Photographing New Born Babies.

Who Doesn’t Love A New Born Baby?

Over the last few years, newborn photography has become the “go to” genre for photographers around the world.

There are a million videos, tutorials, ebooks, guides and books on how to photograph these “slippery little suckers”.

The best one I have found is  “Over 100 of the Best Newborn Baby Tutorials”.

Nowhere In all of my research on photographing newborns, do I see any one talk about shooting for maximizing sales.

The focus is always on how to photograph the baby.

Now to maximise our sales, we need to photograph the baby with any siblings, its parents, and its grandparents.

Becoming a proud grandparent myself  just six weeks ago, to a beautiful grand daughter, Wendy and I would have loved to have some great professional photographs with the new baby.

We would have loved the photographs to be taken in our home, so that we would not have to had venture out into Melbourne’s freezing weather.

Our son and daughter-in-law would have preferred this also, as new busy parents they would not have had to pack the baby, along with clothes and bottles etc.

How easy for us all to have the photography session in the comfort and warmth of our own home.

We could have supplied any props so the photographer would not need “organically dyed newborn cheesecloth wraps” etc.

Doing a newborn session in new parents homes just makes sense, and has many benefits for the client, and the great benefit for the photographer of course is in maximising the sales.

I have some of the photographers that I am coaching doing this and they are having a lot of success.

So next time you book in a newborn shoot, just encourage the baby’s parents to bring

along the grandparents for part of the shoot.

Your bank account will thank you.

photography business coach   www.berniegriffiths.com

15 Statements Poor Photographers Say that Rich Photographers Do Not!

Great article by Bradford Rowley.

Bradford Rowley is perhaps the most expensive portrait photographer in the United States with an impressive list of prominent clientele.  He operates studios in New York, California and on world famous Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.  He has made over 20 million dollars from selling portraits. He has taught photographers from more than 40 countries.   He currently resides in Connecticut with his wife and youngest child.

15 Statements Poor Photographers Say that Rich Photographers Do Not!

Below is a list of comments I have heard from photographers over the years and especially lately that I find toxic for success and a contrast to what I hear from people I mastermind with.

As in all of my articles, when I point out something wrong, I also give a solution or the flip side which I believe points in the direction of success….

Phrases Poor Photographers Say:

  1. Cheap photographers are ruining the industry.
  2. I am in it for the art not the money.
  3. I’m going to spend my money to buy the latest equipment.
  4. It’s impossible to get rich in photography.
  5. People will never spend that amount of money.
  6. Clients don’t see my worth.
  7. My clients insist on getting their images on a CD.
  8. There should be some protection like professional licensing for our industry.
  9. I hate selling.
  10. I am up till 2 a.m. working on Photoshop.
  11. You can’t make the same amount of money in photography that you could 15 years ago.
  12. We are in a recession right now.
  13. All the photographers I know say business is down.
  14. I just hope I can last a little bit longer in this industry until I retire.
  15. I don’t trust anyone in my business but me.

 Phrases Rich Photographers Say:

  1. I run my studio as a business.
  2. I carefully spend my money on marketing that brings in massive amounts of clients.
  3. The photography business is one of the best kept secrets there is.
  4. I differentiate myself so entirely from cheap photographers that they have no affect on me.
  5. Photographers can make more money than physicians if they are savvy.
  6. Spending at least a few thousand dollars on a piece of art which is a representation of that which is most precious to people is a very reasonable expectation.
  7. I carefully brand myself in a very calculated way which helps me command top dollar.
  8. I never let any portrait leave my studio which isn’t finished in the most exquisite way and with full artistry. My clients understand and respect me more because of it.
  9. Because I make an amazing living, I can afford to enjoy my love of photography on vacations all over the world.
  10. I assume 100% responsibility for my success as well as my failures.
  11. My work immediately communicates professional.
  12. I feel passionate about my work and relish the opportunity to sell it.
  13. I hire specialist to assist me in production so I can spend time expanding my business and taking it to the next level.
  14. With all the new technologies, there has never been an easier time to make money in photography.
  15. If there is a recession, I won’t participate in it.
  16. I surround myself with positive and successful individuals.
  17. I want to make as much as I can from my profession to provide an amazing life for my family and to be able to make a difference by donating to worthy causes. The world is a better place because of my success and the amazing heirlooms I provide my clients.

www.berniegriffiths.com

www.berniegriffithsbusinesscoach.com.au

Photography Business Burnout

Photography Business Burnout

We love our photography.

We begin a journey to turn our passion into profit…we start a business.

We have great dreams, lots of energy, and we are filled with excitement at the possibilities, of doing something we love for the rest of our lives.

Slowly over time we start to feel a little bit of pressure here and there.

The bills increase, business is “up and down”, we get some difficult customers, and the pressure starts to build even more.

Time passes by and a combination of mind clutter, having to learn new skills, customer/family demands, and busy-ness, starts to overwhelm us.

Continual marketing challenges, changes in family relationships, tight cash flow, worries about debt, and you’re on your way to a common condition known as PBB …Photographers Business Burnout!

I have experienced “burnout” a few times over my forty years as a photographer running my own busy studio, so I know how it feels.

The problem amplifies when you find yourself in the day to day grind of running your photography business and you start to experience some level of burnout.

Burnout happens when you work for too long without satisfactory results, and you become disillusioned and frustrated when reality falls short of your expectations.

