Photo Success

A Place to Grow

Is your success barometer creating limits and sabotaging your efforts?

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Let’s take a deep, dark look into the topic of success….

It’s simple really, all you have to do is succeed. Really.

Once you succeed you attract more success. It’s like magic and very powerful.

But you have to be comfortable with success at first. This is essential, or you won’t move forward. Many will sabotage at the first signs and experiences of success.

The key words: comfortable with success.

Which leads to my next question….how do you succeed in the first place?

How can you get success if you ain’t got none?

Okay, that’s a fair question and it certainly sounds like a catch-22 doesn’t it?

In order to create success out of thin air you must start with a vision, an idea, a goal, a clear mental picture of what it is you see yourself succeeding at.

This is what pushes you. What starts the engine. What drives the passion. The desires.

It all starts with your ability to use your IMAGINATION.

Einstein believed that IMAGINATION was the most powerful force in the universe.

He was right.

But, you have to use your own imagination first. Combined with desire.

You must convince yourself of this on an hourly, daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Without this you are wandering aimlessly. Or, you are vulnerable to you dark side, that part where we don’t feel we deserve success, and where the armies of sabotage struggle to ruin everything for you.

See it. Be it. Act on it.

One of my favorite presentation is called “Follow Your Dreams”. This, along with the pdf forms that you print out and fill out, will help kick YOUR vision into the stratosphere HERE.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

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

“No one’s breaking their neck on my watch…”

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It would have been awful. A wedding day gone horribly wrong. The ultimate in wedding day disasters.

Here’s what happened. We were shooting the formals after the ceremony. The 88 year old grandma took one step backwards, then lost her balance.

She started an uncontrollable slow jog backwards. Towards the edge of the lawn in the front of the lodge where we were shooting the family portraits.

She would have gone over a ten foot drop. Seriously bad.

After she took three steps however, her 52 year old son, father of the groom, smoothly stepped in and caught her.

Close. Very, very close. Think about it. What could have happened.
Had he been a few feet too far?

Can you see it? The tears, the pain, the catastrophic wait for the ambulance to show, way out in the middle of nowhere.

Some people wonder why I stress over details when shooting weddings. I do. This scenario from a few days ago haunts me, and will for months.

I’ll rack it up to experience. Learn from it: “If I am photographing grandmas in dress shoes, on a slight sloping lawn and a dangerous drop nearby, I will pre-empt the situation.

No one’s breaking their neck on my watch.

I like weddings. I don’t like disasters at them however. Especially not this kind.

I teach, preach, nag and cajole on what it takes to be a true professional when shooting weddings.

A few years ago I gave a full day presentation on how I shoot weddings. It was very detailed. And I recorded the entire gig.

I also ran a four part series with Vanessa Joy on “The Business of Wedding Photography.”

Let’s not forget notables like Sam Sciarinno, Jaco Fourie, Genevive Trudel and one of the most popular presentations by yours truly, The Five Essential Poses.

All this and more in the forum.

I know, I know. Some things happen, and you’re wondering what this has to do with being a professional.

It has EVERYTHING to do with being a professional. It not only is about lighting, posing, capturing moments and all that.
It’s your attention to details, situations and the ability to avert disaster.

Be a pro.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

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

This method almost guarantees top google ranking for your studio…

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Last week during our first installment in the Sales Success Secrets for photographers, Maria mentioned that the majority of her new clients came from online searches.

You know, master goog. The Yoda of search engines.

As it turns out, we get top ranking in our area as well. And I’m not talking about paid searches. Organic, google friendly, top shelf position.

Gotta love it.

But getting there takes specific steps. And one of the best is google reviews. It’s what works for our studio.

Turns out, SEO alone ain’t enough.

Maria has discovered a technique to create a steady, ongoing flow of positive google reviews. Yes, reviews. The magic ingredient, so to speak.

Turns out google loves reviews. (good ones me thinks)

Anywho, she shared her strategy in the replay and sent me the actual email used.
It’s all in the forum. This, my friend, is pure gold.

GO watch, listen to the replay.

One more thing. The second presentation is happening today. This afternoon.
At 2:00PM EST. With one of the biggest, baddest, most dynamic photographers around. Maggie Habieda.

JOIN US….(or, as usual, watch the replay later)
Shine on…

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

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

Selling secrets from real, genuine studio owners…with Maggie Habieda

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The “Secret Sauce”. The magic pill. The cure all, end all solution to all.

Selling is something we do everyday, for good, for bad, done well or done with mediocrity.

Either way, we’re selling. Always. You can’t run, you can’t hide.

We sell ourselves on our hopes and dreams (one excuse can wipe out an entire inner sales pitch and render our hopes powerless).

We sell our community on our marketing messages.

You cannot run or hide from the power of selling. So we may as well harness
it and use it to our advantage.

Selling is never something we find outside ourselves.

