The Beginner Photography Podcast

#78 In this episode of the Beginner Photography Podcast, Indianapolis Wedding Photographer Raymond Hatfield Talks about the value leaned from working with beginner photographers. I share the joy and excitement I get working with brides in my wedding photography and the pleasure I get helping beginner photographers learn and grow their skills and abilities.  Being a podcast host to you photographers has been such a pleasure and has taught me sooo much about my own self and photography! Today I want to talk about what I have learned about you, the listener and about photography in general! 1: You Don't Need "Good Gear" to Get Great Photos If you are apart of the group you will see members posting photos they have taken with their cell phones. If you can capture Emotion, light, and composition, you can get a great photo! With the ease of editing these days, it's so quick to transform your photos to something incredible. Its great to see you not being held back by your camera! 2: You have a hard time differentiating conflicting statements When you see one professional shooting in aperture priority mode and getting great photos it is easy for you to assume that you don't need to learn and master manual mode. That's not always the case. I guarantee that a professional who shoots in aperture priority mode KNOWS how to shoot in manual. They have just found a way to get a look they are happy with using a different program mode.  3: Beginners put a lot of unnecessary pressure on yourself to get a good photo Beginners are willing to trash a great photo because it's not technically perfect. The emotion is there, it's a perfect moment but because you were not following the rule of thirds then it gets trashed. This is not what photography is about. Look back at old family photo albums, I promise you the photos are technicly garbage but the emotion and memories make up for it!  4: You are all better photographers than I was! More people are taking photos than ever before. It is becoming engrained in us because of digital photography in smart phones. Because of this you already have a leg up when starting on your journey. You are in a better spot starting photography now than you would have been if you started shooting 10, 20, 30 years ago! 5: You are not doing enough to protect your photos  Keeping your photos safe is arguably as important as taking the photo itself. With us humans taking more and more photos every day than ever before we need to have a plan in place to protect what we have worked hard to create. I use Google Photos to back up my phone photos and my Drobo to back up the photos on my computer and the photos I take in my business  Thank you all so much for everything you have taught me this year! You are the reason I keep going. The reason I keep the podcast alive! 

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Connect with Raymond! 

• Go from Confused to Confident behind the camera with The Ultimate Photography Education Bundle - https://beginnerphotopod.com/bundle
• Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
• Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

#77 Ben Hartley is a Columbus Wedding Photographer who co-owns a six-figure wedding photography studio, runs a popular photography podcast, and is a prominent speaker at multiple photography conventions. Today he comes on the podcast to share some of his best tips to not only start a photography studio but how and why you should focus on serving your clients first. In Todays Interview You'll Learn: Where Ben's Creativity Came from How to decided when to open up a photography studio How Ben got his start in photography The biggest thing that beginners mess up when dealing with clients How raising your prices can create abundance in your lifestyle Why profit should be the furthest thing from your mind when dealing with clients What Ben would tell himself about photography if he could go back in time How to create communication systems within your photography business How to remove the ego when working with other photographers an embarrassing moment Ben had at a wedding Resources: Ben's Columbus OH Wedding Photography Studio Six Figure Photography Podcast Six Figure Photography Facebook Zach & Jody Gray United Photography Conference Tave CRM Trello Check out more at www.BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Have A Question? Reach out to us on social Facebook: www.Facebook.com/BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagtam.com/BeginnerPhotoPodcast Or Email us at: [email protected]

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Connect with Raymond! 

• Go from Confused to Confident behind the camera with The Ultimate Photography Education Bundle - https://beginnerphotopod.com/bundle
• Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
• Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

#76 In this episode, Indianapolis Wedding Photographer Raymond Hatfield talks about failing as a photographer. Since the explosion of digital photography, the amount of photographers has skyrocketed. It can be difficult to gain traction and notoriety. What can be more frustrating is when there are a half-dozen other photographers who give twice as much for half the cost (Double Frustrating if their work is sub-par!). But there is good news.  You're going to fail.  How is that good news? Well if you go into anything with blinders on you might miss out on the bigger picture. Photography isn't photography. It's not like you can pick up a camera and love every aspect and subject there is to shoot. Someone's job is to photograph giant hairy spiders all day. Would you love that? Regardless of the answer, I'm sure that person didn't go to school for "Giant Hairy Spider Photography". They had to have failed at a million other things before they got that job. Photography is a journey. You're going to get a few bumps and scrapes along the way but if it was easy, I promise you it wouldn't be as rewarding.   Check out more at www.BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Have A Question? Reach out to us on social Facebook: www.Facebook.com/BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagtam.com/BeginnerPhotoPodcast Or Email us at: [email protected]

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Connect with Raymond! 

