The Art & Soul Show - Photography Podcast for Newborn and Family Photographers

When it comes to building a photography business, you need a camera, some clients, and a little bit of hustle, and you’re good, right?

Well, while you do need all those things, Kristina Mack would argue that you need one more essential piece: your business fundamentals. Planning your workflows, creating detailed and well-crafted experiences for your clients (even if you have a basic budget), and understanding how to price for profitability can make or break your business.

So today, Kristina is sharing the steps she took to create a sound, profitable photography business that has lasted decades–without burning out! She’s giving us her best tips for new photographers in the industry including how they can develop their own unique style and how other photographers can join her mentorship program and start making positive changes in the industry.

If you’ve been hustling, but never feeling like you’re getting anywhere in your photography career, you can’t miss this episode. Let’s dive in!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[02:38] How Kristina’s career plan changed from commercial to newborn and maternity photography

[07:26] Kristina’s advice for photographers still trying to figure out their unique style and perspective

[16:42] Why new photographers have to spend time building their business fundamentals, from client management to pricing and workflows

[26:53] How Kristina thinks about outsourcing and the process she uses to find and train her editors

[30:46] The mindsets and philosophies that Kristina teaches in her photography business school

[34:53] Kristina’s lightning round

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/tiny-posers-how-to-build-a-long-lasting-newborn-photography-brand-with-kristina-mack/

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If I can be frank for a moment: as creatives, we sometimes get too precious about our process of creating art. We need the right conditions, the best lighting, the perfect mindset, or else we feel like we can’t create because it might not be perfect or even good.

The problem is, we can get so hung up on this that we never end up creating at all as we wait for all the stars to align. So in this episode, I’m sharing how I’ve started letting go of this ideal standard of creativity to just get back to creating. 

I’m sharing thoughts from some of my favorite authors on all the different ways they push through roadblocks and just start doing. Because at the end of the day, done is better than good. And to get there, sometimes we just have to start and let go of the outcome. Let’s get started!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[01:06] A common tendency that keeps creatives from creating

[03:00] How resistance keeps us from doing our work

[05:52] How to loosen our grip on perfectionism and get back to creating

Tune in to this episode for a little pep talk on taking our creative process off a pedestal and getting back to just creating!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/stop-putting-your-creativity-on-a-pedestal/

Grab your spot for the 2025 Online Newborn Retreat!

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I wish I could have a luxury brand, but…”

Well today, Lindsay Walden is here to address those “but”s. Because you’re probably not lacking talent or clientele or even location, the first thing you need to address is your trepidation. When it comes to luxury, confidence and willingness to step into the space in the first place is what keeps most photographers on the outside.

In this episode, Lisa chats with Lindsay all about her workflow for luxury clients, how she structures her sales, and why positioning in the luxury market matters as much (if not more) than anything else. We also dive deep into the money hang-ups that keep many women from even attempting to break into the luxury photography space.

If you’ve been trying to establish a luxury brand, but are struggling to find clients, this is the episode you need. Let’s dive in!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[02:21] How Lindsay went from snapping scenes underwater to maternity photography and how the photography landscape has changed during her career

[06:37] What a luxury photography experience looks like with Lindsay (and why she focuses on digital image sales)

[11:14] The key elements you need to cultivate a luxury photography brand

[17:25] How Lindsay tailors each session to her clients

[22:12] How Lindsay structures her pricing to expenditures like props, wardrobe, etc

[25:17] Pricing mistakes that photographers make over and over

[34:57] The fears photographers make up for themselves (ie. luxury clients are harder to work with)

[40:10] The market doesn’t care and how that can be freeing for photographers

Tune in to this episode for the encouragement you need to start cultivating your luxury photography brand!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/expertly-crafted-experiences-and-top-tier-service-how-to-build-a-luxury-photography-brand-with-lindsay-walden/

Grab your spot for the 2025 Online Newborn Retreat!

We all have thought patterns we fall into from time to time. Things like self-doubt, procrastination, perfection are all classics for many creatives. One might say we even indulge–or over-indulge–in some of these emotions to our own detriment.

Because while we can’t prevent ourselves from feeling the whispers of these emotions, letting them linger too long ultimately hurts our energy and creativity.

