Find Your Focus

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Many photographers are currently considering moving from their tried and trusty DSLR camera to a newer and shinier mirrorless model. 

If you are one of them, this is definitely the episode for you! 

Shalonda Chaddock joins us on the podcast again to talk about her experience of this switch and the lessons she had learned in the process. 

She shares all of her wisdom and a few of the mistakes she made so that you do not have to! 

We get the real inside scoop from Shalonda, as she gives it to us straight and honest. 

As photographers, it is really important to know what is available out there so that we do not miss out on something that would really suit our needs, and this is exactly what you can expect to get from today's chat. 

Shalonda talks about her motivations, experiences, and difficulties, and we also look at the issues of color, focus, and learning curves. So for all this and then some, listen in with us today!

As photographers, it is always easy to get excited about the latest and greatest piece of equipment and imagine how it will be improving our photos and upping our game. In this episode, we explore why this mindset can often be the wrong use of our resources and a few of the better applications of our funds and energy. Research and education are ongoing processes but are essential in the early stages for finding what your specific needs are in relation to what you want to offer your clients. If you buy several different fancy lenses before getting into your practice fully, you will probably find you hardly use most of them! Your website is another vital piece of running this kind of business, and really cannot be ignored. Important aspects to keep in mind here are the SEO component, aesthetic and professional appearance, and the ease of finding useful information about what you offer. We also talk about the eternal magic of mentors, utilizing a CMS, and how to judge which avenue to approach first. So make sure to tune in and get it all!

Pivoting into education is not always the right move for everyone, and it is by no means a get- rich-quick scheme. You have to be passionate about helping others do the things that you have managed to do successfully in your business. Our guest today is Jenni Maroney, a photographer turned business coach, helping female photographers transform their businesses into thriving powerhouses. Jenni is a repeat guest on our show; if you recall, in the previous episode we discussed in-person sales. In today’s episode, Jenni talks about why it is important to have a mentor and how to know if you’re ready to join a Mastermind. She shares how Masterminds have helped her grow and scale her business as well as how to choose a mentor who is right for you. Tune in today to hear all about choosing the right mentor, why it is important, and if you are passionate about it, how to navigate your way into the education sector of photography!

While it is necessary to focus on your niche, applying lessons from other photography genres can help you stand out from the crowd. Today we speak to Nikon ambassador Kristi Odo whose work capturing wildlife and their emotions has made her a better wedding photographer. We open our inspiring conversation with Kristi by exploring her background and how taking a blurry picture of Bono from U2 sparked her passion for photography. We then talk about her latest projects and why you don’t need to go far to find captivating stories. After relating how she got published in National Geographic and the Washington Post, Kristi discusses how we can all make environmental changes by taking small actions. We dive into how photographing animals can make you a better wedding photographer, with Kristi sharing her top tips on finding the most emotionally poignant wedding moments. Near the end of the episode, Kristi opens up about her favorite travel destinations before telling listeners about the incredible workshops that she offers. Tune in for more of Kristi’s insights into capturing emotions that resonate with your viewers.

Creating a balance between your professional and private life can be a tricky task, especially if you’re a business owner. We sit with Morgan Williams, a photographer, business owner, and mother who has spent the last five years refining her business process. Today she shares her best tips and tricks. We open the episode by learning about Morgan’s history in photography, and how she could never be too far from her camera. After hearing about the inception of her business and the niche she focuses on, Morgan talks about why the industry can be overwhelming. She goes on to share valuable lessons she has learned, like setting boundaries, pricing correctly, and adding blocks to her calendar. As a working mother, Morgan has been faced with many challenges too, admitting that although moms are frequently told “they’re enough”, she accepts that no mother actually is. For Morgan, it’s about using external resources, as she tells us about various ways working moms can make their lives more manageable through daycare, housekeeping, and more. Toward the end of the show, listeners will benefit from some of the tools Morgan makes use of to ensure her week runs smoothly, and will also find out why it’s better to raise prices and lose clients than the other way around. Be sure to tune in with us today!

