streams: Explore online courses, workshops, presets, memberships, and affiliate marketing for multiple revenue sources. Jeff Brown – The Photographer's Mentor Help!! My Photography Website Needs MORE Customers: Create a photography website to capture customers, using the proven Scroll to a Sale method by Jeff Brown on Amazon Episode 261: Jeff Brown – How To Positively Influence Photography Buying Decisions with Your Social Media Episode 313: Jeff Brown – Leveraging LinkedIn to proactively generate more photography clients Episode 425: Jeff Brown – How to use LinkedIn for photography lead generation How can you make a passive income from photography? Could you write a book? Could you create some online courses? Could you be selling presets and prints? Could you do workshops and online workshops? Could you have a private mentoring group that people pay to join, giving you a monthly income? — Jeff Brown Katie Kolenberg – Family Photographer and Business Coach Authenticity and Connection: Emphasize authentic communication, unique branding, and personal connections in an increasingly digital world. Soft Skills: Prioritize soft skills like mindset, self-worth, and well-being for business success. Community and Support: Surround yourself with supportive communities and inspiring content to stay focused and grounded. Prioritizing Health and Well-being: Focus on health and nervous system regulation for a sustainable business. Katie Kolenberg Website Katie Kolenberg on Facebook Episode 112: Katie Kolenberg & Jeremy Byrnes – Putting Your Heart and Hard Work into a Great Portrait Photography Business Episode 402: Katie Kolenberg – Take control and thrive with your photography business during the pandemic Episode 470: Katie Kolenberg – Profitable photography book projects Q&A Special: Katie Kolenberg – Profitable photography book projects Shooting only what you love is the best path to success, but make sure you have the business structures around you to support that. Try to have fun with your business because your potential clients will feel that energy and want a piece of it. — Katie K What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what the photography business coaches shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business due to what you heard in today's episode. If you have any questions we missed or a specific question you’d like to ask me, feel free to add them to the comments area below. Thank you! Thanks again for listening, and thanks to Brendan, Renee, Hart, Jeff, and Katie for coming on and sharing their thoughts, ideas and strategies for your successful 2025 in business as a working photographer. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post! That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business! Thanks and speak soon Andrew The post 2025 New Year Special – Photography Business Predictions by the Coaches – Part 2 appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Happy New Year, and welcome to a special podcast episode to kick off 2025. For this episode, I asked some of my favourite and new-to-me photography business coaches to contribute and share their thoughts on how this year will shape photographers running their businesses following what many thought was a tough 2024 and the potentially big impact of Ai on both the creative and business side of photography. Here's exactly what I asked each of them… Your 2025 Predictions Wanted for the PhotoBizX Podcast! Andrew here from PhotoBizX, hope you’re well! I’m putting together a podcast episode for a New Year release of PhotoBizX and would love to feature you and your thoughts on how you see photography businesses shaping up for 2025. I’ll need a 5-10 minute (strictly no more than 10 minutes) audio recording to take part.   Here’s what to include: 1. Start the recording with an intro saying: — Who you are — The name of your business — Briefly, what you do   2. Then, share your thoughts and predictions for photography businesses in 2025. — You can focus on marketing and advertising trends, sales strategies, branding, social media, shifting markets, shooting multiple genres vs. specialising, or anything else photographers need to do to succeed. Take this wherever you like! — Alternatively, share what you would do if you gave advice to a photographer moving to a new city across the country who wanted to get business up and running fast with new bookings.   3. Finish your recording by sharing where listeners can go to learn more about you. — Choose one place—Instagram, your website, a special landing page—whatever works best for you.   You'll see a list of contributing photography business coaches below, where you can learn more about them and what they do. I hope you enjoy and get something from this part one of a two-part 2025 New Year episode. Let's get into it! Nicole Begley – Pet Photographer The rise of AI will demand adaptation and integration into business practices. Niche photography will become even more crucial for success. Sustainability and eco-conscious practices will gain traction with clients. Nicole Begley Website Hair of the Dog Academy Nicole Begley on Instagram Hair of the Dog Academy on Facebook Hair of the Dog Academy on Instagram Hair of the Dog Podcast Hair of the Dog Academy on YouTube Freedom Focus Formula Podcast Episode 273: Nicole Begley – How to generate pet photography sales from silent auctions Episode 410: Nicole Begley – Why every photographer needs an email list and what to say to your subscribers If we don't at least look at [AI] and ask how it can help us in our business, well, we risk being left behind. — Nicole Begley Bernie Griffiths – Portrait Photography Business Coach Differentiation requires commitment to hard work, strategic planning, and embracing failure as a learning opportunity. Building a sellable business requires long-term vision and consistent effort. Bernie Griffiths Website Business Plan Call with Bernie Bernie Griffiths on Facebook Bernie Griffiths on YouTube Episode 136: Bernie Griffiths – A Challenge for You to Book More Portrait Photography Sessions Episode 30: Bernie Griffiths – Photography Business Success Coach Episode 198: Bernie Griffiths – Facebook Ads and The Missing Link To Successful Sales Episode 231: Bernie Griffiths – How to Make the Successful Leap to Pro Photographer Episode 271: Bernie Griffiths – Your Photography Business Questions Answered plus WanderSnap Episode 322: Bernie Griffiths – The importance of shooting saleable images in your photography business Episode 363: Bernie Griffiths – Business growth for wedding and portrait photographers Episode 326: Marcus Anthony – This is how you run a successful portrait photography business Episode 350: Brian Kellogg – Making the move from wedding photography to profitable portraits Some photographers will choose 2025 to do something hard for one or two years, and their lives will look very different after that period has passed. — Bernie Griffiths Brooke Jefferson – Family Photographer and Educator Authenticity and behind-the-scenes content will resonate with clients seeking genuine connections. Reconnecting with your “why” and showcasing the emotional impact of your work will attract ideal clients. Brooke Jefferson Website Brooke Jefferson on Instagram Book More Photography Clients Podcast The more people can see behind the scenes, the more they are going to really be drawn to you and your brand. — Brooke Jefferson Heather Lahtinen – Wedding and Portrait Photographer, Certified Business Coach Leverage technology and trends like AI and outsourcing as tools to optimize your process and reclaim your time. Relationship-centric marketing is key to long-term success, focusing on building genuine connections with clients. Mindset is the ultimate superpower; how you think determines your outcomes. Heather Lahtinen Website Flourish Academy Podcast Challenges in your business are not coming from the economy, your competition, or the market conditions. They are coming from your own brain. — Heather Lahtinen Johl Dunn – The Mindset Coach Proactive marketing strategies are vital in a potentially fluctuating economy. Mindset work is crucial to overcoming limiting beliefs and taking decisive action. Johl Dunn Website The Mindset Coach Johl Dunn on Instagram 025 Premium Only Episode: Johl Dunn – Facebook Ad tactics with competitions and third party alliances 330: Johl Dunn – How to create a money making portrait photography business 526: Johl Dunn – Modern day marketing and success for portrait photographers 556: Johl Dunn – Unlock Your Photography Business Potential and Stop  It's no longer valuable or viable… just to rely on word of mouth, SEO, Insta, reachouts…they're all passive marketing techniques. — Johl Dunn Kim Marie – Business Coach Adaptability and flexibility are crucial for navigating continuous change. AI adoption will provide significant advantages to photographers, while resistance may hinder growth. Human connection and customer experience will become even more vital as AI evolves. Kim Marie Website Kim Marie on Instagram Kim Hamblin on Facebook Episode 420: Kim Hamblin – How to build a photography business to sell 2025 Business Planner for Photographers The photographers who learn and utilise AI in their business are going to save a lot of time, save a lot of money, and also earn a lot more money. — Kim Marie Luci Dumas – In Person Sales Photographer In-person sales, particularly of printed products like wall art and albums, are key to profitability. Focus on internal improvement and growth rather than external factors you can't control. Luci Dumas Website Luci Dumas Coaching The Profitable Photographer on YouTube The Profitable Photographer on Instagram Episode 253: Luci Dumas – Working with Community Groups to Rapidly Grow Your Photography Client List Episode 314: Luci Dumas – How to make larger wall portrait sales in your photography business Be careful with digitals so that you're not giving away the farm, but keep focused…on the value of having you print beautiful work for them in the perfect way. — Luci Dumas What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re a premium member, you should have received an email with links to your version of this interview – the full-length and more revealing version where you hear the absolute best tips and advice from every coach. If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week and get access to a fantastic back catalogue of interviews and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, you have access to a members-only Secret Facebook Group where you can connect with other members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take what you hear in each episode and put it into action. You will not find more friendly, more motivated and caring photographers online. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what the photography business coaches shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode. If you have any missed questions or a specific question you’d like to ask me, feel free to add them to the comments area below. Thank you! Thanks again for listening, and thanks to Nicole, Bernie, Brooke, Heather, Johl, Kim and Luci for coming on and sharing their thoughts, ideas and strategies for a successful 2025 in business as a working photographer. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post! That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business! Thanks, and speak soon Andrew The post 2025 New Year Special: Photography Business Predictions by the Coaches — Part 1 appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area John Dolan of www.johndolan.com is a superstar in the world of photography. He has built a career in advertising, editorial and fine art photography over the past 30 years. He is the author of the book — The Perfect Imperfect, which has the foreword written by none other than Martha Stewart. One of the testimonials I read online was by Jerry Seinfeld who said: “John has photographed our family for 20 years. It is, to us, a priceless view of who we are and wouldn’t exist without his gifted shutter, lens and eye.” He has photographed celebrities' weddings, including Will Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, and so many more. He says… Some photographers are directors. I’m a collector. And that his target is 15 amazing photographs from a wedding. He still shoots 70% film and believes weddings are too important to play it safe. In this interview, John shares the secrets for success by balancing art, business, and authentic storytelling with your photography. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: 30 Years of Storytelling: John Dolan reflects on three decades of creating powerful images across advertising, editorial, and fine art photography. Real Celebrity Moments: John’s approach to photographing celebrities is all about authenticity—capturing natural, intimate moments without paparazzi tactics. Film for Timeless Beauty: John still shoots 70% of his work on film, focusing on creating 15 standout wedding images with lasting emotional impact. The Power of Trust: Earning clients’ trust allows John to blend in, capturing genuine moments without disrupting the flow of events. Beyond Weddings: From private commissions to life events like birthdays and celebrations, John’s work goes far beyond weddings. Client Connection First: Meeting clients for drinks and engagement sessions builds trust, helping John tell their stories with authenticity. Selective Celebrity Work: John works only with clients who value his artistic style, steering clear of celebrity weddings that feel overly staged. Meaningful Client Bonds: Pre-wedding drinks six months in advance allow John to understand couples’ stories, making his work personal and heartfelt. Art Meets Business: Raising prices while limiting weddings keeps John creatively fresh and professionally sustainable. Engagement Sessions as Warm-Ups: Engagement shoots help clients relax, experience John’s style, and feel comfortable for the big day. Feelings Over Perfection: John’s goal is to capture emotion, not perfection. He believes true beauty lies in authentic, imperfect moments. Finding Your Niche: John encourages photographers to showcase work that resonates personally, attracting clients who value genuine storytelling. Working for Passion: To build a unique portfolio, John advises starting with passion projects—even if that means shooting for free initially. Authentic Teaching: Through workshops, John helps photographers break free from industry expectations and discover their true artistic voice. Emotion-Driven Photography: John’s philosophy centres on capturing the essence of relationships, with imperfections adding depth and meaning. Stay True to Your Style: John urges photographers to follow their