So in this episode, Lisa is sharing how she’s learned to break free from indulging in negative emotions and the positive impact it’s had in her life and career.

Let’s dive in!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[00:24] The different emotions we might be indulging in

[02:36] Why we indulge in these sometimes unhelpful emotions

[03:40] How to break the loop of overthinking

[05:43] Why we get stuck indulging in self-doubt and what positive self-talk can do for us

[07:12] How to start finding joy and excitement in creativity again

Tune in to this episode for a little pep talk on the emotions we should and shouldn’t be indulging in!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: [LINK]

Grab your spot for the 2025 Online Newborn Retreat!

Between the two of them, Jenny and Allison have decades of experience as luxury photographers. And this year, after being friends and colleagues for much of that time, they’ve finally launched a brand new program together to empower photographers to take control of the business side of their work.

In this episode, Lisa sits down with Jenny and Allison to chat all about what exactly The Profitable Portrait Society is, some of the biggest hurdles they see photographers face over and over again, and how to break through the pricing and marketing mindset issues that keep many photographers unprofitable. 

No matter where you are in your photography career, this episode is going to give you some food for thought! Let’s dive in!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[02:29] How Jenny and Allison started working together and how The Profitable Portrait Society was born

[05:38] How to break out of the head-in-the-sand mentality when it comes to your pricing as a photographer

[13:08] Why photographers get lost in “busy work” and how to break out of that cycle

[21:26] What marketing should actually look like for a photographer (hint: it’s not one boosted FB post)

[36:49] How creatives and photographers can avoid burnout while balancing the constant need to market and create content

[49:13] The best business advice Jenny and Allison have received

Tune in to this episode for a little kick in the pants to start running your photography business like a real business!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/stop-selling-yourself-short-how-to-price-and-market-yourself-to-be-a-profitable-photographer-with-jenny-cruger-and-alison-craig-of-the-profitable-portrait-society/

Grab your spot for the 2025 Online Newborn Retreat!

Baking often gets described as a science instead of an art, which might be true to some degree… But while we can get a recipe from someone else, we still have to adjust to the unique environment we’re working in, whether it’s dry, humid, using different brands of flour, etc. We have to experiment and test and trial it until we find the recipe that works best for our own environment.

And it’s not just baking that’s subject to this. As it turns out, creative success works pretty much the same way.

In this episode, Lisa sits down to address her recent podcast break, her success (finally!) at baking sourdough, and how that taught her that creativity is something we all have to hone through experimentation, trial and error, and persistence.

Let’s dive in!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[00:21] Why we needed a podcast break

[01:43] A personal baking success story (after a string of less successful experiments…)

[03:27] Why following someone else’s photography “recipe” won’t work for you

[05:20] Why practice and repetition are necessary for greatness when it comes to creativity

Tune in to this episode for a little pep talk on creative persistence!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/kneading-creativity-sourdough-and-the-photographers-journey/

Grab the replay for the 2024 Online Newborn Retreat!

When it comes to sharing her love of art, color, photography, and business, Kellee Wynne isn’t shy. But that openness and willingness to say what’s on her mind didn’t always feel like a good thing when she was growing up. Instead, it’s been a skill she’s spent more than a decade refining and cultivating through her various business ventures as an artist, author, business mentor, and podcaster.

In this episode, Kellee and I chat all about sharing knowledge and cultivating a community online. We dive into why speaking your mind is a gift to your audience (and it's not actually pushy or bossy!) We also chat about her brilliant marketing skills, from how she dives into the mind of her clients to streamlining her content creation process–and why even though we might be multi-passionate as creatives, we still need to niche down when it comes to business. 

There is SO MUCH wisdom in this fun conversation! Let’s dive in!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[02:26] Why Kellee Wynne founded her company, Color Crush Creative

[07:45] Why understanding your customer’s desires is the key to effective marketing

[11:52] The Primary Content Machine and how Kellee uses it to streamline her content creation

[17:32] How Kellee helps her clients to find clarity on what they want and need

[23:44] How Kellee is embracing AI and learning to integrate it into her business

[31:04] Why Kellee values “we over me” and incorporates community values into her mentoring business

[34:32] How multi-passionate artists can embrace their interests while also niching down to create a more sustainable business

[38:40] Kellee’s lightning round

Tune in to this episode to learn how Kellee Wynne takes mentoring creatives to the next level!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/boss-not-bossy-how-kellee-wynne-helps-others-fulfill-their-dreams-by-sharing-her-knowledge-and-why-you-should-too/

Grab your replay of the 2024 {online} Family Retreat!

