As creative freelancers, it can be a lonely and isolating place running your own business. The Photo Report focuses on the art and business of photography with interviews of top photographers talking the journey the've been on to get where they are.
Pre-Order Notice - https://newstyle.co/products/notice Subscribe to Wesley's Newsletter, Process - https://bit.ly/2QvILe2 Film Supply Club Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1TF5VhiFgWw0c61vnTA6Tw Shop for film cameras and film - http://filmsupply.club --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
“Considered the Andy Warhol of his generation, Tyler Shields has produced images that play with notions of the gaze, power structures, hyper-realism, iconoclastic-tendencies, and cinematographic practice, but his Mouthful series of works are among his best known” – Sotheby's How many people actually make a living selling their prints as a photographer? The number is really tiny, then to have your work in galleries all over the world is remarkable. In this episode, Tyler shares about his work and the intentionality that goes behind making a print. Taking the photo with the print in mind, coming up with concepts for shoots, how he got started and so much more. Watch this interview and see Tyler's work over on Film Supply Club's YouTube channel. --- Get Film and Film Cameras in our Shop -- FILM SUPPLY CLUB Huge selection of film cameras and the best prices you'll find on film. Follow Tyler Shields on Instagram: @thetylershields Follow Film Supply Club on Instagram: @filmsupplyclub --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Elizabeth Austin is a talented photographer who has moved a lot throughout her career. And in the process of moving, she has developed some strategies that have worked for her to establish herself in an area she wants to be shooting in before she actually gets there. This works if you want to shoot closer to home or if you want to be a destination photographer. This conversation could be used in a broader sense as well, if you're trying to pivot the type of photography you shoot, not just the region you're currently getting most of your work. Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethaustinphoto/ Elizabeth was named one of the 30 rising stars of wedding photography in 2019 by Rangefinder Magazine, Her work has been featured on the cover of Rangefinder Magazine and in Brides, The Knot Magazine, Martha Stewart, HGTV, Black Bride Magazine, and many more. Liz is also a film photography educator that has taught at WPPI, Showit United, and The Hybrid Co. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Darren Bagwell is a licensed therapist, a coach, has run and operated his own small business (before getting into counseling) and understands the entrepreneur's journey as well as it's struggles. A lot of entrepreneurs, especially the creative types, are extremely hard on themselves. In this episode, Darren and Braedon discuss how shifting your mindset, which doesn't change your circumstances, can actually change you. Find Darren on IG: http://instagram.com/darrenbagwell His Counseling Practice - http://relationship180.com Book him as a coach or find other resources - http://tellmeyourdreams.com/ Follow The Photo Report on IG: http://instagram.com/thephotoreport --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Cat Guidry is the host of the podcast Mistakes Make Magic, she's a educator and coach for small businesses, a professional photographer and an all around fun person. Cat and Braedon talk through mindset, getting things done, how to actually accomplish the bigger goals or projects you're working on and different ideas about what being content looks like. Big thanks to Redtree Albums for supporting the podcast. We highly recommend you check them out as a great option to get your albums made. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Davey Jones runs Till Agency to help brands amplify their results. They specialize in working on and building sales funnels, email marketing, analytics, and Facebook advertising helping small businesses reach their target audience. Also, with is wife Krista, they run a branding company called Davey and Krista to help brands level up, re-design and focus their message. In this episode, Davey covers a range of practices and easily actionable steps you can take to move your brand in a positive direction. Don't forget to leave an audio message with any questions you want answered on the show. Do that HERE - http://thephotoreport.com/message --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Kristin Sweeting is a photographer, a coach for photographers and also hosts a podcast called The Porch Cast. She believes that much of the current way we do business or relationships come from our past. If we haven't dealt with hard things in our past, they come out in our future. In this episode, Kristin talks about how this time during the Corona Virus lockdown gives us the perfect opportunity to shift our mindset. Some other topics we cover: Kristin talks about Mindset We discuss the Enneagram Grief and the importance of embracing it Asking the question - how do I want to show up? And so much more. Remember, you can leave a VOICE MESSAGE HERE that Braedon can then playback on future podcasts and answer your questions. Give it a try or just pop over to say hi. