Tools for growing a photography business
And she proceeded to explain how she markets and shoots high priced sessions in her studio, and sells, and shows the value of ONE SINGLE IMAGE. One single file.| I always liked Dan Kennedy and his no-bull, no sugar coating, no-nonsense straight talk on all things to do with success, marketing and business. He is the real deal. When I first discovered Dan back in ’98, it felt like he was speaking directly to me. His words and wisdom were honest like I had never seen before in all the hundreds of success and self-help books I had read by that time in my life. His timing could not have been more perfect. [Read more…] |
Can you still make money in photography?
Can you “still” make money in photography these days? Asking for a friend.
I’ve said it a million times before: “Having a talent is worthlessunless you know what to do with it.”
That’s a quote from Charlie Chaplin. Search out his quotes (google him) and you will find some nuggets.
Interesting isn’t it?
The conclusion might me that talent isn’t what DRIVES the goals and ambitions.
Sometimes it’s the desire for financial success, sometimes it’s the love of the game, or fame, or whatever. As long as we are moving towards OUR goal, OUR vision, without excuses, then we will get there, and the ART will GROW……I know.
It happened to me. Do it for the money, and the art will grow out of it.
P.S. Of course you need a good product, and on-going training.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”
Have you ever had one? You know, a crisis? As in, what is life all about? Why, oh why am I here?
Why am I on this beach when I should be back home marketing my photography studio?
And other compelling struggles?
My life has been a long series of struggles. I’m sure you can relate.
The thing is and what matters is, what direction do you take? That’s what’s important.
Do we wallow? Or move forward?
I like moving forward. Even if but an inch at a time.
Years ago, way back in my my early, early twenties, I recall having a big question of questions creep into my little pea brain head: “What is my big theme in life?”
Or something like that. Do you know what answer almost instantly popped in my thoughts?
Communication. Go figure. Communication. And me, the most awkward, shyest, tongue tied kid ever. I have no idea where that came from, but there it was, and I picked it up and ran with it.
Me thinks it’s one of the main reasons why I faced the demons of fear decades ago and kinda sorta mastered public speaking. I’m sure it’s tied into why I write all these bloody emails.
I like communicating. Maybe, just maybe it’s also tied into marketing a business.
Maybe.
I do believe it’s got something to do with my attending a 3 day conference in L.A. last week, hosted by the worlds’ greatest voice coach, Roger Love.
Not sure how that happened. But there I was. And it was amazing. And it ties into this theme of communication. (and my secret inner desire to be a old black blues singer….more on that later).
Tomorrow night I’m running our marketing mastermind, where we all get together and have a group crisis, discuss marketing, share ideas, ask compelling questions and search out actionable answers.
You won’t get answers if you don’t ask.
JOIN ME Thursday, March 22 at 8:00PM…..(members….login first)
I’ll also be sharing some of thoughts on the Voices of Success with Roger Love.
And communication.
Let’s get together, have an existential marketing crisis, figure this out, talk shop and marketing…including….:
*fairy sessions update from yours truly
* some thoughts on what are the BEST Ingredients to build a long term portraits photography business
*does direct mail still work? Works for this guy….let’s have a look Any marketing questions or challenges?
Bring them to the table and let’s talk.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”
Two webinars, two photographers, two systems for dance photography sales and success. If you were around last month we had Nancy Tillberg join us with her take on dance school photography she calls “Boutique Volume…”
Her system is meticulous and tight, and it works. She goes against the grain on what many would think is the “right” way to do volume…let alone boutique volume. But then again, she’s a retired forensic photographer…she can see things the rest of us mere mortals can’t.
If you’re a member of noBs photosuccess™ you can watch the REPLAY HERE
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And there’s Warne Noyce and Paula Moon who started their studio a few years ago in a town where no one knew them. They quickly grew because of smart and innovative marketing. AND, their dance school business sky-rocketed.
Tomorrow night Warne will be sharing his latest success strategies with dance school photography. REGISTER HERE
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Have you ever snored so loud you woke yourself up?
Admit it, it happened to you. Happened to me once. Happens to my wife all the time.
I know, because I sleep with her.
Funniest thing, she’s demure, barely 100 pounds soaking wet, five foot nothing and snores like a grizzly bear. Go figure.
She’s like that in business too. Unassuming and classy. Maybe some think she’s a pushover, soft, easy going.
Wrong.
They find out she’s tough, focused and all business. Soft and sweet on the outside. Grizzly bear vicious on the inside, when she needs it.
Making assumptions can cost you big.
For instance, you might have what you think is the greatest product or invention.
It solves some huge problem and you figure it’s so brain dead obvious people cannot wait to line up and buy it.
Except you find out the hard way they don’t really want that problem solved. They’d rather live with the pain that problem brings VS the pain of parting with their cash for a solution.
Never make assumptions about the buying public. It ain’t a bidness until someone steps up and gives you cash.
Here’s Tina in action from a previous Inferno, speaking on all thing studio management.
And there’s my favorite, the Selling and Upselling webinar with Tina….priceless info for anyone wanting to book tons of fairy sessions…and make some moolah…..
Don’t let her soft spoken ways fool you. There’s a dragon under there.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
Join us…Content, Coaching & Community
A while back I hosted a webinar with John Hartman on his light painting style. Admittedly, one can’t cram too much into a 1.5 hour online webinar.
John puts on a three day workshop to teach this stuff. You can see more info on John’s light painting workshops HERE
That didn’t stop me from giving it a go. I thought about it long and hard, and came up with my own fast and easy light painting hack.
Here it is…..first thing I did was create a custom white balance based on the LED lights I was using. I don’t shoot raw, so, in theory, this should solve the problem.
Here’s the grey card set up I used to create a custom white balance.
I scoped out locations weeks prior to the shoot. I had the car ready to go, a 2006 limited edition Ford Shelby.
I decided on an area that looked industrial. I wanted something “Mad Max” like.
In our city their are mines everywhere. Problem is trespassing. More on that in a minute.
I set up the car before the sun dropped:
Shooting with my Sony A7Rii, 55MM Zeiss lens. Exposures to 30 seconds, ISO 100 F8
The camera is locked down and not to be touched during the shoot. Each exposure is fired by my assistant using the Play Mobile app made for the Sony system.
It works off my Android and does the job just fine, showing us a preview of each exposure should we need to inspect as we go along.
Here’s the area we decided on. Still light in the sky.
I started painting the ground under the car. You can see the sky show up when in fact is was quite dark to the human eye. This didn’t matter for these exposures since I was planning on only using the area under the car.
You can see blurred out parts of my body as I was moving around, “painting” the ground.
After two hours, over 40 exposures, a few mosquitoes and an encounter with the security guard-who told us to get out- this is what I created. Most of the magic happens in photoshop, as I brought in each image and erased only what I needed. I also added color to the light under the car.
It’s not perfect, and I had to sneak in one last 30 second exposure to paint the tires, with the security guard glaring over me (I whispered to my assistant..” quick, fire the camera one last time”..and I gave each tire about 10-15 seconds of light so I had something to work with in that area.) but it worked out nevertheless.
What I discovered was:
Yours in photography,
Robert Provencher