The age of AI is here… and that’s not a comforting realization for many of us working in the creative field. But the technology isn’t going away, so what if we could use AI tools to elevate our work, instead of replacing us?

That’s the future Justin Benson and the team at Aftershoot have in mind for AI in the photography field. In today’s episode, Justin shares just what Aftershoot is, why it can be a game-changing assistive technology for photographers, and how he hopes the creative world will adapt to the advent of AI.

If you’ve been struggling to make sense of AI’s introduction into photography, this conversation will be so uplifting and encouraging for you. Let’s dive in!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[02:35] What Aftershoot is and how it can help photographers (especially if you’re an over-shooter)

[08:57] How Aftershoot is continuing to improve and add additional features

[11:08] How the concept for Aftershoot was developed and why it’s always had elevating photographers as a core ethos

[14:41] Some workarounds to use Aftershoot in a variety of workflows

[17:33] How Justin sees AI continuing to evolve in the photography field

[22:14] Justin’s best advice to photographers just starting to incorporate AI into their workflow

[28:31] Justin’s lightning round, including a few more tips for beginning photographers

Tune in to this episode to learn more about how we can grow with AI technology like Aftershoot as photographers!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/how-embracing-an-ai-workflow-can-help-you-become-a-more-efficient-photographer-with-justin-benson/

Get access to the 2024 Family Retreat, starting May 15th!

Before Valerie Eidson found photography, she tried every other creative field first. Eventually, she found herself behind a camera with a new problem: how to learn and develop her own voice and style.

In today’s episode, Valerie and I sit down to chat about the key decisions that helped her create her own unique perspective when it comes to her photography. She shares her best advice for other photographers just starting out (spoiler: you just have to keep shooting), and how she navigates the balance between fostering creativity, her business, and her family!

This episode is full of amazing advice. Let’s jump in!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[02:20] Valerie shares all the creative careers she tried before finding photography

[07:00] How Valerie navigates her way out of creative droughts

[11:25] How Valerie manages the demands of her family and her business

[16:25] How Lisa and Valerie are both experimenting with AI (and navigating the pros and cons of these new systems)

[22:59] Valerie’s advice for finding your own unique creative voice

[25:17] How Valerie tries to balance shooting vs editing in a way that doesn’t feel totally overwhelming

[31:15] Valerie’s lightning round

Tune in to this episode to learn more about the unique way Valerie developed her voice as a photographer!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/take-your-shot-how-to-find-your-unique-photography-voice-with-valerie-eidson/

Get access to the 2024 Family Retreat, starting May 15th!

While artistic interest runs in Anna Kruse’s family, she didn’t immediately take an interest in photography. In fact, she didn’t even begin photography until she became a mother, but it wasn’t until the loss of her father that she finally decided to make photography into her career, after truly understanding the gift of captured memories. 

In today’s episode, Anna vulnerably shares her story of love, loss, and passing her family’s artistic legacy to another generation. She explains what photography means to her and why it’s drawn her into family photography. She also shares how these experiences have helped her to connect with her families and capture their own vulnerable, open moments on camera.

This episode is so tender and meaningful. Let’s jump in!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[02:31] The familial loss that propelled Anna into her photography career

[08:08] How Anna’s change in environment affected the way she approaches photography

[11:03] Why Anna is so passionate about capturing family connections

[17:20] The unique way Anna thinks about storytelling when capturing these sweet family moments

[23:19] The best piece of business advice Anna has ever received

[25:31] How Anna sets families at ease when capturing vulnerable moments on camera

[31:42] Anna’s lightning round

Tune in to this episode to learn how Anna Kruse’s unique family history has influenced her photography career!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/love-loss-and-legacies-why-anna-kruse-is-so-passionate-about-capturing-timeless-family-moments/

Get access to the 2024 Family Retreat, starting May 15th!