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
Does your website describe you as more than just a photographer?
In episode 87 of the Bokeh Podcast, Phillip & Eileen Blume share how they turned their website into a personalized client experience that allows potential clients to connect with them. Listen in as they share how a trip to Guatemala gave them the confidence to adapt their business model to base solely on connection with clients and how that idea impacted the complete redesign of their website.
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, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Japanese References:
Tatami Mat
Fusuma - Doors that cover closets.
Shōji - Doors that separate rooms.
Aha Moment: When Phillip & Eileen weren’t sure that their business would last, they decided to take the funds they had left and help an organization in Guatemala. They were asked to create a video (with no experience) and ended up creating a feature length documentary. This allowed them to travel around the country showing the film, and gave them the confidence they needed to realize it was about connecting with people. They then applied this model to their business.
Tips For Starting Your Business:
1. Track your numbers and review them!
2. Find a Studio Management System
Maximizing Mini Sessions: $10K in One Weekend Webinar:
By registering for this free webinar, you'll learn their acclaimed maximizing system that's helping photographers profit more from one 20-minute session than most earn from an entire wedding. The Blumes will then explain you their old-school secrets to multiply ideal clients and skyrocket your business! Select a convenient time, then don't miss the detailed 80-minute web class with this inspiring TEDx duo, published business experts and working humanitarian photographers. Webinar space is limited. Click here to reserve your seat."
Three Steps to a More Personal Website:
1. Find a platform that works for you.
2. Create an interactive and personal experience on your site.
3. Personalize your about page so you can connect on a deeper level with clients.
4. Develop easy navigation.
5. Incorporate Video.
Links:
Website: theblumes.co
Instagram: @eileen_blume
Does the time investment of being an entrepreneur leave you missing out on making memories with your friends and family?
In episode 86, Abbey Kyhl of Seven Summers Creative shares about the moment she realized that in order to have a healthier work-life balance, a shift needed to be made in her business. This shift led her to a 24 hour work week. Listen in as she describes her journey to self-care and three tips for saving time that she has applied to her 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, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Abbey’s Aha Moment: Early in Abbey’s business, work was taking up too much of her time that should have been spent with her family. When Abbey realized that her son was aware of it, she knew she had to make a change.
Tool for Time: Schedule your time off before you schedule your clients.
The Gear Bag: 50mm 1.2
The Shift: Make a shift in your business with the top creative industry leaders teaching you how to hustle. Enroll here.
The 24 Hour Work Week: In this course, you’ll learn a step by step process of how to maintain your business and balance your personal life, while only working 24 hours a week.
3 Time Saving Tips:
1. Analyze the processes in your business based on the time it is taking up.
2. Experiment and determine when is the best time to work for you.
3. Review the work you’re doing and determine what, if anything, can be automated, delegated, or eliminated.
Photographers Mentioned in this Episode:
Eric O’Conner - Allori Photography
Links:
Website: Seven Summers Creative
Facebook Group: 7S Creatives
The 4-Hour Work Week - Tim Ferriss
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Does being a photography business owner seem chaotic and unorganized at times?
In episode 85, Tim Hussey, owner and lead developer of Pixifi, shares how a lack of organization in his photography business led to the development of a business management software. Listen as he describes the importance of having systems in place that will allow you to enjoy the freedom of entrepreneurship.
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, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Tim’s 1st Aha Moment: After his wedding, Tim realized how much he enjoyed the interaction with the photographer and loved the idea of being a photographer. So he went out on a whim, convinced his wife to get a camera, and took off from there.
Tim’s 2nd Aha Moment: After getting his start in photography, and realizing how unorganized he was, Tim thought, “I’m a software developer, why don’t I develop something to keep me organized.” Then Pixifi was born.
Tim’s 3rd Aha Moment: While building Pixifi and still working at the software company, he was overworking himself. Someone told him to take care of himself or he will burnout, so he did just that. Now he is a huge promoter of self-care.
What Sets Pixifi Apart:
Pixifi was built with the idea that every business is complex and needs options. While many other companies opt for a more simplistic approach to their system, Pixifi pushes the envelop with the ability to do more.
What to expect for 2018:
1. The ability to schedule texts to your clients as reminders.
2. A Production module that allows multiple clients, vendors, locations, etc. to be managed in one place, which is great for multi-day weddings or mini-sessions on the same day. This will allow you to do batch work on these items, such as emails and workflows.
Links
Facebook: Pixifi
Instagram: @pixifi
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Has your passion for photography and building a successful business led to burnout? You’re not alone!
