Photo Success

A Place to Grow

Sam asks….”Is the membership contractual…?”

By Leave a Comment

Sam asks….

“Rob, Question please…..Is the membership contractual or may I cancel at anytime? Thanks, Sam Mike…”

Sam, cancelling is literally as soon as you want. Ten minutes, days, weeks or whenever, and it’s all self managed, in other words, no emails, no support steps….just click on your account, and cancel…..click! Done….

It’s that easy….

Now some rare folks of the tidwad realm join, download in a frantic frenzy the hundreds upon upon hundreds of high quality videos, manuals and mastermind replays….

Somehow thinking owning is equivalent to succeeding.

Thankfully, most aren’t this innocent and naive.

See, my goal, my mission, is to show others, old and young alike, the way to marketing, shooting and selling in a photography business.

Whether it’s babies, children, families, fairies, grads or commercial photography…. the entire universe is underscored by one common denominator…..namely: Marketing.

And networking. Watching a bunch of videos is useless, unless you create something from it….and, then get out there and rattle a few cages in your community.

That, my friend, is where the true power of growing a business lies.

Sure, the content is important. But it’s not king.

What is is tapping into your courage, power and perseverance.

Make that your mission….

The goods.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

P.S. Last night’s presentation with Chad Pennington was epic. The replay will be installed later today. If you’re  a portrait or wedding photographer (which I know most of you are) you don’t want to miss this one! The secret sauce, the magic ingredement in any session is the emotion and expressions. And I gotta say, as much as I love the likes of Yervant, Ghionis and other fearless photogs, this guy has all of them rolled into one. We can all learn….

Put an end to these 6 behaviors and grow a legit photography business…

By Leave a Comment

I been thinking: “What are the biggest roadblocks and barriers to success in a photography business?”

And it occurred to me that the biggest reasons, the biggest roadblocks are behavior based.

Not external forces, which so many of us like to use as excuses and reasons.

It’s me. It’s you. It’s our behaviors.

I can increase my odds of success if I’m honest with myself.

The 6 BIG ones:

*Buying equipment (lenses, cameras, flashes…addicted to tech). You may have heard it before, it’s not the camera

Get good at posing, lighting, composition and the basics of good photography. Master it, best you can. Spending money on buying expensive tools will not make you a better photographer.

But we resist. We yearn the easy road.

*Buying props (no real plan on how they’re going to use it, as if owning is enough)…enough said. I found myself with way more props and backgrounds, most of which I rarely ever used.

I had a junkyard of ‘stuff’. Thankfully, I got rid of most of it. However, I do get tempted, like a junkie, and need to talk myself down from the prop buying high.

*Thinking you’re so good you deserve success to flow automatically into your life. This is the BIG one with photographers. As if talent alone (if you want to call it that) will get your the respect and business you think you deserve.

*Listening to your comfort friends….(at Tim Horton’s, StarBucks). I’ve always said: “don’t take advice from your mom, she loves you too much.”

Same with friends. Or, comfort friends. Or the dude at the camera store. They all have reasons why they want to lead you down the road of opinions and commissions.

Most of which is well meaning. If you get together with friends and start whining, moaning and complaining, the advice you’ll receive as a result will be the worst advice ever. Stop it.

*Take yet another workshop from some big name marquee celeb guru. I see this all the time:

“I’m signing up with so so’s big time workshop….” Blah blah….Ok, nothing wrong with learning. Nothing.

I’ll all for taking workshops, and learning from successful photographers. It all goes nowhere when we do nothing with what we learned, as if attending, taking some notes, asking a few questions and hanging with new friends is enough. It ain’t.

You need to break free and really put what you learned into action.
Solid, purposeful action. Strategic.

*Ignore marketing. The true key to the golden gates is marketing. But alas, this one gets ignored the most.

In its’ place, we do all the other stuff mentioned in this list. Most challenges live here, it’s why most shy away from marketing. And yet, true long term success in selling, profits, business principles, long term repeat clients is within your grasp if you take marketing serious and become a marketer of photographic goods and services.

Avoid the easy road. It’s  a ruse. It’s not real. It’s a lie.

Hard work, risk and nose to the grindstone get-er-done effort, over time, over and over, is what works.

That, and marketing.

These behaviors lead us away from doing what really matters.

Have a legit plan, with a realistic timeline and a spirit of focus and determination and you’ll increase your odds many times.

Your in success in photography,

Robert Provencher

P.S. MEMBERS…JOIN US Thursday, April 6th 2017 at 9:00PM EST with Chad Pennington “How to interact with
clients and get killer expressions in your portrait photography.”

LINK HERE

How to interact with clients and get killer expressions in your portrait photography

By 1 Comment

A short while ago we hosted a webinar with Chad Pennington, a world class wedding photographer from the Bronx.

It was nothing short of amazing, filled with great advice, ideas and marketing strategies.

(Members can access the replay HERE)

After it was over, I had a nagging relentless sensation. I thought to myself: “This guy knows how to elicit some very cool reactions and expressions from his subjects. How’d he do that?

