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
Do you struggle to accomplish every project you set out to complete?
In episode 117 of the Bokeh Podcast, Nathan Holritz and Haylee Gaffin discuss setting up and utilizing project management systems for your business. Listen in as they share how to get started in organizing your business. 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.
Ready to Get Organized?
1. Create a system.
2. Break everything into Projects and Tasks
Links
Katelyn James' Screencast of Trello
Getting Things Done - David Allen
4 Hour Workweek - Time Ferriss
Project Management for Dummies
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Are you looking to use your gift of photography in a way that gives back to others?
In episode 116, photographer Laura Jennings shares the impact photographers can have on families facing difficult times. Listen as she describes the beauty behind gifting your talents to others and how you can partner with Magic Hour Foundation to provide free sessions to families battling terminal cancer.
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.
Laura’s Aha Moment: You can’t please everyone. So finding a niche will allow you to find your ideal client.
Time Technique: Know your slow season and use that time to travel. Plan to keep one day of the week dedicated to family.
Brand Position: She specializes in sunset beach family portrait sessions for tourists.
The Gear Bag: Canon 5D Mark III, Sigma 35 mm
Magic Hour Foundation:
"I have been beyond blessed to have this talent, let alone make a business out of it that supports my family. And I felt like aside from the pro bono work I do on my own, it needed to be taken to a larger scale. That's when I found the Magic Hour Foundation, which offers free photo services (and adorable keepsakes) for families battling terminal cancer, or survivors.
I met my first family in 2016 and it was honestly one the most rewarding and difficult things I've ever done. Charlie was suffering from terminal brain cancer that was quite a battle for about 7 years. He ran marathons, has a wife and 2 teenage daughters and fought so hard. They decided to take a final vacation to Panama City Beach to bring Charlie to the beach and try to relax as a family. That's when I met them.
We went out to the beach at sunset for about 45 minutes and just talked, laughed, played, all while capturing their last moments together as a family. The way he looked at those girls was something they needed documented forever. I sobbed the entire walk back to my car and home, but had never felt so "accomplished" as a photographer, if that makes sense.
You forget sometimes that you are creating their legacy. These pictures are not only for them right now, but for generations to come."
The Magic Hour Foundation Process:
1. You’ll receive a call from the Magic Hour Foundation, who provides you with the name, number, email, and status of a person in need of the service.
2. You’ll contact the family and set up an appointment and determine any special requests for the session.
3. Run through a session just like you would a normal session, but keep in mind the sensitivity and importance of these pictures.
4. After you edit the images, you’ll upload them to the Magic Hour Foundation portal.
5. MHF creates an online gallery and keepsake box of the prints for the client.
Are you photographing weddings in a way that captures your client's vision of their big day?
In episode 115 of the Bokeh Podcast, Lisa Meyer shares the importance of communication and expectation with clients prior to their wedding day. Listen as she provide tips on how to plan the wedding day timeline and set those expectations to deliver a vision your client will be proud to show off.
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.
Lisa’s Aha Moment: After a back to back wedding weekend, Lisa confused the two weddings and missed a shot requested by one of her brides. From then on she realized she needed to know her limits and treat each wedding as it’s own with preparation and detail.
Time Technique: Keep up with your workflow and don’t get behind.
Brand Position: Lisa puts herself out there as part of her brand and connects with her clients when she meets them.
The Gear Bag: EBL Rechargeable AA Batteries,
The Wedding Vision Process:
1. When a bride first books, establish whether they want to trust your creative judgement or if they have very specific needs for their wedding day.
2. Fine-tune the expectations and details during the engagement session.
3. Clearly establish the final expectations based on the wants of the client through examples for inspiration; if those examples cannot be met, explain why and how they could be.
4. Work with them to create a timeline that ensures all of their photos are captured, along with candid moments.
Links:
Website: lisameyerphotography.com
Facebook: Lisa Meyer Photography
Instagram: @lisameyerphotography
Moonwalking with Einstein - Joshua For
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Does your business support the dreams you have for yourself and your family? It's time to make those dreams a reality.
In episode 114 of the Bokeh Podcast, Graham and Ashley Scobey share how to ensure that your business supports your dreams, the steps to building that business, and how to maintain it.
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.
Ashley’s Aha Moment: There is no “there” when you’re looking at the future of your company and trying to get “there.” When they realized that, it allowed them to live in the now.
Graham’s Aha Moment: When working at Starbucks, his boss instilled in him that there is always something to do, so you shouldn’t be standing around waiting.
Time Technique:
1. Implementing workflows and systems that will save you time.
2. Being a husband/wife team has the advantage of handling the home and business with balance.
3. Outsourcing your work.
Brand Position: High end photographers and tellers of courageous love stories, specializing in creating art that allows for time-travel. Focus on who you are, not what you are.
