Stay ConnectedWelcome to The Bokeh Podcast, where we help photographers build sustainable businesses!
Host Nathan Holritz and his guests will help you build your brand, focus your marketing efforts, refine your workflows, and dial in your photographic technique – all with efficiency in mind.
In the end, we not only want you to succeed as a photography business owner, but to still have a life through it all.
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Copyright: © Copyright Photographer's Edit
Have you struggled to incorporate album sales into your portrait sessions?
In episode 157 of the Bokeh Podcast, Rae Barnes provides ways you can help your client understand the importance of purchasing an album. Listen as she shares her step by step process for photographing, designing, and selling albums with every session.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Time Technique: Don’t multitask, but focus on the work at hand.
Brand Position: Playful portrait photographer for busy parents.
The Lesson: Plan ahead in your business.
The Gear Bag:
Nikon D5 & Nikon D3S
70-200mm
17-35mm
50mm
85mm
Process to Album Sales:
1. At inquiry, let your client know the most popular item to purchase is the album.
2. During the session, shoot for an album with variety and personal touches.
3. Cull images down to 50 total.
4. In-person slideshow of images and review what is best for the album photos. Share the album options with them to show what they can purchase.
5. Design the album in Smart Album, get approval and upload to Red Tree.
Mentioned in this episode:
garyvaynerchuk.com
chatbooks.com
pixellu.com/smartalbums
redtreealbums.com
Links
Website: raebarnes.com
Instagram: instagram.com/raebarnesphoto
Facebook: facebook.com/raebarnesphotography
bit.ly/bp-margin
bit.ly/bp-timemanagement
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Have you considered building your business around your love for travel?
In episode 156 of the Bokeh Podcast, Meghan Harrison explains how she and her family are visiting every national park this year while she works as a traveling photographer. Listen as she shares three principals to becoming a successful travel photographer.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Technique for Time: Outsource your editing and wake up earlier than the rest of your family.
Brand Position: Authentic storytelling for the sentimental bride.
The Lesson(s):
Learn who your audience is and love on them.
Create an amazing prep checklist.
The Gear Bag:
50mm for weddings
35mm for her family
Three Principals to Travel Photography:
1. Simplify your life.
2. Make connections and meet new people everywhere you go.
3. Do batch work based on your accessibility.
Mentioned in this episode:
Links:
http://meghanrosephotography.com/
workshops.meghanrosephotography.com
instagram.com/meghanrose_photography
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Are you prioritizing education in new business strategies and skills?
In episode 155 of the Bokeh Podcast, Morgan Taylor shares how education can develop management and leadership experience. Listen as he provides his favorite resources to expand your knowledge in business and creativity.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Time Technique: Manage your time like you manage your finances. If you spend money you don’t have, you’re going to be in debt. If you spend time you don’t have, you’re going to be in debt.
The Lesson: Don’t let the tough situations get to you. In life, stuff happens. We can choose to dwell on it or we can choose to overcome it.
The Gear Bag: Sony A7R3 & 85mm 1.4 G Master
Top Resources for Learning:
skillshare.com
Podcasts
youtube.com
Photographers
Two Important Characteristics of a Great Leader:
Humility
Drive
Mentioned in this Episode:
instagram.com/shaunaustin
meredithryncarz.com
honeybook.com/risingtide
Links:
Instagram.com/themorgantaylor
Meredith - How to Have Difficult Conversations: bit.ly/Ryncarz
bit.ly/emyth-revisited
Skillshare
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Are you afraid of confrontation? As business owners, sometimes we’re faced with difficult conversations.
In episode 154 of the Bokeh Podcast, Meredith and Jason Ryncarz share the importance of understanding how to approach a problem and how to have hard conversations. Listen as they provide steps to resolve conflict and prepare you to calmly handle any situation you face.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Time Technique: Automating your workflow.
The Lesson: Don’t fit into the mold that others are creating for your business, be your own.
The Gear Bag: Nikon D850 and Orthodontic Wax
S: State the facts.
T: Tell your story.
A: Ask questions.
T: Talk Tentatively
E: Encourage Testing
Links:
Photography Website: meredithryncarz.com
Consulting Website: therestartspecialist.com
Mentioned in this Episode:
Episode 62: How to Prepare Your Business for 2018 - Meredith Ryncarz: bit.ly/bokeh62
17hats.com
calendly.com
Never Check Email in the Morning: Julie Morgenstern: bit.ly/BP-NCEM
planetfitness.com
Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson: bit.ly/bp-crucialconv
arbingerinstitute.com
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Do you have problems managing your finances while running your photography business?
In episode 153 of the Bokeh Podcast, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Michael Klipper shares what mistakes you may be making that are keeping you from having a financially healthy company. Listen as he shares the biggest struggles photographers face with money and three steps to proactively manage your finances!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Time Technique: Schedule everything. Bonus tip: Treat yourself like you would an employee where you’re scheduling everything so you know when you’re working.
Biggest Financial Struggles for Photography Business Owners
Cash Flow: Planning ahead and setting aside enough money to cover you through the slower seasons of your business.
3 Steps to Proactively Managing Your Finances
1. Have a good accounting system or software like Quickbooks Online.
2. Set goals for you
Links
Website: engagecpas.com
Instagram: instagram.com/engagecpas
Facebook: fb.com/engagecpas
The Four Hour Work Week: http://bit.ly/bp-4hr
The E-Myth by Michael Gerber: bit.ly/bp-emyth
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber: bit.ly/emyth-revisited
Quickbooks Online: bit.ly/bp-quickbooks
Gary Vaynerchuck: bit.ly/bp-garyvee
Rising Tide Society: bit.ly/bp-rts
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Do you ever want to give up on managing your social media accounts?