So, I hit Chad up and asked him to come back again. This time we’re going to focus in on actual strategies and techniques he uses.

To me, and to any photographer who creates portraits of any kind, being able to get emotion, reactions,
and expressions from clients is like being a magic wizard with super powers.

MEMBERS….REPLAY IS HERE

If you’re not a member, a gold mine, including this presentation awaits you for only twenty bucks. CHECK IT OUT*

*(you will have instant access to this presentation and over 1,000+ high quality marketing
and success strategies for portrait & wedding photographers)

You become more of who you are meant to become…

By Leave a Comment

I’ve read  a few books about the wealthy. And about prosperity.

It’s always been an area of pain, frustration and limitation with me.

I did not grow up with much. And I heard the typical stuff you likely heard as well.

Things like “money doesn’t grow on trees”… or…”hard earned money”…..

Over the years I changed my beliefs. Wasn’t easy, but I did it.

I still struggle mind you, but it’s not nearly as hard or limiting as it once was.

If you asked me in a nutshell what I learned, here it is:

*Focus on earning, not saving. Saving, yes…but earning too!
*Leverage creates wealth, not hard work
*Money is earned from thought, innovation, leadership… not hard labor
*Never worry about running out of money, instead, think about how to innovate and make more
(by the way, that’s a big one)
*Don’t see money with emotions, but with logic
*Realize you are in control of your wealth, not luck or fate
*Don’t wait for some external force, politician or whatever to ‘rescue’ you
*Take action. Nothing, nothing, nothing beats taking action
*Don’t stress about money. Get peace from it
*Money is just a tool, an energy. What we do with it is up to us. If we’re a jerk, it may make
us more of a jerk. Likewise, you can do great and wonderful things with it and become more of who you are.
*Avoid debt like the plague. (especially credit card debt)
*Be patient. Be disciplined. But have goals and believe in them. Too often our goals are impulses
from vapious mal-contents, or we become like whiney little babies who want it all now. Delay gratification.

Money is an idea. Frozen energy. It has no direction, moral compass or discretion.

We give that to it, for better or worse. It goes where money already is and is attracted to activity and thoughts that magnetize it.

It all starts with you.

Money is a responsibility. Therefore, we must be responsible.
No guilt, no shame, no distorted sense of morality.

When you create wealth, your wealth and get cool with it, you get in touch with your own destiny in many ways.

When you grow, and welcome prosperity into your being, you actually become a better person. You become more of who you are meant to become. If you let it.

It’s never just about the money. Money isn’t everything. If you think that, then you are thinking small.

If you pursue money out of desperation, it will run away from you.

If you create money just for the money, you will not be successful.

But you must be guilt free and open to it in order to succeed both financially and as an individual.

Get rid of the crap and get focused on what you want.
I owe, I owe…what a crappy reason to go to work. Yuch….

It’s important to be cool with money and prosperity.

Be challenged too! That’s where growth and opportunity lie.

I created an amazing PDF form and a presentation on wealth creation strategies for photographers.

Pure magic. Check it out….

Members HERE

Not a member? A goldmine awaits you….HERE

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

What to do when you’re oppressed and angry?

By Leave a Comment

When you’re feeling oppressed, overwhelmed and angry, frustrated and resentful….

You have two choices…

ONE> Grow up…get on with it.

TWO> Feed the beast and let your anger kill your soul, dampen your ambition and kill your productivity.

Number one is uncertain. No guarantees. Only adventure and risk. And pain.

GO after the unknown. The pain.

Number two is what you think you know. Don’t be a fool and don’t be fooled.

If you protect what you know you’re only protecting the false sense of self infused anger.

Blaze a new trail. Call it your own.

Being in business can do this for you. Wanna get triggered?
Start a biz.

The challenges and mountains you’ll need to climb will make you or break you.

Maybe you’re not meant to be in business. I get it. It’s legit and I respect you for that.

But, if you do, you ain’t the exception to the game.

You’re either the hero or the victim. No middle ground. No safe space for anyone.

The fork in the road is in front of you. Which path you take
depends on what you want for yourself.

And again, I ask, what do you do when you’re feeling oppressed and angry? Your attitude determines your altitude.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

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

What I Learned About Success In Photography, That Most Ignore, And Why It Works…

By Leave a Comment

I heard something  many years ago…it’s one of the best pieces of advice.

Short, easy to understand and something I never forgot.

“You cannot progress until your take the counsel of others.”

Wow…that resonated with me. I got it.

The main reasons why most don’t get this basic truth are varied and frankly, don’t really matter.

You can pick any excuse you want, since any one is as good as the other.

Why I believe in this so much and have, over the years, sought out the advice and counsel of those who are qualified to give counsel, is mainly because left to my own resources, I will likely fail.

Seriously. When left to your own resources, will you:

*go the extra mile?
*push the boundaries and explore new and scary adventures and possibilities for personal growth?
*actually challenge yourself?
*find new and exciting ways to increase your confidence, your skills, your talentand dig deep within yourself in order to bring them to light for you, and for the rest of the world to see?