In episode 84 of the Bokeh Podcast, Carly Jurach of Someplace Images shares how loving her role as a studio manager and photographer on a popular cruise ship led her to experience burnout. Listen in as she describes her experience with overcoming burnout by focusing on the opportunities she was most passionate about.
The Bokeh podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Post-Production for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Carly’s Aha Moment: When her business became overwhelming and lonely, she realized she needed an accountability partner. Once she found one, she realized how valuable it is to have someone checking in on you and making sure you’re running your business how you should.
Where Carly Studied:
Savannah College of Art & Design
Lacoste School of the Arts in Lacoste, France
Companies Carly Worked as a Photographer for:
Norwegian Cruise Lines: Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Gem Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Sun
Carly’s Tip for Burnout: Pick and choose your clients that align with the things you’re most passionate about.
Links:
Website: someplaceimages.com
Personal Instagram: @carlysomeplace
Business Instagram: @someplaceimages
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Are you looking to specialize in a very targeted niche, with no idea of how to market it?
In episode 83, photographer Cherry Thomas shares the one move she made that allowed her to turn her dream of photographing local elopements into a reality. Listen in as Cherry explains how a single blog post changed her career and the steps she took to make her specialized niche a success.
The Bokeh podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Post-Production for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
About Cherry: Cherry is a Santa Barbara based photographer, specializing in elopements at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. When she’s not capturing the love of a special elopement, you can find her with her husband enjoying Star Trek, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings.
Cherry’s Aha Moment: When she realized that she no longer wanted to convince someone to hire her through what seemed like an interview, she decided to stop listing out her “qualifications,” change her credentials to things about her, and be herself. Soon after, she began booking clients with similar interests as her or just because they felt like they knew her.
How Cherry Books Elopements in Santa Barbara: She created a page that explained step-by-step how to elope at the local Santa Barbara courthouse. This allowed for her to be found by couples coming in from out of town. Through the resources she provided, the couples immediately wanted to book her.
Photographers Mentioned in This Episode:
Jose Villa
Ansel Adams
Andrejka Hirshegger
Episode #56: How to Communicate with Your Clients
Episode #15: A Photographer’s Gypsy Life
Links:
Yoast
Instagram: @bycherryphotography
Website: bycherryphotography.com
Blog Post: How To Get Married At The Santa Barbara Courthouse
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Are you struggling to find balance and harmony while running a photography business?
In episode 82, Laura Neff of Laura Lee Photography explains how finding harmony in your business and life can be achieved through efficiency, simplifying your systems, and working smarter. Listen in as she provides six steps that will help you make more money and have more time for your family, friends, and yourself.
The Bokeh podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Post-Production for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
About Laura: Laura is a New Jersey + worldwide wedding and brand photographer preserving memories for adventurous, fun-loving couples and heart-driven creative brands. In addition to running a very successful photography business, she educates the creative community on all things workflow, systems, productivity and time management! She's obsessed with firepits, sweet wine, deep conversation, elephants, and showing off her horrible dance moves at any given moment. Laura is on a mission for entrepreneurs to schedule more date nights, brunch weekends, and vacations as a result of finding work-life balance while running a thriving business!
Laura’s Aha Moment: Before her official transition to full time photography, Laura experienced overwhelming burnout during that first busy season. At that moment, she knew there had to be some type of workflow that would automate her client’s experience. That was when she realized that she needed to work smarter, not harder, by implementing a CRM system.
Technique for Balance: Schedule everything. As an entrepreneur, your job can overlap into your personal life, so scheduling personal things, such as date nights, can help create a balance.
What Harmony Means to Laura Neff:
Feeling fulfilled & successful in both life and business, through balance, success, and happiness.
6 Steps to Harmony in Business and Life:
1. Define your “non-negotiables."
2. Define your values in life and business.
3. Choose a word or phrase for the year.
4. Define your ideal lifestyle.
5. Set your goals.
6. Say “no” to the things that do not fit within your non-negotiables or your values.
Download Laura’s Free Workbook: Intentionally Designing Your Life and Business here!
Laura’s Non-Negotiables:
1. Weekends that are not spent photographing weddings are spent with her friends and family. This means no engagement or portrait sessions on the weekends.
2. Meetings are only scheduled on specific days on the week so she has two full workdays to accomplish her tasks.
3. As a co-leader in her local Tuesdays Together group, she makes sure that she attends every meeting.
4. Only shoot three portrait sessions a week.
Laura’s Values:
1. Relationships
2. Self-Care
3. Adventure
4. Community
5. Gratitude
6. Freedom
7. Balance
8. Passion
9. Learning & Teaching
Laura’s 2017 Words and Phrase:
Words: Growth & Impact
Phrase: Get out of your comfort zone!
