I asked my private facebook community what's got them stuck in business and what problems they're mulling through right now and the responses were so wide. Sometimes just talking through a problem and getting new perspective is the push we need to reimagine and tackle it so in this episode, I'm addressing 4 questions from the group with my take. Sometimes my opinions are counter-cultural to industry standard, but I'm giving it to you straight.

We're talking about issues like:

• How to develop a newsletter people want to read

... and all kinds of other nuggets along the way.

If you want to be a part of the FB community and conversations like this along with tons of free video content and training, come join us!

// Links //

Ep 12: What I learned from 1 year of the Firefly Letters

Ep 5 : 6 shifts that helped me grow my family photography business

Ep: 7: Marketing, Privacy, and Social Media with Morgan Miles 

My newsletter: The Firefly Letters

Newsletter for photographers - leahoconnell.com/posing or leahoconnell.com/walkthrough

Photo Fuel Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/photofuel/

Group Coaching and Retreat Interest List: https://www.leahoconnell.com/group

// Thank you to the photographers who contributed questions for this episode! //

Susannah Raye Photography

Kari of  Mack, Micah, and Olly Photography

Debbie Camba Photography

Sadie Peterson Photography

Our guest today is Caitlin of Caitlin Alohilani Photography. Caitlin is a family, wedding, and branding photographer based in Los Angeles, California. She was born and raised on the island of Oahu in Hawai’i, and credits much of her photographic eye, approach, and values to her upbringing in the islands and the eternal “aloha spirit.” 

In this episode touch on: 

• How she made the leap to full time photography out of her OT career

We also talk about the strengths of being an introvert and she gives some really incredible insight into what it’s like to grow a personal brand as an introverted personality 

 Caitlin recently got married and at the end, she shares some really helpful tips about what she learned from being on the other side of that experience and her insights are things that resonate with all of us! 

// Connect with Caitlin //

https://www.caitlinalohilani.com

https://www.instagram.com/caitlinalohilaniphoto

https://www.instagram.com/caitlinalohilanifamilies

// Links discussed //

Do Less - Kate Northrup

Oura Ring 

3 Tips for Endless Posing Variety in Family Sessions

Gallery Walkthrough video 

Group Coaching waitlist

I asked in a group once what was everyone’s favorite thing about in-home sessions and someone responded with something like - I know this is shallow, but I only like them if they’re  a well decorated home, have interesting architecture, or have great light - otherwise not so much. 

The truth is that even when you’re showing your best and favorite work, you may get hired by people who you don’t vibe with. They might have homes that are not your "aesthetic" or are "boring" or "tough." So what happens then? How do you still given them the same vibes that your brand is known for, the same quality images, no matter what? 

In this episode, I’m sharing 4 tips to take with you on your in-home sessions to create inspiration and feel inspired even in an uninspiring space.

We touch on: 

• Why it’s important to be able to shoot in diverse environments, even when they’re not your favorite.

/// Links mentioned in this episode ///

Images from the home renovation session : https://www.instagram.com/leahoconnell.photo/ 

Episode with Rachel Larsen Weaver 

Mentoring with Leah: https://www.leahoconnell.com/mentoring

Group Coaching Info and Wait list: https://www.leahoconnell.com/group

In part two of the In Home Photography Series, I'm getting more technical and sharing exactly the gear (and tools!) I use for running my lifestyle family photography business. 

Buckle up for a light, fun episode of recommendations and go behind-the-scenes of what it takes to run my business. 

/// Links Mentioned ///

Gear:

• Sony a7 III Mirrorless Camera

• Brevite backpack (the jumper)

Software: 

• Sprout Studio - CRM // 20% off first year

• Blog post about how I use trello

• The Firefly Letters: https://www.leahoconnell.com/newsletter 

• Wave - bookkeeping

• Backblaze - cloud backup

Connect with Leah: 

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahoconnell.photo

education: Https://www.leahoconnell.com/education

We're kicking off a series all about in-home family photography and this week, it's all about the one little trick I do that's made all the different with getting more comfortable in a variety of homes. 

If you've been nervous about lighting in home settings or the inability to location scout - this one's for you!

Links mentioned: 

Blog post : "tips for family photos with your dog" - https://leahoconnell.com/tips-for-family-photos-with-your-dog/

BTS of a full gallery walkthrough -  https://leahoconnell.com/walkthrough

///

We're going weekly! (00:00:00)

Backstory about in-home family photography and finding your style (00:01:02)

Finding Inspiration in Different Environments (00:02:03)

Addressing Nervousness About Lighting (00:03:01)

Preparation leads to Confidence (00:04:00)

Problem-Solving in to take this further (00:05:13)

Since you can't do location scouting in a home, what can you do instead? (00:06:11)

The Two Gives and an Ask Method (00:07:06)

The Secret Trick (00:08:09)

Addressing Challenges and Troubleshooting During Shoots (00:11:01)

Building Rapport with Clients (00:13:59)

Mentoring and Coaching Programs (00:15:45)

Right about now, many of you in the family photography world are probably starting to think about planning and marketing for your fall mini sessions. But do you *have* do them??

I am a family photographer exclusively and I do not offer fall mini sessions. Actually I don’t offer mini sessions at all.

