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Motherhood Anthology: Photography Education for a Business You Love
Motherhood Anthology: Photography Education for a Business You Love episodes
- Episode 196: Contracts, Retainers, and AI with Paige Griffith of The Legal Paige (Part 1)
Paige Griffith built a six-figure photography business while in law school before founding The Legal Paige, and that combination gives her a rare view into where photographers get themselves into trouble. In this first of a two-part conversation, Katie Lamb and Ali Payne bring her the questions TMA members submitted on contracts, retainers, model releases, and AI. Paige answers each one with the specific clause language and workflow changes photographers can apply this week.
In This Episode
- Why operating without a contract is the most common legal mistake Paige sees among portrait photographers, and what happens when a dispute arrives and there is nothing to fall back on
- The case for collecting final payment before the session, not after delivery
- Retainer versus deposit, why the two words are legally different, and the Control F check Paige wants every photographer to run on their own contract today
- Non-refundable retainers, liquidated damages, and where the fee clause should sit in your contract
- How to structure one contract for a baby plan that spans maternity, newborn, six months, and first birthday
- Model releases in an era when more parents want their children’s faces kept offline, and why Paige recommends the conversation happen at booking rather than at delivery
- What the recent federal AI case means for photographers who post children’s images publicly
- Why an AI disclaimer clause now belongs in every photography contract, and the human-touch threshold that protects your copyright
- The clause language that stops clients from uploading your images into AI tools as references or inputs
Every one of these answers comes back to the same principle: clarity at the start of the client relationship prevents the dispute at the end. Whether you are updating a single clause or rebuilding your contract from scratch, this episode gives you the exact places to look. Part 2 continues the conversation next week.
If you want mentors and a community of photographers who will help you build a business that supports your life, join The Motherhood Anthology Membership: https://membership.themotherhoodanthology.com/offers/iiza3hSs/checkout
About Paige Griffith
Paige Griffith is an attorney and the founder and CEO of The Legal Paige, which provides contract templates and legal education for photographers, wedding vendors, and online creatives across the United States and Canada. She started her photography business during law school, clerked for a federal judge, and launched The Legal Paige in 2016 and 2017 to serve the industries she had worked in firsthand. She also runs Griffith Law and has recently founded a contracting and invoicing platform designed as a sister business to The Legal Paige.
- The Legal Paige: thelegalpaige.com
- Instagram: @thelegalpaige
Connect with TMA:
Website | Membership | Courses: www.themotherhoodanthology.com
Free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology
Our Instagram: instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology
Connect with Kim:
Site: https://kimbox.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/kimbox
48 min - Episode 195: Booked Not Busy Coaching Week, Day One: Photography Business Goals That Fit Your Life
Comparison is human, but measuring your photography business against someone else’s life guarantees you will always feel behind. This episode brings you Day One of Booked Not Busy Coaching Week, where Director of Education Katie Lamb walks through how to define success on your own terms before you ever touch a pricing formula.
In This Episode
- Why borrowed definitions of success leave you feeling behind, even when your business is doing well
- How to name what is truly different about the photographer you compare yourself to
- The question that cuts through industry pressure to always make more
- How to find your “enough number” and why it works as a floor rather than a ceiling
- The difference between chasing more out of fear and choosing more out of ambition
- Holding your success markers tightly while letting your methods flex
- How profit protects the things that matter most to you and your family
- A member’s perspective on why seeing many paths to success reshaped her mindset
Once you know what you are building toward, every price you set and every session you book has a clear benchmark to measure against. If you want mentors and a community of photographers who will help you build a business that supports your life, join The Motherhood Anthology Membership: https://membership.themotherhoodanthology.com/offers/iiza3hSs/checkout
Connect with TMA:
Website | Membership | Courses: www.themotherhoodanthology.com
Free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology
Our Instagram: instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology
Connect with Kim:
Site: https://kimbox.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/kimbox
57 min - Episode 194: Clarity Is Kindness: Pricing, Sales Calls, and a $3,800 Win With Kelsey Krall
When Kelsey Krall shared a $3,800 sale in the TMA community, Ali Payne invited her onto the podcast to explain what changed. Kelsey is a newborn and family photographer in Sacramento who built her business from $100 sessions to a full-service, product-based model. She walks through the pricing structure and sales process behind her growth, and she speaks honestly about the difficult seasons that came first.