creative instincts, not market trends or popular demands. Future-Focused: Looking ahead, John plans to keep photographing meaningful weddings while exploring mentoring through intimate workshops. Handcrafted Memories: Clients receive custom boxes with 15 matted prints and a proof book, offering a personal and tangible keepsake experience. Advice for Photographers: Be authentic, take creative risks, and focus on a niche that aligns with your values to build a fulfilling career. What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. The celebrities are different, but I think one of the skills I've learned over the years is how to get comfortable with people very quickly. It's part of our toolkit, and it's an amazing skill that where you skip the small talk and you get trusted. – John Dolan You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. I never look at my phone during a wedding. I don't look at shot lists. I don't look at timelines. I am so in tuned with what the couple is going through. I'm completely focused on them. And the wedding industry is always only shown this really narrow band of, you know, it's your best day ever. And I've always thought this is the widest number of emotions you'll feel in one day. And so that's, that's my guiding principle. – John Dolan In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what John shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode. I really I run a very simple, not a mom-and-pop business, but a very streamlined business. My contracts are very simple. Because everything's based on trust, even with some of my celebrities, I never did NDAs because I said to them, “You can destroy me in a tweet. So you can trust me. I will not break our trust, because the downside risk is so big. A piece of paper is not going to, you know, scare me as much as your two thumbs.” – John Dolan If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask John or want to say thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. If you show pictures that you love, that are made from your heart and that move yourself, move your spouse or your partner, then you're going to find those clients, especially when it's 10 or 15. That's all part of the same system that you're not trying to please the world. You're trying to please yourself, and then please those, find those 15 cool people. – John Dolan If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. Uncertainty is the most reliable thing in being freelance. That's the only thing I've learned for 30 years. I certainly could have run my business in a more professional way, but I never wanted to be professional. I wanted to be personal. – John Dolan Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​ Here is the latest review, not for PhotoBizX, but for Alex Vita of Foreground Web, who delivered the recent SEO and UX training.  ★★★★★  Alex Vita is AMAZING! Via an email from Wisconsin dog and equine photographer Jan Bezzo, in the USA on December 13th, 2024. Andrew! I just got off a Zoom call with Alex, and can I just say, he is AMAZING (not that you didn't already know that). I finally had the privilege to meet with him, and he reviewed my website using words I understood. Not only is Alex super helpful, but he goes way above and beyond. Such an incredible human! Thanks again for hosting Alex's recent SEO and UX training. Have a wonderful weekend, Jan Ai MASTERCLASS — This Week! Join the upcoming masterclass, “AI-Powered Marketing for Photographers: Part 4 — Prepping for Less Work and More Money in 2025 with AI,” led by Brianna Shrader of Shy Heart Studios. It's happening later this week, on December 19th, 2024, at 8:00 am AEDT via Zoom. Here's what Brianna will be covering: AI Workflow Automation: Implement advanced AI tools to streamline your photography business operations, allowing you to concentrate more on your craft. Financial Forecasting with Gemini: Utilize Gemini to develop precise financial projections for 2025, establish SMART goals, and make informed business decisions. Business and Marketing Planning: Formulate a comprehensive business and marketing strategy for 2025, encompassing target market analysis, competitive research, content creation, and social media tactics. Advanced AI Insights: Explore AI tools designed to interpret customer emotions and monitor email engagement, enhancing client communication. Reclaim Your Time: Learn effective delegation, the creation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and discover AI tools that simplify these processes, enabling you to scale your business confidently. Early registrations will receive a USD$100 credit toward any current PhotoBizX course. Secure your spot now for USD$197; note that the price increases to $397 after the live event. If you cannot attend live, registering ensures access to the recording, course materials, prompts, and the standalone course at a 50% discount. For more details and to register, visit: https://photobizx.com/ai4 Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: John Dolan Website John Dolan on Instagram John Dolan: The Perfect Imperfect: The Wedding Photographs You have to micro-target who you want to appeal to. If you really want to be unleashed with your photography, you have to show those unleashed pictures, and then the people will find you. – John Dolan Thank you! Thanks for listening, and a big thank you to John for sharing his amazing journey and ideas for building a photography career with passion and purpose. His honest approach to balancing creativity with a successful business and strong client relationships will hopefully inspire you to stay true to your style, build trust, and keep chasing your photography dreams. I changed my business model, now, every wedding I take I have to love. I did a few weddings just for the money, and they destroyed me. They really crushed my soul. The pictures actually were beautiful and fake. So after that, I just try to make every couple who I meet really align with me, if I can, or try to find the that meeting point. – John Dolan That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business! Thanks, and speak soon Andrew Episode Transcript Email Download New Tab 596: John Dolan - Balancing Art, Business, and Authentic Storytelling in Photography   Andrew Hellmich: Today's guest is a superstar in the world of photography. He's built a career of advertising, editorial and fine art photography over the past 30 years. He's also the author of a reasonably recent book, The Perfect Imperfect, which has the foreword written by Martha Stewart, and one of his testimonials I read was by Jerry Seinfeld, who says John has photographed our family for 20 years. It is, to us, a priceless view of who we are and wouldn't exist without his gifted shutter lens and eye. He's photographed the weddings of celebrities, including Will Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, and so many more. And he says that some photographers are directors, but I'm a collector. I've also read that he said his target at a wedding is to capture 15 amazing photographs. He still shoots 70% film and believes weddings are too important to play it safe. I'm talking about none other than John Dolan, and I am rapt to have him with us now. John, welcome. John Dolan: Andrew, thanks for having me. Thanks for inviting me on. Andrew Hellmich: It's a pleasure. When you hear names like that thrown out in an intro. Does that sit totally comfortable with you? Are they just normal people to you? John Dolan: I think they're people who need real photographs. I think there's one thing I've learned about celebrities, is that they have paparazzis and they have iPhone pictures. So it is an ultimate privilege for me to photograph people who are so beautiful in the lens. You know, they're just so easy to photograph. But I also, I've always done it in a sort of anti-paparazzi way, where I'm a trusted friend, or I pretend to be a friend, but I don't interject myself, and that's why I use that term, the collector. I'm not trying to tell these people who are so accomplished in their own lives what to do on their wedding day. I'm just with them along for the ride and letting them be themselves without worrying of you know, the way a press person might take advantage of them. Andrew Hellmich: Then aren't you approaching the wedding day like a paparazzi in some form, because you're not really directing them by the sound of, you're just capturing what you see what's in front of you. John Dolan: But I'm not. I'm more inside rather than outside. I was photographing an event on Saturday, and there were some very well-known people there, and I had to use my body to gain their trust so that I could be five feet away from them, three feet away from them, and take a very simple picture, but without, they're not looking the camera. They're just in the middle of a conversation. But it's a different approach, where in 30 years, you're going to look back and say, Oh, that's what that person really looked like. Andrew Hellmich: When I read that intro, I get the impression that you also photograph family portraits, or is it purely weddings and events? John Dolan: No, I do private commissions for some people. I do events. I do birthday parties. I do... It's really, if somebody understands my approach, then it's a joy to come and be their chronicler of their life. That's really what it's about. It's that, you know, I think they're and I also want to make the point, I don't do that many celebrities. I do, you know one every other year, or something like that. But I get just the loveliest people who care about photography, and they're under such pressure to perform that I want to give them a day off and just say, you know, I'm not going to take advantage of this situation. I'm going to make something real so that your kids will have these pictures. Andrew Hellmich: So with the celebrities that you have photographed and with your style of photography, do you ever have the situation where they say, John, we love you and your work. We want you to come to the wedding and photograph the way you see, but we're also going to have another shooter that shoots in a different style? Does that happen? John Dolan: You know, it happens every once in a while, not that often. And I don't mind it. I play well with others. I prefer to be very low impact. And so it's, you know, I often shoot by myself. Sometimes I'll bring a second shooter, but I would say more with non-celebrity wedding clients than some of them hire another photographer to do the table settings or the decor or something like that. And I think that's a brilliant thing. It frees me up to do what I'm good at. Andrew Hellmich: So if you're shooting solo, do you capture those, all those things that they've spent money and time and effort into designing for the day? John Dolan: No. I always miss them. So the wedding planners who hire me know that I'll miss them, so they arrange somebody came in for an hour or two. And yeah, it's also a lot of the people I photograph hate being photographed, which is a really lovely client, because they've just never been photographed in the right way. So hopefully, when I deliver my pictures to someone who's shy or uncomfortable in front of the camera, they see themselves in a new way, and I become sort of a hero for making a picture of somebody who says, “Oh, I never take a good picture”. People blame themselves when they don't look good in a picture, and often it's the photographer's fault. Andrew Hellmich: So how do you get to that position, though, because, I mean, I imagine that you don't get to spend a day getting to know your clients before you turn up to the event. You know, you may have been booked by the by the planner. You may be, I don't know, do you have an hour's conversation on the phone or zoom? What happens before one of these celebrity weddings? John Dolan: It's a good question. The celebrities are different, but I think one of the skills I've learned over the years is how to get comfortable with people very quickly. It's part of our toolkit, and it's an amazing skill that where you skip the small talk and you get trusted some, it's all about trust, and somehow you build that bond really fast. And I've always enjoyed working with actors, you know, even in sort of documentary work, because they're spontaneous, they're improvisational, they know how to play that game. And I think that's something I've learned as I've matured. With a lot of my other wedding clients, I'll meet people and have a drink with them before, you know, six months before the wedding, so that when we see each other on the wedding day, we are sort of old friends, new old friends. Andrew Hellmich: Yeah, okay. So, and that's like a, I guess, a traditional in air quotes photographer would deal with a regular client. We'd go and meet them, we have a meeting, get to know them, and then turn up on the wedding day. John Dolan: Yeah, I think it's I certainly didn't do it for many years. I thought the engagement pictures were sort of cheesy, and then I started using it as a way to break bread with people, to share stories, to hear their love story, and then do a couple rolls of film, and also kind of introduce them to how I photograph and how my camera works and just get see who blinks a lot, to see who's awkward in front of the camera, all those sorts of things. So I think it's a very valuable thing to make first contact before the wedding. Andrew Hellmich: Okay, so this is interesting to me, because looking at your photography and listening to the way you shoot a wedding, it sounds like you're there, you're almost part of the family, capturing what you see. But if you meet a couple before the wedding, six months before, and you're going to do an engagement session, surely you have to do some direction then. John Dolan: Yes, but it's an acknowledgement that engagement pictures are awkward and they have no internal drive to them. A wedding day has an internal engine. But I think even acknowledging it after a glass of wine, with some people saying, this is really strange, but let's walk over to the river in Manhattan and I also lay down these sort of laws. Number one, I have no expectation of you to perform, awkward is beautiful, all these sorts of things, just to let them relax. And, you know, they wear normal clothes, they have normal hair, they're just, it's more for me, this kind of sacred year, six months, nine months between being engaged and getting married. And I mean, ideally, I would love to take these pictures and put them in a box for 10 years, because I think you don't appreciate those pictures until you've got a couple kids running around the house. And so I'll send them a few pictures, but I don't do a big thing about it, and I don't charge for it. Andrew Hellmich: Right, okay. So this is really a get to know you meeting, and we'll get a few photos. John Dolan: Exactly, it's a first date, yeah. Andrew Hellmich: I like that. Yeah, you mentioned that you're not shooting that many celebrity weddings, and the bulk of your time is photographing regular people. John Dolan: Yeah. Andrew Hellmich: Are they still booking you through a planner? In most cases? John Dolan: I'm sure, if I analyzed it, it would be 90% through planners. And that's I would say, I have five or six planners in the states who I've known for years, and they will literally text me or call me and they say, I've got one for you. And that means they know my strengths. They know who to match make me with, a shy person, an understated connoisseur, somebody who studied art. There's kind of a type of person who appreciates what I do, and they don't want to have a big glam squad, and they don't want to be, you know, photographed for hours. They want to enjoy their wedding. And so it's a beautiful relationship I have with planners. Andrew Hellmich: Is it the same planners that are also booking the celebrity weddings? Or there's a different clientele altogether? John Dolan: It's a mix. It's, yeah, it's most, I would say it's sort of the same planners in many of the occasions, because once you've built that trust and that track record with people, then if they get hired by a celebrity, then they know they can rely on you to deliver in that same approach, that same style. So I think it's important for anybody who's building their career to shift from being a maximalist, they want to get as many jobs as possible, to really telling your planners or yourself who your people are. And I think that alignment is so amazing once you hit it, because we've all been at the wedding where we're not the right photographer where it's not a perfect fit. And I know we all have financial, you know you have to pay your mortgage, you have to pay your rent, so you take jobs, but take notes of when you feel yourself at your best self, and when you feel handcuffed by the expectations. Andrew Hellmich: I like that, and I'm glad you pointed out the fact that people do have to pay their mortgages, because sometimes you don't have a choice. You have to say yes or you're looking for more ‘yeses’ to get more booking so I guess was there a point for you and your career where you said, “Okay, I can start to say no now”. And when was that? John Dolan: Six months ago? I mean, there's a few things going on. One is rates have climbed over the last five years, which is amazing for the whole industry, and shocking. I mean, I didn't charge a lot for the first 10 years. I started having kids, and, you know, with each kid, I would raise my prices. But it really is a robust industry now, and having been in it for 30 years, it's gratifying to see so many people who were able to make a living at wedding photography, because that was not possible, it was harder in the 90s and early 2000s, so I'm happy that people are able to do this. But you know, life is always complicated, and I think you have to find that mix of art and commerce where you're making art, you're making your rent, but you're not burning out. I meet a lot of photographers who've done too many weddings in a row, and they can't remember their last client's name, and they, you know, they're just flooded. They have eight weddings to edit, and it's just not sustainable. And I've seen a lot of burnout. So I love to try to encourage people to find your people, set your price, find the number of weddings you want a year. For me, it's 10. Some people, it's 15, and just you know, you can have a really happy life in your community, wherever you are. In Australia, in Iowa, you know I've met all kinds of people in small cities just building a really beautiful career. Andrew Hellmich: It sounds like you raised your prices because the household needed the extra income, anytime the new child was born, you raised your prices. So knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently, if anything, in regard to pricing? John Dolan: I think I did what I had to do. And the beginning of each year, I'd sort of set my rate for that year and hold my breath to think if I could hit it. Because, you know, January, February, March, are always a little tricky in the States, and you think you're never going to work again, and then all of a sudden, you're booked with 15 weddings for the year. So uncertainty is the most reliable thing in being freelance. That's the only thing I've learned for 30 years. So I mean, I think I've been nimble and I think I've been scrappy, and when I shot a lot of magazine work, it was for $500 a day, but it was great exposure, you’d be in every magazine store in America. I don't know. I certainly could have run my business in a more professional way, but I never wanted to be professional. I wanted to be personal. Andrew Hellmich: How could you have been more professional? John Dolan: Whatever? I don't even know what professional people do with their businesses, but, you know, a lot of it's foreign to me, spreadsheets and CRMs and all those things. I really, I run a very simple, not a mom and pop business, but a very streamlined, my contracts very simple, because everything's based on trust. Even with some of my celebrities, I never did NDAs because I said to them, you can destroy me in a tweet. So you can trust me. I will not break our trust, because the downside risk is so big. A piece of paper is not going to, you know, scare me as much as your two thumbs. Andrew Hellmich: That's a good point. So are you saying or am I hearing that some celebrities, or a celebrity asked you to sign an NDA and you refuse, or you said, I'm happy to do that, but listen, it's not going to change anything. John Dolan: Yeah, I just sort of had the conversation like, let's just, let's make this a different kind of relationship based on two people trusting each other. And I don't even remember the exact details of it, but it really brought it out to me that getting lawyers involved is kind of a silly thing for my approach, and I've been lucky for 30 years, just because it's such a I guess my overall thing that I'm trying to describe is that my approach to wedding photography is that we are unlike any other vendor, because we see people at the most vulnerable. We see them getting dressed, we see them crying. We see, I hear from people when their grandfather dies, and I have this picture, so I've moved my business, I mean, I never even set it up as a very sort of corporate structure way, you know, I want people to call me. I don't have a form on my website saying, you know, answer these 10 questions, so I will maybe email you back in a few days. I just, I love to get on the phone with people and say, tell me about your wedding. And I'm saying to myself, does this sound like the sort of story I can tell? And then when it's a match, it's a really beautiful thing. Andrew Hellmich: Am I right in assuming you have, you know, paper files and a filing cabinet to keep records these days, you're not even here. John Dolan: I could show you, yeah. Andrew Hellmich: So literally, no CRM, as little computer work as you have to. John Dolan: For the business side, it's pretty it's really, it's embarrassingly simple. You know, I have a list of dates where I'm on hold or where I'm booked, and I'll highlight certain ones where I get booked, and I'll put the date that the deposit came in on one spreadsheet. So, you know, it's very just rudimentary, because I'm at a scale of 10 weddings, so it's, you know, simpler for me, if somebody's got 25 and they have associates shooting, that's a whole another business. But I've really refined it at this point in my life of just how simple can I make this whole endeavor? Somebody calls me, tell me the date. I don't need to know a shot list. Just tell me what time to be there for the first event, and I'll do all my own travel. I'll do all my own arrangements, and I will be there at that time. Andrew Hellmich: That's so good. I mean, it doesn't sound like you're saying to the listener, hey, you can run your business more simply by doing what I do. It really depends on the scale of the business, even if they're charging less. John Dolan: Exactly, yeah. And yeah in some ways, I'm talking to that person who is insecure in business, or is not, didn't work in a corporate structure or something, somebody who's just more on the artist side, saying this can actually work if you structure your business as in a really interpersonal way that, you know, I charge a really healthy rate, and then I don't nickel and dime people, I don't send them receipts. The people I deal with don't want to be bothered by anything, so I do as little. I don't put anything on their plate. I try to take things off there, take stress away from them. That's for me, the value of my whole performance is when we interact, I'm going to be very loving and caring, and you're under a lot of stress, I'm going to not add anything to it. Andrew Hellmich: I can hear, even with your voice, that you wouldn't be adding to the stressful day. I mean, you just come across as a very relaxed photographer, person. Is this how you are in everyday life? John Dolan: You could ask my wife, but I mean, it's a circular kind of experience that I have at 400 weddings. I've absorbed a lot of stress, and I realized that I am good at what I do, because I get calm around nervous people, when people are freaking out. It's a really comfortable place for me, because it's like, I'm the youngest of six. I was brought up in a very, you know, lively household, so being quiet and hiding underneath the dining room table is my happy place. And that's pretty much every wedding reception, and it's mostly because people can't see the camera when they're laughing and telling stories that they're having fun at their wedding, they get very unaware of me, which is a beautiful thing, and also it's taught me that life is complicated, and you just hear story after story at people's weddings. About tragedies and triumphs and life's I don't you just hear biographies all the time, so it just makes me come home, hug my wife and say, you know, we're doing all right. And I learned some really human things this weekend. So it’s my church, basically. Andrew Hellmich: You make it sound like a pretty special place to be at these weddings. I want to get onto your work in just a second. But again, you said to us that you only photograph some celebrity. That's not a big thing, a big part of what you do. But I'm still assuming that your regular clients are very well to do. If they're paying your rates, you're only doing 10 weddings a year. I mean, they're probably high flyers, as far as I'm concerned, is that right? John Dolan: Some of them are. I always find a few people who I just align with, and I just, somehow I just have to shoot their wedding, whether it's a friend of my children's or school teacher or something. But I have a firm belief in a sort of Greek way of the wedding gods that the wedding gods deliver, and I used to get so upset if I didn't get a wedding that I really wanted, but then I've learned over the years, you know, sometimes you don't get a wedding that you really want, and then something else happens that's better. And so I definitely shoot for a lot of wealthy Americans who collect art and their connoisseurs, they wouldn't want cheesy wedding pictures in their house with all the beautiful things they have so, and they're lovely people because they appreciate me as an artisan, as a you know, they know that I'm going to give them something special, almost like a private chef or whatever other private thing they have, private banker, private health care. So it's a niche that it's taken me many years to find, but it's a really special place. Andrew Hellmich: Sounds amazing. I mean, it sounds like you get to shoot with total freedom. You get to create the kind of work that you want to create at the weddings, and the client pays for it, which what a beautiful place to be. John Dolan: But I would say, certainly, when I started out the first 50 weddings, that's what I did as well. There's a middle part that's a little hard where you’re, it's almost like when the plane takes off, it's smooth, and then it goes through rough air, and then when you get to 35,000 feet, it's smooth sailing. But I certainly met some photographers who are in this middle place of shooting for people with medium to good budgets, but they're very demanding, and it's, you know, you have to work your way through it all. But for me, I shoot the same way I've always shot. Andrew Hellmich: So talking about the way you shoot and some of your work, I mean, I'm looking, say on your blog at the moment as we record, and the very first blog post, there is one on your book, The Imperfect. And for the listener, if they can't see this right now, hopefully I can put this in the show notes. But there's a bride and groom, they're holding hands. It's a blurry black and white shot, and I say blurry because there's movement. You can't recognize the couple. Are you familiar with this photo that I'm talking about, John? John Dolan: That sounds like all my pictures. Andrew Hellmich: So this is, this is my point, or leads to my question. So you have this kind of work feature on your website, and we always here show what you want to be shooting. John Dolan Yes. Andrew Hellmich: Is that how you lived or have lived your life as a photographer, show what you want to shoot. John Dolan: Yes. And that picture, I just looked at the picture you're talking about, that picture, to me, shows what that couple was feeling. So it's that intersection. How do you take a picture of what somebody else is feeling in their gut and in their heart? And if I had shot a sharp version of that, it would have flattened it, because it was, this was 11 o'clock at night. They're running towards they were sleeping in a teepee that night, or something, a yurt. And it summed up this, their free spirit and all these things. So I'm trying to make those, you know, a picture that represents so much more than the reality, that's really the the next level I'm trying to get to. I could take the picture of what it looked like, I want to take a picture of what it felt like. And that means I have to be as emotional as they are, or I have to be in rhythm with their emotion. So I'd love that you've saw that picture, because it’s not a blurry picture because I shook the camera on purpose. It's because I was running in the misty rain after them, and they looked so beautiful. So like, can I capture that? Andrew Hellmich: I love it as a photographer, and I know that listener will fall in love with the photo as well. But do you ever have a client? What do you do if a client