The Talking Pixels Podcast

The Talking Pixels Podcast

By Justin GambleArtsVisual Arts
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The Talking Pixels Podcast episodes

  • Episode 17 - Talking Boudoir with Jamilyn Phillips

    In today's episode, Justin sits down with Cuyahoga Falls, OH based boudoir photographer, Jamilyn Phillips. Jamilyn is a full time photographer and owner of Bombshell Boudoir by Jamilyn. She focuses on body positivity and empowerment in her dark, moody, and intimate portraits. In this episode we cover what it takes to build a successful boudoir photography business in 2021, how you too can empower and build confidence in your subjects,  best practices when photographing intimate portraits and more! You won't want to miss this episode of the TPP.

    Follow Jamilyn: @bombshellboudoir_byjamilyn

    Jamilyn's recommended reading: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0762447699/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_4WDYSYYPNRTHAB3NS2TK

    Check out the latest deals on photography and videography equipment at: https://www.thepixelconnection.com/?pxacc=TalkingPixelsPodcast


    Submit your questions to [email protected] for a chance to have them answered on a future episode!

    1 hr 19 min
  • Episode 15- Pints and Pixels Featuring Lindsey Poyar

    Questions:

    Tell us more about what you shoot and how long you have been photographing this genre?

    We jump in a time machine and go back to when you started doing photography. What would you tell yourself how would you coach yourself?

    What was your best memory of your career?

    Do you put all of your prices online?

    One thing that we talk about on the podcast is the idea of failure and how you learn from failure. Can you share a time in your career when you failed and what did you learn from it?

    Lightning Round:

    L1: Mac or PC? & Why?

    L2: Lightroom or Photoshop & Why?

    L3: Speedlight or Studio Strobe & Why?

    L4: One piece of gear you couldn't live without?

    L5: Android or IOS & Why?

    L6: Coffee or Tea?

    L7: Domestic or Craft beer & Why?

    If craft beer what’s your favorite brewery?

    Tragedy strikes. You have one camera and one lens and $500 in your pocket. What would the camera and lens be and how would you use the $500 to launch your business & stay afloat?

    Where do you see your career headed in the next 5 years?

    Are there any books/resources or tools you would recommend to our listeners?

    You are a badass

    Growth Hacking by Ryan Holiday

    The obstacle is the way

    What do you want your legacy to be?

    How can our listeners find you online?

    @lindseypoy

    Lindseypoyar.com

    1 hr 2 min
  • Episode 14 - Pints and Pixels Featuring Isaac Coffy

    Questions:

    1. Tell us more about what you shoot and how long you have been photographing this genre?
    2. We jump in a time machine and go back to when you started doing photography. What would you tell yourself how would you coach yourself?
    3. What was your best memory of your career?
    4. Do you put all of your prices online?
    5. One thing that we talk about on the podcast is the idea of failure and how you learn from failure. Can you share a time in your career when you failed and what did you learn from it?
    6. Lightning Round:

      7. L1: Mac or PC? & Why?

      L2: Lightroom or Photoshop & Why?
      L3: Speedlight or Studio Strobe & Why?
      L4: One piece of gear you couldn't live without?
      L5: Android or IOS & Why?

      L6: Coffee or Tea?

      L7: Domestic or Craft beer & Why?

      1. If craft beer what’s your favorite brewery?
      2. Tragedy strikes. You have one camera and one lens and $500 in your pocket. What would the camera and lens be and how would you use the $500 to launch your business & stay afloat?
      3. Where do you see your career headed in the next 5 years?
      4. Are there any books/resources or tools you would recommend to our listeners?
      5. What do you want your legacy to be?

        6. How can our listeners find you online?

        @coffycreations

        1 hr 4 min
      6. Episode 13 - Customer Communication & Professionalism

        So in our previous episode we talked about networking as a way to secure clients. Now the phone is ringing non-stop. But how do you handle the calls? How do you talk to clients? In this episode we share some communication and workflow tips to make sure you are sending the right message about your brand when you communicate with your clients.

        TJ: Alright, Let’s tee this up. You finally have your first inquiry. What do you do now?
        5 Tips for Mastering Client Communication

        1. Design a customer centric workflow for communication

        -Same message to all clients

        -Automate things like contracts and reminder emails
        -Utilize surveys to get a good idea for who they are and what they like (favorite soda, beer vs wine, favorite snack
        -CRM

        2. Start building a relationship

        - A little bit of creeping is ok (get to know who your client is, what their views are, what do they like)

        - Be welcoming, knowledgeable, and confident
        - Ask questions to assess their needs.
        - Keep things professional.
        - Keep politics out of it!

        3. Nurture the relationship

        - Keep your customer in the loop.

        - Answer their emails/calls as soon as possible
        - Deliver the images or products in a timely fashion

        4. Underpromise, Over Deliver

        -Set proper expectations up front

        -Be the hero when you get done early
        - Sneak Peeks, early delivery, bonus images/prints, etc.

