Commercial Photographer: Your Guide to Marketing, Creativity and Growth

This week, Marcus and Sam discuss the hotly debated topic of “Do you need a photography degree/qualification to be a commercial photographer” and what’s the alternative?

This is the first ever episode of Shoot to the Top and we are sharing it with you as Marcus and Sam are taking a little summer break.

Marcus, no surprise, being an ex senior Lecturer in photography comes down in favour! But for reasons that may not be obvious. Sam asks probing questions and has an alarming stat of the Day.

This show is just perfect if you are trying to decide whether to spend your hard earned cash on going to university.

Once you've weighed up education against experience, The One Skill That Will Transform Your Photography Business narrows it down further.

Kirsten Luts is a commercial portrait photographer on theoutskirts of London. He is also the host of the Camera Shake podcast. Kirsten uses podcasting and video (on YouTube) as a large part of his marketing.
The first thing to think about before starting a podcast or YouTube channel, you’ve go to think about why you are doing it. It could be getting more clients, or it could be a passion project. For Kirsten, it was to give him something creative to do during the COVID lockdowns when all his photography work had stopped. He says he learned a lot from some of the best photographers of our time.
Kirsten says that initially, he spent a lot of time and money on the podcast. It didn’t bring in money. But it has brought him a lot of opportunities, for example, speaking at photography shows. So the podcast has brought opportunities rather than directly making money. And those opportunities often lead to making money and to doing interesting things.  Consistency is important when making a podcast of videos. There is a whole show about consistency here .

Working with someone else is also very helpful. This canmotivate you and help you to be consistent. Kirsten started their podcast on YouTube as well as on Spotify and Apple. He says that his podcast was terrible at the start, but they learnt and got better, and it’s important, in any project, to make that start, and not wait for perfection. Kirtsen is amazed by the guests that he managed to get on the show. Before he started, he made a list of guests he would love to have, and he’s managed to have all of those guests on the show.
Marcus asks Kirtsen for tips if you are going to start a podcast or YouTube channel.  Kirsten says the first thing is to think about your audience and the topic. The topic has to be interesting and engaging for your target audience.
We move on to video, and Kirtsen says that if you are not offering clients video as part of your work a using it as part of your marketing, you will end up behind other photographers that are offering this. He thinks video is much more of a threat to a still photographer than AI is. It’s not a big jump to go from stills to video. Much of the technique is similar, such as lighting and exposure.
Speaking of video, Shoot to the Top is now on YouTube, and you can watch it here.

Go and listen to Emergency Marketing Kit: 5 Low Cost Commercial Photography Marketing Strategies You Need NOW for more ways to raise your profile without a big budget.

 Marcus says that Flash used to be challenging many years ago. But now life is much simpler. Sam asks about Chinese copy brands, but Marcus says that with modern lighting, the Chinese equipment isn’t a copy; they are the originators. Marcus is going to be talking about Godox lighting, which is sometimes known by a couple of other brand names. He is going to give anideal kit to have with you. Marcus says you want your lighting all to be the same brand; otherwise, your lights will not communicate with each other, so this is essential.

A handheld or on-camera mounted flash is what we are goingto talk about first. Sam digs out one of these from his cupboard. Marcus says these simple flashes are great and often five times cheaper than the camera brand flashes. Godox’s camera flash is called the V1. This is the basic start, and it goes onto the hot shoe of your camera. The next level up is to get aremote that goes onto your hot shoe. That allows you to put your flash where you want; it is no longer tied to the camera. Once you have a remote, all other flashes need to be the same brand to communicate with the remote.

The next thing needed is a main light. Marcus recommends that if you get one, then a Godox pro light, which is near the top of the range, is worth getting. The flash head is very large on the Godox pro range, which Marcus likes. The flash head is also diffuse, and the glass is diffuse, not clear. Marcus also says he recommends going for a high-power flash. The main reason is that the batteries are so good and have almost no time to recharge between shots. Marcus also says that some of these lights can also separate the light and battery, so the lighter light can be on a stand without the battery being on the stand too.
Finally, Marcus talks about a modifier. A modifier goes onto the light to modify it. Marcus says the best modifier to get is an umbrella.  Marcus doesn’t recommend the Godox umbrella.He recommends going for a more expensive umbrella. He says they last longer, and reflective material is better. He recommends getting an umbrella that is at least 1 metre across. There is also an alternative to an umbrella, which Marcus describes.

