Unpopular Opinions with Sandra Coan | A Photography & Business Podcast

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**Unpopular Opinions with Sandra Coan | A Photography & Business Podcast**

The go-to podcast for maternity, newborn and family photographers looking for insight into the art and business of photography.

Sandra Coan is an award winning photographer, industry educator and best selling author with over 25 years experience working in the photography industry. On this podcast, she’s sharing every thing she’s learned over the course of her career. No holding back. No gate keeping. Just real talk and honest opinions, even if they’re unpopular.

To learn more visit: www.sandracoanstudios.com
Instagram: @sandracoan

Latest Episodes:

The Real Cost of Natural Light Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

I don't know what it's like where you live, but I live in Seattle, WA, and it is starting to feel like fall.

The days are already getting a little shorter.

The evenings are cool. We even have rain in the forecast again…

And very soon, our days are going to be much shorter, and for natural light photographers, that means our potential working hours also take a cut

If you're a photographer who works with natural light, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Summer gives us long days. And those long days, give us options…Then the season changes and our window for "good light" gets smaller and smaller. And what really sucks, is that this change in light happens just as the busy fall season is picking up.

So, just as our bookings are increasing, our light starts leaving us.

Now, if you listen to this podcast then you probably already know that I love working with strobes and flash, and you’re probably think that thats what I’m going to pivot into….

But I also know that there are many photographers who work exclusively with natural light and LOVE natural light, and so it thats you, then please stay, because I actually wrote this episode for you…

There is a cost to being a natural light photographer that nobody talks about. And honestly, if someone would have had this conversation with me at the beginning of my career, ti would have saved me years of stress and years of wasted time and money.

So lets talk about it…

SHOWNOTES:

https://sandracoanstudios.com/the-real-cost-of-natural-light/

Lighting on Location: https://www.sandracoaneducation.com/lighting-on-location

The Problem with Online Classes Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever bought a photography class that you were absolutely convinced was going to change your business...

And you log in, do the work, finish it and realize... not much actually changed?

Maybe you learned something.

Maybe the instructor was fantastic.

Maybe the course delivered exactly what it promised.

But somehow...

Your business still looked the same.

If you've ever had that experience, I want to suggest something that might surprise you.

I don't think you bought the wrong class.

I think you were trying to solve the wrong problem. So lets talk about it.

Read the Shownotes: https://sandracoanstudios.com/the-problem-with-online-photography-classes/

Book a One-On-One with Sandra: http://calendly.com/sandracoaneducation/sandra-coan-certification?month=2026-08

Do You Trust Yourself? Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever finished a session and thought… “that was amazing! I totally nailed it!”

The light was beautiful.

Your clients were perfect and easy to work with

Everything just worked.

And then you get some, you get the images on the computer and you think, yes, These are exactly the kinds of photographs I always wanted to create."

And then, almost immediately, you think.

"Can I do it again, or did I just get lucky?"

If you've ever felt that way, this episode is for you.

Because today I want to talk about something I don't hear photographers discussing nearly enough.

Not lighting.

Not marketing.

Not posing.

But Self-trust.

Because after nearly three decades of photographing families and teaching photographers around the world, I've become convinced that self-trust is honestly the biggest difference between photographers who stay stuck and frustrated and photographers who build long, sustainable careers. So let's talk about it.

Two Things You Need to Know to Get Beautiful, Natural-Looking Light with Off-Camera Flash Jul 22, 2026

Show notes

Fall busy season is coming, and so are shorter days. If off-camera flash still feels intimidating, this episode is for you.

Sandra breaks down the only two things you actually need to know to get beautiful, natural-looking light with strobes and flash — and shows you how you already know more than you think, just from working with natural light.

No complicated studio setups, no jargon overload. Just two simple questions that'll change how you shoot for the rest of busy season.

SHOWNOTES: https://sandracoanstudios.com/two-things-you-need-to-know-to-get-beautiful-natural-looking-light-with-off-camera-flash/

The Missing Link is ideal if you work in a studio space.

Lighting on Location is perfect if you primarily work in your clients' homes.

Do You Want To Quit Sometimes? Me Too. Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

I started my business in 1999, which means this is my 27th year doing this as my career. I’ve been in my studio for 20 years. I run an education company that has served thousands of photographers around the world. I’ve written two books, spoken at countless industry events and conferences, so by all accounts I’ve had a pretty successful career as a photographer.

And yet, at least once a month, I say to my husband, or my best friend, or my assistant something to the effect of, “Maybe I should just quit and get a job at Starbucks.”

In fact I said something to that effect just this morning at my team meeting.

And I can’t be the only professional photographer who has moments of feeling that way. Right?

Let's talk about it!

SHOWNOTES: https://sandracoanstudios.com/do-you-want-to-quit-sometimes-me-too/

Marketing Has Come Full Circle (And Here's Why That's Good News) Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

This is Unpopular Opinions, and today's unpopular opinion is this: your website and your blog are more important than ever. And AI is the new word of mouth marketing.

Read the shownotes: https://sandracoanstudios.com/marketing-has-come-full-circle-and-heres-why-thats-good-news/

How ChatGPT Booked Me a Client at 3am Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

Lately I've been talking about the new changes AI has brought to how clients find our businesses.

Today I'm going to share a story about how client-centered marketing booked me a client while I slept.

We'll discuss the data behind it and what you can do to build an online presence that answers real questions in a way that Google and AI can find and recommend.

Join the Waitlist for my new six-week visibility sprint — Searchlight.

Your Problem Isn't Your Marketing Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

A few weeks ago I sent a survey to my email list asking them to identify their biggest business struggle. 71% identified marketing as their biggest hurdle in their business.

And honestly, that doesn’t really surprise me. I’ve been mentoring and coaching other photographers for over a decade and photographers often tell me that marketing is there biggest struggle…

But, what does that even mean?

This week on the podcast, we're going to break down what it really means to struggle with marketing and how you can take concrete steps towards being found by your ideal client.

JOIN THE WAITLIST: https://sandra-coan-photography.kit.com/ccba991e0a

SHOWNOTES: https://sandracoanstudios.com/your-problem-isnt-your-marketing/

Three Things Twenty Years In My Studio Taught Me Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Twenty years ago, I signed a lease terrified, alone, with twin newborn twins at home and no guarantee any of it would work.

I had no idea what I was doing. Just rent to pay, and a gut feeling I couldn't shake.

What I know now is that the studio didn't just give me a place to work. It gave me a style, a community, a career I couldn't have predicted.

It pushed me to learn things I never would have sought out on my own, and it kept me accountable when it would have been easier to walk away.

The take away? Do the scary thing. You may be surprised by where it leads you.

Listen to the whole episode to learn more!

SHOWNOTES:

https://sandracoanstudios.com/what-twenty-years-in-my-photography-studio-taught-me/

Are you ready to take the next step in your photography career? Join the waitlist for my new class and let's make sure you're showing up!

How to Photograph the Holidays, Even When the Light is Terrible! Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

The holidays are coming up and that means holiday photos! But how do you capture that fabulous holiday ambience when the light is terrible?

We're going to talk about the challenges of lighting holiday photos and my tips and tricks (yes, we're talking about off-camera flash) for conquering them!

The holidays are full of real emotional, beautiful moments and they deserve to be photographed well! It's a little tricky to learn lighting on a podcast so I'm starting a lighting series tackling holiday lighting on my Instagram!

Follow along with my new Festival of Lights series starting next week!

And if you want to get a head start on your in home lighting, be sure to check out my course, Lighting on Location: Off Camera Flash for In-Home Photographers, currently 50% off for a limited time!

Lighting on Location

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