So many things can go wrong when you are starting a photography business! In this week's episode, we share some of our nightmare stories, how we handled them, and what we learned in the process so you can be prepared in similar situations!

Welcome back to The Edit Weekly! (Have you subscribed to yet?! We’d love to have you!)

Today, we continue our Top Photo Products Series, where we share our favorites that our clients love. If you want to start a photography business or seek new product inspiration, you’ve come to the right spot! 📸

We consider Add-On products unique pieces that can accompany things like albums, prints, and wall art. These pieces are a great way to generate additional revenue and can also set you apart from the competition.

🌟HIGHLIGHTS!🌟

00:00 Introduction

03:02 Mini Books from WHCC & ways to sell them for portrait sessions

07:31 Unique ways to sell press printed products from Millers Lab as a fine art product or as add-ons for portrait and wedding clients

Products: Press Printed Cards, Handmade Wood Stands

13:47 Acrylic Blocks from Bumblejacks and how they can differentiate you from your competition

16:49 Final tips on offering add-ons and how to start including them in your photography business

We’re excited to share what’s worked for us and how you can add this to what your product offerings. These are some of the best photography products to sell from incredible professional photo labs.

Let us know in the comments if you offer add-ons and what products or lab you use for them!

🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow us on Instagram @TheEditWeekly. 

Lab & Product Links:

White House Custom Color (WHCC) Mini Accordion Books: https://www.whcc.com/products/accordion-mini-books/

Millers Lab Press Printed Cards: https://www.millerslab.com/press/flat-cards

Wood Photo Block: https://amzn.to/3JUebDl affiliate link

Bumblejax Acrylic Photo Block: https://www.bumblejax.com/acrylic-photo-blocks/

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🌟Our Favorite Photography Tools (Besides Gear)🌟

Check out our curated list of the brands and products that we love. These are great for starting a photography business! We may earn a small commission if you purchase from this list, which helps us continue making episodes for you! We only share products we use and love ourselves!

Timed Timer: Check it out! ➡ https://amzn.to/3SXA0FW

Do you have ADHD or just want a tool to work efficiently while you work on your photography business? This visual time aid helps you focus while you can visually see what time it is! Whitney discusses this tool in our second episode on Productivity for Photographers!

Dubsado, a top CRM program! Try it out here! ➡ http://dubsado.com/?c=theeditweekly

This is Erin’s Favorite CRM for her photography business! She shares all the different ways she uses Dubsado in our episode about CRMs for photography!

🌟Other tools for your photography business to help you!🌟

Apple iPad for note taking with GoodNotes ➡ https://amzn.to/49tRHEl (any will work if you can use an Apple pencil!)

Apple Pencil ➡ https://amzn.to/3uNza6M

The BEST Photo Hangers for Wall Galleries ➡ https://amzn.to/3OYjzbk

The best Photo Hangers to avoid wall damage ➡ https://amzn.to/42U33Pk

First, be sure to subscribe for more honest conversation about starting your photography business!

Then, Download Our FREE Content Calendar!!! ➡️ https://theeditweekly.com/010-instagram-for-photographers/

We are thrilled to share our interview with The Edit Co-host, senior portrait photographer, and lovely human Erin Smagala!

Not only will you get to know Erin better, but she has so much wisdom to share in her 15+ years of experience as a successful photography business owner. 

Plus, she shares the truly remarkable story of how she found out about her daughter, whom she later adopted- on the same day she made a gigantic leap in her business!

Here are the highlights:

01:31 Erin's journey from English teacher to professional photographer

05:20 How to say no to the work you don’t love

08:46 How working with her photographers can bring you success

13:27 Navigating business and parenthood

16:14 Moving her studio home & how she created The Glass House

25:34 How sharing a studio can help you succeed while saving money

29:53 Advice on being a professional photographer

Make sure you check out all of Erin’s links and give her a follow over on Instagram!