If you feel stuck hating fall mini sessions because you think you *have* to offer them or need the quick cash, consider this alternative perspective. 

Mini sessions can be a great way to get started, get practice, and develop your skills. But at a certain point, you can decide if it's something that's really aligned with your business goals... or not.

That's what we're digging into today - My 3 main arguments against doing fall mini sessions and a few ideas for how to supplement your business income or calendar instead. 

Links mentioned:

QT albums: get 20% off your first order with code FUEL20 or a free studio sample - just reach out and mention Photo Fuel and they’ll get you hooked up with your album sample

The Big Picture Workbook: https://www.leahoconnell.com/bigpicture

Mentoring with Leah : https://leahoconnell.com/mentoring

SIGN UP FOR THE GROUP COACHING WAIT LIST! *coming 2025*

What a treat in today's episode - we have the legend Rachel Larsen Weaver with us.

Rachel is an artist-educator and photographer joyfully living on the Maryland beaches of the Chesapeake Bay. A mother to five and creator of moments, her enthusiasm for details and self-love are infectious, infusing creative sessions with a buoyant reverence for the simplest pleasures. Her portfolio and practice is fat-affirming, mindful, and genuine, focusing on the life and light of clients. Co-founder of NOW, NOW School, and creator of #FindingMyselfInPortraits and the original Long Form Sessions, Rachel travels the country documenting mothers, bodies, and details.

In this episode we cover topics like: 

• Learning from the things that don’t work

WOW - it's a packed one! 

// connect with Leah // 

Website: https://www.leahoconnell.com

Instagram: @leahoconnell_photo

The Big Picture Workbook: https://www.leahoconnell.com/bigpicture

The Firefly Letters: https://www.leahoconnell.com/education

// connect with Rachel // 

Website: www.rachellarsenweaver.com

Instagram: @rachel.larsen.weaver

Rachel's 4x4 - https://www.rachellarsenweaver.com/the-4-x4

Rachel's long-form sessions: https://www.rachellarsenweaver.com/longform

It’s pretty well understood that newsletters are a great form of marketing - anyone who’s had success with it will tell you that it is, but until you find your voice and your magic sauce with creating one, you’re likely to feel some dread around starting one, writing consistent emails, and generally feel a lot of resistance. Like many things in business marketing, it can bring thoughts of “am I being annoying?” or “is anyone even reading this?” or “what’s the point.” So if you’ve felt like this around newsletters at any point, this episode is for you. 

In June I reached a personal goal of sending a newsletter every week for one year and through that process of committing to a specific form of consistent marketing, I learned so much and today I want to share some of that with you - we’re going to address 7 big takeaways I’ve gathered from that challenge.

// Try out Flodesk at 50% off with the code: https://flodesk.com/c/O75MQU

// Connect with Leah //

Join the Firefly Letters: https://www.leahoconnell.com/newsletter

Website: https://www.leahoconnell.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahoconnell.photo

The Big Picture Workbook: https://www.leahoconnell.com/bigpicture

Developing a family photography business is rarely a straight path. Like most careers, it’s likely that there are some steps that are calculated and some that take us completely by surprise. That’s what happened to my guest on the show today, the lovely Morgan Williams, based out of Raleigh, North Carolina.

She focusses on in-home photography with families and newborns and teaches other photographers how to create the work they were created to create, but before she could do that for others, she had to figure out how to do it for herself.

In this conversation we talk about how and why she made the switch from almost exclusively photographing weddings to exclusively photographing families and newborns.

We also dive into what it’s like to build a business while raising babies and I believe that every time an artist that gets a little more real with what that looks like in their own story, the more we all collectively sigh a little relief in camaraderie knowing we are not alone. 

Links discussed: 

Preserving everyday magic: in-home family photography group coaching program

Flourish retreat and mastermind (a 6 month mastermind designed to show you how to discover your unique creative purpose and flourish in all areas of your life!)

Lit up course (in-home lighting course)

Family posing guide(a guide to creating authentic family imagery)

// Connect with Morgan //

Website: morganwilliamsphoto.com

Instagram: instagram.com/morganwilliamsphoto

Morgan's podcast: Life in Full Frame

// Connect with Leah / /

Website: www.leahoconnell.com

Newsletter / The Firefly Letters: https://www.leahoconnell.com/newsletter

Private FB group for photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahoconnell.photo/

Email: [email protected]

If you have “work on my website” on your to-do list for this quarter or this year, today's Photo Fuel is on point for you. 

Whether you’re looking to improve it, working with a designer, using a template, or DIY-ing the whole darn thing, in this episode we’re talking through 2 major mistakes I see photographers (cough, me too!) make when tackling this project and what to do instead to prep yourself for an enjoyable and effective website glow-up. 

// Links Mentioned in this episode //

Right-track audits: https://www.leahoconnell.com/righttrack

Showit code for 1 month free: https://account.showit.com/r/firefly // or code firefly at checkout

The Big-picture workbook: https://www.leahoconnell.com/bigpicture

// connect with Leah // 

Website: www.leahoconnell.com

Newsletter / The Firefly Letters: https://www.leahoconnell.com/newsletter

Private FB group for photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahoconnell.photo/

Email: [email protected]