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Jamie Findlay of Evolve Workshops shares some of the most popular questions she has received from the Evolve community, and then discusses them with Braedon. Some topics covered in this episode: the internal struggle of selling under the current circumstances is your business going to survive COVID-19 There is not THE ANSWER but there are answers Some Book recommendations from Jamie Fears and depression What you can be doing to move forward It's a great episode and would love to hear from you. Follow Jamie on IG: @thelandlockedmermaid Follow Evolve Workshops on IG: @evolveworkshops Follow Braedon on IG: @braedonflynn Follow The Photo Report on IG: @thephotoreport From the episode - Jamie did some fact checking. Wedding Wire did a survey and 78% of weddings are shot for under $2000. 25% are shot below $500, 25% are shot between $500 - $1000 range, 28% are shot in the $1000 - $2000 range. This was surveyed in the year 2018. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Who doesn't need some contract advice under the COVID-19 circumstances? Magi Fisher is a Lawyer, turned photographer, turned photographer's lawyer, who's company - The Artists' Lawyer - helps artists, photographers and small businesses with things like their contracts and much more. In this episode we talk a lot about the current COVID-19 situation, what this means for our old contracts and what to do with new contracts moving forward. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Colin Boyd is a professional speaker and coach who teaches how to sell from stage. That stage may be a physical one or these days, it may be more virtual. That could be your own website, selling your service or running webinars. In this episode we talk about: Selling with Story Creating Value creating an internal desire in your audience/customer How everything that happens in life is happening for you, not to you Managing Your Mind Here is a free resource from Colin: Sell With Story Guide Colin gives so much value in this episode and really hope you love it. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Dane Sanders has been a guest on this podcast before and always has such amazing wisdom and insight to share. As everything with COVID19 has gone down, Dane launched a course about How to Master Working from Home - a much-needed skillset in this changed economy. The Course - which is completely free - is now called The Habit Course, How to master working from home and you can still register to be a part of this community of over 500 people. Some topics covered in this episode: The Power of Habits Becoming the Guide vs Being the Victim Course Correcting How to Metaphorically 'travel light' in business and life Going to bed with fuel still left in your tank vs being totally depleted. Big Thanks to our Sponsor RedTree Albums - We highly recommend them for your album needs --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Having an Abundance Mindset is such a valuable thing during this time. We have been given the gift of a huge interruption to our normal way of life. An interruption in our business, the way we gather, the way we do family, so many areas of our lives have been disrupted. This disruption can be a gift. KT Merry is a photographer, and educator and an all-around amazing person. In this episode, she talks about her mindset, her morning routine, some book recommendations and much more. It is a really refreshing episode. Big thanks to our sponsor RedTree Albums - we highly recommend you check them out for your album needs. Follow KT on Instagram: @ktmerry Follow The Photo Report: @thephotoreport Follow Braedon: @braedonflynn Follow RedTree Albums: @redtreealbums --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Sam Hurd is a photographer and educator. He has been shooting and traveling for conferences and hosting his own workshops. If you haven't heard of Patreon, it is a platform developed to be supported by your audience. It's a place to bring them value, behind the scenes, and personalize your brand. In return, they pay a little bit to get that access. Sam has been really successful with the platform and in this episode, we discuss how and why. We also chat a lot about Sam's favorite tools for productivity and editing workflows. Follow Sam on IG: @iamthesam Check out Sam's Patreon: Sam on Patreon Follow The Photo Report on IG: @thephotoreport --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Pinterest exists, people use Pinterest - a lot but do you - for your business? I think this episode may change your mind. Vanessa Kynes is a Pinterest strategist and in this episode, she convinces Braedon to start implement Pinterest into a marketing strategy. With all the downtime we have, at least from the normal hustle of gigs, now is the time to be marketing on as many platforms as you can. Follow Vanessa on IG: @vanessakynes Go check out Vanessa's YouTube Channel: Vanessa Kynes on YouTube --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
The internal voices in our heads can be the most brutal voices we encounter. And during this time of uncertainty, possible lack of work, lack of income...those internal negative voices can be loud and nasty. In this conversation with Aaron Anastasi, we talk through this topic and how to combat these voices. Aaron's Books: The Voice of Your Dreams Your Prosperous Mind Follow us on IG: @thephotoreport --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