In This Episode
- How the phrase “clarity is kindness” shapes the way Kelsey presents her pricing
- Separating the CEO who sets your prices from the person who shares them on a sales call
- Introducing artwork from the first planning call so the ordering appointment holds no surprises
- Structuring digital files and artwork around clear price points to raise the average sale
- Why the hard seasons of a business transition deserve an honest conversation
If Kelsey’s story reflects where you are right now, join us for Booked Not Busy, our live coaching week. Over four days, you will work through what a good year looks like for you, your pricing, your content, and a client experience your clients will want to share. Each session is one hour, finished by noon Central, with a playbook you fill in live. General seats are $15, and the $37 VIP seat adds 30 days of replays and the Booked Business Toolkit.
Booked, Not Busy
Booked Not Busy, our four-day live coaching week, starts today at 11 a.m. Central and walks you through your year, your pricing, your content, and your client experience. Grab your $15 seat at https://themotherhoodanthology.com/coaching-week, or choose the $37 VIP seat for 30 days of replays and the Booked Business Toolkit.
About Kelsey Krall
Kelsey Krall is a newborn and family photographer based in Sacramento, California. She launched her business in 2020 and moved to a full-service, product-based model in 2023. She specializes in in-home newborn sessions and provides wardrobe and styling for her clients.
- Website: kelseykrall.com
- Instagram: @kelseykrallphotos
Connect with TMA:
Website | Membership | Courses: www.themotherhoodanthology.com
Free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology
Our Instagram: instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology
Connect with Kim:
Site: https://kimbox.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/kimbox
1 hr - Episode 193: Photography Pricing Without the "Have To": Laura Esmond's Hybrid IPS Model
Photographers hear a lot of pricing advice that begins with "you have to." Laura Esmond, a portrait photographer of 26 years and a TMA mentor, believes your pricing should be built around how you want to earn your income and where you want to spend your time. In this conversation with Katie Lamb, TMA's Director of Education, Laura walks through the hybrid pricing model she has been testing with real clients since August.
In This Episode
- Why your cost of doing business number is only the starting point, and the questions to ask yourself before you commit to any pricing model
- The strengths and weaknesses of all-inclusive pricing and IPS, from a photographer who has used both
- How her hybrid model works: a $1,500 package paid up front that includes the first 30 digitals, with upgrades offered at the ordering meeting
- What happened when she put her pricing online and let clients book directly, and why newer photographers may still benefit from an inquiry call
- How to use the planning call to learn where images will hang in the home, so you can shoot for that space
Your pricing can change as your life changes, and you do not have to work it out alone. Laura is the featured educator inside The Motherhood Anthology Membership this month, with a training on identifying what is holding you back from the change you keep putting off. If you are not yet a member, we would love to welcome you in so you can learn from Laura and the rest of our mentors.
About Laura Esmond
Laura Esmond has been a portrait photographer for 26 years. She is the founder of the Get Rooted group coaching program, the creator of The Art of Selling, and a mentor inside The Motherhood Anthology.
- Website: lauraesmond.com
- Instagram: @lauraesmondeducation
- The Art of Selling: lauraesmond.com/ips
- Get Rooted: lauraesmond.com/getrooted
Connect with TMA:
Website | Membership | Courses: www.themotherhoodanthology.com
Free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology
Our Instagram: instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology
Connect with Kim:
Site: https://kimbox.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/kimbox
1 hr 1 min - Episode 192: Trial Reels for Photographers: How to Reach People Who Don't Follow You Yet
Many photographers post reels to the same small group of followers every week and wonder why their reach never grows. Instagram's trial reels send your content to people who have never seen your work. TMA community manager Ali Payne explains how she uses them to test ideas, grow her audience, and book sessions for her own photography business.
In This Episode
- What a trial reel is, where to find it, and the setting to check before you post
- How testing different on-screen hooks on the same clip can change your results
- What realistic trial reel numbers look like and how to measure performance fairly
- How to decide whether a reel is meant for photographers, potential clients, or current followers
- Why a niche reel that brings in followers can do more for your business than a viral one
- Three ways to hold a new viewer's attention: show your camera, use location keywords, and give a clear next step
- How AI tools can help you review your insights and plan your next round of reels
Trial reels reward steady, low-pressure experimentation, and Ali makes a clear case for posting often and adjusting as you learn. She closes with a challenge to post one trial reel this week and share your results with her on Instagram at @themotherhoodanthology. If you want ongoing support as you grow your business, join the 800+ photographers inside The Motherhood Anthology Membership.
BTS Mini Course: https://membership.themotherhoodanthology.com/offers/9HuL447o/checkout
ANNUAL EVREGREEN offer: https://membership.themotherhoodanthology.com/offers/iiza3hSs/checkout
TMA BTS STARTER KIT FREEBIE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lhWKUP-JZ-87RyD7sTKWTJ9GNELAAJrg/view?usp=sharing
Connect with TMA:
Website | Membership | Courses: www.themotherhoodanthology.com
Free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology
Our Instagram: instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology
Connect with Kim:
Site: https://kimbox.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/kimbox
19 min - Episode 191: IPS vs. All-Inclusive: Choosing the Right Pricing Model for Your Photography Business
If every pricing conversation you hear seems to assume you've already switched to IPS, this episode is your permission slip to step back and ask a better question. Katie Lamb, Director of Education at The Motherhood Anthology, unpacks why the pricing model you choose was never the real driver of profitability, and what actually is.