• Go from Confused to Confident behind the camera with The Ultimate Photography Education Bundle - https://beginnerphotopod.com/bundle
• Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
• Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

#75 Brian Leahy is an LA-based luxury destinaion wedding photographer who despite living in one of the most saturated markets for wedding photographers thrives and commands a higher starting price than most photographers top package. Today we talk about how to stand out amongst the competition and how to set yourself apart!  In This Episode You'll Learn: What Brian shoots How Brian got into destination wedding photography How Brian is able to get clients with luxury weddings What Brian does to stand out in one of the most saturated photography markets How Brian started off getting photography work Why there is less competition at the top  Why networking with vendors may book you more weddings than you could imagine How Brian took every gig that came his way and even worked for free to now shooting large luxury destination weddings Resources: Brian's Website Brian's Facebook Brian's Instagram Check out more at www.BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Have A Question? Reach out to us on social Facebook: www.Facebook.com/BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagtam.com/BeginnerPhotoPodcast Or Email us at: [email protected]

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Connect with Raymond! 

• Go from Confused to Confident behind the camera with The Ultimate Photography Education Bundle - https://beginnerphotopod.com/bundle
• Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
• Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

#74 In the age of youtube and google where we can find all the information we could ever possibly want in just seconds, why would we want a mentor? Today we talk about the value of a mentor what they mean to you and your growth and how its better than just searching for photography tutorials for beginners.   In This Episode You'll Learn:   Why top level CEOs have mentors but beginners don't How important a mentor is for photographers Why an apprenticeship is a lost art Matt's personal experience with a mentor Check out more at www.BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Have A Question? Reach out to us on social Facebook: www.Facebook.com/BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagtam.com/BeginnerPhotoPodcast Or Email us at: [email protected]

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Connect with Raymond! 

• Go from Confused to Confident behind the camera with The Ultimate Photography Education Bundle - https://beginnerphotopod.com/bundle
• Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
• Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

#73 Kyle Shultz ran a successful photography studio shooting upwards of 40+ weddings and hundreds of portrait sessions a year before giving it all up and starting an online educational site called ShultzPhotoSchool where he focuses on teaching parents how they can take better photos of their kids!   In this episode you'll learn: How Kyle got his start in photography How Kyle went from buying a camera to take photos while on his bike rides to booking weddings Why Kyle wanted to shoot less weddings How Shultz Photo School started The number one tip Kyle shares for parents to take better photos of your kids Simple beginner mistakes most parent photographers make and how you can fix them How watching movies can make you a better photographer Why you should be trying to tell a story with your photos rather than taking the best photo What the most powerful photos have and how you can get it in your photos Why you need to be protecting your photos and how   Resources: Shultz Photo School Shultz Photo School on Facebook 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller Drobo Beyond Raid Hard Drive Drobo Check out more at www.BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Have A Question? Reach out to us on social Facebook: www.Facebook.com/BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagtam.com/BeginnerPhotoPodcast Or Email us at: [email protected]

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Connect with Raymond! 

• Go from Confused to Confident behind the camera with The Ultimate Photography Education Bundle - https://beginnerphotopod.com/bundle
• Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
• Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

#72 Brooke Mendenhall is a relatively new to the photography business who has gone from begging clients for a modest $75 for a session to now charging 10x that and keeping her calendar booked all while living in a small town. Today she shares some of her best tips to grow as well as how to get into the right mindset to make money.  In this weeks episode you'll learn: How Brooke got into photography How Brooke went from making pennys to being fully booked and opening a studio in just 2 years Why you should focus less on the technicals and more on your client experiance Why Brooke says she wasnt booking clients even though she was cheaper than her compitition How Brooke shoots for free and makes more money than she ever has before Why hobbiest photographers have a hard time getting in the mindset of making money Why Brooke doesnt give the digital files until her clients buy prints How to make a better experience for your photography clients How a photography webinar on in person sales changed her bussiness for the best and why she wouldnt recommend it.  Resources: Brookes Website Brookes Facebook Brookes Instagram Purple Cow By Seth Godin The Sprouting Photographer Podcast   Quotes: When I got the camera I had no idea there was such a thing as Manual mode If I don't please my clients, why should they pay me? I didn't even have a camera when I first started photographing people Not having a studio space is no excuse to not do in person sales We need people to sneeze on their friends for us Check out more at www.BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Have A Question? Reach out to us on social Facebook: www.Facebook.com/BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagtam.com/BeginnerPhotoPodcast Or Email us at: [email protected]

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Connect with Raymond! 