D'Arcy Benincosa is the ultimate Marketing Ninja, Brand Strategist, and Business Coach to creative entrepreneurs. With the economy shut down, Braedon and D'Arcy discuss some strategy during this time. Clear - get rid of the crap in your life, business, home, etc. Create - use this time well, as you're not so busy to create, learn, work on that personal project Serve - how can you serve others during this time Follow D'Arcy on IG: @darcybenincosa Follow The Photo Report on IG: @thephotoreport Follow Braedon on IG: @braedonflynn --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
This is a special episode from a live Q&A held with branding experts, wedding industry veterans and educators from the Evolve Workshops community. We hear conversations and techniques that are working for them, and be a part of supporting this amazing Evolve Family. Some of the leaders that joined us were: James and Jess Wittmayer, Braedon Flynn, Rodney Brown, Shaun Austin Gordon, Eric Kelley, Monique Serra, Vanessa Kynes, Devin Robinson, Ross Tanner, Anni Graham, Jennifer Ryals & Jamie Findlay! The first of MUCH more to come. Hope you like this one and stay encouraged. Check out Evolve Workshops for more resources Follow them on IG - @evolveworkshops --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Jai Long - http://jailong.co Find his courses here - https://jailong.co/courses In this episode, Braedon has a conversation with Jai Long, a Melbourne based photographer and educator. They talk about the importance of this time to work on the things you don't ususally have time for. This time we've been give with the COVID-19 pandemic can be a gift in the midst of usually busy and crazy lives. Are you going to use it well? Follow us on IG - http://instagram.com/thephotoreport --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
A lot of small business owners are married (or plan to be married at some point in their lives). And owning a small business can be like a marriage in itself. You then add the complications of many couples who work together as partners or a team. That brings on all sorts of complications. Then you are stuck at home, quarantined together, with no work to escape to and you possibly now have to deal with issues you've been running from. Some of you have small kids at home with no parks to take them to, no sports to drop them off at, no school - all together all the time. We decided to have a conversation with Meygan and Casey Caston of Marriage365 to give some advice to couples. They have tons of resources for couples on their site: Marriage365 Here's a book with daily questions to ask each other to strengthen your marriage: 365 Connecting Questions for Couples For your family - 365 Connecting Questions for Families and follow them on IG: @marriage365 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
This episode is with Sam Jacobson of Ideaction Consulting and we talk about the current state of freelance workers, how to be in times of crisis and what you can be doing with this gift of time you have been given. Sam has a free course currently for wedding industry professionals which you can view HERE. Follow Ideaction Consulting on IG - @ideactionconsulting Follow Braedon on IG - @braedonflynn --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
This podcast episode is a voice of encouragement, hope and action in difficult times. Give it a listen and please share with someone who needs to hear this. And we all do currently. Hang in there. Stay calm and carry on. We got this. We're in it together. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
"If you're not good at running the business side of things, you are pretty much just spending a bunch of time in a hobby." - Sam Jacobson How do you get to the next level? Sam Jacobson will dive deep into this topic. Sam is a wedding sales expert. He guides pros in all fields and markets to get website visitors to become clients. You will hear him share how you can go from a $6,500 price range to the $10,000 price range. Also, Sam will teach you on how to answer client's pricing questions. Lastly, you will hear important information about the whole sales process and how to approach customers or clients that you are trying to sell to. Enjoy! In this episode, Sam discusses The importance of understanding a buyer's journey stages How to respond to pricing questions Proven ways to make you stand out from competitors One key to improving the buyer experience How to take your business to the next level Resources: https://www.ideactionconsulting.com/freeadvice Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller Building a StoryBrand with Donald Miller The SPIN Selling Fieldbook: Practical Tools, Methods, Exercises, and Resources by Neil Rackham CustomerCentric Selling by Michael Bosworth Connect with Sam: Website -https://www.ideactionconsulting.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ideactionconsulting/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