The Three Pillars of their Brand:
1. Invest in People
2. Develop Relationships
3. Moments in Time
Three Steps to Building the Business of Your Dreams:
1. Take the dream and break it down into objectives (step by step process of getting to your how). Put the objectives on your calendar and honor the schedule.
2. Invite your community to hold you accountable.
3. Follow through with your plans.
Links:
Website: thescobeys.com
Instagram: @thescobeys
Facebook: Scobey Photography
Where good ideas come from - Steven Johnson
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Have you been searching for a solution to deliver beautiful galleries and tangible products while acting as a client management system?
In episode 113, Nirit & Amir Karby share how they saw a need in the photography industry that led to the creation of Pic-Time. From simple, yet flexible features to automation, Pic-Time fulfills the needs of your business, while creating tangible products for your clients.
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.
Aha Moment: When launching Pic-Time, it was the first company that didn’t include investors or partners that they had to answer to; it was finally a company that was theirs.
Time Technique: When planning to take time off, delegation of team members to handle your work is key.
Pic-Time is a platform for gallery sharing, product ordering, client management, and more, created by artists and engineers to fulfill a need in the photography industry.
Three Factors Driving Pic-Time:
1. Simplicity
2. Flexibility
3. Automation
How Pic-Time Delivers Tangible Products:
1. Photographers choose their fulfiller.
2. Photographers can design albums or suggest prints.
3. There are a variety of print products.
Links:
Website: www.pic-time.com
Instagram: @pictime_us
Facebook: Pic-time
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Does the fear of dealing with negative feedback in your photography business give you anxiety?
In episode 112 of the Bokeh Podcast, Skylar Coonan shares her approach to handling negative feedback through open communication and empathy.
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.
Skylar’s Aha Moment: After trying for so long to be professional, she realized that she wasn’t being personal in her business, which was keeping her from connecting with potential clients.
Time Technique: Set aside and schedule time weekly for the important people in your life.
Brand Position: “There’s a story in every photo and your story is worth capturing.” The photos she takes are meant to be memories captured.
The Gear Bag: Canon 7D & 17-55mm 2.8
Sources of Negative Feedback:
1. Yourself
2. Family & Friends
3. Clients
Motivators of Negative Feedback:
1. Lack of confidence
2. Lack of communication
"When we get negative feedback, we should use it as fuel to excel."
How to Handle Negative Feedback:
1. Have an understanding of when to apologize and when to stand up for your business.
2. Learn to approach a situation with love to allow acceptance and understanding.
3. Empathize with your clients and understand that they paid for a product and just want to be happy with it.
Photographers Mentioned in this Episode:
Links:
Website: skylarcoonanphotography.com
instagram.com/skylarcoonanphotography
Facebook: fb.com/skylarcoonanphotography
Tony Robbins - ReAwaken the Giant Within
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Do you enjoy working with children and want to incorporate school portraits into your services?
In episode 111 of the Bokeh Podcast, Kristin Boyer describes how she got started in school portrait photography, while still running her children and family portrait business. Listen as she shares the challenges, rewards, and top tips to getting started with photographing school portraits.
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.
Kristin’s Aha Moment: Don’t be afraid. Photography had always just been a hobby and when someone she was teaching started her business, she realized she could as well.
Time Technique: Block off time, schedule it, and plan around it.
Brand Position: Kristin is a children and family photographer focusing on joy and real emotions.
The Gear Bag: Canon 5d Mark IV; 70-200mm 2.8, 24-105mm
How is the Market with Lifetouch?
For many large schools that have too many children to give too much individual attention to, Lifetouch is a perfect solution. For many smaller schools that want to provide a more individual based experience, smaller companies can come in and provide that.
The Most Challenging Element of School Photography:
1. The workflow of processing before and after: how to keep up with 800+ student names, classroom, and order information.
2. Keeping lighting consistent for all students’ photos. Purchasing a tent was the best decision for keeping consistency.
The Most Rewarding Element of School Photography:
Engaging with the children and seeing them smile.
5 Key Elements of Good School Portrait Session:
1. Relax & have fun.
2. All of the basic work of organization should be done beforehand.
3. Have the kids repeat something that will make them laugh.
4. Keep everything simple on the day of, from the equipment to the backdrops.
5. Take between 5-8 shots of each child with different expressions. Parents are more likely to buy a series of different shots.
4 Steps to Getting into School Photography:
1. Figure out the logistics: How will you provide proofs, online ordering, and physical products.
2. Create a portfolio through a model call.
3. Get in contact with the schools local to you, but start small.
4. Stay true to yourself and the work you want to work on.
Links:
Website: kboyerphotography.com
Facebook: Kristin Boyer - K. Boyer P
Do you want to create a unique brand position that targets your ideal clients?