• Go from Confused to Confident behind the camera with The Ultimate Photography Education Bundle - https://beginnerphotopod.com/bundle
• Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
• Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

#71 In This Episode You'll Learn: Why shooting for free isn't killing the industry How Matt build his career by shooting for free How shooting for free can make you more money How to use your free shoots to build your portfolio The exact strategy you can use to book more shoots by shooting for free The importance of blogging as a photographer How to book more photo shoots quick Why craigslist isn't the best place for photographers How shooting 1 free wedding got Matt 50 Inqueries and how you can do it too! How to use SEO to book more weddings Why people arnt buying your photography, and what they are really buying Resources: Sports Photography for Parents Course Vinny Pugliese Super Bowl Photographer Interview Check out more at www.BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Have A Question? Reach out to us on social Facebook: www.Facebook.com/BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagtam.com/BeginnerPhotoPodcast Or Email us at: [email protected]

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Connect with Raymond! 

• Go from Confused to Confident behind the camera with The Ultimate Photography Education Bundle - https://beginnerphotopod.com/bundle
• Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
• Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

#70 Nick Page is a Landscape photographer who got his start in photography later than most after he found him self with too much free time when an accident left him bed ridden. Since then he has quickly become one of the top landscape photographers around and has just launched his own podcast "The Landscape Photography Podcast" which can be found in your favorite podcast player.   In this episode you'll learn: How a horrible accident gave Nick his start in photography How Nicks start in videography got him interested in photography What some of the first tutorials Nick watched were What are some of the most difficult aspects of landscape photography How to make money with landscape photography How to get into landscape photography How much preparation goes into a great landscape photo The number 1 thing people get wrong with landscape photography What Nicks biggest tip for getting a great landscape photo it Why landscape photos take several hours to edit a single image in photoshop Some simple tricks to editing your landscape photography Common mistakes beginners make in their landscape photography Resources: Nicks Website Nicks Landscape photography podcast Nicks Instagram Digital Rev Youtube Gavin Hoey Youtube Channel Tony Northrup Youtube Channel Kai W Youtube Channel James Wheelers Podcast Interview   Quotes: Like anyone else I started taking photos of my kid  learning how to shoot in manual was the best thing I could have done if you shoot the same thing all the time youre going to get burnt out My favorite landscape images are from when I just got up and out of the house to go shoot There has to be a sacrifice to get a great landscape photo You can either be amazing at TV or amazing at photography. Not Both Landscape photography is such a saturated field You want a photo to be real and believable but also special and interesting Take the time to be creative before worring about the technicals Check out more at www.BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Have A Question? Reach out to us on social Facebook: www.Facebook.com/BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagtam.com/BeginnerPhotoPodcast Or Email us at: [email protected]

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Connect with Raymond! 

• Go from Confused to Confident behind the camera with The Ultimate Photography Education Bundle - https://beginnerphotopod.com/bundle
• Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
• Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

#69 Ana Brandt is a world renowned celebrity maternity and newborn photographer, an educator, fashion designer, super mom and incredible entrepreneur with almost 20 years of experience. Today she talks about her journey into photography. How she got started photographing newborns and maternity photos and what she attributes her success to and what you need to know about photographing clients. Today you’ll learn: How Ana got started in photography What Ana went to school for and how it pushed her to become a full time photographer How Ana got into maternity and newborn photography How Ana got her first clients Why Ana recommends shooting for free How to get clients when you move to a new city What Ana says is the key to her success What Ana learned from her first maternity session How Ana got answers to her  photography questions before Google How Ana made sure her first clients were so happy they gave her referals Why Ana wont shoot weddings What Ana says is a beginner mistake when photographing Newborns Why you need to have a second set of eyes when photographing a baby The importance of knowing who your clients are Resources Ana's Website Ana’s Maternity and Newborn Courses Ana’s Youtube Ana’s Facebook Ana’s Instagram Quotes My Photography Professor and I fought the entire semester You have to be completely immersed in your craft Video is the #1 reason why people all over the world hire me Marketing is telling the world who you are. No one else is going to do that for you ...Its the one thing you need to do the second you decide to become a photographer In the beginning you have to build your portfolio as fast as you can Check out more at www.BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Have A Question? Reach out to us on social Facebook: www.Facebook.com/BeginnerPhotographyPodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagtam.com/BeginnerPhotoPodcast Or Email us at: [email protected]

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Sign up for your free CloudSpot Account today at www.DeliverPhotos.com

Connect with Raymond! 

• Go from Confused to Confident behind the camera with The Ultimate Photography Education Bundle - https://beginnerphotopod.com/bundle
• Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
• Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!