Photo Success

A Place to Grow

“Pair of spare underwear and two pairs of socks….”

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I love motorcycling. It’s like a disease. But NOT that the big ‘ol biker riding in a huge condo-on-wheels with monkey bars style of riding.

I’m more in it for the fun and adventure. That’s me in the image above, riding across Canada summer of 2008 heading to Alaska.

I’m more of a “…get on my 650, point the wheels to Alaska, and crank your right hand….let’s go!”

Monday last I bonded over biking with a dude at Toastmasters. He had brought up his love for bikes in a speech.

So, we bonded over bikes, and our preferred rides. We had a lot in common. This became apparent when he said:

“Load the packsack, strap it to the tank, spare pair of underwear and two pairs of socks.”

I got it.

This idea reminds me of what it takes to run a photography business, and where I get my best ideas. And how simple it really is.

Besides living and dying by the marketing sword, I get my very best ideas, strategies, inspirations and focus from other photographers.

So, tonight, grab a spare pair and join Nancy Tillberg and myself as we chat it up during a frontline webinar.

Nancy will be talking about:
*Dance schools for added income.
*Boutique Volume (this is a pretty cool topic and relevant to the type of photos currently being sold in the industry. I focus on dance but it can apply to hockey or gymnastics as well)
*Posing dancers for sales.
*Online vs traditional sales vs in person. (very short but can be worked into the webinar if you want. It’s already a part of boutique volume.)
*Her personal beliefs and experience in diversification
*Marketing & shooting at the market … high traffic marketing (I have a satellite studio at our local Country (farmers) market and get a very large part of my business from this venue. )
*Using cell phone photography to boost the business. I currently give workshops in cell phone photography and how peeps can take better pictures using them. I also touch on what you can’t do well with a phone and why a pro should take the most precious memories. I sell accessories for cell phone cameras at my market location. This is cool because I can build relationships and friendships, sell product, and maybe even book a session.

JOIN US (members get access to the replay)
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

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

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

What they will never teach you in photography school…

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If you didn’t know any better…meaning, if you listened to everyone else, including the professors at photography school, you’d think the way to a successful career in photography would involve uber expensive lights, lenses, cameras and complicated software and more.

BUT, and this is a big but, what they won’t teach you in school is how much that’s a crock of bull.

We had an amazing lighting mastermind meeting last week with special guest and co-founder of noBs photosuccess James Hodgins.

And James was very generous in the amount of information he gave us involving his lighting strategies. Very.

See, the thing is, James is in my oh so humble and accurate opinion, one of the best lighting guys I know. I hate him 🙂

Is he a Big Name marquee celeb? Not.

Would I put him head to head, toe to toe in the photographic ring against any of the big names out there today?

In a flash (excuse the pun). And I’d bet my last dollar on him.

James has an ungodly amount of raw, innate talent and skill when it comes to working with light. He’s the real deal. (did I mention I hate him?)

And he’s just a regular small mining town, blue collar schmuck like me who likes to go fishing (a lot!) and rolls many times a week at his local jiu jitsu club.

The cooler thing is he credits me for teaching him. Ok, I’ll take that pat on the back. But the truth is, I may have started him off and kicked him in the rear, but whatever lighting monster I woke up, he created his own journey and worked at his own photography style.

And I’m just going to come right out and say this….James admits he shoots 100% jpeg, uses auto white balance, and uses every light available to him. And he makes it rock.

I can hear the gasps of air and clutching of pearls. The shock. The horror!

His images are stunning. And he’s in demand for his quality commercial and industrial photography.

Do you think they care HOW he created his images? Not in the least bit. He gets in, gets the job done FAST, and gets out, gets under budget and EVERYONE is happy.

Including his wife and his bank.

That’s the stuff they won’t teach you in photography school

But we do…The replay is HERE for members.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

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

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye…

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When it snows, build a luge and go flying..

We got slammed with another snow fall. Nothing new, no big whoop.