Topics Covered
- Why the "IPS vs. all-inclusive" debate is a false choice, and the full range of pricing structures (hybrid, collections, tiered packages) that exist between the two
- What IPS genuinely does well: emotional context, no sales ceiling, and meaningful tangible products for clients
- Why revenue is not profit, illustrated with a side-by-side of two $2,500 clients whose hours and cost of goods sold lead to very different hourly rates
- The three math mistakes that quietly erode profitability under any model: skipping your cost of doing business, giving away what makes your work valuable, and ignoring how much time each client requires
- Why lowering your time investment per client is a legitimate profitability lever that deserves the same respect as raising prices
- How to find your minimum per-session number, and how to choose the pricing structure that gets you there in a way that fits your market, your clients, and the business you actually want to run
You don't have to abandon a model you love because someone else earns more with a different one, and you don't have to adopt IPS to be taken seriously. You do have to make the math work. This episode gives you the framework to run those numbers with clarity instead of comparison.
Connect with TMA:
Website | Membership | Courses: www.themotherhoodanthology.com
Free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology
Our Instagram: instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology
Connect with Kim:
Site: https://kimbox.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/kimbox
15 min - Episode 190: How to Break the Awkward First 30 Minutes of a Family Photo Session
What does it actually take to feel confident walking into a family session? In this episode, guest host Suzy Brown, a Chicago family photographer nearly two decades into her career, sits down for a real, unscripted coaching call with TMA member Kailey, a photographer just six months into taking on clients. The questions Kailey asks out loud are the same ones photographers are still wrestling with 10 and 15 years in.
Topics Covered
- Why the first 30 minutes of a session feel awkward for almost everyone, and the simple walk-in-the-door approach that dissolves the wall for you and your families
- How to handle the family member who does not want to be there, and why setting the tone before you lift the camera changes the whole session
- Whether you can show up as your full self on your business account when you do not feel like your own ideal client, and how sharing "from a scar, not a wound" attracts the people who want exactly you
- Why an exceptional client experience will outperform pure artistry financially, and what that means for photographers early in their journey
- The mindset shift Kailey reached at six months in that many photographers take decades to find: you do not have to be perfect, and imperfect work is often the work families treasure most
- When to use a pre-session Zoom call in your booking process, and how a 15-minute conversation gets families on board before you ever arrive
This conversation is a reminder that the people side of photography is learnable, that the pressure to be perfect is what stands between you and the work you want to make, and that none of us have to figure this out alone. Press play to listen in on the full coaching call.
About the Suzy Brown
Suzy Brown is a family photographer based in Chicago with nearly 20 years behind the camera. She has built her career on transforming family photos from a dreaded obligation into an experience families look forward to, and today she teaches other photographers how to lead family sessions with confidence. Suzy will be TMA's guest educator this November, going deep on leading a family session no matter who shows up or what mood they are in. Find her on Instagram at @simplybysuzy.
Connect with TMA:
Website | Membership | Courses: www.themotherhoodanthology.com
Free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology
Our Instagram: instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology
Connect with Kim:
Site: https://kimbox.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/kimbox
51 min - Episode 189: How to Plan a Styled Photography Session from One Simple Idea
Ever wonder what actually goes into those breathtaking styled sessions you see other photographers pulling off? In this episode, Ali Payne sits down with TMA mentor Marie of Marie Elizabeth Photography to get nosy about her Becoming Styled Sessions, an afternoon of four fully styled shoots she opened up to fellow photographers. From a nautical romance session on a sailboat to blue Portuguese tiles in a historic farmhouse kitchen, Marie shares how one small detail can grow into an entire creative vision.
In This Episode
- What a styled session actually is, and why it is far more achievable than most photographers assume
- Why building at least one styled session a year keeps your creativity fresh and prevents your work from going on repeat
- How styled sessions play the long game for your business, bringing in client inquiries years after you shoot them
- Marie's process for planning a session from one simple idea, like a scarf, a location, or a feeling, into a complete mood board
- How to stretch into trends while keeping the core of your brand intact
- Leading a room of photographers: giving attendees creative autonomy while holding your vision
- Why a styled session event is the perfect low-lift entry point if hosting a workshop or retreat feels intimidating
Whether you are dreaming up your first solo styled session or feeling called to invite other photographers into your vision, this conversation is proof that it all starts with one simple idea. Press play and get inspired to create something just for the joy of it.