Erin Smagala

https://erinsmagala.com/

https://www.instagram.com/erinsmagala/

Erin’s portrait studio, The Glass House TN (swoon!!!)

https://www.theglasshousetn.com/

Erin and fellow Nashville photographer Karen Halbert created a guide to sharing a studio. You can find the guide and more tips at 

https://www.thehelpfulphotographers.com/

And, we can’t forget, you can find her at http://www.theeditweekly.com as well! 😉

🌟Our Favorite Photography Tools (Besides Gear)🌟

Check out our curated list of the brands and products that we love. These are great for starting a photography business! We may earn a small commission if you purchase from this list, which helps us continue making episodes for you! We only share products we use and love ourselves!

Timed Timer: Check it out! ➡ https://amzn.to/3SXA0FW

Do you have ADHD or just want a tool to work efficiently while you work on your photography business? This visual time aid helps you focus while you can visually see what time it is! Whitney discusses this tool in our second episode on Productivity for Photographers!

Watch our episode on how to stay productive in your photography business here ➡ • EP 002 - From Paper Planners to Tech ...

Dubsado, a top CRM program! Try it out here! ➡ http://dubsado.com/?c=theeditweekly

This is Erin’s Favorite CRM for her photography business! She shares all the different ways she uses Dubsado in our episode about CRMs for photography!

Watch our episode to see how Erin uses Dubsado in her businesshere ➡ • Can a CRM for Photographers ACTUALLY ...

🌟Other tools for your photography business to help you!🌟

Apple iPad for note taking with GoodNotes ➡ https://amzn.to/49tRHEl (any will work if you can use an Apple pencil!)

Apple Pencil ➡ https://amzn.to/3uNza6M

The BEST Photo Hangers for Wall Galleries ➡ https://amzn.to/3OYjzbk

The best Photo Hangers to avoid wall damage ➡ https://amzn.to/42U33Pk

Welcome to Part 2 of the Top 10 Things You Must Follow To Be Professional!Along with our advice on what you need while growing your business, you will also hear stories about when we failed big time! It can happen to anyone!

We discuss marketing plans for photographers, having professional websites and email, business insurance, contracts, and Erin shares a bonus tip at the end!

Here are some helpful links to go along with what we share this week:

It’s so important to have a PROFESSIONAL website and email! Whitney loves Squarespace for its simplicity and the ability to have everything in one place:

Squarespace: https://www.squarespace.com/

Business Insurance- not only will this protect you, but many venues require it! Amanda is a huge proponent of using PPA’s business insurance:

Professional Photographers of America https://www.ppa.com/

Contracts are one of the most important things to have when working with clients! While there are many options for premade contracts, Rachel Brenke is an expert in the photography industry and business and, most importantly, a great lawyer!

The Lawtog with Rachel Brenke https://www.thelawtog.com/

You MUST have backups of everything. We have all used Backblaze for online storage.

Backblaze: https://www.backblaze.com/

For onsite backup, we love these memory cards and external hard drives:

Sandisk Memory Cards: https://amzn.to/4du2n8r *

Seagate External Harddrive: https://amzn.to/3UgoG8G*

*affiliate links

Bonus Tip! Erin shares how and why you should use Google My Business. The following article gives you step-by-step instructions for setting it up!

Google My Business Profile- article on how to set it up: https://www.semrush.com/blog/google-my-business/

We’d love to hear from you! Let us know which of the tips from the last two episodes you’d like to learn more about, and we will add it to our queue!

Starting a photography business? There are so many mistakes that you can make- and we’ve made them! In this episode, we share our top tips for starting out in your photography business so that you don’t have to make the same mistakes we did!

This week’s episode was so packed full of information that we decided to split it into two parts!

Begin with these first five tips—they’re enough for you to get going this week! Then, laugh along with us as we swap horror stories of the times we’ve messed up and learn from us.

We want to see you thrive!