All this reminds me of my youth. I almost forgot how much stuff I did in the winter.
We were crazy. Nuts.

If there was a blizzard it was even more fun. We’d bundle up, head out and play in the snow. Sometimes we’d climb the roof of the house and jump into the snow drifts. Serious. And no one got hurt. It felt like we were on another planet. I like that feeling.

Besides endless skating and hockey at the local rink, where the vast majority of our winter socializing took place, the one thing I recall the most was the building of the slide in our back yard.

As soon as it snowed I’d start packing down the snow. See, our back yard was a double slopped hill. How dangerous is that? It never occurred to my mom that that hill increased the odds of someone losing an eye. All fun and games until then.

I’d build a snow ramp at the top of the hill, using the snow from the driveway.
This ensured the extra boost in speed for my slide.

I’d build up walls, and make curves. Like a luge seen at the Olympics.

Hell, I’d even run a hose from our basemen and add a top layer of ice to make it really exciting.

True stuff. I ain’t making any of this up.

The piece-De-resistance was the ramp at the bottom of the hill. Why waste all the momentum I say? The ramp created air time. You ended your slide with a death defying blast off into space.

This created a lot of screaming and good times.

Some got hurt, yes. But no one lost an eye. We all had a blast.

It was important to me to create these epic slides. Every single winter I got into it.

Nowadays I find myself doing the same thing. Except I’m creating learning and inspiration opportunities.

I suppose my yearning to be entrepreneurial started way back when. It manifested in ways that now I understand and connect the dots.

It all makes sense now. And I’m still building epic slides.

COME SLIDING WITH US….. this Thursday, 9:00PM EST with world renown commercial/industrial photographer and co-founder of noBs photosuccess James Hodgins as we ramp things up and head down the slippery slopes of lighting.

Lighting MasterMind meet up……REGISTER HERE

Let’s go sliding down the slippery slopes of lighting.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

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

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

Sending in a 5 star chef to run a chip stand on the beach…

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I was chatting with a retired RCMP and his wife, who recently got back from 7 days in Las Vegas.

They recounted the shows, the casinos, the usual chaos that makes Las Vegas, well, Las Vegas.

He pipes up and says: “Rob, you should go there. There were photographers everywhere, taking pictures that we buy on spec. Everywhere…”

(Same idea as when you go for a ride at some amusement park and the
camera snaps a photo of you and your ride mates at the most horrifying
time of the ride.)

I told him: “Without trying to sound like a blow-hard..” (I talk like that to retired folks)….“that would be like sending in a 5 star chef to run a chip stand on the beach.”

They got it. Point made.

“However,…” I continued. “I’m not above running a chip stand, especially if I were starting out. When I started in photography, I took EVERY job I could. I was ambitious. I was hungry and I wanted to grow.”

They told me how their niece graduated from a reputable photography course
and could NOT find any work.

Of course not. There ain’t no “work”. I explained that photography is not a career path.

It’s a business.

And it’s only for the ambitious and eager. Unless one does it for pure passion and enjoyment. Then it’s a hobby.

They looked at each other, and agreed their niece was not in that category of the overly ambitious.

She treated it like a job. And because she went to college, someone, somewhere “owed” her a job.

I continued painting my picture of hard cold reality:
“About 98% who graduate from college programs end up doing something else. She should have taken a business course and learned everything she could about running her own business.”

Maybe she could move to Las Vegas and photograph people, on spec, at shows, for peanut wages I’m sure.

It’s all about perspective. Starting out, working at a chip stand with ambitions of becoming a 5 star chef is not a bad thing.

When you take on every single job you can, you treat it like an opportunity.
And you’re grateful!

Because you have bigger plans to move on from the beach.

Photography is not for the job-seekers. It’s for the dreamers, the believers, the ambitious and those who know they have the skills, the passion to create their own reality.

Their own business.

Because that my friend, is where the gold is. In business.

Two nights ago we had our monthly mastermind and two members shared their success stories. Both from real, in the trenches marketing and networking stories, including some strategies from yours truly, revealing what it takes to grow a photography business.