About Marie
Marie is a motherhood, newborn, family, and maternity photographer serving DC, parts of Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Now in her tenth year of business, she taught for 13 years while building her photography business on the side before going full time nearly five years ago. She is a TMA mentor and the creator of the Becoming Styled Sessions.
- Website: https://marie-elizabethphotography.com/home/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marie.elizabeth.photo
Blog post: https://themotherhoodanthology.com/styled-session-for-photographers/
Marie's Becoming styled session waitlist: http://marie-elizabethphotography.com/waitlist-the-becoming
Connect with TMA:
Website | Membership | Courses: www.themotherhoodanthology.com
Free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology
Our Instagram: instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology
Connect with Kim:
Site: https://kimbox.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/kimbox
20 min - Episode 188: What's Next for TMA Education: Meet TMA's New Director of Education, Katie Lamb
Kim Box has said before that spotting talent is one of the few things she'll claim to be good at. This week, she gets to prove it. Katie Lamb, longtime TMA mentor and educator, has officially joined the team as Director of Education, and the two sit down to talk about what she has already built, what members have been asking for, and where TMA education is headed next.
In This Episode
- Why Katie said yes, and what a dedicated education role makes possible that no one person can do alone
- The redesigned member dashboard: seven years of education, now searchable by topic, mentor, and need
- The shift from selling information to delivering results, and why "less, but better" is the goal
- What it means for a membership to feel like home, from the community to the education library
- The education members are requesting most right now, including behind-the-scenes sessions, Fresh 48, product-based business transitions, and CRM workflows
- How the community itself has become one of the most valuable parts of the $49 membership
- A peek at what the team is exploring for members who want smaller groups, accountability, and support beyond the basics
Katie's vision is simple: you focus on the art you're making, and TMA makes sure you always know what you need to know. If you're already a member, she wants to hear what you're stuck on. That feedback goes straight into what she's building. If you've been thinking about joining, enrollment opens quarterly, and you can add your name to the waitlist at themotherhoodanthology.com/photography-mentoring/.
Connect with Katie Lamb
Katie Lamb is a photographer, educator, and longtime mentor inside The Motherhood Anthology, now serving as TMA's Director of Education.
Website: https://www.katielamb.com/
Instagram: @katiebethlamb
Connect with TMA:
Website | Membership | Courses: www.themotherhoodanthology.com
Free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology
Our Instagram: instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology
Connect with Kim:
Site: https://kimbox.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/kimbox
28 min - Episode 187: Your Google Business Profile Is Doing More Than Your Instagram (If You Let It) with Melissa Arlena
Your Google Business Profile might be doing more for your business than your Instagram, but only if it shows signs of life. In this solo episode, TMA mentor and SEO expert Melissa Arlena of Picture Perfect Rankings shares her simple monthly maintenance routine for keeping your profile active, accurate, and working to book you clients, all in about 20 minutes a month.
In This Episode:
- Why an abandoned Google Business Profile signals to Google (and clients) that you may be out of business
- The five-move monthly rhythm: posts, photos, reviews, performance check, and profile accuracy
- What to post weekly and how to reframe blog shares so clients actually care
- Using the performance tab as free keyword research for future blog content
- Why Google changes your profile without asking and which rogue services to remove
- A bonus tip on holiday hours that proves your business is alive and legit
Grab the Checklist
Melissa created a free printable checklist with all five monthly moves in order. Grab it at pictureperfectrankings.com/GBP, then make the first Monday of every month your marketing Monday.
If you're a TMA member, the replay of Melissa's full Google Business Profile setup workshop is waiting in the new TMA dashboard, and she's inside the membership year round answering your SEO questions. Not a member yet? Get on the VIP list so you're first to know when enrollment opens.
Connect with Melissa:
- Google Business Profile Monthly Checklist: pictureperfectrankings.com/GBP
- Picture Perfect Rankings: pictureperfectrankings.com/TMA (code TMA250)
- Melissa's podcast: Get Booked
Connect with TMA:
Website | Membership | Courses: www.themotherhoodanthology.com
Free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology
Our Instagram: instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology
Connect with Kim:
Site: https://kimbox.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/kimbox
18 min
About Motherhood Anthology: Photography Education for a Business You Love
From the publisher's feed
Welcome to The Motherhood Anthology podcast: photography education to create a business you love. This podcast will serve as an invaluable resource to guide you in the world of motherhood photography…
and owning your own successful photography business. Tune in weekly to hear from us and some of our most admired friends and colleagues as we share some of our greatest tools, how-tos, successes, failures, and everything in between.
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