In episode 110 of the Bokeh Podcast, brand designer and strategist, Bonnie Bakhtiari of BisforBonnieDesign.com, shares the importance of how your brand should verbally and visually represent you. Check out her four steps to clearly and creatively define your brand position.
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.
Bonnie’s Aha Moment: Understanding that boundaries are important in entrepreneurship.
Bonnie’s Brand Position: Bonnie is a brand designer and strategist for creative women entrepreneurs. She specializes in crafting visual brands that reflect the heart of their life’s work.
Bonnie’s Definition of Brand: A brand is made up of multiple components: visual, verbal, and experiential. It is a promise that you make to your clients through your work.
Bonnie’s Definition of Brand Position: How you position yourself in your client’s mind and how you educate your client on how your work fits into their life.
A Good Brand Position Defines:
1. Who you are.
2. What you do.
3. How it’s different.
4. How it adds value.
Three examples brand positions that are not detailed enough:
1. I’m a photographer for people in love.
2. I’m a wedding photographer in (city/state).
3. I’m a photographer that specialized in engagements, weddings, and anniversaries.
Three examples of good brand positions:
1. Graham & Ashley Scobey - “We are tellers of courageous love stories, specializing in wedding photography for adventurous brides.”
2. I’m a photographer specializing in luxury destination weddings for joyful couples in an elevated experience.
3. I’m a newborn & family photographer serving families with special needs children in Central Pennsylvania through personalize intimate in-home sessions.
"Your brand position statement doesn’t have to feel hard or overwhelming."
4 Steps to Develop a Clearer, More Effective Brand Position:
1. Know who you are and articulate that in writing.
2. Write down what you offer in specifics.
3. Write down and articulate clearly who your ideal client is that you want to be working with.
4. Brainstorm ways that your process, approach, and style is different; lean into that.
Photographers Mentioned in this Episode:
Links:
Website: bisforbonniedesign.com
Instagram: @bonniejoymarie
Are you looking to increase your sales while still building a relationship with your clients?
In episode 109 of the Bokeh Podcast, Carly Jurach of Someplace Images shares how she implemented in-person sales (IPS) into her workflow in order to increase her profits. Listen as she shares three tips to getting started with IPS that will also create a better experience for your clients.
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.
Carly’s Aha Moment: While sitting around a table at a James & Jess workshop talking about the persona of their ideal client, she couldn’t name everything that her clients would be interested in, but she knew that they were brides who wanted to feel comfortable and positive during their session. James told her, “You’ve found it, you’ve found your ideal client.” How she makes people feel is much more important than any persona she could give her clients.
Carly’s Introduction to In-Person Sales (IPS):
When Carly worked on cruise ships, she managed IPS for all clients before they got off the ship.
How to Determine What to Sell:
Ask yourself, what would you want out of a session?
How to Host Same Day Sales Sessions:
- Prior to the session, send them pricing and products, a questionnaire to determine what they want, and offer to answer any questions.
- Plan for a five hour day.
- Provide Hair, Makeup, & Mimosas in your studio.
- Hold the session between 60-90 minutes
- Allow them to get dressed and comfortable while you’re importing, culling, and adding presets to the images (average 45 minutes).
- Run through a slideshow of the images and share your packages and product samples.
How to Get Started with IPS:
1. Run your numbers and know where you want to be in order to know where you have to price yourself.
2. Setting your products and product prices.
3. Memorize everything for ease of selling.
Photographers Mentioned in this Episode:
Links:
Website: someplaceimages.com
Instagram: @someplaceimages
Facebook: Someplace Images
Private Boudoir Facebook Group: Someplace Boudoir & Glamour
Email: carly@someplaceimages.com
Episode 84: Batman Lenses, Cruise Ships, and Burnout - Carly Jurach
Would you like to have a website that not only looked stunning, but more effectively communicated what your photography business is offering to potential clients?
In this new (and hilarious!) episode of the Bokeh podcast, Jeff Shipley and Jen Olmstead share how they’ve created a company that enables photographers to more effectively package and sell their photography brand through a website that actually reflects the photographer's personality, and converts new clients!
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.
Jeff’s Time Technique: He schedules his free time before anything else is scheduled.
Jen’s Time Technique: Having dedicated work days and dedicated mom days to create a productive, yet balance life was helpful. When she had her second child, she realized it is a constant evaluation of your time and what works for you.
Background on Tonic: Jeff & Jen met in an online Facebook group, met for drinks, and immediately knew that together, they could meet the needs of so many photographers on a budget.
Importance of Branding in your Website:
In branding your website, you want to ensure that you’re attracting your ideal clients, showing who you are, and what you do while still creating a beautiful visual.
How to Find Inspiration without Copying:
Find inspiration from multiple sources that will allow you to create something unique.
Photographer’s Mentioned in this Episode:
Links
Website: tonicsiteshop.com
Facebook: Tonic Site Shop
Instagram: @tonicsiteshop
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