Join us….and hundreds of ambitious, hard working photographers not too proud to run a chip stand on the beach.

Some are now 5 star chefs, some are still slogging it out on the beach.

But one thing for sure, we’re all in the same boat.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

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

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

Do you have the social confidence of an asthmatic field mouse?

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It’s good to feel confident. I never used to be. In fact, there are times when I am petrified and filled with anxiety. (like when I am about to click the Buy Now button on that new lens from B&H and I hear my wife walking towards me…)

Seriously. I was a shy kid. Very shy. And a shy adult….until I turned 31 and decided once and for all to do something about it.

So I joined Toastmasters back in ’91. I put in 11 years, loved every minute of it, and now have superpowers because of it. That, and it was very good for business.

I rejoined a few months ago. I felt the need, I felt compelled to challenge myself. To sharpen my skills so to speak.

Confidence, courage and the ability to communicate with both is by far one of the most valuable assets. So why not?

Nobody was as shy and restricted as I was. And my photography skills and money making mojo didn’t start to really grow until I tackled this problem.

I also missed out on many group activities and opportunities because of this affliction. Maybe that had a silver lining, which assisted me in eventually marching to my own drum.

Who knows.

But one thing for certain, I do feel that my shyness held me back in a BIG way.
When I mention this to people, they have a very hard time believing me.

I suppose to many I am the picture of cool confidence and occasional aloofness…ahem….(insert smoldering smirk and cocky Bieber like hair flick here)

One of the hardest things I ever did in my life was tackle this affliction and actively start changing.

This kind of change is deep and everlasting. And, yes, scary. It’s why I believe so many avoid any kind of change. Opting out for the mind numbing work they enslave themselves to and to intense daily doses of television and other mindless entertainment.

This does NOT happen over night. I need to stress this. It all started in fact, months, years before joining. I had intentions and goals. Desire.

I created goals. Eventually, they came true. I wonder….”would my goals and achievements have happened had I not created the goals in the first place?” Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t want to take that chance.

It’s why I still create goals, believe in constant self-improvement and on going training like the monthly mastermind meetings I run for members. Speaking of which the next one is happening tomorrow night, January 17th, 2018 at 9:00PM EST…..

Registration LINK HERE

Everything starts with desire and commitment….and showing up. Do join us.

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

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

Photography, as a career?… “fugget about it”

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Donna asked about speaking at local high schools on career day.

This is something I’ve done many a times and I am on mission to save the world from the illusion that there are any careers in photography.
(There I am, two months ago, with a group of fifteen year olds in the selfie pic above)

Whenever I am asked to speak at just about any event locally, I do. On career day I tell the kids that there is no career in photography. None.

Teachers, accountants, doctors, engineers and the like have careers.

We don’t. They simply don’t exists. And it’s getting worse.

My advice? Take a business course. Learn marketing. Master photography on your own. Maybe take an art program if you’re so inclined. Or graphic design.

I told her: “I don’t get anything from this, other than a warm fuzzy feeling. I do anything and everything I can in my community….everything.

Many photogs are ignorant of this. Get out, get out, get out, get over yourself, and network….always.

Give, give, give…and dress up. Look successful. Bring business cards. You should be collecting names when asked….”

I was asked recently to put on a photography 101 course at the local library. I said yes. More on that soon.

The fact is getting out there is good for the soul and good for the brand.

I talk about this idea is greater depth in my “Secrets to Publicity” webinar and special report in the forum. HERE for members….

The fact is publicity takes on many shapes and forms.

Yes, it’s not easy to measure with precision. But who cares. It’s fun to do. Just look at what Richard Branson has done using this marketing strategy to build up his business interests.

We can all learn and grow.

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

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

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

Why Do Photographers Fail?

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Someone once told me….
“The reason you’ll never attain success in your photography business is the same reason you don’t put yourself on an endless self-educating schedule…it’s because you’re not hungry and passionate enough about success.”

