The business of being creative, and coaching photographers on how to be a professional photographer is definitely something I’m very passionate about, so it’s always exciting for me to find others who are just as dedicated to the business and marketing of photography.

Sean Low, founder of the appropriately-titled “The Business Of Being Creative“ is one of those individuals that I’ve been privileged to encounter, and I’m proud to present a short interview with him that we recorded recently.

For many professional photographers, the fundamental ideas of mindset can seem like an alien place...

In our 38 minute chat, we talked about the importance of three of the basic factors that influence the success of a professional photographer in their business…

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Photography Business Interviews Business of Being Creative, photographer interview, photography business, Sean Low, success mindset

Time for another episode of “Ask The Photography Coach” – this time our questions come from a family portrait photographer who wants to know the best ways to encourage clients to leave online reviews, and how to combat the scenario where someone in the family attempts to derail the sales process by asking for all the images on CD so that they can edit the photographs themselves, and make their own prints.

So how can we elicit glowing testimonials or rave reviews from our clients that we can use as social proof of our photography business?

To find out, listen to a recording from a recent “ask the photography coach” call-in day where we talked at length about testimonials and how to approach the sales process to allow us to deal with the perennial question of giving all our photographs away on CD…

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Ask The Photography Coach photography business, photography coach, photos on CD, professional photographer, testimonials

Today’s post was inspired by a question posed by one of the members of our LinkedIn Photography Business and Marketing group. The question he raised was “Adding Value – how do you differentiate yourself?“, and I thought my response to this great question would make the basis for a more detailed post here on the blog.

As a professional photographer, you need to know what it is that YOU are doing differently to prove to your clients that you can provide a valuable service that’s worth the price you’re asking. You could also ask yourself what you’re doing that goes over and above the call of duty.

However, the real power of this question is in getting photographers to really think about what motivates their clients to work with them, and what makes them the obvious choice, rather than the photographer next door…

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Photography Business Ideas photography business, professional photographer, professional photography, USP

Are you a wedding photographer wondering how in the world to attract and book more clients willing to pay more than bargain-basement fees? Do you feel a little stuck in the trap of having to charge less than you want to, and can’t see your way out of it?

How to sell wedding photography is all about emotion and telling the right stories. For example, relating the story of this photograph to a potential client can elevate their emotional connection to the image, and help them understand more about the value these photographs will have for them.

What if you started out in your wedding photography business as a part-time photographer, charging lower rates for the sake of exposure or because you were new to the business, but now you want to match your fees with your real worth as a photographer, by serving a more discerning clientele?

How can you sell higher-end wedding photography when it seems that your market has been trained to respond only to low-end prices?

These were the questions posed to me by a photographer I spoke to this week during one of my “ask the photography coach” business breakthrough sessions, and he was kind enough to allow me to share our 45 minutes conversation on the topic with my Zenologue Insiders site members.

Listen in, and download the MP3 of this call for future reference, as we go into detail about how to attract the right clients, educate them on the value of what have to offer, eliminate the idea that price is the most important factor, and how to book weddings…

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Ask The Photography Coach photography business, photography coach, professional photographer, wedding photographer, wedding photography

A couple of weeks ago, I issued a challenge to professional photographers everywhere to write a post on their blog about a recent photograph they’d created, describing what it means to them, and their telling the story of their passion for photography.

Announcing the winners of our recent "Passion For Photography" blog writing contest...

The Professional Photographer Blog Contest was designed as a test to see how many of you are willing to communicate what it really means to you to be a photographer, pouring your heart and soul into everything you create for your clients.

After reading all the wonderful entries, and making the very hard decision to choose the winners, the results are finally in…

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General photography blog, photography business, professional photographer, professional photography, writing contest

To most people with a keen interest in photography, being a professional wildlife, nature and landscape photographer sounds like a glamorous business to be in, and there are certainly some amazing photographs to be created, but the same rules of business and marketing still apply if we’re to be successful at it.

Tony Bynum immerses himself fully into his subject of wildlife, nature and landscape photography

One such successful photographer is Tony Bynum, based in the beautiful and breathtaking scenery of Montana. Tony’s amazing images have appeared in countless magazines, and have been used extensively by the Montana office of tourism, and he graciously agreed to talk with me about his work and some of the challenges he faces in running a photography business that sells wildlife, nature and landscape imagery…

A beautiful and classic Montana landscape that has been one of Tony's most successful photographs

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Photography Business Interviews landscape photography, nature photography, photographer interview, photography business, Tony Bynum, wildlife photography

Following the amazing response to last week’s personal business breakthrough coaching sessions, I’ve decided to put my photography coach hat on for a wider audience this week with a FREE open Q&A call – Ask The Photography Coach.

