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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Have you asked yourself lately if what you're doing in your life and your business is helping you move forward?
In episode 568 of The Bokeh Podcast, Cindy Ames joins us to provide advice on how to move beyond introversion tendencies when running your photography business. Tune in to gain insight about behavioral tendencies, limiting beliefs, and ideas on how to shift your perspective to get the most out of your life and your business.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (3:16)
Creating a great customer experience (9:31)
Technique for time management (13:52)
Book recommendation (17:41)
Fierce Self Compassion by Dr. Kristin Neff
Defining Introversion (23:25)
Is introversion learned or innate? (23:56)
Is there a reason why someone would lead a conversation stating that they are an introvert? (28:50)
How do you establish what behavioral tendencies serve you? (34:51)
5 Ways to Move Beyond Introverted Tendencies (37:45)
1. Looking at Your Mindset
2. Focus on Your Clients Needs
3. Take small breaks and focus on breathing
4. Schedule time to reboot after a session
5. Hire a life coach
Taking note of your behavioral tendencies (47:47)
- Self-examination
- Ask "How might I help myself?"
How to be comfortable with yourself and not taking on a client's energy (54:03)
Links:
Underwater photography is a beautifully unique and niche market to pursue, but before you dive in and buy all new shiny equipment, it's important to know if you're ready for a whole new world of photography!
For episode 567 of The Bokeh Podcast, we are joined by Elizabeth Blank to talk about the ins and outs of underwater portrait photography and how to get started! From learning about the intricacies of shooting in a different environment down to the importance of knowing why you want to pursue a niche genre, Elizabeth covers both the exciting and challenging aspects of underwater photography.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (3:38)
What type of environments is Elizabeth photographing in? (5:56)
Was the choice of underwater photography intentional from a competition standpoint? (8:44)
What is the demand like for underwater photography as a niche market? (11:50)
Going outside the local market to find clients (14:38)
Creating a great customer experience (16:07)
Technique for time management (22:31)
Outsourcing/Delegation (24:23)
Book recommendation (32:10)
The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
Biggest Challenges with Underwater Photography (35:06)
1. Learning a new genre of photography
2. Logistics
Favorite Part of Underwater Photography (38:41)
6 Steps to Starting an Underwater Photography Business (40:17)
1. Liability Insurance
2. Choose Your Equipment
3. Know Where to Shoot
4. Understand Your Ideal Client and Know Your Marketplace
5. Understand Lightroom and Photoshop
6. Be Creative with What You Offer
Links:
Usually, when you think of livestreaming you think of trouble logging in, lousy wifi, and "Grandma can you hear me? Flip your camera!" And in the world we live in now, with smaller weddings, elopements, and destination weddings, even if everyone can't be in attendance, clients still want to share their special moments with loved ones. So, how can you provide a service that's simple to use, and helps your clients, while also growing your business?
Our guest, Julia Eskin of EventLive.pro is here to help in episode 566 of The Bokeh Podcast! Tune in to hear how EventLive started and how it can help you create more income for your wedding photography business while also giving your clients the opportunity to share their wedding with guests that couldn't be in attendance. Definitely a win-win for both parties!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Julia's Photography Background (3:06)
Julia's Website Design (4:27)
Brand position (7:44)
Creating a great customer experience (10:30)
Technique for time management (14:09)
Book recommendation (16:02)
Outsourcing/Delegation (18:20)
The Reasoning for Outsourcing Certain Tasks (22:09)
EventLive Backstory (25:31)
What did you think about competition when creating EventLive? (30:38)
How photographers can use livestreaming as a second stream of revenue? (35:21)
How to minimize potential distraction when both shooting and livestreaming (39:15)
Steps on Offering Livestreaming (40:15)
1. Visit EventLive.pro/business
2. Register and Download App
3. Run Free Testing to Learn How the App Works
4. Add Your Own Logo and Brand
5. Get a Phone Mount
6. A Bluetooth Microphone is recommended
Links:
Taking the leap from journalism photography to wedding photography isn't an easy feat, but if you're going to make the jump, the best way to do it is to land in a (brand) position that you've planned for!