Most folks don’t go out and look for ways to do things better or different. Nor do they apply much of what they learn.

The problem is, we have very short attention spans. Or the tenacity of a snail.

I have become well known and respected in our town, when one time I was a nobody and my work sucked.

For me it was a long slow crawl to earning a respectable reputation, then almost overnight a rise to mastery and success.

For nearly 5 years I took every single photographic job I could get my hands on. I then started my own studio and essentially became self employed, I struggled along for at least another ten years.

Hey, I’m a slow learner. You don’t have to be slow. But a learner you must be.

I worked my buns off. I went to every workshop and convention I could get my hands on or could scrape together the cost to attend and the expense to travel to.

I asked old timers for information and feedback. I wanted to know how others made it. I especially liked sales and marketing.

What was the driving force that compelled all my role models to succeed? I wanted to know. I read hundreds and hundreds of self help and success books.

Not to mention whatever books on photography I could find. Everything!

I get asked what it takes to succeed by newbies and those struggling along, how they too can grow, succeed, shoot and market to success.

But they look for answers that are out of balance with what they are capable of producing.

And too often are unwilling to do what is necessary to build.

There’s two sides to this coin. Both of equal and essential value and importance.

Ignore one in favour of the other and you will begin to wobble down the wrong road until you figure out the wheels ain’t rotating properly and the steering gets harder and harder, until you eventually drive into the ditch, broke and torn up.

One side is the photography. The other, the marketing. Get good, or minimally decent and deliver a good product.

Hopefully something with impact. This includes delivering a great attitude and personality, since you are touching people’s lives at very important and meaningful times.

On the marketing side, the one too often abandoned or replaced with the wrong information or tactics, is the one that fuels the engine.

Without marketing you won’t have anything. (maybe a fun hobby)

The two areas need to progress together, one leap-frogging in front of the other.

Get good at both.

Also, get good at selling, creating new offers, communicating with your ‘herd’ and keeping them close to you.

I am told all the time that people don’t have the time to learn, study, read and listen to educational materials.

Time is democratic and fair. We all got the same amount. Success in your photography depends on a mastery of a handful of skills and how you manage the time allotted to you.

The two main ones I already mentioned: marketing and shooting. And hustle…tons of hustle.

The person who sets out earnestly and diligently to acquire a wealth of know-how, tempered over time and application, will end up with wealth in their bank accounts.

Also, they discover the joy and thrill of success in their own photography business.

On that note….let’s get together and talk shop, marketing and challenges:

January 17th at 9:00PM EST is our next members marketing mastermind meeting.

Got ANY questions, ideas or struggles…email me, or, show up and well throw you in the fire. REGISTER HERE

*Judy Comier will make a cameo appearance and talk about her 2018 Brand Ambassador Search promotion

*Hark Nijar will join us and share some successes he’s had with fairies, sports and more…

*Rob (yours truly) will update his newest promotion Ice Fairies…a whole new look and add on to the fairy brand And more….

Yours in success and in photography,
Robert Provencher

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

“Howard Cosell color commentary on bridal shows”…and other great posts….

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Friends in photography,
what a year it’s been! Last count I think we’ve had over 47 high quality webinars, presentations, posts and insightful videos…in 2017 alone!!

Much thanks to Marian, our resident “Howard Cosell” and intrepid wedding show investigator.

See, back in October 2015 member Ben Craig asked for advice on wedding shows and displays. Boy, did he open up a can of worms.

Marian attends many shows each year and took it upon himself to photograph the displays there (blurring out their names to protect the innocent), posted the images in the forum with his on going commentary.

This thread has grown to nine pages long and is LOADED with valuable information.

Some of the recent webinars and replays include:

There’s more…..much, much more…Including Chris Knight, Bry Cox, Kira Derryberry, Rick from Columbia (yes, the same Ricky you recall from Venezuela….amazing story!), John Hartman, Charles Gregory, Travis Gadsby and many, many more mentors to help inspire and teach.

Stay frosty my friend. Keep searching and asking questions….
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community