I know I couldn’t and I wouldn’t. Why is that, I often wonder? Fear? Ego? Pride? Lack of focus? Lack of drive and ambition?

Whatever it is….it’s a fail.

It doesn’t matter why you hold yourself back.

What matters is what are you going to do about it?

I repeat: left to my own resources, I will likely fail. Reaching out and taking the wise counsel of others I will soar.

It’s what happened to me. I’ve hired coaches and believe in this strategy more than any other.

I’ve invested a fortune in group coaching, phone coaching, one on one coaching, online coaching…and continue to do so to this day.

But now it’s time for me to reach out and help others who also “get it” and need that extra push, that extra ‘kick off the edge of the cliff’ to get them soaring like an eagle.

I know this works.

I’ve helped thousands of photographers grow, expand and create more profits in their photography studios.

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

Join me on your journey.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

P.S. Last night’s Bull Pen print show was a  a huge success. The replay is in the forum.

The three amigos…

By Leave a Comment

The three amigos…

We’ve known each other since about 2000.

James Hodgins got into photography in a big way back then, and co-founded noBs photosuccess Inc™

Nowadays, he’s still in photography in a big way, and shoots primarily mining, industrial and commercial photography.

Great big buildings, huge operations and gigormous pieces of million dollar equipment.

(If there ever was a boudoir for mining equipment, he’s the man)

Smart move to niche out into an area that’s rich in photographic opportunities, dripping with cash and eager clients willing to part with their money in exchange for highly specialized skillset.

Then there’s Judy Cormier….the firecracker. One of the best wedding photographers in North America turned her back on weddings to niche out into boudoir photography.

Her story is amazing. And she reveals the details of her story, her struggles, in the last two podcast we had together. (more on that below)

And then there’s yours truly…moi, me, the man who sends you these emails…Rob Provencher…. portrait studio owner, weddings, small commercial gigs and a garden variety of photo sessions in a small city where being good at many disciplines amounts to a nice tidy business.

Together we have over 70 years experience. Not that throwing around big numbers like that really matters.

It only matters, in my oh so humble yet laser sharp accurate opinion, if you’re in the game, day after day, toe-to-toe with real, breathing clients.

We be just that team.

And we come together this Thursday, March 23rd 9:00PM EST as your panel of judges
in the the Bull Pen print show.

All are welcome. You can in cash prizes! Join us.

DETAILS HERE

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

P.S. If you want to hear why Judy quit weddings, and why and how she’s getting back into the game…and some great success strategies and headtrash talk, check out the Feb 2015 and March 2015 podcasts HERE.

…”there is so much BS, especially with wannabees, fake artists and poseurs…”

By Leave a Comment

An email I just received….
“Rob…I’m a pretty serious amateur photographer looking to buy some equipment as I haven’t shot for a few years now. May do portraits and the odd wedding for friends. I was a Nikon D200 shooter before but now have no equipment what so ever! What would you recommend as someone who is a hard working photographer. Thanks in advance for any help Scott”

My reply…..“Scott, don’t buy anything…..yet. Use what you got. Shoot, shoot, shoot….learn to see light, pose, create and shoot for mastery.

Sadly, many feel that getting the “right” equipment constitutes seeing light, posing, creating and, ugh, marketing.

It’s like the dude with 11 guitars, yet he’s stuck playing alone in his basement.

It takes a long time to put in your 10,000 hours….but that’s what it takes….10,000 hours…or almost.
Owner stuff is not a replacement.

One camera, one lens is all you need for now.

Not sure that that’s the answer you hoped for, but in todays photographic industry there is so much BS, especially with wannabees, fake artists and poseurs.

And, in all honesty, it’s such an open ended, vastly huge question with a thousand answers. All I’m saying is, the tools that really matter, is right there, between your ears.

Having said that, I shoot Sony mirrorless…..I believe mirrorless is the future :)….

Here’s  2 short videos where I explain why I switched HERE.

When it comes to lenses, lights, tripods….all depends what you’re shooting, how much you wanna spend (again, don’t fall into the trap of ownership equals skill….)

thanks…Rob
****

Scott replied to my reply:
“Thank you very much, I knew I’d get a logical answer from yourself and I totally get what you are saying ! Do you still run the No Bs success website ? And if so do you think it would be a great place for me to be a member of ? Many thanks again Scott”
****

Final thoughts….

“Anytime Scott! Yes, my forum would be a great place to be. Remember that scene (me thinks from The Hobbit movie???) where the little dude goes into the dragon’s den, and there’s gold everywhere. And a sleeping dragon. Well, the forum is kinda like that. Except the dragon is a friendly dragon. And the gold is real.”

Check it out HERE

Don’t forget, all are welcome to join us next Thursday, March 23rd, for our monthly

Superhero child against blue sky background…
Have your images critiqued and reviewed. Win cash and certificates! Details HERE.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

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