Photo Success

A Place to Grow

How to keep the creative AND monee making juices flowing…

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I remember like it was yesterday. It has such a profound impact on me.

I was young, green, naive, eager and curious. I wondered to myself, as I sat on a rock
at our local park, stressing out over the scheduled appointment I was waiting for…..
“what does creativity mean?”.

As in, what does it REALLY mean. I wanted to know. Because I did NOT feel
very creative.

The answer came a week later, when I met and befriended one of the most creative
individuals ever. I learned so much from this dude.

I believe to this day that the reason that person came into my life was because
I was asking profound questions.

Hocus pocus, voodoo, fairies and rainbows….or not. I don’t care. Something
works in YOUR favor when you ask specific, mind expanding questions.

It’s as if the universe moves and the answers start to come your way.

But you gotta ask, and wait for the answer. Boot the ego aside. Be open. Eager.

I’ve always been like that. To this day I still look, ask, poke and prod for answers.

Last week we poked and prodded in our mastermind meeting, where I reveal
many of the strategies on marketing and lighting. I love sharing the answers I discover.

Here’s the replay for members.

More poking, prodding and queries….On August 9th I am interviewing Charles Gregory, in a frontline webinar.

Charles is a photographer from the UK…. and he has long history of running a studio, plus he has some cool new innovative directions he’s taking his studio into.

The link will be posted.

Why do I do these? Because I am still curious. Curiosity is a bright glowing flame in my like, like it was over three decades ago when I asked the universe foranswers.

Stay real my friend, stay young, curious and keep asking questions….

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

P.S. I almost forgot, in August I am starting a “Success in Selling” series for professional photographers. With real, legit, in the trenches photographers.

Stay tuned

They only come out at night…

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Years ago I had a huge epiphany.

It was a Friday. I had been working hard all week. And I had a big wedding the next day.

Worse, I was nervous, scared, stressed and felt out of control.

“What the hell was going on!??” I stressed to myself.

The added stress of worrying about being stressed compounded itself.
If you follow my drift.

I went to sleep and slept like a baby. I woke up early, well rested to a beautiful sunny day.

And I felt great. I felt strong and confident.

I wondered…“what was that all about?”
As I pondered last nights near nervous break down.

And it dawned on me. I was tired. That’s all it was.

I had no idea that being physically tired and mentally wiped could wreak that much damage on my psyche.

I do now. It’s like turning into a grizzly bear when all it is is hunger.

I realized then and there that being tired and under stress had some serious potential to cause damage. And I added that knowledge to my arsenal of ninja weapons.

It’s good stuff to know.

It’s even better to know how to use it in one’s life.

Why?

Because when you’re tired and weak, the boogey man comes out.

He brings all his friends. They are called doubt, fear, anxieties.. you know what I am talking about.

Add to that any uncertainty going on in your life and it becomes a real challenge. It’s why having rituals and goals are so important.

And it’s one of the reasons why so many can’t handle the stress on being self-employed, let alone being self-employed in photography.

At the end of the day, stop. Breathe. Relax. Write in your journal. Focus on what you did great that day.

Do NOT let them win.

It’s no time to listen to the reasoning that these fears bring on and to make any major decisions.

It’s all about being self aware and in self- control.

It’s what being a radiant warrior is all about.

It’s why having a sense of entitlement never really works.

Be a warrior. A grown up. Not a child. Know when the boogey man is attacking and take responsibility.

You’ll feel better in the morning.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

Here’s a ritual I believe in….Every month I run TWO mastermind meeting for members. These are information rich, strategy loaded brainstorming sessions from real, legit, in the trenches photography operations.

“Why do you use the beauty dish on location all the time?”

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A photographer asks me:

“Why do you use the beauty dish on location all the time?”

“Wind, it’s the wind. This light works much better in the wind. When there’s a breeze, it’s much harder for my 5.0′ wife to hold the light in place when I’m using my preferred light, the 50 inch parabolic shoot through.”

Truth be told, it’s the circumstances that are dictating the process and tools used.

THAT, plus, well, it’s a REALLY nice light source. Let’s not forget that.

Otherwise, light is light. As long as I know how to work it.

Last week I gave the monthly lighting mastermind meeting and shared many examples from legit, real, in the trenches photo sessions.

With real, breathing, legit, paying clients.

That, plus a whole lot more on lighting, from real sessions.

Members can access the replay in the forum.

I also presented a unique Mastermind Marketing meeting on how I teach photography 101 in my community.

For those who are interested in teaching photography 101, this is good info to know. It helps expand your studio brand in your community, boosts your expertise, plus, it’s a ton of fun teaching.

I created a unique style and my students have told me they really enjoyed it.

I also added my powerpoint files from each lesson for members to MODEL.

Access HERE.
Yours in photography and success,

Robert Provencher

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

How to create photography that people want to buy…

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Here’s a simple idea.

Find a hungry market, and feed them.