says, John, we love that photo. We love that moment. Do you have a sharp version? John Dolan: Well, your initial question was good, do I show to prospective clients these pictures? And I've always have. I’ve always tested the limits of people when I meet them, so I'm not showing them, I’m really trying to just mess with them a little bit to gage their tolerance. And the people who say, “do you have a sharper version?”, somehow they realize I'm not the right photographer, if that's their main question. It's not an interesting conversation, if we're stuck on that. So, you know, I really try to reach people. And at this point my career, I have a book that says imperfect on it. So it should say, perfectionists need not apply. Andrew Hellmich: Yes John Dolan: But it's, you know, I think I've made it clear to people what my philosophy is, and it's a very inside rather than, you know, rather than a clear-eyed view. It's an emotional approach to photography. Andrew Hellmich: Right. So what about the photographer who is dreaming of being where you are now being able to shoot with, let's say, abandon, and capture what they see, what they feel, and produce images like this. They show this kind of work on their website, and they don't get the bookings. What do they do? Like this is what they want to create, but they're just not getting booked for it. Cut for Premium Version Andrew Hellmich: I love that. For the listener, if you could give them one place to go to see more of your work, learn more about you, see your photography, learn about your classes, where should we go? Where's the one place the listeners should go once they've heard you today? John Dolan: Instagram is really the only social media I do, and I must say, I'm really just talking to photographers on Instagram. It’s, I can tell who my, you know the way you know your listeners. I have a really strong thing that I know that I'm talking to photographers, as opposed to clients. Clients see it, it's great. But I'm mostly in conversation with people, even to the extent of, I did a post one time on Monday saying, for wedding photographers, Monday is Saturday and Sunday is Sunday, you know, just like the wedding time, where wedding photographers get it. And this other feeling I've had that the wedding industry is really like circus people and we come into town, put up a tent and put on a show. And everybody I know, so many people in the industry who work so hard for this one couple, and it's such a beautiful act of, you know, artistry. And then Monday, it's gone. We're all home, sitting in a hammock or getting a foot massage, in my dreams, but I think it's a, I really do think it's a loving industry of great, creative people, and I'm glad it's thriving. And I, you know, when I do the workshops, I mostly just want to try to take some stress off of people and say, if you want to keep doing this for the long run, you gotta please yourself. Can't always be a people pleaser, and a lot of people in this industry are people pleasers, so it's a challenge. Andrew Hellmich: I love that. Look, I’ll add links to your Instagram, obviously, and also to your website where people can find your incredible book. And look, I just want to say it's been fascinating and fun talking to you. And I think you've done something that I guess not many guests do, that it's probably to do with the line of questioning and the kind of work you create, you've made me feel like I want to go out and shoot like right now I want to go and take photo, and I hope you've done the same for the listener. I'm sure you have. John, massive thank you for coming on and sharing everything you have. John Dolan: My pleasure. Thanks, Andrew. Andrew Hellmich: Today's guest is a superstar in the world of photography. He's built a career of advertising, editorial and fine art photography over the past 30 years. He's also the author of a reasonably recent book, The Perfect Imperfect, which has the foreword written by Martha Stewart, and one of his testimonials I read was by Jerry Seinfeld, who says John has photographed our family for 20 years. It is, to us, a priceless view of who we are and wouldn't exist without his gifted shutter lens and eye. He's photographed the weddings of celebrities, including Will Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, and so many more. And he says that some photographers are directors, but I'm a collector. I've also read that he said his target at a wedding is to capture 15 amazing photographs. He still shoots 70% film and believes weddings are too important to play it safe. I'm talking about none other than John Dolan, and I am rapt to have him with us now. John, welcome. John Dolan: Andrew, thanks for having me. Thanks for inviting me on. Andrew Hellmich: It's a pleasure. When you hear names like that thrown out in an intro. Does that sit totally comfortable with you? Are they just normal people to you? John Dolan: I think they're people who need real photographs. I think there's one thing I've learned about celebrities, is that they have paparazzis and they have iPhone pictures. So it is an ultimate privilege for me to photograph people who are so beautiful in the lens. You know, they're just so easy to photograph. But I also, I've always done it in a sort of anti-paparazzi way, where I'm a trusted friend, or I pretend to be a friend, but I don't interject myself, and that's why I use that term, the collector. I'm not trying to tell these people who are so accomplished in their own lives what to do on their wedding day. I'm just with them along for the ride and letting them be themselves without worrying of you know, the way a press person might take advantage of them. Andrew Hellmich: Then aren't you approaching the wedding day like a paparazzi in some form, because you're not really directing them by the sound of, you're just capturing what you see what's in front of you. John Dolan: But I'm not. I'm more inside rather than outside. I was photographing an event on Saturday, and there were some very well-known people there, and I had to use my body to gain their trust so that I could be five feet away from them, three feet away from them, and take a very simple picture, but without, they're not looking the camera. They're just in the middle of a conversation. But it's a different approach, where in 30 years, you're going to look back and say, Oh, that's what that person really looked like. Andrew Hellmich: When I read that intro, I get the impression that you also photograph family portraits, or is it purely weddings and events? John Dolan: No, I do private commissions for some people. I do events. I do birthday parties. I do... It's really, if somebody understands my approach, then it's a joy to come and be their chronicler of their life. That's really what it's about. It's that, you know, I think they're and I also want to make the point, I don't do that many celebrities. I do, you know one every other year, or something like that. But I get just the loveliest people who care about photography, and they're under such pressure to perform that I want to give them a day off and just say, you know, I'm not going to take advantage of this situation. I'm going to make something real so that your kids will have these pictures. Andrew Hellmich: So with the celebrities that you have photographed and with your style of photography, do you ever have the situation where they say, John, we love you and your work. We want you to come to the wedding and photograph the way you see, but we're also going to have another shooter that shoots in a different style? Does that happen? John Dolan: You know, it happens every once in a while, not that often. And I don't mind it. I play well with others. I prefer to be very low impact. And so it's, you know, I often shoot by myself. Sometimes I'll bring a second shooter, but I would say more with non-celebrity wedding clients than some of them hire another photographer to do the table settings or the decor or something like that. And I think that's a brilliant thing. It frees me up to do what I'm good at. Andrew Hellmich: So if you're shooting solo, do you capture those, all those things that they've spent money and time and effort into designing for the day? John Dolan: No. I always miss them. So the wedding planners who hire me know that I'll miss them, so they arrange somebody came in for an hour or two. And yeah, it's also a lot of the people I photograph hate being photographed, which is a really lovely client, because they've just never been photographed in the right way. So hopefully, when I deliver my pictures to someone who's shy or uncomfortable in front of the camera, they see themselves in a new way, and I become sort of a hero for making a picture of somebody who says, “Oh, I never take a good picture”. People blame themselves when they don't look good in a picture, and often it's the photographer's fault. Andrew Hellmich: So how do you get to that position, though, because, I mean, I imagine that you don't get to spend a day getting to know your clients before you turn up to the event. You know, you may have been booked by the by the planner. You may be, I don't know, do you have an hour's conversation on the phone or zoom? What happens before one of these celebrity weddings? John Dolan: It's a good question. The celebrities are different, but I think one of the skills I've learned over the years is how to get comfortable with people very quickly. It's part of our toolkit, and it's an amazing skill that where you skip the small talk and you get trusted some, it's all about trust, and somehow you build that bond really fast. And I've always enjoyed working with actors, you know, even in sort of documentary work, because they're spontaneous, they're improvisational, they know how to play that game. And I think that's something I've learned as I've matured. With a lot of my other wedding clients, I'll meet people and have a drink with them before, you know, six months before the wedding, so that when we see each other on the wedding day, we are sort of old friends, new old friends. Andrew Hellmich: Yeah, okay. So, and that's like a, I guess, a traditional in air quotes photographer would deal with a regular client. We'd go and meet them, we have a meeting, get to know them, and then turn up on the wedding day. John Dolan: Yeah, I think it's I certainly didn't do it for many years. I thought the engagement pictures were sort of cheesy, and then I started using it as a way to break bread with people, to share stories, to hear their love story, and then do a couple rolls of film, and also kind of introduce them to how I photograph and how my camera works and just get see who blinks a lot, to see who's awkward in front of the camera, all those sorts of things. So I think it's a very valuable thing to make first contact before the wedding. Andrew Hellmich: Okay, so this is interesting to me, because looking at your photography and listening to the way you shoot a wedding, it sounds like you're there, you're almost part of the family, capturing what you see. But if you meet a couple before the wedding, six months before, and you're going to do an engagement session, surely you have to do some direction then. John Dolan: Yes, but it's an acknowledgement that engagement pictures are awkward and they have no internal drive to them. A wedding day has an internal engine. But I think even acknowledging it after a glass of wine, with some people saying, this is really strange, but let's walk over to the river in Manhattan and I also lay down these sort of laws. Number one, I have no expectation of you to perform, awkward is beautiful, all these sorts of things, just to let them relax. And, you know, they wear normal clothes, they have normal hair, they're just, it's more for me, this kind of sacred year, six months, nine months between being engaged and getting married. And I mean, ideally, I would love to take these pictures and put them in a box for 10 years, because I think you don't appreciate those pictures until you've got a couple kids running around the house. And so I'll send them a few pictures, but I don't do a big thing about it, and I don't charge for it. Andrew Hellmich: Right, okay. So this is really a get to know you meeting, and we'll get a few photos. John Dolan: Exactly, it's a first date, yeah. Andrew Hellmich: I like that. Yeah, you mentioned that you're not shooting that many celebrity weddings, and the bulk of your time is photographing regular people. John Dolan: Yeah. Andrew Hellmich: Are they still booking you through a planner? In most cases? John Dolan: I'm sure, if I analyzed it, it would be 90% through planners. And that's I would say, I have five or six planners in the states who I've known for years, and they will literally text me or call me and they say, I've got one for you. And that means they know my strengths. They know who to match make me with, a shy person, an understated connoisseur, somebody who studied art. There's kind of a type of person who appreciates what I do, and they don't want to have a big glam squad, and they don't want to be, you know, photographed for hours. They want to enjoy their wedding. And so it's a beautiful relationship I have with planners. Andrew Hellmich: Is it the same planners that are also booking the celebrity weddings? Or there's a different clientele altogether? John Dolan: It's a mix. It's, yeah, it's most, I would say it's sort of the same planners in many of the occasions, because once you've built that trust and that track record with people, then if they get hired by a celebrity, then they know they can rely on you to deliver in that same approach, that same style. So I think it's important for anybody who's building their career to shift from being a maximalist, they want to get as many jobs as possible, to really telling your planners or yourself who your people are. And I think that alignment is so amazing once you hit it, because we've all been at the wedding where we're not the right photographer where it's not a perfect fit. And I know we all have financial, you know you have to pay your mortgage, you have to pay your rent, so you take jobs, but take notes of when you feel yourself at your best self, and when you feel handcuffed by the expectations. Andrew Hellmich: I like that, and I'm glad you pointed out the fact that people do have to pay their mortgages, because sometimes you don't have a choice. You have to say yes or you're looking for more ‘yeses’ to get more booking so I guess was there a point for you and your career where you said, “Okay, I can start to say no now”. And when was that? John Dolan: Six months ago? I mean, there's a few things going on. One is rates have climbed over the last five years, which is amazing for the whole industry, and shocking. I