Focal Points with Dorie Howell

There are many things in the photography industry that are passed around in conversations that become almost requirements for anyone wanting to be a photographer. And in fact, most of those things are either based in antiquated ideas OR are just there to provide shame to those who choose to run their businesses in ways that aren't the norm. In this episode Dorie breaks down a few of these ideas and explains why we need to normalize these things in our industry.

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• nPhotolab
• Dorie Howell
• The Focal Points Podcast

My Guest today is Tavia Redburn, incredible newborn and birth photographer who runs her business in the Oklahoma City Area. Tavia has been in business for awhile and she knows a thing or two about birth photography. So much so she even offers an accreditation program for people who want to become certified as birth photographers. Today we discuss what it is like to be on call for your client and how Covid dramatically changed her business. Don't miss this conversation!

You can find Tavia in these places:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/taviaredburn/
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thebeautyinbirth
• Her website - https://thebeautyinbirth.com/

Get your 75% discount on your first sample album from nPhoto AND just added — when you sign up, receive a complimentary Mini-album.

Be sure and follow these accounts on Instagram:

• nPhotolab
• Dorie Howell
• The Focal Points Podcast

Selling our work can be a tricky thing. It doesn't have to be though. Your clients hire you for a reason and they want to see what you have to offer. If you approach it from a standpoint of helping your friends find great things that you love vs. a place of dread and fear, your business will be so much better off for it. In this episode Dorie breaks down her process and the thoughts behind why she has such successful sales with her clients.

Click this link to get the guide on how I run my selection appointments:

• Get the Guide

Did you catch all four episodes of this series? If you missed one, here are the links you need to complete the series.

• What to do Before the Session
• Selling at the Session
• The Delivery and Beyond

Get your 75% discount on your first sample album from nPhoto AND just added — when you sign up, receive a complimentary Mini-album.

Be sure and follow these accounts on Instagram:

• nPhotolab
• Dorie Howell
• The Focal Points Podcast

Join Dorie for this episode of Focal Points as she sits down with her friend, Raj Bandyopadhyay, NYC branding photographer of Series A Photography, and listen as they discuss the importance of showing a diverse range of people in your portfolio. Why that is so important to all business owners and steps to take if you maybe don't have a very diverse clientele but want to show a variety of people on your website. In this episode you will hear:

• Raj's story of shifting from a Ph.D in Computer Science to a Branding Photographer
• How his unique story has shaped his business
• The importance of why everyone NEEDS diversity in their portfolio
• What exactly is a diverse portfolio
• Several ways that you can build diversity in your portfolio

You can find Raj in these places:

• Series A Photography Website
• Series A Photography on Instagram

Get your 75% discount on your first sample album from nPhoto AND just added when you sign up, receive a complimentary Mini-album.

Be sure and follow these accounts on Instagram:

• nPhotolab
• Dorie Howell
• The Focal Points Podcast

In this episode Dorie welcomes her guest, Jeremy Hyler who is the marketing manager at Photobiz. Some things we discuss are:

• Mistakes photographers make on their websites
• Things your website can do for you
• The Importance of great SEO
• Elements you need to have on your website

Many of us neglect our websites and they can be one of our most powerful ways to attract people to our business.

Photobiz has been generous to give us an awesome discount code for new customers. Head over to www.photobiz.com and use the code DORIE22 to get a great discount at checkout.

Be sure and grab this download if you need great ways to leave clients with a great impression of your business.

DORIE'S SUREFIRE DELIVERY TIPS

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Be sure and follow these accounts on Instagram:

• nPhotolab
• Dorie Howell
• The Focal Points Podcast

Today on the podcast Dorie dives into part three of her four part series that walks through her entire process from inquiry to final delivery of products. Having a solid workflow is key to a great business and today we discuss all the ways you can deliver your products that give clients a great final impression of you and your business.

Be sure and grab the download for this episode here:

• DORIE'S SUREFIRE DELIVERY TIPS

Get your 75% discount on your first sample album from nPhoto

Be sure and follow these accounts on Instagram:

• nPhotolab
• Dorie Howell
• The Focal Points Podcast

It is no secret that our host, Dorie, believes that one of the first things that photographers should do when running a business is to outsource their editing. AND it is no secret that most photographers are very reluctant to do this very thing in their business. For some reason they believe that they are the ones that must do the retouching or it makes them less of an artist. Or they think finding an editor is too hard. Or they feel overwhelmed at the idea of finding an editor and managing their work. If this is you, then you want to be sure and listen to this episode with Elise Holberg, from The Image Salon. We dive into the benefits of finding an editor and how it really can make a dramatic difference in your business.

Take the leap and try outsourcing your editing. Image Salon make it easy by giving you a 50% off coupon for your first order. Follow this link TO THE SALON! And enter the code FOCALPOINTS50 to get your discount.

Get your 75% discount on your first sample album from nPhoto

Be sure and follow these accounts on Instagram:

• nPhotolab
• Dorie Howell
• The Focal Points Podcast

Today on the podcast Dorie dives into part two of her four part series that walks through her entire process from inquiry to final delivery of products. The 2nd step in the process is all about how to "Sell" during the session. This sounds scary but it doesn't have to be. It can be as easy as adding certain phrases into the conversation that help get a client ready for the sales appointment. If you struggle with low sales or aren't sure how to help a client get ready to buy, you NEED to listen to this episode.

Be sure and check out the complimentary episodes:

• Episode #8 Adding Products the Easy Way
• Episode #16 Pricing with Chris Wooley

To follow along be sure and download this guide:

https://the-harmony-hangout.sellatthesession

Get your 75% discount on your first sample album from nPhoto

Be sure and follow these accounts on Instagram:

• nPhotolab
• Dorie Howell
• The Focal Points Podcast

Today on the podcast Dorie starts a series of four episodes that walk through her entire process from inquiry to final delivery of products. It all starts with a great foundation that includes three steps: Developing Rapport, Establishing Yourself as the Expert, and Going over logistics. Once you set the foundation with these three steps you are on your way to a great experience with your clients.

Be sure and check out the complimentary episodes:

• Episode #8 Adding Products the Easy Way
• Episode #16 Pricing with Chris Wooley

To follow along be sure and download this guide:

• https://the-harmony-hangout.mykajabi.com/consultations
• Get your 75% discount on your first sample album from nPhoto

Be sure and follow these accounts on Instagram:

• nPhotolab
• Dorie Howell
• The Focal Points Podcast

This week on the podcast Dorie has a great conversation with Chip Dizard, branding and wedding photographer. They talk about how Chip decided that to move his business forward he needed to take some calculated risks and take advantage of the opportunities that were presented to him, even if it meant funding them out of his own pocket. They also discussed how Social Media has played a huge part in Chip's success.

You can find Chip here:

• His website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Get your 75% discount on your first sample album from nPhoto

Be sure and follow these accounts on Instagram:

• nPhotolab
• Dorie Howell
• The Focal Points Podcast