"Always evaluate your past in order to take steps towards your future" - Jenni Tyhe How am I going to be profitable is an important question that gets overlooked often. Jenni Thye tackles those big questions in today's episode. Jenni is an Arizona based wedding planner. She has a background in pre-law, teaching, and event planning. In this episode, Jenni discusses - How she works as an event planner while taking her pre-law degree. - Transitioning from being an educator to starting her own business. - Jenni's market research on wedding planning before starting her own business plan. - Her anxiety about the idea of, “this one person who was a wedding planner”. - Why she prefers having team members than working independently. Enjoy! Follow Jenni Tyhe on Instagram: @imoni_events Visit her website at http://imonievents.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
"Your being successful at that thing, your failing at that thing, that's not who you are, whether you want it to be or not. You're a million other things" - Lance Nicoll Have you ever tried to tackle the bigger questions about failure, success, and the journey to rise against the competition? Lance Nicoll tackles those big questions in today's episode. Lance is a New Orleans based wedding photographer. He has a background in teaching, graphic arts, and competitive wrestling. In this episode, Lance discusses - How he started as a graphic designer and as an educator and how he transitioned into photography. - The struggle of booking gigs as a freelance photographer. - Shooting for himself and what drives him as a photographer to create amazing images. - Developing his brand and the search for his ideal client. - His views on success and failure, and how it has changed over time. Enjoy! Follow Lance Nicoll on Instagram: @lancenicoll Visit his website at https://lancenicoll.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
"My mother is my best friend. She is my hero. I strive every day to be more like her." - Nikki Santerre. Nothing can compare to being a mother, and capturing that experience on film is not an easy task. Ever wondered how a professional does it? In this episode, Nikki discusses her process of capturing the season of motherhood and her own experience as a mother. Nikki is a Virginia based fine art/film hybrid photographer. She specializes in shooting weddings and portraits of mothers and their babies. In this episode, Nikki talks about: - How she got started with motherhood photoshoots after her own struggles with infertility. - Her unique way of capturing the season of motherhood in her shoots - Elevating her brand to the next level - Co-founding The Hybrid Atelier, an educational platform for photographers who are interested in hybrid photography - Nikki's description of her ideal photography client - The joys of being a mother and how she deals with the challenges it brings - Balancing and loving being a photographer and a mother Enjoy! Follow Nikki Santerre on Instagram: @nikkisanterre Visit her website at https://nikkisanterre.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
“When they are able to look at a photo of themselves, and they see something in that image, a reflection of themselves that they have never seen before, that is what inspires me to just literally go to work every single day.” - Chris J Evans Ever wondered how professionals handle high volume wedding shoots and still deliver a unique experience to clients? Chris J Evans will answer that, and more in today's episode. With over a hundred wedding shoots every year, photographer Chris J Evans and his amazing crew have found their success in Maui, Hawaii. A fashion photographer and a former touring musician, Chris creates a unique experience for his wedding shoots. In this episode, Chris J. Evans talks about - Starting his company and growing his wedding photography business. - The workflow and the art of managing his time to accommodate the high volume wedding shoots that his company does every year. - Learn how being a musician has helped Chris present himself and the experience he brings as a wedding photographer. - Chris discusses the challenges that come with the high volume wedding and how his crew helps him handle that. - Discover how Chris established his style, look, and voice in the wedding photography world. - Find out how Chris manages work-life balance amidst his tight work schedule. - Chris talks about how building relationships with the community continues to inspire him and keeps him from burning out. Enjoy! Follow Chris J. Evans on Instagram: @chrisjevansphoto Visit his website at https://www.chrisjevans.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
"If you don't push boundaries, you're going nowhere." - Wendy Laurel. Have you ever wondered how experimental photography could boost your creativity and add a range of emotions on your photos? Wonder no more, this episode Wendy will answer it for you. As a Maui based photographer, she shoots for weddings, families, and local clients throughout Hawaii. Wendy expresses her creativity through experimental photography that she achieves over a variety of techniques that she discusses in detail on this episode. In this episode, Wendy Laurel discusses - How she uses experimental photography to heighten the emotion in her shots. - Learn Wendy's methodology on how she delivers her clients' expectations while adding in her own creative style - Getting started with experimental photography through lomos, holgas, light leaks, cross processing, and film souping - Find out the art of pushing boundaries to keep your shoots fresh - Discover how to have fun and enjoy photography Prepare to be inspired! Follow Wendy Laurel on Instagram: @wendylaurel Visit her website at https://www.wendylaurel.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