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Got the kit sorted? The Flash Settings Most Photographers Never Check makes sure you're using it properly.

Jay Garrido is a Mozambican photographer. He studied film inCape Town. However, the film industry in Mozambique is not very developed, so he turned to photography. He started with weddings but transitioned to magazine work and now wants to return to his creative roots. While in Cape Town, there was a diverse mix of people from various cultures.

Marcus asks about photography in Africa. Jay talks about photographer Mario Macilau.  He grew up in a poor neighbourhood. By chance, he got his hands on a camera that was donated to him because his photos were so good. He is now a top photographer. Jay says there is a lot of culture to present through photography. He says the market is growing exponentially. There is a school of photography in Cape Town where lots of experimental photography and he got to see lots of their work while in Cape Town.
Jay says the commercial market in Mozambique is also growing. He had an opportunity to work with a high-level Portuguese magazine. He felt working with them forced him to level up his work. After that, he worked with Indico for 5years, which is the magazine of the Mozambican airline. This meant he didn’t just work for the magazine but also with the businesses advertising in the magazine. This helped him move into commercial photography. He says the commercial market is growing rapidly, as it is in many other African countrieslike Angola and Nigeria.
Jay is sure that good photographers coming to Mozambique with their style would make a lot of money. Jay says that the photographers who do their own look are well ahead of everyone else and can pick who they work with. Jay has also worked for agencies here in Mozambique, both in photography and video work. He wants to eventually become a director of photography once the film industry starts to develop. He has managed to spend time shadowing a Portuguese director of photography.
Jay has got a lot of work from word of mouth. His work with the magazine meant he met a lot of people in business. He has also found that wedding work has led to commercial work due to the people he has met at the weddings, who liked his work.
Jay and Marcus also discuss weddings in Mozambique. Mozambique has some stunning beaches and five-star resorts, which are amazing for weddings. Marcus likes the sound of Mozambique and wonders if he should move out to join Jay and Sam.

The podcast is now on YouTube, and you can see our YouTube channel here.

You can reach out to Jay on Instagram here

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Fancy a fresh perspective on the business side? Meet Business Expert, Zoe Wadsworth is next up.

Are you a commercial photographer who undervalues the headshot? 30 year veteran Nick Gregan explains why a single portrait holds the power to make or break a career. Learn why specialisation, confidence, andconnection are the keys to premium headshot photography and effective marketing for photographers.

• The Career Catalyst: Discover why a powerful photograph carries the potential to launch a career, and the heavy consequences for your clients if you approach their headshot photography without expertise.

• The Two Techniques: Learn Nick's unique system for building instant client rapport and capturing authentic personality, a crucial skill for successful marketing for photographers.

• The Artisan Model: Find out why Nick moved away from high volume, low cost work, and how adopting an "artisan" model allowed him to increase his rates and transform his business significantly.

⁠Get the Commercial Photographer Guide to marketing and Creativity here. ⁠

Toby Lee knows exactly what's at stake here. Guest Interview with Toby Lee, Headshot Photographer takes the conversation further.

Stephanie Belton has spent twenty years building a corporate photography business in St Albans, and she's built her marketing around one question: what actually triggers someone to book a photographer? She explains how a single, specific landing page can make a business look like it only does one thing, why she gives away free headshots to build local buzz, and how a UK-wide referral network keeps work flowing when a client needs a shoot outside her area.

For a business journey on the other side of the world, Find Out About Commercial Photography in Mozambique with Jay Garrido is well worth the listen.

Blogging still works for photographers — but only if you treat it as a strategy rather than an occasional post. Sam runs through what actually makes a blog worth the effort.