In other words, for those running a photography studio, find out where there are hungry markets for a particular style of portrait photography…..and sell them some.

How cool is that?

Why then do so many miss this? I think I have a theory.

But first….let’s ask this question:

“How does it look when we miss this basic marketing tenet?”

Simple. We ain’t making much money. That’s one key indicator.

Another….The phone isn’t ringing.

More….Our mom loves our work and sings our praises.

(I’ve been saying  this for years….never take business advice from your mom.)
She loves you too much.

Likewise, never take advice from the dude selling cameras at the camera store.

He knows jack squat about running a photography studio and making moneeee at it.

Think about it. He’s selling cameras. We tend to glorify them….duh…

We shoot sunsets, tree stumps in swamps or little animals….and oh, we also shoot many hot looking ladies….

….everyone loves those.

We’ve been artistically rendering women since way back when the first dude painted a mammoth on the cave wall….

“Hey, can you draw groks girl…she’s hot!” one caveman said to the other.

These are all easy and fun things to photograph.

Heck, we can even make some high impact images!

But can you make  a business? Make some dough…..?

Create a long term, reliable and solid photography business that you can rely on, year after year?

Okay, my theory. You may have heard this from me before. It’s still a good one and good to know, in case we fall victim ourselves.

Ego. There. I said it. Even better, childish ego.

We think because we easily created some images, we’re amazing. Ego.

We think, magically, somehow, because of this, sales will happen.

Running a serious photography business is another ballgame all together.

It requires a serious and dedicated, ego-free mindset.

Sure, you can have fun. Bask in the glory of your success. Those are all typical ego driven behaviors. We all have that. It’s healthy.

But don’t fall trap to the lesser levels of childish ego.

The truth is, it requires a boatload of courage, determination and a great big set of brass balls.

Oh, and discipline. Lots of it.

Throw in there a healthy mix of reality, staying grounded and ego-free, and if you have a decent product with your photography and you don’t let your ego rule the day, you have a fighting chance.

But keep it real folks. Find a hungry market.

Last I checked they ain’t buying pics of sunsets and stumps….as fun as these are to shoot. (I shoot em all the time…).

Families, events, weddings, babies, children, on and on…seems to be where it’s at.

Where the ground is fertile with opportunities to create products that they want.

Yours in photography and success,

Robert Provencher

“Ideal for the community based wedding and portrait photographer who wants to grow
a profitable and  successful business with weddings, babies, families, commercial…
You   won’t find more real-life, from the trenches content than the
NoBs Photo Success™ Inner Circle Members Forum. No Hype. No fluff. No egos.
No prima-donnas.”
JOIN US

“Imagine if you would have been stuck in that prison the rest of your life?…”

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Success is easy. Norman Vincent Peale had the right idea in 4 steps:
1-Decide exactly what it is you want.
2-Make it a primary goal. Make it big. Make it important.
3-Establish a series of yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily objectives to achieve that goal.
4-Fight the urge to give up along the way. This is easiest when you have clarity.

My own experience bears this out: you can achieve almost anything you want in life – even if you don’t have much faith in your own abilities.

Lack of self-confidence, Peale said, “is one of the great problems besetting people today.”

He makes reference to a survey of college students indicating that for 75 percent of them, confidence was the thing most lacking in their life.

No one knows this more than I do. No one was more afraid, lost and burdened with the stress of life than I.

Just last night over supper with friends we were recounting our early 20’s (we’re all in our 50’s now, healthier, wealthier and wiser…)

I told our friends about how petrified I was when I was 21. Working full time in a darkroom.

Loving it, good at it. But ready for change and ready to start a new job photographing school photos for a large national company.

That first year shooting was horrible. I was in a constant state of panic. I had anxiety attacks that were unrelenting. I wanted to check myself in to the local san.

When asked how long that went on for, I answered: “A whole year.”

It took me one whole year of photographing hundreds and thousands of students to finally, FINALLY get a handle on it.

In the second year I started to get a sense a confidence. I started a new skill set in those early years. But I had a long way to go.

“Imagine if you would have been stuck in that prison the rest of your life?” was a comment.

“Yes, crazy! I always look back at those years and wonder what would have happened had I let the fears and anxieties rule me. Rule my destiny. What if I would have embraced it and made it my closest friend, my dearest ally? What problems would have and could have arose? What medications would I have chosen to eventually fight that battle?”

Crazy stuff when I think about it.

“The blows of life, the accumulation of difficulties, the multiplication of problems tend to sap energy and leave you spent and discouraged,” Peale says.

In such situations, “it is easy to lose track of your abilities and powers” – but by re-appraising your personal assets, you can convince yourself that “you are less defeated than you think you are.”

Part of me is glad I went through all those times. They made me who I am now.

I persisted. I did not let myself get defeated. Easy? Not for a second.
Worth it? What do you think?
I grew because I persisted. I faced the fears and moved ahead in spite of them.

I created goals. I studied and fed my mind a constant flow of books, seminars and new ideas. I pushed hard.