In episode 565 of The Bokeh Podcast, we sit down for a brand consultation with Alex MacNaughton on how to create a wedding photography business with affordable pricing in mind. Listen in to hear advice on branding, marketing, creating a website, and many more facets of a photography business, plus amazing resources to get started!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Alex's Photography Background (6:36)
What drew Alex into wanting to shoot weddings (14:07)
Thoughts on reaching financial goals without becoming burned out (20:51)
Brand Positioning of Competition (24:36)
Brand Position Statement (29:55)
Pricing (33:43)
Post Process Services (38:08)
Website and SEO (44:00)
Marketing (54:32)
1. Google Performance Max
2. Facebook and Instagram
Workflow (1:06:37)
- CRMs
- Calendly
- Google Suite
Links:
Episode 432: SEO for Photographers - Corey Potter & Dylan Howell
Episode 511: UX and SEO for Higher Website Conversions - Julia Bocchese
Surprisingly, having an affinity for Sesame Street can be a great way to market your business. But it's all up to how you can turn that interest, or any part of your brand personality, into value for your clients!
In episode 564 of The Bokeh Podcast, we have our amazing returning guest, Lisa Aihara, join us to talk about branding and how to find a balance between presenting personality and value proposition. Tune in for advice on defining both your personality and the value of your brand and how to effectively market your brand to potential clients through your website.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Do you think there's a reason why photographers follow brand style trends? (10:16)
Why is "filling your cup" as a photographer important when the industry is about serving clients? (15:55)
What does "being who you are" mean to Lisa (19:25)
When people only read a website for 55 seconds, do we have time to communicate our personality effectively on our website? (32:50)
Where's the balance between personality and value proposition? (36:40)
How can the stage a business is in can affect the level of priority you give to personality vs value proposition? (40:30)
Ways to bring personality and value proposition to your website (45:00)
1. Look at your website analytics
2. Use story prioritization
Recommended Tools for Website Analytics (46:30)
- Google Analytics
- Instagram Insights
- Squarespace
How to use stories to communicate and connect with clients on your website (56:18)
Links:
You could always photograph a wedding just to document it, but where's the fun in that? A picture is worth a thousand words, so why not create a beautiful story!
In episode 563 of The Bokeh Podcast, Tom Russo shares the importance of details when photographing a wedding story and how the moments around the typical wedding shot list are just as vital and cherishable to storytelling as the main event! Tune in to hear great advice on how to plan and what to consider when photographing a wedding story.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (5:02)
Creating a great customer experience (6:19)
Technique for time management (25:32)
Outsourcing/Delegation (30:05)
Book/Educational recommendation (35:38)
How Tom Defines Storytelling (40:46)
Do you feel photographers don't focus on the family and guests as much during weddings? (46:39)
Key Touchpoints when Telling a Story for a Wedding (49:17)
Should you base your photography on shot lists from the client or a template when storytelling? (52:41)
With a focus on attention to detail, do you feel there's a tendency to overshoot? (56:45)
Thoughts on delivering clients a large number of images (59:51)
Links:
instagram.com/tomrussophotography
Jordan Correces: Episode 214 & Episode 428
There are very few people that fall into the 1% of modeling perfection, so why in the world would we expect that of teenagers who are still learning and growing?
In episode 562 of the Bokeh Podcast, Mary Vance explains how she photographs "the other 99%" of seniors with a focus on inclusivity and authenticity. Tune in to hear great advice on how to simplify your approach to senior photography and tips on how to successfully engage with teenagers to simple ways on how to pose seniors during their session.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (5:05)
What is it like to be inclusive with seniors who are more outside of the box (6:45)
Creating a great customer experience (12:48)
Technique for time management (15:25)
Outsourcing/Delegation (18:59)
Book recommendation (26:53)
How to sum up the approach towards senior photography (31:53)
What made Mary want to change her approach toward senior photography (33:40)
Why in senior photography has the "model look" become the industry standard? (37:52)
Supplementing slower seasons in your business model (40:25)
Engaging and talking with seniors in an authentic way (42:14)
Don't's
1. Don't add pressure by asking about the future
2. Don't make assumptions about them
3. Don't cross the line
Do's
1. Do ask their pronouns
2. Do ask about their interests
3. Do repeat their answers back to them and have follow up questions
Simple Senior Photography Posing (53:23)
What lead Mary to a different approach toward senior photography posing (58:23)
Examples of Simple Poses (1:01:09)
1. Standing (1:01:35)
2. Seated (1:03:06)
3. Walking (1:04:30)
Three Poses to Avoid Visuals (1:07:05)
instagram.com/maryvancephotography
Steps to Simplify Your Approach to Senior Photography (1:08:11)
Practical
1. Learn your light and gear
2. Outsourcing
3. Simplify your intake form
Mindset
1. Let go of the "shoulds"
2. Stop focusing on your competition
3. If you don't know, ask
Links:
From the extreme of over-sharing on social media to hiding behind color schemes and logos, it's important to learn how to find a sense of branding balance for yourself and successfully build a connection with your clients!