mean, I didn't charge a lot for the first 10 years. I started having kids, and, you know, with each kid, I would raise my prices. But it really is a robust industry now, and having been in it for 30 years, it's gratifying to see so many people who were able to make a living at wedding photography, because that was not possible, it was harder in the 90s and early 2000s, so I'm happy that people are able to do this. But you know, life is always complicated, and I think you have to find that mix of art and commerce where you're making art, you're making your rent, but you're not burning out. I meet a lot of photographers who've done too many weddings in a row, and they can't remember their last client's name, and they, you know, they're just flooded. They have eight weddings to edit, and it's just not sustainable. And I've seen a lot of burnout. So I love to try to encourage people to find your people, set your price, find the number of weddings you want a year. For me, it's 10. Some people, it's 15, and just you know, you can have a really happy life in your community, wherever you are. In Australia, in Iowa, you know I've met all kinds of people in small cities just building a really beautiful career. Andrew Hellmich: It sounds like you raised your prices because the household needed the extra income, anytime the new child was born, you raised your prices. So knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently, if anything, in regard to pricing? John Dolan: I think I did what I had to do. And the beginning of each year, I'd sort of set my rate for that year and hold my breath to think if I could hit it. Because, you know, January, February, March, are always a little tricky in the States, and you think you're never going to work again, and then all of a sudden, you're booked with 15 weddings for the year. So uncertainty is the most reliable thing in being freelance. That's the only thing I've learned for 30 years. So I mean, I think I've been nimble and I think I've been scrappy, and when I shot a lot of magazine work, it was for $500 a day, but it was great exposure, you’d be in every magazine store in America. I don't know. I certainly could have run my business in a more professional way, but I never wanted to be professional. I wanted to be personal. Andrew Hellmich: How could you have been more professional? John Dolan: Whatever? I don't even know what professional people do with their businesses, but, you know, a lot of it's foreign to me, spreadsheets and CRMs and all those things. I really, I run a very simple, not a mom and pop business, but a very streamlined, my contracts very simple, because everything's based on trust. Even with some of my celebrities, I never did NDAs because I said to them, you can destroy me in a tweet. So you can trust me. I will not break our trust, because the downside risk is so big. A piece of paper is not going to, you know, scare me as much as your two thumbs. Andrew Hellmich: That's a good point. So are you saying or am I hearing that some celebrities, or a celebrity asked you to sign an NDA and you refuse, or you said, I'm happy to do that, but listen, it's not going to change anything. John Dolan: Yeah, I just sort of had the conversation like, let's just, let's make this a different kind of relationship based on two people trusting each other. And I don't even remember the exact details of it, but it really brought it out to me that getting lawyers involved is kind of a silly thing for my approach, and I've been lucky for 30 years, just because it's such a I guess my overall thing that I'm trying to describe is that my approach to wedding photography is that we are unlike any other vendor, because we see people at the most vulnerable. We see them getting dressed, we see them crying. We see, I hear from people when their grandfather dies, and I have this picture, so I've moved my business, I mean, I never even set it up as a very sort of corporate structure way, you know, I want people to call me. I don't have a form on my website saying, you know, answer these 10 questions, so I will maybe email you back in a few days. I just, I love to get on the phone with people and say, tell me about your wedding. And I'm saying to myself, does this sound like the sort of story I can tell? And then when it's a match, it's a really beautiful thing. Andrew Hellmich: Am I right in assuming you have, you know, paper files and a filing cabinet to keep records these days, you're not even here. John Dolan: I could show you, yeah. Andrew Hellmich: So literally, no CRM, as little computer work as you have to. John Dolan: For the business side, it's pretty it's really, it's embarrassingly simple. You know, I have a list of dates where I'm on hold or where I'm booked, and I'll highlight certain ones where I get booked, and I'll put the date that the deposit came in on one spreadsheet. So, you know, it's very just rudimentary, because I'm at a scale of 10 weddings, so it's, you know, simpler for me, if somebody's got 25 and they have associates shooting, that's a whole another business. But I've really refined it at this point in my life of just how simple can I make this whole endeavor? Somebody calls me, tell me the date. I don't need to know a shot list. Just tell me what time to be there for the first event, and I'll do all my own travel. I'll do all my own arrangements, and I will be there at that time. Andrew Hellmich: That's so good. I mean, it doesn't sound like you're saying to the listener, hey, you can run your business more simply by doing what I do. It really depends on the scale of the business, even if they're charging less. John Dolan: Exactly, yeah. And yeah in some ways, I'm talking to that person who is insecure in business, or is not, didn't work in a corporate structure or something, somebody who's just more on the artist side, saying this can actually work if you structure your business as in a really interpersonal way that, you know, I charge a really healthy rate, and then I don't nickel and dime people, I don't send them receipts. The people I deal with don't want to be bothered by anything, so I do as little. I don't put anything on their plate. I try to take things off there, take stress away from them. That's for me, the value of my whole performance is when we interact, I'm going to be very loving and caring, and you're under a lot of stress, I'm going to not add anything to it. Andrew Hellmich: I can hear, even with your voice, that you wouldn't be adding to the stressful day. I mean, you just come across as a very relaxed photographer, person. Is this how you are in everyday life? John Dolan: You could ask my wife, but I mean, it's a circular kind of experience that I have at 400 weddings. I've absorbed a lot of stress, and I realized that I am good at what I do, because I get calm around nervous people, when people are freaking out. It's a really comfortable place for me, because it's like, I'm the youngest of six. I was brought up in a very, you know, lively household, so being quiet and hiding underneath the dining room table is my happy place. And that's pretty much every wedding reception, and it's mostly because people can't see the camera when they're laughing and telling stories that they're having fun at their wedding, they get very unaware of me, which is a beautiful thing, and also it's taught me that life is complicated, and you just hear story after story at people's weddings. About tragedies and triumphs and life's I don't you just hear biographies all the time, so it just makes me come home, hug my wife and say, you know, we're doing all right. And I learned some really human things this weekend. So it’s my church, basically. Andrew Hellmich: You make it sound like a pretty special place to be at these weddings. I want to get onto your work in just a second. But again, you said to us that you only photograph some celebrity. That's not a big thing, a big part of what you do. But I'm still assuming that your regular clients are very well to do. If they're paying your rates, you're only doing 10 weddings a year. I mean, they're probably high flyers, as far as I'm concerned, is that right? John Dolan: Some of them are. I always find a few people who I just align with, and I just, somehow I just have to shoot their wedding, whether it's a friend of my children's or school teacher or something. But I have a firm belief in a sort of Greek way of the wedding gods that the wedding gods deliver, and I used to get so upset if I didn't get a wedding that I really wanted, but then I've learned over the years, you know, sometimes you don't get a wedding that you really want, and then something else happens that's better. And so I definitely shoot for a lot of wealthy Americans who collect art and their connoisseurs, they wouldn't want cheesy wedding pictures in their house with all the beautiful things they have so, and they're lovely people because they appreciate me as an artisan, as a you know, they know that I'm going to give them something special, almost like a private chef or whatever other private thing they have, private banker, private health care. So it's a niche that it's taken me many years to find, but it's a really special place. Andrew Hellmich: Sounds amazing. I mean, it sounds like you get to shoot with total freedom. You get to create the kind of work that you want to create at the weddings, and the client pays for it, which what a beautiful place to be. John Dolan: But I would say, certainly, when I started out the first 50 weddings, that's what I did as well. There's a middle part that's a little hard where you’re, it's almost like when the plane takes off, it's smooth, and then it goes through rough air, and then when you get to 35,000 feet, it's smooth sailing. But I certainly met some photographers who are in this middle place of shooting for people with medium to good budgets, but they're very demanding, and it's, you know, you have to work your way through it all. But for me, I shoot the same way I've always shot. Andrew Hellmich: So talking about the way you shoot and some of your work, I mean, I'm looking, say on your blog at the moment as we record, and the very first blog post, there is one on your book, The Imperfect. And for the listener, if they can't see this right now, hopefully I can put this in the show notes. But there's a bride and groom, they're holding hands. It's a blurry black and white shot, and I say blurry because there's movement. You can't recognize the couple. Are you familiar with this photo that I'm talking about, John? John Dolan: That sounds like all my pictures. Andrew Hellmich: So this is, this is my point, or leads to my question. So you have this kind of work feature on your website, and we always here show what you want to be shooting. John Dolan: Yes. Andrew Hellmich: Is that how you lived or have lived your life as a photographer, show what you want to shoot. John Dolan: Yes. And that picture, I just looked at the picture you're talking about, that picture, to me, shows what that couple was feeling. So it's that intersection. How do you take a picture of what somebody else is feeling in their gut and in their heart? And if I had shot a sharp version of that, it would have flattened it, because it was, this was 11 o'clock at night. They're running towards they were sleeping in a teepee that night, or something, a yurt. And it summed up this, their free spirit and all these things. So I'm trying to make those, you know, a picture that represents so much more than the reality, that's really the the next level I'm trying to get to. I could take the picture of what it looked like, I want to take a picture of what it felt like. And that means I have to be as emotional as they are, or I have to be in rhythm with their emotion. So I'd love that you've saw that picture, because it’s not a blurry picture because I shook the camera on purpose. It's because I was running in the misty rain after them, and they looked so beautiful. So like, can I capture that? Andrew Hellmich: I love it as a photographer, and I know that listener will fall in love with the photo as well. But do you ever have a client? What do you do if a client says, John, we love that photo. We love that moment. Do you have a sharp version? John Dolan: Well, your initial question was good, do I show to prospective clients these pictures? And I've always have. I’ve always tested the limits of people when I meet them, so I'm not showing them, I’m really trying to just mess with them a little bit to gage their tolerance. And the people who say, “do you have a sharper version?”, somehow they realize I'm not the right photographer, if that's their main question. It's not an interesting conversation, if we're stuck on that. So, you know, I really try to reach people. And at this point my career, I have a book that says imperfect on it. So it should say, perfectionists need not apply. Andrew Hellmich: Yes John Dolan: But it's, you know, I think I've made it clear to people what my philosophy is, and it's a very inside rather than, you know, rather than a clear-eyed view. It's an emotional approach to photography. Andrew Hellmich: Right. So what about the photographer who is dreaming of being where you are now being able to shoot with, let's say, abandon, and capture what they see, what they feel, and produce images like this. They show this kind of work on their website, and they don't get the bookings. What do they do? Like this is what they want to create, but they're just not getting booked for it. John Dolan: This is definitely a challenge, but I have to believe that if you show pictures that you love, that are made from your heart and that moved yourself, moved your spouse or your partner, then you're going to find those clients, especially when it's 10 or 15. That's all part of the same system that you're not trying to please the world. You're trying to please yourself, and then please those, find those 15 cool people. And I'm convinced that in every small town in Australia and in Italy and France and certainly in America, there's that one coffee shop where all the cool kids hang out and you know, that's where you're going to find your people, or wherever it is, if it's a bar, if it's I think, you have to micro target who you want to appeal to. If you really want to be unleashed, you have to show those unleashed pictures, and then the people will find you. I'm convinced, otherwise, you just for me, it was always this concept, if I don't do it for myself, then I'm just going to making donuts. I just make donuts all day, and they're sugar sweet, and they taste really good, and then an hour later, you don't feel good. I want to make pictures. I want to make a nutritious set of photographs. Andrew Hellmich: Did you feel like that