Photo Success

Tools for growing a photography business

How to get from incompetent to competent….

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The substance of what makes a business run and what makes it great isn’t on the surface (design, image etc etc).

The true substance is much deeper. IN the grueling, disciplined sweat. pain, blood and turmoil……PLUS,  a few secret ingredients.

I’ll get to those in a second.

First, take my story as example…

I had acquired by some weird twist of fate a beautiful large home studio.

I was terribly wet behind the ears and as green as grass when it came to running a pro photography studio.

I did however have big dreams, hopes and ambitions. And, in the grand scheme of things, knew enough about taking decent photographs to get me started in my own business…barely…and…largely because I had the balls to get out there and do it.

I had several years as a darkroom techie….almost one year managing a chain like studio and….better yet….

…several years photographing schools….which did more for my self-confidence than anything else.

And I was only 25.

I had a ways to go. I knew little about management, accounting, selling and all those essentials.

I did my best. I took a night course at our local college on running a small bid’ness…

I asked my landlord, the dude who gave my this amazing opportunity, for some tips on setting up the books and all thing accounting.

The key = I asked for help. This attitude got me far in life.

I hate bookkeeping with a passion and eventually did what I feel most photographers should do…

I farmed it out.

Paid a lady $50.00 a month to come in. On busier months, she’d want more. I paid her whatever she wanted.

It meant I was getting busier.

But I was glad not to be doing the books…yeessshhhh.

In studio management, it occurred to me years later how incompetent I was in this area once I married my wife and she and I started working together.

She as manager, me as photographer and marketing director. Two essential jobs I loved!

We were now competent. A team. And the studio skyrocketed!

This whole idea came to light a few years ago when I booked Maggie Habieda as a speaker for the Inferno workshop.

Maggie, as I was dealing with her, when it came to payments and anything non essential, had me communicate with her studio manager, Ian Cuthbert.

Everything was run very professional. She delegated.

I noticed this and thought, one of the reasons she is so successful is because she brought someone like Ian into the picture to help her studio grow.

And grown it has!

She not only was the most popular and energetic speaker, she showed us how she grew her studio in a matter of a few years.

Amazing story. Great news when so many are saying the days of the full time studio are numbered.

Phhhoeeeyy! Don’t believe it for a second.

Just because there are hot dog and lemonade stands popping up all over doesn’t mean there isn’t a market for something better.

People want gourmet and fine dining.

It’s a huge market.

And that’s the market I cater to. As well as many successful photographers I know who are crushing it. Photographers like Maggie.

Remember a while back I said:

“I asked for help. This attitude got me far in life….”

Newbie or old timer, we all need to ask questions, learn, and seek out deep, meaningful answers.

And who you ask is important. You don’t want bad advice or opinions. Everyone’s got ’em.

You want real, solid information from qualified photographers like Maggie.

Wish I had a Maggie way back when. We can all access Maggie and her super powers in the photography forum HERE.

Maggie at the inferno 2013 HERE

Maggie at the Inferno 2014 HERE

The journey to competence starts by asking the right questions and asking the right people.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

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

Are you a prima donna? 3 BIG pitfalls to avoid when you fall into this trap….

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One of the worst things you can do is get a great big ego in business.

You know, a prima donna….lead ballerina….I been there.

My  head got so big I lost focus of what really mattered….profits and business.

I lost touch with reality. Thought I had wizard-like talents and God-given magical powers.

To succeed in business, especially in the photography business, one needs to be grounded, focused and realistic.
Above the fray, as they say.

Many struggle with this. Hence why I am here to hit you over the head with solid grounding advice.

Seriously, our market is saturated with egos and prima-donnas.
Musicians suffer this too.

I imagine not so with industries like plumbers, accountants and butchers who don’t nearly have this to the same degree we do.

Can you imagine? Joe the rockstar plumber? Awards and medals. Plaques too.

But not us’em photographers. It’s like it’s a built in our DNA reaction.

We start getting good, and dang-it, we’re good! Time to start wearing cool hats like those gooroos.

Time to walk on water. And we wonder why we’re not making any sales.

The solutions is to stay focused. Get over myself.

Don’t let my ego get the better of me like a wild stallion bucking out of control.

The truth is, most successful photographers are serious and dedicated.

They avoid drama, whether in forums, flakebook or elsewhere, and are too busy running their studios.

Being a prima-donna is all about trying to make an impression.
A false one, but one nevertheless.  And we wonder why we’re not making any sales.

“Work under the radar, and above the fray.”

Wiser words have never been uttered, except maybe, was it that ancient
Greek dude when he said it simply: “Know thyself.”

Be not ye a prima donna……:)

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

P.S. Last night we had our May Marketing Mastermind…REPLAY is in the forum.

P.P.S. Tomorrow afternoon we’re having our Lighting Mastermind with special guest Maria Sampao, where we’ll be going
over and tweaking lighting for fairy portraits (Maria had her first ever Fairy Day…wait’ll you hear her sales…..)
REGISTER

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”
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Who let the dogz out….!

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When I book a family session, I encourage them to bring the family dog.

Some are amazed that I insist. For some reason, they somehow think I’d be offended by them bringing the pup along. To me, they are family.

“And when you show up, unleash the dog and let her be. Let her sniff the place out, get comfortable. Ignore them. Talk to me. Let them see I’m a friend.”

I take a similar approach to photographing two year olds. Unleash them and let them see me interacting with the family. Don’t even look at them.
They can sense it when you’re trying to control.

With the dog, and with the two year old, something amazing almost always happens.

I start posing the family, and the dog (or 2 year old) will walk on over and plop themselves down.

Often next to their favorite person.

They want to be part of the family. Let them be. Don’t try an control them. It makes them nervous and I swear I know what they’re thinking when they’re tense:

Doggie thoughts: “Everyone’s acting weird. What’s with that? Wait a minute! This dude’s a vet! He’s gonna stick a need in my ass! Get out! Everyone, get out! AAaaa oooooooo!!!” So the howling goes.

Or something like that.

Yesterday I had two Goldens and their mom, a retired university prof in my studio.

One of the dogs was blind and deaf from birth. She kept walking into things. Mom made a few lighthearted remarks and poked fun.

She walked over to me (the dog, not the mom) and could almost sense me. She nuzzled up against me, insisting I pet her. Cute. Very sweet.

I thought of all the tactics and strategies that Margaret Bryant uses in her pet photography business.

She really knows her stuff when it comes to creating genuine, personality loaded poses of dogs. How she does it who knows. But she can do it. It’s like she has a super power and can draw out the personality of each dog.

Amazing.

Anywho, whilst in this session, now knowing how it was going to unfold, I started shooting the three of them, and then eventually snuck mom out to grab some poses of the two dogs.

It worked. I got some amazing stuff. Now remember, one dogs is completely deaf and blind. And her one eye looks like she was in a fight with a bear.

Also, you can access the entire four part series with Margaret Bryant here.

Don’t forget, if you’re a member of my noBs photosuccess inner circle, I posted more images and discussion on this topic here.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

P.S. If you’re a member of the noBs photosuccess inner circle I posted more images and discussion on this topic HERE