        5. The power of smiling

        - Before you pick up the phone, smile

        - Before you hit send on an email, smile

        - When you see your clients, smile




        Action Items

        • Build your own or purchase a CRM system, whatever works for you (Post it notes)
        • Create automated responses to save time in the future.
        • Practice the smile technique

          • Recommended Reading:

          • Be Our Guest - https://amzn.to/2DoQ29k
            • 36 min
          • Episode 12 - Networking Your Way To Success - Your Network is your Net Worth

            Up until this point, we have talked alot about the structure of our business, we know what we are good at, we know what we probably shouldn’t do, but the phone still isn’t ringing. It’s time that we change that. In this episode we share 5 sure fire ways to get the phone ringing and clients knocking down your door and we do this via Networking!

            What’s Up I’m TJ and I'm Justin and welcome to the Talking Pixels Podcast: Helping you take your photography from a hobby to a career!

            Last episode we kicked off a new segment of the Talking Pixels Podcast called Pints and Pixels and had our friend Logan Detty join us, what takeaways did you get from that episode?!

            We always hear that networking is an important part of running a business. It’s all about who you know! But where do you start? How can you make connections that will lead to a stronger business? What resources are there that can help you network yourself to success? In this episode we dive into strategies you can use to expand your professional network.

            How Do You Approach Networking

            • Be a giver - Don't expect anything in return
            • Have genuine interest in meeting people
            • Keep In Touch With People
            • Connect people (networth)
            • Listen twice as much as talking
              • 5 Go To Places For Networking

              1. Social Media

              Facebook Groups (Cleveland Photo Nerds / Fujifilm Fam)
              Referrals
              Contests

              Tagging/sharing

              Engaging with other users content

              2. Local Chamber of Commerce / Mainstreet Organizations

              3. Local & National Networking Events and Tradeshows

              4. SCORE - https://www.score.org/ /

              5.Professional Organizations

              PPA
              Local Organizations like PPO / PPNEO / Local clubs
              BNI (https://www.bni.com/)
              Meetup.com

              Action Items

              • Search Facebook for groups that pertain to your niche and join them (North East Ohio Weddings)
              • Search for and attend a local meet up, mixer, or networking event in your area.
              • Figure out how you are gonna stay connected

                • Recommended Reading:

                • Win friends & Influence People - https://amzn.to/2OcFxrt
                • Never Eat Alone - https://amzn.to/3eh5v7M
                  • 1 hr 9 min
                • Episode 11 - Pints And Pixels Featuring Logan Detty

                  Justin: Today I’m very excited to welcome a very good friend of mine as our first guest on Pints and Pixels, and fellow Ohio photographer, Logan Detty! Logan is a portrait photographer based out of Chillicothe, Ohio and has made quite a name for himself on social media and in the Instagram portrait photography community. Thanks for joining us today, Logan! How’s it going?

                  IBU’s, ABV, Flavor, Profile of the beer

                  Questions:

                  1. Tell us more about what you shoot and how long you have been photographing this genre?
                    2. -Portraits In Motion
                  2. We jump in a time machine and go back to when you started doing photography. What would you tell yourself how would you coach yourself?
                  3. One piece of gear you couldn't live without?
                  4. What was your best memory of your career?
                  5. One thing that we talk about on the podcast is the idea of failure and how you learn from failure. Can you share a time in your career when you failed and what did you learn from it?
                    1. Lightning Round: L1: Mac or PC? & Why?
                      2. L2: Lightroom or Photoshop & Why?
                      L3: Speedlight or Studio Strobe & Why?
                      L4: Android or IOS & Why?
                      L5: Domestic or Craft beer & Why?
                      L6: One piece of gear you couldn't live without?
                    2. Tragedy strikes. You have one camera and one lens and $500 in your pocket. What would the camera and lens be and how would you use the $500 to launch your business & stay afloat?
                    3. We jump in a time machine and go back to when you started doing photography. What would you tell yourself how would you coach yourself?
                    4. Where do you see your career headed in the next 5 years?
                    5. Are there any books/resources or tools you would recommend to our listeners?
                    6. What do you want your legacy to be?
                    7. How can our listeners find you online?
                      8. - Logandettyphoto.com
                      1 hr
                    8. Episode 10 - 3 Steps To Building A Strong Foundation In Business

                      You Have To Put Your Mask On First! It is the biggest takeaway from this episode. It's time we have a heart to heart and be honest with ourselves. Doing the exercises that we talk about in this episode will help you grow and scale your business exponentially faster.

                      What is our business identity and how do we find it? Think about the biggest brands out there today like Apple, Coca Cola, and Disney - all of these brands have totally different identities and personifications. You associate a specific feeling, and ideology from each brand. There’s a number of things that contribute to a business's identity, and it takes time to establish. The first step is to take a closer look at ourselves and who we are as photographers.