from the start? John Dolan: Yes. I would say my advertising work was not as authentic to me, but because when I started, there was no pressure. We were reinventing the genre. There were no, there were very few magazines. There was no way to look at other wedding photographers. So I was free of all expectation, and I would just be like, Oh my God, this picture from Saturday nights, just I can hear it, I can smell it. I can, you know, so I know how lucky I was that I didn't have all this visual asteroid field of you know, what the industry's doing. And I love that you were describing it as a photographer who wants to do this, and not somebody who wants to work in luxury or celebrities. I think that's a big trap a lot of people got into. And the photographers I'm meeting now just want to make honest pictures. And I think that's a much healthier thing. The whole luxury game is just going to drive people insane, because, you know.. Andrew Hellmich: Why, why would it? John Dolan: Because you're trying to please the planner, the bride, the mother of the bride, the magazines, the blogs, and then you're putting your own self at the end of the list, and you'll say, Oh, I'll do that eventually. And I don't think it's possible. I think the number of those weddings is so small and the competition is so big. And I also kind of look at it like a casting director. Why would a casting director hire you if you're making pictures that look like everybody else, or if you're acting like everybody else. So I've always tried to make myself very distinctive. So planner says you're not going to get the sister's wedding, but I have the other sister who's just perfect for you. So it's that identifying your strengths and leaning into them. Andrew Hellmich: You mentioned, no matter where you are in the world, or wherever the listener may be, there's going to be that cafe, that place, that suburb, even where the cool kids are hanging out and they're your target client. How would you get in front of them? Let's say there is a cafe. I mean, are you looking to have an exhibition in there? Are you putting an album on the coffee tables? What are you making a connection with the owners? What are you doing to get in front of these people? John Dolan: I think that's for everybody to figure out. I think I got my core clients at the beginning by going to magazines trying to get magazine work. I would have my portfolio as a young photographer, and then I had a little box of my weddings, and so I'd show the portfolio, then I'd say, Well, I also have this personal work, and a number of art directors and photo editors saw that and said, You know, I don't have a magazine assignment for you, but I'm getting married next year, so I got in the back door at a lot of places by being out there. I would show my portfolio to anybody, and I would have these very distinctive raw wedding pictures that were not professional. They weren’t, they were just beautiful photographs taken at a wedding. So I think you basically have to walk around with a box of prints. And you know, you hear people talking, and I think it's flattering for people to be approached when they you know, if I was young photographer and I saw some friends at a party say they just got engaged, I would definitely go right up to them and say, “Do you have a photographer? Do you need a photographer?”. Andrew Hellmich: Be bold. John Dolan: I mean, I don't think it's creepy. I think it's if you're genuinely interested in people. I'm just fascinated by how people find each other in the world, especially in Manhattan, with, you know, 8 million people on this island, and how do two people connect? I just think it's cool. So who doesn't want to talk about their love story? Andrew Hellmich: That's true. That's true. What about the photographer who's listening, who has a mortgage, has kids, they're trying to make a go at their business so they feel like they are, or they have to produce the images that the clients want, that they've got booked, but they've also got their own vision. Yeah. So do you think it's okay? How would you feel if they were to shoot some photos for themselves and the rest for the client and the show the ones that they shot for themselves, only on their website? Would that be a good way to get to where you are? John Dolan: Well, I mean, now that you asked the question, I'm realizing it that I preach an extreme version of what I do. So I shoot. I've shot for 30 years, and I can cover all the safe stuff the I love doing family pictures. I love doing pictures of the mother with her friends who've been the mom squad. So I'm not there on my high horse, only doing whatever I want, but I'm doing even those family pictures and the mom squad pictures in a fun, interesting way. So I think I, you know, the number one rule is, never piss off the mother of the bride. It's just a really, really bad idea on all levels. And it's, you know, why would you, it's important day for all the characters in the play. But I think it's a, I don't have the easy answer, and I've been trying to figure it out for some people who are exactly in that position, I met a photographer in Portugal, and he's doing really interesting work, but he's not getting the work. And I don't have a easy fix for it, because part of our job is that we have to be marketing people. We have to be, you know, we have to be sales people. We have to be all these things. And there's no guarantee that talent and good work will equal success. It's a, we're on the lonely path of the freelancer, and it's a really trying time for a lot of people, so all I can do is preach that it's possible. It was certainly easier for me because rents were cheaper when I was starting out and I didn't have the pressure, but you know, you can get a real job and not do this game if it doesn't work. But I never had an option, because I have no other skills except photography. Andrew Hellmich: So there was an interesting question in my group, and also in another photography group that I saw even yesterday, and it was about getting older as a photographer and having, I mean, exit strategy, I guess, is a term you could use, or, you know, they want to have a path to wind things down. Can I ask your age? John Dolan: You know, I never tell my age. I like to keep that a little mysterious, just for fun. Andrew Hellmich: Okay, then, let me ask you this, how many years ahead of shooting weddings, do you feel you have? John Dolan: My wife says I don't have an option to stop because she knows how much I get out of it, which is actually a really interesting insight that I mean just what I've told you already, how I get filled up by these human experiences, maybe I dropped down to eight weddings in a year or so, and then six or something, I don't know, but I know that five or 10 years ago, I started to see my wedding career as this bowl with a certain number of marbles in it or chips in it. And I don't know how many chips there are, but I changed my business model that every wedding I take I have to love, because I did a few weddings just for the money, and they destroyed me. They really crushed my soul. and the pictures. The pictures actually were beautiful and fake, and that's when I got really ill, just that that I could just make surfacy pictures. And so after that, I just try to make every couple who I meet really align with me, if I can, or try to find the that meeting point. Andrew Hellmich: How did you get caught in that trap of producing the images for the client, not for yourself? How did that happen? John Dolan: The recession. 2008, the financial crisis. Andrew Hellmich: Oh, right. Okay, so you had to shoot? John Dolan: Three kids, and the bride really just, she just leveraged me. She just used every trick in the book, saying, oh, bring your kids and, you know, and she talked me down. She got me down to a cheap rate, so I was underpaid, and she faked so many things, she worked in reality TV, so she would say, she'd be laughing, and then if I did miss the shot, she'd have her friends laugh again. She's like “John missed that, everybody laugh again.” Oh, God, which was just against my, my whole religion right there. But the pictures, of course, looked good because it was great light and pretty people and all, and so, but it was a great lesson to me. I think I'm sure every photographer has done that wedding where you just don't love the people. And I thought after this, I'm not doing it for money anymore. Andrew Hellmich: So you were still happy with the images that you created, you just didn't enjoy the experience. John Dolan: I was begrudgingly happy delivering her these pictures because they were fake, but it was a beautiful place and so, yeah, I just think it's, you know, I think I've just met some photographers recently who are really able to align this, it's still hard to make the mortgage payments all work, but at least they're making pictures that they're proud of. And I think that's the core of keeping it sustainable. To answer your question, I'm not close to burning out, because I'm still making pictures, even last week or a couple weeks ago, that are fresh to me, and, you know, it's like a explorer who's finding new islands. Andrew Hellmich: That is pretty cool. When I asked you about, you know, a potential exit strategy, I thought you might say things like, well, that's why I have the print shop. That's why I'm producing books. Maybe you have photos in stock, I'm not sure, stock libraries. Maybe you're looking at other ways to, to have a tail of an income carry on after you stop shooting weddings. Do you think like that? John Dolan: That would be so smart? Yeah, I would say teaching is the thing. But again, when I teach, I teach just small workshops, 10 people. So it's not a great business model in the way that if I was to do a video series or something, but I just think my style is in person. And I mean, the closest thing I've ever found to comparing my business model is to small batch whiskey. You know, because I went to Scotland one time, and I found this place. And, you know, I just think I'm a limited number of bottles a year, expensive, and not for everybody. And, you know, so I think it's a fun game to play. And when I teach, I have people kind of try to just ponder that thing. What is your parallel? Are you Starbucks, where you're just doing for everybody whatever they want, they want a mocha, whatever, or you that little coffee shop that is hand pressed, or I don't drink coffee, so I don't know the terminology. Andrew Hellmich: I think the distillery was a perfect metaphor. John Dolan: Yeah, but it's a fun game to play because, you know, we're not how do you want to shape your business? How do you want to, or you want to grow?. I don't want to grow. I want to find my people and just blow their minds with their pictures. Andrew Hellmich: So how do you do that today? I mean, you said you have planners. Do you rely solely on the planners to find your people, or are you doing other things? John Dolan: Well, the real secret is that my eldest child is 30, so she has friends who are getting married, and she's been hand delivering me the sweetest clients who I've known since they were 16, who it's not even a question. We did a wedding in Paris, my daughter was a bridesmaid, my wife came, I was the photographer, and it was just, I'm delivering the pictures in a couple weeks. And it's, it was just that perfect alignment of I was already inside the circle of trust with her, and, you know, so my daughter's a good feeder. Andrew Hellmich: That sounds pretty good. Just on that Paris wedding, so this is a close friend, like it's one of your daughter's best friends, you're going to Paris to capture this wedding. How do you stick to what you want to shoot when you know, I'm sure the, let's say not the mother, the bride wants the photo with the the Eiffel Tower in the background. We all want that. And you're thinking, Oh, that's too cliche. I don't want to do that. Do you still just do it but don't show it?. John Dolan: Actually, this bride was so perfect because she was shy, she didn't want, she didn't want this big wedding. But, you know, the machine took over and it became a bigger wedding, but it really was, I mean, I have the pictures here I could show you, but we're on a podcast, so frustrating to see. But because my goal is this box of 15 pictures, I'm shooting, it’s usually two or three days. This was a two day event, and I'm shooting to make 15 pictures that will last a generation for her. So they're just 15 beautiful photographs of the experience, some of her with her husband, some of her with her bridesmaids, some of her in Paris. I mean, I just flowed with the wedding. So we didn't do any special things. We did take one detour from the church to the reception, and did literally five minutes in one of the Leicester Concord, I think. And, but I knew she only had a patience for five minutes, ten minutes. So you know, it's I know whenever I talk about this, it sounds like I’m, it could go very wrong if you do this super loosey-goosey, casual thing. So I don't want to give the impression that I just go and drink wine and dance, and I give the impression that it's very relaxed, but my wheels are turning so it's a, it really is a finely tuned machine. The only thing I would say is I never look at my phone during a wedding. I don't look at shot lists. I don't look at timelines. I am so in tuned with what the couple is going through. I'm completely focused on them. And since I never really leave the bride, I'm maybe I'll run over shoot the guys getting dressed for five minutes. But otherwise, I'm just hanging with the bride and shooting the wedding from her point of view, what she's going through, because it's a fascinating range of emotions that somebody goes through. And the wedding industry is always only shown this really narrow band of you know, it's your best day ever. And I've always thought this is your, the widest number of emotions you'll feel in one day. And so that's my guiding principle. Did you see? Have you seen these movies, the Inside Out movies? It's a Disney, it's inside the mind of a, I don't know, eight year old kid. And then there's Inside Out Two is inside the mind of maybe a 14 year old girl, and it's a fascinating study of what people are feeling all the different range. They have different characters for each emotion, anxiety and embarrassment, all these things. But it aligns with what I watch on people's faces on a wedding day that it's huge range, and I just keep thinking, why do wedding photographers only show the happy and the smiling when you know nervousness is kind of a beautiful thing. Andrew Hellmich: I agree. I like that. You mentioned, and I did in the intro that you're looking to capture these 15 amazing images that will last