It’s not a talent we’re born with. It’s a skill, no different than learning to ride a bike or tying your shoes. Some pick it up faster and easier than others, others are late bloomers and late comers, but we all get there, for better or worse.

Selling is not a mysterious force. (The one that, when mastered, delivers us from all evil and resistant clients.)

Selling is a specific process. Not a specific tool.

It’s a series of steps, done right, create a desired result.

…so on that note….

Part TWO of the Secrets to Sales Success for Photographers is in the books.

Last week Maria Sampaio launched this series with a stunning presentation jam packed with her strategies used for maximum profits.

This week we have another one of my favorites Maggie Habieda.

OVER..replay here

May as well learn from the best in the industry. REAL, WORKING photographers.

Not academic fluff. This is the real deal folks.
Not a member? See the P.S. below….

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

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

You still have me at “insane sales”…

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A few notes and links on yesterday’s amazing marketing mastermind meeting with Maria Sampaio

It was part ONE of the Secrets to Sales Success for photographers.

And it was pure dynamite.

OK, so I’ve known Maria for over ten years. She’s a firecracker.

From last fall:
“I am extremely passionate about this industry and would love to do a webinar!

The studio has really changed in the last two years , I blame my divorce and all the hardships I endured.
It’s actually a really interesting, devastatingly awful story with really GREAT results…

I’ve had some insane sales this year, I’ve become more low volume than ever (although holy crap it doesn’t feel like it right now!) and my sales are pretty incredible.
Many many sales this year in the 8-12k range…I restructured almost everything this past year…What a ride. I’d love to do a webinar… thanks Rob!”

You had me at insane sales. Now here’s someone who’s advice I want to listen to.

And you can too…

THAT REPLAY

Yesterday’s replay

SOME HIGHLIGHTS from yesterday:
*Maria not only explained her entire sales process, she also revealed one of the BEST google SEO strategies

*She uses a “system”, with products and a really cool 4 STEP price list that elevates her way above the ordinary

The entire meeting was 1.5 hours long and is a MUST watch for any serious photographer.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

P.S. There’s more, much more in the forum, and more to come….not a member?

Light painting with John Hartman

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Above image is my first attempt at light painting.

Flawed, yes. But I’m learning.
And I didn’t even take the John Hartman light painting workshop…..yet.

I plan on attending one of his workshops. Because this is one of the coolest photography techniques I have ever encountered.

This guy is onto something. You may recall last winter I interviewed John in one of our Mastermind Meetings.

The replay is in the forum HERE

I learned enough just from that webinar to make me dangerous. This, in my oh so humble, yet accurate opinion, is one of the most legit and valid photographic strategies available.

It separates the sunset shooters from the real light painters.

John just announced some new dates for five new workshops….maybe coming to a town near you?

CHECK IT OUT

And don’t forget (in 2 days) Thursday, Aug 17th, 10:00AM EST we’re starting our first in the Secrets to Sales Success series. DETAILS HERE

School is never out for the pro.
yours in success and in photography

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

Is classical portraiture dead?…or, “dream big and chase after big hairy audacious goals….”

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A couple years ago we held a series on marketing, shooting and photoshop workflow strategies with Oakville photographer Maggie Habieda.

I love this lady. So much passion, ambition, ballz (metaphorically speaking) and the willingness to chase after great big hairy audacious goals in a day and age when most are either throwing in the towel or crawling back into their caves.

Maggie shared many real, true to life ideas on building a successful photography business and some stunning insights into her story and her studio.

This lady has some serious brass b*lls! We can all learn. And learn we did. There’s so much more I can’t even begin to tell you in this email.

One item we chatted about before and during the presentation was the fact that her style is very classic and I mentioned how classic portraiture, well done, will never go out of style.

Maggie told me she only uses two main drops…a black one and a white one.
That’s it, that’s all.

She talked about how she went crazy, as we all do, using all the actions, and all the props and all the backgrounds, until eventually she created her own unique style that was true to herself.

And quit chasing.

And her style rocks. Her success and growth is testament to that.

Maggie started her dream, her ambitions and desires from the heart. She is a true success story and one that exemplifies what it seriously takes to dream, implement and realize your own photography business.

In a few weeks Maggie is joining us in a new series I started called:
The Secrets to Sales Success in Photography.

All members of noBs photosuccess inner circle members forum get access. All members ALSO have access to the original series:

How to start, market and network a high end portrait studio….
Advanced Training Series with Maggie Habieda

Click anywhere on that line above for direct members access.
(If you haven’t watched this series you’re seriously missing out)

Not a member? It’s insanely cheap.

I’m out of my mind for giving everyone access for a mere twenty bucks. CHECK IT OUT

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

P.S. I have Maria Sampao in the books for our FIRST in the series on Sales Success Secrets. We’re trying to nail down a time….Stay tuned for that email. It’ll be last minute.