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.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Copyright: © Copyright Photographer's Edit
Do you get overwhelmed when dealing with money for your business? Finances and accounting can be tough to manage, especially for the creative entrepreneur.
In episode 137 of the Bokeh Podcast, Nathan, Haylee, Heather, and Rich share the tools and workflows that help keep them financially responsible in their businesses.
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:
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Do you feel lost in an over-saturated market where every photographer is providing the same service?
In episode 136 of the Bokeh Podcast, Misty Christensen describes how important it is to set yourself apart in order to stand out to your ideal clients. Check out her advice on the three questions you should be asking yourself to make sure you don’t fall into the background of your market.
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: Putting the phone away when you should be focusing on something else.
Brand Position: A photographer who cares about you and your wedding.
The Gear Bag: Nikon D750 with a 105mm 1.4
3 Questions to Ask Yourself to Stand Out:
1. What are my strengths?
2. What are my weaknesses?
3. What makes me different as a person?
Mentioned in this episode:
Links:
Website: Mistycphotography.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/mistycphotography
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Are you searching for ways to advertise your business to the right audience?
In episode 135 of the Bokeh Podcast, Easton Reynolds shares how Facebook ads allow you to target audiences that fit your ideal client while creating messages that will convert. Check out his three simple steps to getting started with Facebook ads.
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.
The Lesson: After a few years in business, it snuck up on them one year that they only had 10 of the 30 weddings they wanted on the books. Easton and Laura soon realized they hadn’t been intentional in growing their clients and booking.
Time Technique: Go hard at work, when you’re at work. Go hard at home, when you’re at home.
Brand Position: Timeless elegance meets high artistry.
The Gear Bag:
Three Steps to Facebook Advertising:
1. Get to know your ideal clients and their interests.
2. Add value to your potential clients by giving them information that is practical and free, which will create brand trust.
3. Reach out to past clients to get a video testimonial of them.
Mentioned in this episode:
Links
Website: theartofsixfigures.com
Facebook: fb.com/theartofsixfigures
Facebook Group: fb.com/groups/TheArtOfTheSecondShot/
Website: lureyphotography.com
Instagram: instagram.com/lureyweddings/
Facebook: fb.com/LuReyPhotography
Once a client decides they want to book you, are you prepared to take them on as a client?
In episode 134 of the Bokeh Podcast, Nathan Holritz, Rich and Heather Smith, and Haylee Gaffin share the importance of creating workflows and implementing systems that will keep you organized while saving you time during your booking process. Listen in as they share programs you can begin implementing today.
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:
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Are you struggling to determine how you should be pricing your services in a way that meets your financial goals?
In episode 133 of the Bokeh Podcast, Kir Tuben explains the importance of setting goals that will lead to success, and then pricing yourself in order to meet those goals. Listen in as she provides three steps to intelligently establish pricing that will enable success for your business.
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.
The Lesson: Comparison is the root of all evil, so you should be nicer to yourself.
Time Technique: Schedule time to do nothing.
The Gear Bag:
Canon 5dmkIII with any prime lenses.
Pentax 645n
Canon eos3
How to Define Your Success?
Create small goals with overarching big goals that will allow you to reach the success you want.
Kir’s Goals:
1. Cultivate a loving home.
2. Feeling content.
3. Being financially stable.
Three Steps to Intelligently Establish Pricing:
1. Look at your bills and budget to determine what income will make you financially successful.
2. Set a limit for yourself on how much you’re going to work by limiting weddings or sessions.
3. Determine how many weddings or sessions you’d need to shoot to hit the prior goals.
If your final price seems unreasonable for your market, make adjustments to #2 and #3.
Mentioned in this episode:
Links:
Website: kir2ben.com
Facebook: fb.com/kir2ben
Instagram: @kir2ben
Re-Awaken the Giant Within - Tony Robbins
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As a self-employed entrepreneur, are you struggling to manage your finances while pursuing your dream?
In episode 132, Vincent Pugliese shares how you can prioritize and plan for financial freedom in your business. Listen in as he discusses the most harmful behaviors that are causing entrepreneurs to be careless with their money.
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.
The Lesson: After reaching out to his dad for a job opportunity, his dad said, “You have a skill, but you’re not using it correctly.”
Time Technique: Rather than involving their kids in sports and extracurricular activities that they didn’t really care about, they spend the time together.
Two Motivating Factors of Change: Inspiration & Desperation
Harmful Financial Behaviors:
1. Being unaware of prioritizing your investments that will lead to growth.
2. Not spending time with those who will build you up and help you grow.
Fruit to Financial Freedom:
F - Food
R - Residence
U - Utilities
I - Insurance
T - Transportation and Taxes
Mentioned in this episode:
Links:
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Are you building an online presence that is attracting and booking your ideal clients?
In episode 131 of the Bokeh podcast, Nathan Holritz, Rich Smith, and Haylee Gaffin discuss how to use social media to market to your ideal clients online. Listen in as they review how to use organic and paid social media to build an online presence and drive traffic to your website.