Here are some helpful links to go along with what we share this week:

Do you need to brush up on your photography skills? Whitney’s favorite place to learn is Creative Live! Bonus—it’s not just for photography—you can also learn all sorts of creative practices here!

https://www.creativelive.com/

Do you have your business license yet? If not, this guide from NerdWallet has links to all 50 states, so you can find out how to get one in your state!

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/how-to-get-a-business-license

Erin shares how important it is to know your cost of doing business. And this is her favorite calculator!

https://www.biblino.com/cost-of-doing-business-calculator/

BACK UP GEAR! You must have it. We don’t have links to every piece of backup gear you may need, but after listening to this episode you will definitely want several of these in your car and camera bag: https://amzn.to/4aU27NW

(Affiliate link :) )

P.S. Do you know a photographer in their first few years of business? We’d LOVE it if you send them our channel so we can help them work through these beginning years!

P.P.S. 🔔 Have you subscribed yet to our YouTube channel? Go ahead and do it now! [https://www.youtube.com/@TheEditWeekly]

P.P.P.S. Don't forget to get involved in our photography community by joining our mailing list at https://theeditweekly.com for exclusive tips, insights, and updates from The Edit team.

💬 We'd love to hear your thoughts! If you’ve been in business for a while, what advice would you give for someone starting out?

Download Our FREE Content Calendar!!! ➡️ https://theeditweekly.com/010-instagram-for-photographers/

Don’t forget to subscribe to @theeditweekly so that you are notified when part 2 releases!

______________________

🌟Our Favorite Things!🌟

Check out our curated list of the brands and products that we love. We may earn a small commission if you purchase from this list, which helps us continue making episodes for you! We only share products we use and love ourselves!

Timed Timer: Check it out! ➡ https://amzn.to/3SXA0FW

Have ADHD or just want a tool to work efficiently while you work on your photography business? This visual time aid helps you focus while you can visually see what time it is! Whitney discusses this tool in our second episode on Productivity for Photographers!

Watch here ➡ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_NcRynQ4CE0&t=10s

Dubsado: Try it out here! ➡ dubsado.com/?c=theeditweekly

This is Erin’s Favorite CRM for her photography business! She shares all the different ways she uses Dubsado in our episode about CRMs for photography!

Watch here ➡ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNGPeoyQqt0&t=20s

🌟Other tools the three of us love!🌟

Apple iPad for note taking with GoodNotes ➡ https://amzn.to/49tRHEl (any will work if you can use an Apple pencil!)

Apple Pencil ➡ https://amzn.to/3uNza6M

The BEST Photo Hangers for Wall Galleries ➡ https://amzn.to/3OYjzbk

The best Photo Hangers to avoid wall damage ➡ https://amzn.to/42U33Pk

Download Our FREE Albm Template!!! ➡️ https://theeditweekly.com/013-albums-for-pro-photographers/

Episode links and resources: https://theeditweekly.com/014-shaun-gordon

Join Whitney Carlson, Erin and Amanda for an inspiring conversation with Shaun Gordon, the founder of KISS Books, as they dive into the transformative power of photography and the profound impact it can have on both the client experience and photographers' lives.

Shaun shares his journey from shooting a staggering 60+ weddings each season to crafting meaningful albums that champion the core values of being seen, being heard and making an impact on the lives of those around us. 

Discover how to create a photography business that's rooted in care, value, and emotional connection as we explore Shaun's practical strategies for deepening client relationships and fostering referrals.

If you're a photographer looking to grow (or just breathe new life and inspiration into) your business, you won't want to miss this episode!

As wedding and portrait photographers, high-quality photo albums can be an incredibly lucrative (and artistically rewarding) product to offer your clients. The problem...?

There are just so. many. of. them. out. there. it's. ridiculous.

So we thought we'd do a little Show & Tell in this episode, sharing our absolute favorite albums and album companies for pro photographers.