I fought the demons that tried so hard to rule me.

And you can too. Be true to yourself.

Be fearless my friend.

Yours in photography and success,

Robert Provencher

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

joinus

“Give white and khaki the finger.”

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When I first heard of Kirsten Lewis, she was on the roster to speak at WPPI.

What got me was the title of her talk: “Give white and khaki the finger.”

I choked with laughter. Love it. Of course, she speaks about family portraits.

You know, where everyone is dressed the same in perfect harmony.

Something I’ve seen a million times, continue to see, in spite of my on going push for variety with my clients.

When I first heard of Kristen I contacted her and we ran a four part series called:
“Finding Your Own ‘Voice’ and Developing A Unique Photographic Style.”

One of my favorite in the Advanced Training Series I’ve run over the years.

Kristen’s got it going on. This is the kind of stuff that makes me a better photographer.

And helps me help my clients get away from the mundane.

As a photographer who wants to stay in business and stay relevant, it’s vital to plug into people like Kirsten.

Member can access the almost 8 hours from that series here.

OR, access the other Advanced Training with many notables. It’s all in there.
Yours in photography and success,

Robert Provencher

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Jogging and playing air guitar

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I try and stay in shape. Running, walking, biking and such.

Running, oddly enough, has become my favorite exercise.

Who’d a thunk. The only running I used to like doing was running from the authorities and cops. Besides that, running, in my o so humble and inaccurate opinion, was a product of satan himself.

I hated it.

So I thought.

Until I discovered running sandals. Changed my life.
And completely removed the pain I always felt when I’d run with regular running shoes.

AND, removed my need for insoles and expensive orthotics.

I’m organic. Running as nature intended it to be. Feelz great!

What also feels great is listening to music on my LSTN headphones while running.
This totally inspires me and makes running that much better.

Problem is, I sometimes break out in air guitar. Or, worse yet, I start
singing along.

Whatever. Bottom line is I don’t really care. As long as I’m doing my thing
and it feels great!
(BTW they’re called ‘huarache’ sandals, from the running culture based in the copper canyons of Mexico)

You can see a pic of me after a marathon, above, sporting a pair.

Same in running a photography studio. I often do stuff that you could say is similar to winding out some air guitar, or running in bare foot sandals.

Like the fact that I shoot 100% in jpeg.

Or, that I still believe in using mail and direct mail pieces.

Or that I am 100% mirrorless.

Or that I sometimes take jobs below my pay grade.

Or get face to face with my people in my community.

I use what works, what saves time, what inspires me and whatever adds to my overall enjoyment in life and in business.

Should it be any other way?

I also share EVERYTHING I know on running a studio in my forum. Every month I host and run a mastermind meet up…sometimes I bring others, sometimes it’s just me.

Either way, learning what works, like I learned (from others BTW) ho to jog pain free, is a journey.
And you gotta show up.

Join me and we’ll wind out some air guitar.

JUNE 2017 Lighting Mastermind and Marketing Mastermind will be in the books in a few days.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

P.S. Past mastermind replays are in the forum (login first).

Never underestimate the power of being a freak…

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I was chatting with a photographer friend. I gave him some of the BEST advice….ever.

In reference to one of his friends, this person who was by all accounts and in my best estimation going NOWHERE fast, I said this:

“Whatever he does, do the opposite, and you’ll have a chance at success.”

Some folks are simply programmed to fail it seems. And it largely shows up
in the actions and decisions they make.

Baffling. Minimally we can use them as guide posts by doing the exact opposite.

Beacons of what NOT to do in life and in business. Sadly, many follow losers, for the wrong reasons.

I know, I know. It seems mean and unfair. And it is.

We can’t go around saving people from themselves. We can only do TWO things:

ONE: use them as ‘negative’ role models for positive change in ourselves
TWO: be positive role models

Maybe, just maybe they’ll be inspired to change. But don’t sweat it baby.

The best thing YOU can do is for you.
Be a freak. Be different. Unique, raw and authentic.

One of the problems, especially for the uninitiated and more naive among us, is the eagerness to see what others are doing. You know, social proof.

It’s  a thing. We’re like monkeys. We see, we do.

It’s why acting and being different is so hard. The crowd rejects us. Jealousy, envy and other negative emotions including fear of being labeled a freak.

It’s why being successful for most is hard. They let fear control them.

It’s why the narcissist among us seem to be successful more than their fair share.

At least they don’t care, for the most part, what others think about them.

We can all learn. Even from the narcissistic crowd.

I even swallow my pride and learn from younger folks. I can be a freak. Ask anyone who knows me well.

On that note, last night I hosted another monthly wizard of light podcast with the three biggest freaks I know: Me, judy Cormier and James Hodgins.

Listen, watch and learn from the freaks.

Also, every month I host a members-only marketing mastermind.

If you’re a member, as usual, login, access here.

Be fearless, stay real….let your inner freak shine through.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”