The audio from Workflow Wednesday episodes is from our weekly Facebook Live videos. Tune in live on Wednesdays at 1PM 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:
Richsmithphotography.net
@richsmithphoto
@heathersmithrsp
HayleeGaffin.com
@hayleegaffin
@nathanholritz
Photographersedit.com
@photogsedit
@bokehpodcast
Links:
iris-works.com
Hootsuite.com
Buffer.com
Planoly.com
Gary Vaynerchuck
Jab Jab Jab Right Hook - Gary Vaynerchuck
Shootq
Honeybook
Dubsado
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
You’re clear about your photographic style and you’ve determined your ideal client, but have you created the legal and financial structure for your business that is necessary for your protection and for your success?
Make sure to listen in to episode 130 as lawyer and photographer, Paige Griffith, guides us through the 5 steps photographers need to take to make sure that they’ve sucessfuly established their business from a legal standpoint, and set themselves up for financial success.
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.
Lesson Learned: After working her traditional 8-5 job as a law clerk and photographing on the weekends, she knew she something wasn’t right since she lived for the weekend. She knew photography was pulling her into a different direction than the traditional post-law school route. She decided to combine her photography and legal passions into one as her own practice.
Time Technique: Schedule time for yourself.
The Gear Bag: Canon Mark IV, 85mm 1.2L, Reflector
The Legal Paige: Empowering small business owners to feel confident and protected in their legal legitimacy.
5 Steps to Legal Success in Your Business:
1. Determine if you’re running your business alone or in a partnership, then determine how you want to register your business (sole proprietor, LLC, etc.)
2. Maintain a separate business bank account (requires a free EIN number).
3. Create a budget spreadsheet that is accounting for the percentage of what your tax liability will likely be in the end. Keep all of your receipts.
4. Ensure that you have the necessary contracts in place.
5. Have a plan in place in case something comes up (ex. A lawyer you can call).
Download Paige’s Top 10 Business Tricks
Budgeting Tips:
1. Plan for your taxes on a monthly basis to ensure you’re saving the correct amount of money.
2. Keep all of your receipts.
3. Working from home saves so much in the long run.
4. Hire independent contractors before hiring full time employees.
Photographers Mentioned in this Episode:
Alysha Larkey - Make It Happen Photography
Links:
What happens to your images after you shoot? Do you have an efficient workflow in place to name, download, archive, and edit your images, or does everything feel a bit chaotic and haphazard?
In episode 129 of the Bokeh podcast, Rich and Heather Smith and Nathan Holritz outline a simple, efficient workflow for managing your images during and after your portrait session, wedding, or commercial shoot, so that you can rest easy, and direct your attention to other important areas of your business and personal life!
The audio from Workflow Wednesday episodes is from our weekly Facebook Live videos. Tune in live on Wednesdays at 1PM 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.
Links
Nathan Holritz
Heather Smith
Rich Smith
Photographer's Edit
Spider Holster
Lexar Card Reader
Hyperdrive Portable Hard Drive
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Do your weddings tend to feel chaotic and unorganized at times? Do you fall behind your timeline or lose track of keeping up with everything your couple holds special during their big day?
In episode 128 of the Bokeh Podcast, photographers Andrew Mishler and Melanie Soliel explain how to use a pre-wedding consult to set the tone and organization for your client’s wedding day. Listen in as they share important tips that will help you master your pre-wedding consults.
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.
Andrew & Melanie’s Lesson Learned: After the tragic loss of a wedding couple shortly after the wedding, their focus of creating beautiful images that would make a great blog post or help them get published shifted to to creating very deep and meaningful images for their couples.
Brand Position: Quality over quantity and family over everything. They’re not working just for the client, they’re working for their kids and their kids’ kids and beyond.
The Gear Bag: Canon 5D Mark III & IV, 85mm 1.2, 135mm
The Pre-Wedding Consultation:
This is the secret to a successful wedding day. It allows you to set up expectations, decrease stress,
Three Purposes of the Pre-Wedding Consultation:
1. Setting up the foundation for a successful wedding day timeline by going over the wedding details and getting connected with the coordinator.
2. Determining the appropriate amount of coverage to ensure you’re getting paid for your time.
3. Creating legacy images for the couple based on their individual desires and situations.
4 Tips to Improve Pre-Wedding Consultation:
1. Setting the expectation from the very first conversation that the consultation with happen 3-4 weeks before the wedding.
2. Get to know your couple on a personal level through their family dynamics, a family tree, and a history of each family member.
3. Don’t give away time. If you realize during the consultation that there may not be enough time in the day, suggest adding more.
4. Don’t assume your client is going to give you everything you need to know about the wedding day; you have to ask the questions.
Links:
Website: AndrewandMelanie.com
Facebook: Andrew & Melanie
Instagram: @Andrew_mishler @Melaniesoliel
How to Create a Website that is Uniquely You - Jeff Shipley and Jen Olmstead
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