In episode 152 of the Bokeh Podcast, Alex Gray shares her heart behind keeping her work up to date on social media. Listen as she provides 3 practical tips to simply, yet effectively utilize social media.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Time Technique: Schedule out personal time.
Brand Position: Capturing Nostalgia for Adventurous Couples in Love
Lesson Learned: Don’t overbook or push yourself to hard.
The Gear Bag: Canon 5d Mark III, Canon 50mm 1.4, Sigma 35mm 1.4
"...one thing I've noticed is that as artists many photographers have a tendency to become discouraged and take social media success very personally.
I love educating professionals to think about social media differently. A recent trend in the industry is that photographers will throw up their hands and say, "Forget it! Followers, likes, etc - they don't matter in the grand scheme. They don't define me or my talent." And while it can be true that this kind of success doesn't necessarily define how talented you are, social media has become an integral part of every single business, company and corporation, and it cannot be ignored. You won't see companies like NIKE throwing in the towel simply because they're "over it." I would love to share ways that photographers can redefine the way they see and utilize social media, while offering tools that help professionals to mentally separate performance on social media from their success as human beings..."
3 Ways to Effectively and Efficiently Utilize Social Media Accounts:
1. Engagement with other accounts is key. Set aside an hour in the morning and the afternoon to comment on the work you love in your feed. This supports others, but helps you grow as well.
2. Tag accounts that you want to be featured on in your posts.
3. Always measure your results.
Mentioned in this episode:
Links:
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Do you lose motivation throughout the day while working from home? Maybe you get distracted by other things you could be doing.
In episode 151 of the Bokeh Podcast, Nathan and Haylee discuss their own struggles in self-employment and how they've managed to overcome them. Listen as they provide their favorite ways to stay motivated and get work done in their day to day responsibilities.
The audio from Workflow Wednesday episodes is from our weekly Facebook Live videos. Tune in live on Wednesdays at 1:00PM EST, at facebook.com/photogsedit
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Connect:
hayleegaffin.com
photographersedit.com
bokehpodcast.com
Links:
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Is the amount of time it takes to blog your sessions keeping you from maintaining an updated portfolio on your website?
In episode 150 of the Bokeh Podcast, Ebby Lowry walks through her process for efficiently culling, editing, and blogging her sessions. Listen as she shares her favorite tools to manage her workflow.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Time Technique: Set business hours.
The Lesson: Sacrifices have to be made.
The Gear Bag: 50mm 1.2 and Leather Backpack
Blogging Tools:
Wordpress: wordpress.com
Yoast: yoast.com
Blogstomp: stompsoftware.com/blogstomp/
Photo Mechanic: camerabits.com
The Blogging Process:
1. Shoot
2. Upload to computer and back up.
3. Cull through the entire gallery in Photo Mechanic.
4. Cull for the blog.
5. Edit the photos for the blog.
6. Blogstomp the images and draft the blog post.
7. Write the copy for the blog post.
Tips for Culling in Blogstomp:
1. Create an “originals" folder.
2. Create a “to edit” folder.
3. Create a “to blog” folder.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Food Network: foodnetwork.com
Bobby Flay: bobbyflay.com
Chef’s Table: bit.ly/BPChefsTable
Kara Kamienski Photography: karakamienskiphotography.com
Miriam Salgado: mirsalgado.com
Kenny Kim: kennykim.com
Links:
Facebook: facebook.com/ebbylphotography
Instagram: instagram.com/ebby_lowry
Website: ebbylphotography.com
Backpack: bit.ly/BPBackpack
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Are you longing to make connections and build relationships with other photographers in your community? Fulfilling that sense of belonging in any industry is invaluable.
In episode 149 of the Bokeh Podcast, Latoya Dixon Smith of the Queen Photographers shares how she grew her Facebook group of 30 women in South Carolina to an international collaborative of black women photographers around the globe. Listen as she provides 3 helpful tips to launching and maintaining a photography community.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Time Technique: She hired a business coach to help her manage her time and know what was worth investing herself into. This coach helped her build a system that allows her to stay focused and accomplish her goals. Now, she sets aside time each day to journal and reflect.
Lesson Learned: It is hard to be transparent, but it will allow you to connect with your ideal clients.
The Gear Bag: Sigma Art 35mm lens
Helpful Tips to Launching a Photography Community:
1. You have to be selfless.
2. Regularly engage and show up.
3. Be flexible in how you’ll serve your community
Mentioned in this Episode:
Sierra Collins: sierracphotography.com
Brown Girl with a Camera - Ruby Melton: bgwac.com
Latia Curtis Makeup Artist: latiacurtis.com
Anna of Urban Petals: urbanpetalsllc.com
Ola Kimble: olakimble.com
Catalyst Wedding Co: catalystwedco.com
Tomayia Colvin: tomayiacolvin.com
Catherine Ray - Evergreen Era Films: evergreenerafilms.com</a.
Links:
Website: latoyadixon.com
Instagram: instagram.com/latoyadixonphotography/
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Do you struggle with naturally posing your clients while also matching their personality? As photographers, we often have to read our clients to know what works during a session.
In episode 148 of the Bokeh Podcast, Nathan, Haylee, Heather, and Rich discuss the importance of creating an enjoyable experience during an engagement session that doesn't feel stiff. Listen as Rich Smith shares his favorite tricks to creating and delivering the perfect engagement session for every couple.
The audio from Workflow Wednesday episodes is from our weekly Facebook Live videos. Tune in live on Wednesdays at 1:30PM EST, at facebook.com/photogsedit
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Connect:
Links:
JBL Clip 2 Speaker: jbl.com/JBLCLIP2BLKAM.html
Apple Watch: apple.com/watch
Promptography Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/promptography
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