Note: We have a TON of free stuff and additional links and resources for you to go with this episode, so be sure to check it all out at https://theeditweekly.com/013-albums-for-pro-photographers

Join us for a nugget-filled episode of The Edit Podcast as we engage in an inspiring and candid conversation with commercial photographer Allen Clark. In this episode, Whitney Carlson, Erin Smagala, and Amanda Waltman dive into the overlapping worlds of commercial, portrait and wedding photography, sharing personal stories and professional insights that will resonate and inspire.

From nostalgic reflections on their first Minolta cameras to the evolution of digital photography, Allen Clark opens up about his journey from passion to profession. This episode is not just about cameras and equipment—it's a deep dive into the soul of a master photographer, where connection and storytelling reign supreme. Discover how Allen's advice from photojournalism legend William Albert Allard shaped his career and why forming lasting relationships is the cornerstone of impactful photography.

Allen, along with The Edit hosts, get honest about the realities of working in the wedding industry. Hear their experiences on burnout, the importance of setting boundaries, and why quitting might just be the beginning of something great. Plus, don't miss the discussion on how AI and technology are revolutionizing the creative process.

Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, this episode is packed with pearls of wisdom on self-promotion, selling your work, and the crucial role of personality in photography. Allen and The Edit ladies reflect on the potent mix of technical skills and human connections that make for unforgettable images.

Don't forget to get involved in our photography community by joining our mailing list at https://theeditweekly.com for exclusive tips, insights, and updates from The Edit team.

Follow our updates on Instagram: https://instagram.com/theeditweekly

💬 We'd love to hear your thoughts! Comment below about your own journey with photography, what resonated with you in this interview, or any other takeaways you'd like to share.

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and show your support.

🔔 Make sure to subscribe and click the notification bell to stay up to date with new content from The Edit!

Our Favorite Things!

Check out our curated list of the brands and products that we love. We may earn a small commission if you purchase from this list, which helps us continue making episodes for you! We only share products we use and love ourselves!

Timed Timer: Check it out! ➡ https://amzn.to/3SXA0FW

Do you have ADHD or just want a tool to be efficient while you work on your photography business? This visual time aid helps you focus while you can visually see what time it is! Whitney discusses this tool in our second episode on Productivity for Photographers!

Watch here ➡ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NcRynQ4CE0&t=3s

Dubsado: Try it out here! ➡ (http://dubsado.com/?c=theeditweekly)

This is Erin’s Favorite CRM for her photography business! She shares all the different ways she uses Dubsado in our episode about CRMs for photography!

Watch here ➡ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNGPeoyQqt0

Swift Galleries: Start a free trial! ➡ https://swiftgalleries.com/

Whitney works with Swift Galleries, and Erin and Amanda use it in their business! Swift Galleries is the best software for in-person sales for wall art. We interview Chris, co-founder of Swift Galleries AND The Edit on goal setting- you’ll love it!

Watch here ➡ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS0Oj2Q_wWU

Other tools the three of us use:

Apple iPad for note taking with GoodNotes➡ https://amzn.to/49tRHEl (any will work if you can use an Apple pencil!)

Apple Pencil ➡ https://amzn.to/3uNza6M

The BEST Photo Hangers for Wall Galleries ➡https://amzn.to/3OYjzbk

The best Photo Hangers to avoid wall damage ➡ https://amzn.to/42U33Pk

#TheEditWeekly #PhotographyPodcast #PhotographerTips #CreativePhotography #BusinessOfPhotography #PhotographyCommunity #PortfolioBuilding #PhotographyPassion #InspirationalPhotographer

The Edit's own Whitney Carlson opens up about the struggle of intertwining her personal identity with her photography career, the vital importance of community, and how rediscovering photography for herself rekindled her passion. 📸✨

Mentioned in this Episode:

Joy Marie Photography - https://joymariephoto.com

Swift Galleries - https://swiftgalleries.com