                      3 Steps To Building A Strong Foundation In Business
                      1. Who Are You? - It is super important to be honest with yourself and realize what you are good at and what you suck at. You cannot do it all and that is OK! If you do it all you are doing it wrong.
                      2. SWOT - S.W.O.T stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Conducting a SWOT analysis of your business or even yourself is actually a lot of fun. What I love about this exercise is how well it works in groups big and small. This simple exercise makes it super easy to get everyone on the same page and makes problem solving even easier. The point of a SWOT analysis is to help you develop a strong strategy by making sure you’ve considered all of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and threats in the marketplace.
                      3. Your Mission Statement in 140 Characters

                        4. Action Items

                        • Identify who you are as a photographer.
                        • Create a SWOT Analysis
                          • Sometimes it can be hard to see these for yourself, ask a friend to help.
                          • Write out one or more options for mission statements, determine which best suits you.

                            • Recommended Reading:

                            • e-Myth Revisited - https://amzn.to/301R3Nl
                            • Traction - https://amzn.to/3cnFIcR
                            • Good To Great - https://amzn.to/2yXQMzX
                              • 46 min
                            • Episode 9 - What Every Photographers Website Needs

                              Welcome to part two of our website series! Today we’ll be discussing how to build an effective website. What should you have on your website? What are the best practices for building your website? How can you use your website as a marketing tool? All that and more coming up next!

                              So in the last episode, we discussed the techy side of your website. We talked about SSL, TLD, Hosting, and applications for building your website. But today we’ll be diving into building your website and what you need to do to have a successful website. So TJ, what do you think is the most important thing to have on your website?

                              Intro thoughts:
                              What is the most important thing to have on your website?
                              5 Things That Every Photography Website Needs
                              1. Your Work As Your Style - Show what you want to shoot, you can only sell what you show.
                                1. What does your website convey
                                2. What look is on brand for you?
                                3. Layout, colors, fonts
                                4. Customer experience (Simple and Easy Navigation)

                                  5. Contact Page - This is the Key to Local SEO (https://neilpatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/intro-optimal-local-landing-page-layout.pdf)

                                  1. Map
                                  2. Contact Form
                                  3. Hours of Operation
                                  4. Social media links
                                  5. Call to action

                                    6. About Me Page - Short, the story is about them not you. Remember they are the hero, you are their guide

                                    Blog -

                                    • Traffic driver
                                    • Great place for education
                                    • Where to photograph your engagement shoots in your town
                                    • http://www.coffycreations.com/9-great-photo-spots-ashland-ohio/
                                    • Answerthepublic.com
                                    • Consistency
                                    • SEO
                                    • Tells the Algorithm that your page is up to date
                                    • Showcase events you shoot in real time (pros and cons)
                                    • The Most Important? A CALL TO ACTION!
                                      • Action Items
                                      • Create a file on your computer and segment your best portfolio images
                                      • Find a topic you feel confident about and write out your first blog post
                                      • Start to think about your workflow. What are you going to do when you get that first contact form submitted? If you aint first, your last
                                      • Answer Who, What, Where, and How?
                                        • Who You Are.
                                        • What you shoot.
                                        • Where you are located.
                                        • How do you do business?
                                        • https://neilpatel.com/training/

                                          • Recommended Reading:

                                          • Crushing It - https://amzn.to/3dKBRYA
                                          • Youtility - https://amzn.to/2y2pPuk
                                          • Content Inc. - https://amzn.to/3bSN2xJ


                                            • 46 min
                                          • Episode 8 - Getting Online

                                            Over the last few episodes we have mentioned websites and putting things on your websites but we haven't talked about where to get started. In this episode, we are going to take you through step by step on how you can get your place on the world wide web. That and more, coming up.


                                            What’s Up I’m TJ and I'm Justin and welcome to the Talking Pixels Podcast: Helping you take your photography from a hobby to a career!


                                            So we’ve regularly mentioned websites in our past podcasts, but we haven’t really talked about them in-depth. A website is as important as a business card if not more important in the digital age. Justin, do you think people even need a website any more with social media sites like Facebook and Instagram?
                                            Intro thoughts:
                                            How do you build a website?
                                            Where to start with your website?

                                            Justin - Naming your business, what goes into it, etc.

                                            https://www.namecheckr.com/

                                            TJ - Domain Name & SSL & TLD

                                            https://www.godaddy.com/

                                            Justin - Hosting

                                            https://www.siteground.com/

                                            https://www.godaddy.com/

                                            TJ - Application

                                               HTML

                                               Hired out web design

                                               Adobe Portfolio

                                               Wordpress

                                               Joomla

                                               Squarespace

                                               Wix

                                            Justin - Photobiz

                                            https://www.photobiz.com/refer/?ref=46632

                                            Action Items
                                            • Make a list of 10-15 names and share them with others.
                                            • Use name checker to see if your name is available
                                            • Visit other photographer’s websites and see if you can find out what they are using
                                            • Create a benefit-cost sheet for various services to find what the right fit is for you.
                                            • Purchase a domain name and hosting

                                              • Recommended Reading:

                                              • Story Brand - https://amzn.to/3f5VXOu
                                              • Blog Inc - https://amzn.to/2KPxZJe
                                              • Content Inc - https://amzn.to/2SnvUZv
                                                • 57 min

                                              About The Talking Pixels Podcast

                                              From the publisher's feed

                                              This podcast is dedicated to helping photographers start their business and go from surviving to thriving.