After working several jobs to stay afloat, Sarah Witherington burst into the photography scene with her first Groupon gig which earned her 2,000 clients. Today, we sit down with Sarah to discuss her journey as a photographer, beginning with how she got her start in the industry. Sarah tells us about how she changed direction in college toward a more creative avenue and used her student loans to purchase her first professional camera. After shooting weddings and nannying on the side, she then decided her business needed a fresh flow of clients. Listeners will hear how just one Groupon deal brought Sarah 2,000 clients and subsequently launched her career. She tells us about her experiences and the lessons she learned, going on to share tips about dealing with high volumes of clients like location designation, and using call-in camera actions as a measure to save time. Later in the episode, we hear about how Sarah’s business has evolved into the boudoir niche and how she’s refined her process to create an efficient and lucrative service for her clients. To hear more insider tips and stirring anecdotes, be sure to tune in today!

Creating a profitable photography business can be a challenging task, but what if there was a way you could achieve your five-year plan in just one? Wedding photographer and Pinterest expert Sharee Davenport did just that. Today we talk to Sharee about how she leveraged her Pinterest account to market her work, triple her revenue, and book over $100,000 worth of gigs within the first six months. Throughout our conversation, Sharee shares a bundle of useful tips that you can start implementing right now. As remarkable as her success is, we discuss how using Pinterest as a marketing tool can give you that same success. In this episode, you’ll hear about her personal journey in photography and how it went from a hobby to a full-time profession. You’ll also hear why she no longer uses Facebook adverts or Instagram as lead funnels and dives into the misconceptions about Pinterest. By understanding the basics of analytics, proper pinning, and linking back to your own website, your booking calendar will fill up without much input. Be sure to tune in with us today and learn Sharee’s top tips to boost your photography business.

Damien Carter is a part-time photographer who always goes above and beyond for his clients. He shoots everything (except newborns!) from weddings to lifestyle brands and along with providing his clients with exquisite images, he specializes in curating personalized experiences for them. In this episode, Damien offers a ton of tips to improve your relationship with your clients and ensure that they are getting full value from your service. Among other things, Damien stresses the importance of communicating, phoning clients rather than engaging purely over email, being on time for shoots, and making your client feel special in various different ways. Photographers are easy to come by nowadays, which is why it is so vital to set yourself apart from the rest, and Damien has all the tools to help you achieve this! To hear some of the top ways on how to stand out from the crowd, be sure to tune in today.

If you have refined your skill to the point where it has led you to find success, you can add so much value to people’s lives and careers by teaching them what you have learned. Today we invite Emma Natter onto the show to talk about her process of condensing her branding expertise into a coaching business which did so well that she made $90,000 during the launch of her first online course! Emma is a launch strategist and Founder of The Aesthetic Way, a course that teaches entrepreneurs to create businesses that simultaneously build financial success, make a positive impact, and fulfill creative dreams. In her course, Emma uses a method designed to uncover what she calls ‘The Heart Story’ – a narrative that helps clients marry their passion with entrepreneurship so they can build the career of their dreams. In our discussion, Emma talks about different businesses she started that didn’t work, and how she came up with one idea that finally took off. She speaks about how she leveraged this success to build her early coaching business and finally pivoted from craftsmanship into education completely. Emma shares common challenges as well as tips and tricks for making this kind of pivot, highlighting that transitioning into education requires a completely new skillset. She also talks about how she and her team can help people launch their own courses as successfully as possible through The Aesthetic Way. For an inspiring story and some valuable pointers for pivoting from your area of expertise into coaching, tune in today!

For many of us, photography is the most inspiring and exciting pursuit. It can bring with it adventure, new perspectives, and even foster new connections, but what happens when the well of inspiration runs dry? Today’s guest is Roy Handy, a graphic designer from New Orleans with a strong background in portrait photography, who has had his work published in Essence Magazine and on Beyonce.com, among others. In this episode, Roy talks about the importance of passion projects and how to use them to stay inspired for the long term. He shares the story of how he got into photography after his mother passed away, and listeners find out more about Roy’s projects, including #000 – which focuses on the uniqueness of the color code it represents and of Black culture – and All Things Black, which showcases Black-owned businesses. Roy’s goal in life is to uplift and inspire people, and what better way to do that than through creative projects that provide a platform for others? Tune in today to find out more about the incredible work that Roy is doing, and hear his advice on creating space for ourselves to stay sane and inspired!