• The five real reasons to blog: SEO, social media fodder, newsletter content, authority marketing, and website engagement
• Why a blog needs a theme — Sam’s example: a wedding photographer reviewing wedding venues
• Why your blog needs to live on your own website rather than an external platform if SEO is the goal
• Where AI genuinely helps with blogging — and why asking it to write the whole thing is a mistake
• The AI workflow that works: write it yourself first, then use AI to improve it
• How to actually get people to read it — social posts and newsletters, not just publishing and hoping

A clear-eyed look at blogging as one more channel that only pays off with a plan behind it.

Reach Sam on LinkedIn or find his website, Website4Photographers.

Blogging is only one channel. Using YouTube and Podcasts in Your Photography Business with Kirsten Luts looks at the others.

Are you a commercial photographer working in isolation? In this essential episode, we speak with Philip North Coons and Graham Dittpros from Photographers United Pro about why true success comes from community, not just creativity.

1. Escape the Screen: Learn the non-negotiable strategy for networking for photographers that forces you to put down the mouse and leads directly to more work.

2. The Secret to Longevity: Discover the single, simple principle that veteran photographers rely on to keep commercial photography clients returning for over a decade.

3. Protect Your Tail: Find out the crucial business document that you need to master before you step on set to protect your business and reputation in every scenario.

Want to turn networking into better shoots? STOP Ruining Your Shoots: Master Photographer Rapport Building NOW picks up exactly that thread.

Marcus is going to talk about your personal brand. He wantsto talk about the aesthetics of this. First, what is a personal brand. So, it’s a combination of who you are, what you do, what you are known for a who is your target audience. Marcus is going to focus on how we look.

Marcus thinks women are much better at this than men. Marcus thinks that when people book a photographer, they have certain expectations. He thinks people expect photographers to be cool and a little arty. This expectation makes a difference to our brand.
We have had a couple of stylists on the show including Nick Hems and Suzanne Suthers
Marcus says the first thing is to know your size. Get properly measured so you can work out what is going to fit you. Marcus thinks are then you need a “capsule wardrobe”. This is a few items of clothing that work well together.  Marcus recommends getting clothes second hand. He thinks higher quality second hand clothes are better than cheap new clothes. He says you need some items that match your brand. Marcus says if you can’t decide on a colour go for black. Something small with your brand colour can work well with black.
Marcus says there are several points of contacts with people. Usually on Zoom, Networking, on your website and then on the shoot. On Zoom calls it’s important to get the background right. Arrange the background well. Some artefacts in the backgrounds that show you are a photographer are great. Marcus doesn’t like the artificial backgrounds. Marcus does suggest a slide show in the background. He also suggests getting a good webcam or use your SLR as a webcam. Get the camera level and lighting right. Also ensure your label on Zoom clearly says your name and business.

Marcus says then on the website you want at least twophotographs of yourself. Sam and Marcus agree a photo of you on the homepage is important. Marcus says a behind the scenes video is useful. Sam says it shows you interacting with customers which is very powerful. Marcus says a photo onthe about page is also important, and you need to be in your branded calls. Sam says also using images for example of you having a nice chat with someone by the call me button may help put people at ease.

Go and listen to You Are Shooting Blind: Why Brand Photography Fails Without a Professional Brand Strategy for the strategy behind the styling.

He works as a top beauty photographer, particularly for hair brands in the US. He is also the fastest 100-metre runner of his age. Marcus points out we have a show about getting into hair photography.

Alec also does some cinematography work and went to film school. He also went to Harvard to study digital media.
He says he now uses AI a lot in his work. He uses it to create mock-ups of how shoots might work, in shoot planning. He also uses it for backgrounds. He says this was a key part of his time in film school. But he says he doesn’t like the green screen approach in photography. He says, especially with hair, a greenscreen background doesn’t work well.
Marcus and Alec talk about generative AI and how big businesses and photographers are competing with the latest AI campaigns, which are very realistic. Alec says this is their strength, but it has weaknesses. It is well-trained in beauty andfashion, and more trained in women than men. It has not been trained on behind-the-scenes shots, and it is really bad at this. So, Alec says sharing the behind-the-scenes becomes a vital part of the story. People are interested in that, and it showsthe shot is genuine.

You can find Christian ⁠here⁠

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Once you know where AI falls short, The AI Revolution: How to Slash Your Commercial Photography Overheads by 60% shows where it delivers.