a generation or more. What does a client actually get? What are the deliverables after the wedding day from you? John Dolan: Whenever possible, I hand deliver this handmade box with 15 matted prints. So I choose them based on, I'll narrow down to 25 or so, then my wife and my studio manager will kind of debate, and maybe we'll print 18 and see what really looks good in the matte. And then that's the first thing I show people, and it's kind of an unveiling, and it's a really lovely time to see people after the wedding, after their honeymoon, six, eight weeks later, and just kind of talk about how wild the wedding was and I love hearing what people went through before I even showed them the pictures. You know, it's like, what was the high point? What were the anxieties? Or how did you feel at this point? Just to kind of let them talk about a little bit. And then I unveil the pictures, which are not in a timeline. They're not representative of everything. They're just a beautiful box of prints. And then hopefully they're moved by this box. And then I say, well, let's go. And I bring them over to my computer and show them a slideshow of 100 which is much more of the full experience. And then hopefully that moves them even more, and they're reliving the whole thing. And then I give them a proof book with all the pictures, maybe it's 800 pictures. So they get everything. So they get all the family pictures. They get all their friends dancing and stuff, but I've made the choice for them so they don't have to, because I used to watch people stress about choosing their pictures for years and years, and then I figured out, oh, I know what, I know the pictures. How do they know? Andrew Hellmich: And so and you've done multiple steps for them. Haven't you? Because you've given your fifth or the 15 favorites, plus the 100, plus all. So they've got everything in there. How large are the prints in the print box, the custom or handmade print box? John Dolan: I'm dying to show you one. Andrew Hellmich: You can, you can. John Dolan: They're eight by eight inches in an 11 by 14 frame in that or something like that. I'll just grab one. Andrew Hellmich: If you're listening, so John just grabbed one off his desk, which is behind him, and I can see it's a beautiful white matte. It's a black and white print. Okay, this one is the bride and bridesmaids. I can just see their faces, and yeah, some are smiling, some aren't. It's one of your images. I can say beautiful, okay. John Dolan: So you've got the little podcast interlude. Andrew Hellmich: So I want to just understand the moment. So they sit down. You chatted about the wedding. You relived it. Do you just hand them the box, or do you hand them print by print and with an explanation? John Dolan: No, it's really fun, because I almost just stretch it out a little bit. I'll stretch out the conversation. And the box is there, but I don't mention it. I don't touch it. It's just there. And then I see their eyes looking down like and I can feel that the conversation is kind of ready to go to the next thing. And I say, you know, shall we look at some pictures? But I hand it to them, I let them go through it one by one, and I just sit back and watch. And it's, what's fun is that no boxes the same. You know, this is their wedding. That doesn't look like last week's wedding. And I always think, if you know, if you could Photoshop last month's bride onto this month's bride. Then, then you're getting, you're making donuts. So I, you know, I'm trying to make a box of very distinctive pictures that like this one in particular, I really want it to sound like Paris, or to feel like Paris. There's some other pictures in the box that, like, I have one picture of these dancing girls, on the Friday night they had the can-can dancers, and it's just a blurry picture of a dancer coming right at the camera. And that's it was such a surprise for all the Americans at this wedding. And I think that picture brings you right there. So it's kind of a picture story, but it's a non linear picture story. It's just trying to make them tug at their hearts. Andrew Hellmich: They must love you, John, they really must. I want to ask you a couple more questions, because I know we're running out of time, but you mentioned teaching. I'd love to hear your thoughts, because I imagine so many photographers or anyone that can get to one of your courses, and I didn't know you do this teaching. John Dolan: They're kind of underground. They're kind of hidden. Andrew Hellmich: Okay, so let's say I come to your class because I love your work and what you do. Is it upsetting? How do you feel if you see me trying to copy what you're doing? John Dolan: I think the best thing that I've been able to do for photographers is find people who seem really handcuffed. So I have people bring pictures from when they first started, and the pictures that gave them great joy, and then I say, bring some pictures that maybe your clients love, but you don't love that are maybe that, we'll call them the donut pictures, and then we spread them out on a table, and I'd say, like, you know you're in these pictures, but you're not in these, you've lost something, or it's really this metaphor of having handcuffs on by the wedding industry. And then there's one photographer I've thought of a lot. And Daniel Kim, you may have heard about him, but he came to one of my workshops in 2020 and he just seemed really completely stuck by the industry, the expectations and the pressure and all this sort of stuff. But I said to him, you have the key to the handcuffs. In fact, the handcuffs are made of paper, and just rip it off. And he's had such an explosion creatively afterwards that, you know, just made me realize that a lot of stuff is self-imposed. A lot of people think that people will, they won't like me if I do, I won't get as many likes if I, you know, show this picture something. I think it takes a little bit of ego, or going into yourself and just saying, I know what my good pictures are, and I'm going to make those come hell or high water. So it takes that sort of courageous step to just say, you know, screw it, I'm going to do this. And some people, that means going and shooting a wedding for free where you have no obligations to the people. And maybe that's a reset. But I think there has to be some way to take all this pressure and obligations and fear of disappointment off your shoulders, and it's not an easy thing to do, but boy, when I see photographers throw that stuff off and break out of the handcuffs, it's thrilling. Andrew Hellmich: That must be incredible. So do your, I mean, do you call them workshops? Is that what they are? John Dolan: I call them retreats, but there's no, we do very little photography. It's mostly just talking like this. And it's, I try to turn people's heads inside out and upside down, and just say, what if, you know, everybody's doing it this way, what if you did it your own way? If everybody's shooting blurry, why don't you go super sharp? Or, you know, I'm just quite, it's a lot more questioning than giving answers, because I just think we're in charge of our own careers, and all I could do is just sort of say it's actually possible to do things this way. It's all I can offer. Andrew Hellmich: I love that. For the listener, if you could give them one place to go to see more of your work, learn more about you, see your photography, learn about your classes, where should we go? Where's the one place the listeners should go once they've heard you today? John Dolan: Instagram is really the only social media I do, and I must say, I'm really just talking to photographers on Instagram. It’s, I can tell who my, you know the way you know your listeners. I have a really strong thing that I know that I'm talking to photographers, as opposed to clients. Clients see it, it's great. But I'm mostly in conversation with people, even to the extent of, I did a post one time on Monday saying, for wedding photographers, Monday is Saturday and Sunday is Sunday, you know, just like the wedding time, where wedding photographers get it. And this other feeling I've had that the wedding industry is really like circus people and we come into town, put up a tent and put on a show. And everybody I know, so many people in the industry who work so hard for this one couple, and it's such a beautiful act of, you know, artistry. And then Monday, it's gone. We're all home, sitting in a hammock or getting a foot massage, in my dreams, but I think it's a, I really do think it's a loving industry of great, creative people, and I'm glad it's thriving. And I, you know, when I do the workshops, I mostly just want to try to take some stress off of people and say, if you want to keep doing this for the long run, you gotta please yourself. Can't always be a people pleaser, and a lot of people in this industry are people pleasers, so it's a challenge. Andrew Hellmich: I love that. Look, I’ll add links to your Instagram, obviously, and also to your website where people can find your incredible book. And look, I just want to say it's been fascinating and fun talking to you. And I think you've done something that I guess not many guests do, that it's probably to do with the line of questioning and the kind of work you create, you've made me feel like I want to go out and shoot like right now I want to go and take photo, and I hope you've done the same for the listener. I'm sure you have. John, massive thank you for coming on and sharing everything you have. John Dolan: My pleasure. Thanks, Andrew. Scroll back to top Sign up to receive email updates Enter your name and email address below and I'll send you periodic updates about the podcast. powered by The post 596: John Dolan – Balancing Art, Business, and Authentic Storytelling in Photography appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Claire Thomas www.clairethomasphotography.com was briefly interviewed as a lead-up to Alex Vita's recent SEO and Website User Experience Masterclass. The reason is that Alex built her website, which she says has been life-changing for her business. I also said in that introduction that if you were to visit her website, I'm confident that you would love, love, love to have her portfolio as your own. The images are fantastic, and the subject matter and locations are just so varied. This is a photographer who appears to be living her best life. She is leaving a trail of gorgeous imagery like breadcrumbs, revealing snippets of what she's seen, where she's been, and who she's met. From Europe and the Middle East to the USA, Asia and Africa, war-torn cities, landscape vistas, and intimate portraits—there isn't much missing from this incredible portfolio. In this interview, Claire shares how to survive and thrive as a freelance documentary, editorial, and fine art photographer. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: Exploring a Diverse Portfolio: Meet Claire Thomas, whose work spans photojournalism, fine art, and commercial photography, showcasing her exceptional range and passion. The Power of a Personal Website: Showcasing your work on a professionally designed website. Building a Multifaceted Career: Claire defines herself as a photojournalist, fine art photographer, and commercial photographer, and her career reflects her versatile skill set. Starting in Photojournalism: From a small Welsh newspaper to international acclaim, Claire credits mentor Jason Tanner for launching her career. Focusing on the Middle East: Moving to Palestine, she embraced the challenges of conflict storytelling, driven by a passion for human narratives. Iraq & The New York Times: Claire recounts three transformative years in Iraq, including a defining story published by The New York Times. Telling Global Stories: Claire captures stories that span cultures and contexts, from Kazakh herders in Mongolia to Middle Eastern conflict zones. Building a Strong Portfolio: Self-funding projects have been key to creating a compelling portfolio that grabs editors’ attention. Freelancing Challenges: Claire opens up about facing frequent rejections and the grit to persist with unpublished stories. Owning a Website: Her website has become a crucial platform for sharing stories and attracting new opportunities. Collaborating with Journalists: Working alongside The Sunday Times and seasoned journalists, she highlights the value of teamwork. Diversifying Income Streams: Selling fine art prints and running photo tours sustain her freelance business. Fine Art Print Success: Limited edition prints gained popularity after The New York Times exposure, boosting her income and brand visibility. Adventurous Photo Tours: Organising tours in Mongolia has allowed Claire to share her expertise while catering to diverse participants. Experiencing Conflict Zones: From surviving a bullet wound in Iraq to finding humour amidst danger, Claire recounts unforgettable field experiences. Honouring Pete Reed: Reflecting on the loss of fellow photographer Pete Reed in Ukraine, she discusses the risks and camaraderie of the profession. Staying True to Ethical Storytelling: Navigating editorial agendas, Claire prioritises integrity while telling human-centred stories. Celebrating Human Connection: She reflects on the privilege of capturing and sharing powerful human stories that resonate deeply. Monetising Passion Projects: Claire emphasises that selling prints and organising tours keeps her career financially sustainable. Gear Reliability in Harsh Conditions: Despite extreme environments, her trusted D850 cameras and versatile 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses never let her down. Lens Preferences for Precision: Silent shooting modes in mirrorless cameras are game-changers for interviews and sensitive storytelling. Gratitude & Reflection: With a deep sense of purpose, Claire cherishes the privilege of documenting lives and witnessing her work's impact on those she photographs. A child receives emergency treatment for head trauma and other injuries at a makeshift field clinic set up inside an abandoned store on the edge of Mosul's Old City, Iraq, on July 2, 2017.As the fighting continued to liberate the remaining pocket of ISIS-held territory in Mosul, civilians who had been held hostage inside the Old City risked their lives to escape the fighting under heavy ISIS sniper fire. Medics from international medical organisations Global Response Management and Academy of Emergency Medicine, together with Iraqi forces medics, worked around the clock to treat injured civilians, many of whom showed signs of severe malnutrition after enduring months without enough food, water and fuel. What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. There's no real roadmap, I think, to success as a photojournalist. It's hard, and everybody has their own way of making it happen. It was a struggle, continues to be a struggle. But I just love storytelling, and it's such a privilege to meet people and have the opportunity to be able to try and share their stories. – Claire Thomas You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. I just love these connections, you know, whether or not I make money, I don't care about that, but it does mean a lot to me to get the stories published. – Claire Thomas In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business. Twelve-year-old Arkalak trains his eagle in the Altai mountains of western Mongolia. In keeping with Kazakh tradition, Arkalak followed in his father's footsteps and began training his own eagle at the age of ten. October 2019. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Claire shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode. As a freelancer, it's quite tricky to make ends meet. You've got to be doing a lot of stories to make ends meet. There's more money with NGOs, UN agencies—this supplements the income. – Claire Thomas If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Claire or want to say thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. When I have an article in The New York Times, for example, it draws people to my website, and then I'll have a surge in print sales. – Claire Thomas If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. Since I've had this website, thanks to Alex, it's just given me a way to showcase my work in a way that brings me a lot of joy, which I didn't have before. – Claire Thomas Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​ FREE MASTERCLASS — TOMORROW! During this FREE advertising and conversion training, you'll learn: The exact strategies used to generate $30,000-$50,000 monthly in-studio bookings, even if you're starting out or have struggled with ads before. Master the art of targeting and converting leads who value your craft and are willing to pay premium prices. Simplify your approach to Facebook and Instagram ads with step-by-step guidance on crafting scroll-stopping visuals, ad copy, and offers. Discover how to spend smarter, not harder, by focusing on lead conversion tactics that reduce crappy leads and boost bookings. Tap into 25 years of business expertise condensed into actionable tips to increase your income. To register and get more details, head to: https://learn.photobizx.com/advertise-like-a-mofo/ A camel yawns in front of the Pyramids at Giza, Cairo, April 2015. Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: Claire Thomas Website Claire Thomas on Facebook Claire Thomas on Instagram Claire's original and short interview with Andrew on YouTube Picto NY Episode 108: Alex Vita – How To Build A Photography Website That Converts Visitors To Clients Episode 268: Alex Vita – Everything you need for a successful photography website A cowboy rides a horse in front of the Grand Teton mountain range in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Thank you! Thanks for listening, and a massive thank you to Claire Thomas for sharing her incredible journey and insights into building a photography career fueled by passion and purpose. Claire’s honest approach to balancing creativity with business strategy and diversified income streams will hopefully encourage you to stay resilient and chase your photographic dreams. My prints range from the limited edition ones. The open editions are smaller, but the limited edition starts at 16 by 24 inches. And this I have is a limited edition of 50. So I've found those to be quite, quite popular, because it's quite a manageable size. I sell those for $1,250 for the initial set. – Claire Thomas That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business! Thanks, and speak soon Andrew Claire fitted out in combat gear while working to cover another conflict. The post 595: Claire Thomas – Chasing stories and an income as a documentary and fine art photographer appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area  Heidi Thompson of  www.evolveyourweddingbusiness.com is a wedding business coach, marketing strategist and best-selling author. She was last featured on the podcast for episode 218, where she shared how you can clone your best photography clients. She believes that too many photographers get into photography for some kind of freedom—freedom from working for a boss, working the 9-5, basically, having the freedom to spend their time the way they want to. In many cases, however, photographers work harder than they would in a regular job as an employee. Her job is to help you reclaim your time, escape burnout and love your business. On her website, she says to think of her as your tough-love business bestie who will call you out on your B.S. and give it to you straight because she truly wants the best for you. Before teaching marketing to wedding professionals, she marketed a lot of things, including poo! Yes, human poo for a company that specialises in fecal transplants. She says if she can market poo, she can certainly help you market your photography! In this episode, Heidi shares why your photography marketing might be failing and how to fix it. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: Marketing Anything: Heidi shares her journey marketing unconventional services like faecal transplants, proving she can successfully market any product—even the unexpected. From Medical to Matrimony: Heidi brings unique expertise to the table. Collaborating with Experts: Heidi works closely with photographers, planners, caterers, and DJs. She highlights that photographers and planners are among the hardest-working professionals but often feel overwhelmed. The Freedom Paradox: Many photographers and planners pursue the profession expecting flexibility, yet find themselves overworked and lacking work-life balance. Misplaced Priorities: Wedding professionals often spend time on tasks that don’t align with their business goals, undermining their growth. Social Media Pitfalls: Over-investing in platforms like Instagram or TikTok can be costly if they don’t yield clients. Heidi urges professionals to assess their ROI on social media efforts. Proven Growth Strategies: Instead of chasing trends, focus on effective channels like referrals, SEO, and wedding shows to build a thriving business. Test Before You Leap: Heidi advises experimenting with one new social media platform at a time to ensure clarity and measurable results. Knowing When to Quit: Assess marketing efforts regularly and cut out strategies that drain time without delivering results. Smart Diversification: Stick to a handful of reliable marketing channels while limiting experiments to stay focused and avoid burnout. Track Your Time: Use tools like Toggl to monitor your daily activities, identifying and eliminating unproductive tasks. Data-Driven Decisions: Let tracked data guide you to double down on channels consistently delivering clients. Networking Without Pressure: Spend 15 minutes daily engaging with referral sources on social media for meaningful connections. Relationships Drive Success: Building strong, authentic relationships with referral sources is key to long-term growth. Client-Focused Strategy: Start by understanding client pain points and tailor your services to solve their problems. Stand Out in the Crowd: Develop a unique value proposition to set your business apart from competitors. Website First Impressions Matter: Ensure your website features clear messaging and stunning visuals to captivate your ideal clients instantly. SEO Beats the Social Hype: Invest in SEO and referrals, which consistently deliver a higher ROI than excessive social media efforts. Attractive Content Wins: Publish valuable blog posts to boost SEO, build vendor relationships, and establish authority. Vendor Partnerships Pay Off: Partnering with venues and offering creative incentives can secure valuable referrals. Win-Win Collaborations: Keep referral relationships thriving by ensuring mutual benefits, regular communication, and genuine appreciation. What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. I'm all for experimenting and trying new things and seeing what you can make work. But what I always tell my clients is you need to limit yourself to one experiment at a time, because if you don't, you really can't give it your all. You're gonna kind of half ass it, and then you never know, are the results you're getting from that, because you didn't really go all out with it, or is it actually not a good fit for your business. – Heidi Thompson You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. Most people don't have time, and that's a huge, huge problem, because if you don't have time to market your business, you're probably not going to get a whole lot of business, so we have to make the time for that. And the first thing I have people do is actually audit where they're spending their time. – Heidi Thompson In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Heidi shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode. I love giving people permission to quit stuff. We all spend time on things we feel maybe a good idea in the moment. Or we read or hear something, and we were like, ‘Oh, I'm going to try that.' And I am all for trying new things, but you have to make sure it makes sense, and make sure there's room. – Heidi Thompson If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Heidi or want to say thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. The only solution to you making more money is not raising prices. I'm not saying don't do it, but it's not the only lever you can pull. – Heidi Thompson If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. If you don't have time for the people you care about though, you don't have time for the things you enjoy doing, you tell yourself you don't have time for yourself, especially any hobbies, activities you like doing working out, like actually using your body so you can take care of yourself. And the worst one is, I don't have time to sleep, because that is such an unacceptable statement to me. Like, no, no, no, no, no, no. Sleep comes first, always. Everything else has to fit in around that if you are sacrificing your sleep and everything else that you started this business for, you are probably headed right into burnout. – Heidi Thompson Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​ Black Friday Sale — ON NOW. Finishes Tomorrow! There's a big sale on everything PhotoBizX this week! Details here: https://photobizx.com/blackfriday Facebook Ads Course — 50% off — $97 Photography Pricing Masterclass — 50% off — $47 Online Sales Masterclass — 50% off — $47 LinkedIn for Photographers Course — 40% off — $117 Expos for Photography Lead Generation and Bookings — 40% off — $117 Lead Ads Training for Photographers Course — 40% off — $177 Profitable Book Projects for Photographers Course — 40% off — $117 Facebook Competitions for Photographers Course — 40% off — $117 Qualify Your Leads Like a Pro! — 40% off — $239 How to Make Bigger and Better Sales — 40% off — $117 How to Build a High Converting, Beautiful Website FAST — 40% off — $177 Setup for Success and Profit Fast as a Pet Photographer — 40% off — $117 The Art Of Selling: Sales Training For Photographers — 40% off — $239 Community Fundraising Lead Generation For Photographers — 40% off — $239 AI Marketing for Photographers — 40% off — $239 The Art Of Selling: Sales Training For Photographers — 40% off — $239 40 Over 40 Portrait Campaigns Masterclass — 40% off — $239 Master Photography Exhibitions to Drive Sales, Bookings, and Build Your Brand — 40% off — $117 Photography SEO and UX Masterclass — 40% off — $117 IF YOU ARE ON THE $20 PER MONTH PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP, THE 12-MONTH OPTION IS A NO-BRAINER… 12-Month Premium Membership — 40% off — $120 Sign up for the 12-month option and cancel your $20 payments (or let me know, and I'll cancel for you). Note: If you paid your monthly membership in November, let me know, and I'll get that refunded for you, too. Specials are available from now until Tuesday 3rd December. Here's the link again: https://photobizx.com/blackfriday IMPORTANT: No matter what you purchase, if you feel something isn't a good fit, let me know, and I'll happily refund you. Or feel free to ask if you're unsure about something. FREE MASTERCLASS — USD$197 AFTER THE LIVE SESSION During this FREE advertising and conversion training, you'll learn: The exact strategies used to generate $30,000-$50,000 monthly in-studio bookings, even if you're starting out or have struggled with ads before. Master the art of targeting and converting leads who value your craft and are willing to pay premium prices. Simplify your approach to Facebook and Instagram ads with step-by-step guidance on crafting scroll-stopping visuals, ad copy, and offers. Discover how to spend smarter, not harder, by focusing on lead conversion tactics that reduce crappy leads and boost bookings. Tap into 25 years of business expertise condensed into actionable tips to increase your income. To register and get more details, head to: https://learn.photobizx.com/advertise-like-a-mofo/ Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: Evolve Your Wedding Business The Machete Method to Slashing Your Way Through Overwhelm Evolve Your Wedding Business Podcast Evolve Your Wedding Business on Facebook Evolve Your Wedding Business on Instagram I think, especially with SEO and anything marketing, I don't advise you to hire anybody until you have enough of an understanding to know if you're getting scammed. – Heidi Thompson Toggl Episode 218: Heidi Thompson – How To Clone Your Best Photography Clients Episode 335: Devin Robinson – Utilising Instagram to grow your photography business in a way I never considered Episode 053: Fer Juaristi – Success and Happiness as a Wedding Photographer Thank you! Thanks for tuning in, and a huge thank you to Heidi for sharing her insights on reclaiming your time, escaping burnout, and building a photography business you truly love. Her no-nonsense approach to marketing, tips on forging strong referral relationships, and advice on staying focused on strategies that truly grow your business were all first-class. Heidi’s tough-love approach to her clients will hopefully push you to think smarter, work more effectively, and build a brand that aligns with the freedom you wanted when starting out. People pay more to have something that's different and unique. – Heidi Thompson That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business! Thanks, and speak soon Andrew The post 594: Heidi Thompson – Why Your Photography Marketing Might Be Failing & How to Fix It appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.