Would you like to ask me your unanswered questions about your photography business, or do you need feedback or advice on a marketing strategy that you’re thinking about putting into action? What about photography SEO? Want to talk about the idea of hiring a photography coach?

How would you like to get your questions answered and benefit from an open discussion of the challenges other photographers are facing in business right now, many of them the very same ones that might be holding you back?

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Photography Business Coaching photography business, photography coach, professional photographer, professional photography

Do you know which mindset you’re using to run your photography business? When it all boils down, there are basically two types of professional photographer, one of which has a greatly improved chance of success in professional photography, compared to the other.

The two business personality types I’m referring to are responsible for many of the success stories in our industry, and almost all of the failures, and they are mutually exclusive in their nature.

No one is immune from either of these two business philosophies, which encapsulate the mental attitude we adopt, and the way we approach the operation of our photography studios.

Understanding how to create inspiring images is not the same as understanding how to create an inspiring business

You might as well face it – you’re either one or the other, and there’s no fence between them upon which to sit in quiet denial. On one side is possible success, on the other likely failure…

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Photography Business Coaching mindset, photography business, photography coach, professional photographer, professional photography

Photography marketing, and especially the idea of branding ourselves as passionate and trusted professional photographers, is something that sits at the very core of what we are. For example, in order for us to communicate anything meaningful about why we’re photographers in the first place, or why anyone should hire us, instead of the photographer down the street, we must first know who we are, and how to relate to the clients we’re meant to serve.

I happened to be thinking about the subject of branding and photography marketing this morning as a topic for today’s article when I serendipitously came across a very interesting and illuminating video interview with Sally Hogshead by Bryan Elliot on Mashable.

After watching the interview, in which Sally talks about the 7 most important personality triggers, I found myself fascinated by the idea of how these triggers might relate to those of us engaged in the business of being creative.

Take a look and share know your thoughts on this fascinating subject…

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Sales & Marketing branding, photography business, photography marketing, professional photography

I’m very passionate about the photography business, and I’m very serious about my mission to help other people learn how to be a professional photographer and find peace in their business. But, sometimes, I come across something that not only teaches me something valuable, but also makes me smile too, so I just had to share this with you today…

Do people ever say things to you that you either wish they hadn’t said, or leave you shaking your head, wondering why?

Well, you’re not the only professional photographer out there asking the question, “what were they thinking!?”

Check out this great video I came across today, that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at this very question…

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How To Be A Professional Photographer becoming a photographer, photography business, professional photographer, professional photography

Photography coach business breakthrough call-in day means you can stop and assess where you are before moving forward!

Do you have someone you can rely on to brainstorm ideas with to help solve the challenges and problems you face every day in your photography business?

Do you find yourself just wishing that you had a clear sense of direction and what you need to do to get there?

When I started out, I certainly wished I had a photography coach to call upon for help when I needed it, because we sometimes just need to STOP what we’re doing, and assess where we are, where we’re heading, and decide if we’re actually going in the right direction!

One of the major goals of this website, and my photography coaching business, is to try to help as many other professional photographers as possible.

The articles and interviews on this site are aimed at giving photographers material that can help them progress beyond the challenges they’re facing almost every day, but there is definitely more that I can do on a personal level.

Simply put, nothing beats personal 1-on-1 interaction with another human being who understands the challenges you’re facing, and that is precisely what I aim to provide…

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Photography Business Coaching photography business, photography coach, professional photography

How passionate are you about your business as a professional photographer? I mean, really, how much do you love what you do? Does it feel like the only thing you could see yourself doing? I would guess that most professional photographers would tell their clients that they’re super-passionate about their work, but I wonder how well can they actually put their passion and their creative photography ideas into words?

I thought it would be an interesting experiment to try to find out the answer…

Passion For Photography - Our 1st blog writing contest for the professional photographer

So, are you up for a little challenge?

How about a blog writing contest with some cool prizes into the bargain?

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General photography blog, photography business, professional photographer, professional photography, writing contest