In episode 561 of the Bokeh Podcast, Kelsey Kurtis gives fantastic insight on how to build a brand through connection in a thoughtful and balanced way! Listen in to hear more great advice and learn even more in-depth information from her book "The Connection Method".
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (3:47)
Creating a great customer experience (7:14)
Technique for time management (8:56)
Outsourcing/Delegation (10:57)
Book recommendation (15:21)
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
WTF Moment (17:23)
Motivation and Backstory of Kelsey's book (19:17)
Who You Are vs What You Offer (24:12)
Confirming That Your Brand Makes Sense for You (28:09)
Defining Connection Based Branding (32:44)
4 Goals of Connection Based Branding (37:00)
1. Bringing Humanity Back into Your Business
2. Clarity in Your Direction
3. Confidence
4. Connection and Impact
Defining Branding Words (39:35)
The Difference Between Branding Words, Brand Position, and Mission Statement (42:03)
Gap Characteristics (46:38)
Gap Characteristics: Personality vs. Brand (50:16)
How to Be Vulnerable Without Going Overboard (53:46)
Links:
Want to really grab the attention of potential clients? Save the flowery wording for poems and spring flowers!
In episode 560 of the Bokeh Podcast, our host Nathan Holritz goes solo to give insight and advice on how to define your brand position, with a new and improved worksheet to guide you along the way! Tune in and be sure to download the FREE worksheet from mybrandposition.com to have a step-by-step guide through the episode.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Download the Free Updated Brand Position Worksheet at http://mybrandposition.com
Definition of a Brand Position Statement (5:19)
5 Benefits of a Clear and Distinct Brand Position (6:08)
1. Enables my business to stand out amidst the masses
2. Potential clients immediately know my unique value proposition
3. Filters irrelevant potential clients
4. Simplifies/focuses my marketing efforts
5. Encourages better time management
6 Steps to Establishing a Clear, Distinct, and Effective Brand Position (9:30)
1. Establish a Big Picture View (9:36)
- Values
- Financial Goals
- Time Goals
2. Study Your Market (16:34)
3. Choose Your Position (21:26)
- Be the first to offer a service
- Be the first to own a service
- Offer a unique variation of a service
- Offer the service to a specific market segment
4. Refine Your Messaging (30:48)
- Use relevant language
- Be practical and direct
- Be simple
- Statement template (service, variation on the service, location, target market)
5. Share Your Brand Position Statement Prominently (46:10)
- Above the fold on the home page of your website
- Use big, bold font that is easily legible in a few seconds
- Copy the same message to all social media profiles
6. Match the Experience with the Message (54:10)
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/bokehpodcast/
Yes, trips to Dubai and Cancun are exciting, fun, beautiful, and sunny (gosh we wish we were there), but how does a photographer, even without a large social media presence, become so successful? It's all about the values cultivated behind the scenes that build a business!
In episode 559 of the Bokeh Podcast, Andre Brown speaks on the principles for building a business based on important values and multiple learning experiences. Tune in to hear all the amazing advice and insight on the importance of consistency, networking, and most of all, integrity!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
What is the intention of not posting everything happening in your business? (8:26)
Why do you think you have successful business while not having much social media presence? (11:17)
Creating a great customer experience (13:19)
Brand Position (15:23)
Technique for time management (19:08)
Outsourcing/Delegation (21:02)
Handling burnout (24:53)
Book recommendations (29:39)
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
I Will Teach You How to be Rich by Ramit Sethi
Experience in the Music Industry (33:21)
Principles Learned from the Music Industry Used in the Photography Industry (35:13)
- Networking
- Nurturing Relationships
How do you stay away from the tendency of "fakeness" when networking? (39:02)
Driving Principles for Building a Business (41:31)
- Integrity
- Consistency
- Relationship Building
What does integrity specifically mean to you? (44:06)
How do you show up consistently for your clients and schedule? (47:58)
Suggestions for stepping beyond introversion (53:43)
Links:
http://instagram.com/andrebrownphoto
TikTok - @andrebrownphoto
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