Sorting and retouching files in Lightroom or Photoshop for hours on end, and into the early hours of the morning, can make you tired and emotional, which makes things even worse.

So, how do you overcome and move away from this draining mindset?

The first thing is to understand that you are human and simply going through your journey of life.

Try and work out a strategy for dealing with the fatigue and frustration that you are feeling, and the continuing challenges of having a photography business.

candlen

“Work/life balance” is a phrase that is used a lot at the moment, but for most full time photographers, their photography/life balance is not very balanced at all.

What Can You Do To Replenish And Refresh Yourself?

Why not take the kids out of school, and take a three day break, and drive to the country, and escape from the hustle and pressure, and reconnect with your family. ….I used to do this at least 3 times a year.

Maybe try getting a personal trainer to take control of your fitness and wellbeing.

Take some action, even if it is small, to get your mind in a better place that will allow you to move forward.

Look at outsourcing some of your tasks like retouching so that at least you can get more sleep.

Talk to friends/family and expose your problems and how you feel…A problem shared is often a problem halved.

Accept that it may take a little time to get your head in the space that you want it to be in.

Renewing your goals, your mind, your emotion, your body, and your life’s purpose, is a great way to recharge and reboot.

It may not be easy to do, but you have to break the cycle that is causing the problem.

Changing your mindset into a positive outlook is vital to moving forward.

We all tend to use the excuse that there is too much to do and we don’t have time, but if YOU don’t change, NOTHING will change.

Accepting that our photography businesss may dominate our lives, can also help us to avoid burning out.

The good news in my experience, is that your burn out it is only temporary, and you WILL get back to living your normal happy life.

Need Help In Your Photography Business ? ….. Email..info@aswpp.com.au

www.berniegriffithsbusinesscoach.com.au
                                                www.berniegriffiths.com

The Millionaire Photographer

The Millionaire Photographer

I am an admirer of Bradford Rowney, known as The Millionaire Photographer.

Like myself he has turned over millions of dollars in his photography studio.

Below is an extract from his recent blog post, all of which I agree with, but I would like to add a couple of things.

After having a successful wedding/portrait studio for over 40 years, and now being a full time Photography Business Coach for over the past five years, there is one thing that I have learned.

Every photographer is different!

They have different backgrounds, different photography skill levels, different everyday lives, different family and friends, different wants and needs, different personalities, they live in different parts of the world, with different cultures, and different communities.

But they do have one thing in common.

They all love photography!

Those wishing to take their business to higher levels, generally don’t like as much the business side of things….Marketing, Selling, Bookwork, Social Media etc.

This is where a Business Coach comes in, to help the photographer to understand, implement, and learn to enjoy the business side of things.

Personally, I have always loved the business side of things more than the photography.

I loved the challenge of having my own photography business and all of the rewards that it has brought me, and now the challenges of being the best Photography Business Coach that I can be.

From Bradley Rowney’s Blog……http://www.milliondollarphotographer.com/dont-hire-a-photography.html

Don’t Hire a Photography Business Coach Until You Do This!

“There is an old saying: “Those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach.”

This certainly isn’t true in every case – there are some amazing teachers out there (for example, Tony Robbins) – but with so many photographers turned teachers, it does make you wonder if this statement is true in at least some cases. In fact, I often get this accusation made against me.

Some say I must be teaching because I can’t make it in my business anymore (I’ll answer that one throughout the article).

Having a business coach is important. One could even say it is essential. Whether it’s Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, virtually every person who has dominated their field has had some form of coaching.

But with all the choices, especially where photographers turned teachers are concerned, how do you decide who will give you the most explosive results for your money and time?

Below are four things you can do to help protect yourself and make sure you are truly getting someone who is an expert at getting results, who actually walks the talk, not someone who is just a well-known name in the industry (which happens all too often).

If you are hiring one of the 17,500 coaches outside the photography industry and they have a proven track record for results, no problem.

If, however, it is someone inside the industry who advertises themselves as having a successful photography business and is using this claim as their credentials for teaching you and sharing their secrets, these steps will help you learn if they are truly running a successful business that also offers teaching, or if they are making most of their money from teaching while merely creating the illusion of a successful business.

Google the photographer/teacher.

What comes up first? Is it their photography studio, or is it all about teaching photographers and educational materials for sale?

If it’s the latter, be careful. If their website is mainly geared to photographers, that is a big hint that they make the majority (if not all) of their money from teaching, not photography.

Again, this is fine if it’s how they represent themselves, but if they represent themselves as having a successful photography business as their credentials for teaching, then be careful.

Ask the photographer/teacher what percentage they make from teaching versus photography.

Ask the photographer/teacher to provide the names of people they have taught who have made significant increases as a result of their teachings.

Experience does not matter. Industry accolades and awards do not matter. The ONLY thing that matters is results!

Hiring a coach may be one of the best business decisions you can make.

The questions above are good ones to ask to make sure you are employing someone who has a proven track record of achieving great results for themselves, and who is able to translate their skills into helping you achieve great results for yourself!”

Put Up Your Hand

If you need help in your Photography Business don’t be afraid to put up your hand and ask for help.

Follow Bradford’s advice, and as he says…… Hiring a coach may be one of the best business decisions you can make.

Put up your hand if you need help. You don’t have to do it alone.

I only Coach “one on one,” and my coaching services start at just $130 a month.

info@berniegriffiths.com

www.berniegriffiths.com

www.berniegriffithsbusinesscoach.com.au