Laura’s 2017 Goals Achieved:
1. Grow her newsletter list to 10,000 people.
2. Be a guest on 5 podcasts.
3. Host 2 webinars.
The Fireside Retreat:
Keep an eye out for Laura’s workshop where she walks throug
Do you find that your clients struggle with comfort and beauty during their boudoir shoots?
In episode 81, Rachael Schirano shares how she makes her clients feel comfortable and beautiful in her boudoir experience from start to finish. Listen as she shares her journey with photography, her passion behind boudoir, and the inviting environment she has set up to ease her clients’ nerves.
The Bokeh podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Post-Production for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Rachael’s Aha Moment: In the fall of 2012, she was going through a mentorship that allowed her to explore different types of photography. Her mentor continued to tell her that she should go into wedding photography, which was something she logically thought she didn’t want to do. It wasn’t until her mentor continued to repeat back to her what Rachael was saying that she realized she needed to make the switch to wedding photography. While it wasn’t in her plan, it became her passion. Sometimes what you think you want isn’t what you need.
Technique for Getting Work Done: Rachael recently got rid of her laptop and only uses her desktop for work. This requires her to really concentrate and focus on the task at hand and not get distracted by her surroundings.
The Boudoir Experience:
Links
Website: Rachaelschirano.com
Instagram: @rachaelschirano
Facebook: Rachael Schirano Photography
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See
Do you ever get disappointed turning away clients because you’re already booked?
In episode 79, Amy & Tavis Guild of Memory Montage Photography share how they solved this problem by hiring a team of photographers under their brand. Listen in as they describe the process of hiring, training, and successfully managing their team of photographers.
The Bokeh podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Post-Production for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Amy & Tavis’ Aha Moment: For years, Amy & Tavis had taken extra time in their business to set up tools and systems to help manage and operate. It wasn’t until Amy was hospitalized for a long period of time that they realized the benefit that these systems had on their business by continuing to run their it when they couldn’t.
Team Overview: Amy & Tavis have created a team of photographers who had experience, but weren’t wanting to manage the business aspects of a wedding. Their team consist of 6 photographers who are available to work in pairs on wedding days.
Preparing to Join the Team: Each photographer joined Memory Montage for a summer internship before coming on as a member of the primary team. This allowed them to shadow Amy & Tavis at weddings to get an understanding of how the Memory Montage Brand would handle things.
Workflow for the Memory Montage Team:
1. The studio manager gets the inquiry, shares the availability and pricing of each team, then sets up the booking.
2. The photographers assigned will meet with the clients before their wedding to get to know them and review the wedding day timeline.
3. The photographers assigned will photograph the wedding, then leave the cards with Amy & Tavis.
4. Amy & Tavis will send the photographs to Photographer’s Edit to edit all of their images. Then they'll handle the delivery of the images to the clients.
Links:
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
Website: memorymp.com
Instagram: @memorymontagephotography
Facebook: Memory Montage Photography
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Are you overworking yourself and missing out on time with your family?
In episode 78 of the Bokeh Podcast, Erin Hernandez-Reisner shares how a horrific personal experience drastically shifted her perspective about work-life balance, changed her relationships with her clients, and led to a 20-hour workweek!
The Bokeh podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Post-Production for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Erin’s Aha Moment: When Erin’s daughter suffered a spinal injury, her business was put on hold. During that time away she realized that some of her customers were truly invested in her business and supported her family. She had taken the time to connect with her clients and it had benefited her business in a way she had never imagined it.
Erin’s Three Goals to Define Her Success:
1. Build a business that provided her with enough money to do life comfortably.
2. Have the balance that allowed her to spend quality time with her family.
3. Make the effort to see the world and travel.
Connecting With Their Wedding Clients: When Erin realized that her wedding clients weren't just the couple, but also the families of the couple, she quickly changed her approach to client relationships to include them. Giving the opportunity to the couple to allow their parents to be part of their viewing or have their own and order prints, grew her business significantly.
The Benefits of Viewing Photographs with Clients:
1. ou get to see the reaction and impact your work has made on them.
2. Clients share their favorite images with you and want your recommendations how to use them in albums and prints.
3. You can grow your business by offering the family that same option as your couples and allow them to order prints and albums.
Links:
Book Recommendation: Re-Awaken The Giant Within - Tony Robins
Website: Photosedge.com
Instagram: @photos.edge
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