I do not have a work life and a personal life. I have one life. - Sheri Salata Have you felt like you wanted to be efficient, manage your time, structure your day, get things done, yet you don't know how to make it come to fruition? If so, you would want to listen to this entire episode with Laura Murray. She is a photographer and a visual story teller based in Denver, Colorado. Laura is was trained in Mathematics prior to photography but have always had a desire for creativity. In this episode you will discover: The big WHY on creating Spark & Bound Laura tells the power of writing your own personal manifesto Why is it important to exercise your muscle of self-discipline How can a creative like you win the day by following Laura's approach Great tips and resources that you can use to buy more time, strategize your day, and scale up your business Enjoy! Follow Laura on Instagram: @lauramurray Check out her website, you can go https://lauramurrayphotography.com/. Spark & Bound: http://sparkandbound.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
What does family photography mean? In today's episode, Braedon sat down with Brooke Schultz, whose secret power is photographing love in an authentic way. Whether it's your wedding day or an ordinary day with your favorite souls in the world, Brooke would want nothing less than magic for you. Today, she spoke about how to approach a lifestyle photo sessions. Brooke also discussed how she helped family members to go through the challenge of having children in a photo shoot. Lastly, she gets vulnerable and shared personal struggles and how she faced it. Enjoy! Follow Brooke in Instagram: @brookebschultz Check her website here. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Is social media a "necessary evil?" Is it bad for business? You will find the answer to these questions in today's episode. Abby Jiu has had a passion for gorgeous imagery and creating art since before she can remember. But in 2009, she picked up a camera and hasn't put it down since. Lisa Ziesing has loved wedding photography long before she became the one creating it. She has been shooting film since her high schools days on the yearbook staff and hasn't stopped since. Together, they are a team from Abby Jiu Photography. Listen as they both share how they promote each other. Also, you will discover how they become under one brand. Lastly, Abby and Lisa gave advice on how you overcome the feeling of being overwhelm. Enjoy! Resources: Abby Jiu Photography Abby Jiu Photogrpahy Instagram abby@abbyjiu.com Lisa Ziesing Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Second time is a charm, that is why we are bringing back John Dolan in the podcast. John Dolan has woven a career of advertising, editorial and fine art photography. He is a recognized leader in contemporary wedding photography. Wedding clients include magazine art directors and editors, as well as celebrity couples Will & Jada Smith, Ben & Christine Stiller, Kate Bosworth & Michael Polish, Bridget Moynahan & Andrew Frankel, and most recently, Gwyneth Paltrow & Brad Falchuk. In today's episode, we dive deep on his recent blog post, Change Channels. He will share the reason what inspired him to write it. You will hear John discuss the pure essence of what makes a picture great and acceptable. Lastly, you will find out why John wanted to encourage you to stop trying to please other people. Find more about John at: Website Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Amanda Crean is an incredible photographer based out of Northern California. BUT, she hasn't always been there. Starting out her photo business here in the States, she met an Irish chap, got married and moved out to Ireland. There she started her photo business all over again. After having twins and moving back to the States, but in a different state from where she began, Amanda had to start her photo business all over again. We talk about the stresses, the challenges, the obstacles and how she overcame then to the point of having a thriving business in one of the most competitive markets. This is a great episode and would love to hear any thoughts or areas where you resonate! Check out her work and follow her on IG - @amandacrean --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Jacob is the man behind Brumley and Wells, as well as J Lambert Film. He has an incredibly successful wedding photography business but in this episode, we talk about his passion project. He has traveled numerous times to India and his photos on film are absolutely incredible. Check out his IG and give him a follow: @jlambertfilm or his wedding work: @brumleyandwells --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
This is a really good episode where we talk about the stresses of shooting at a really high end level. Jose is one of the Top photographers in the wedding industry, he also shoots commercially and has set the tone for most film shooting photographers in this industry. Jose Villa - Website Jose Villa - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Stephanie started out as a photographer and has now been with an e-commerce company for several years, learning marketing strategies and she is passionate about them. In this episode, Stephanie and Braedon chat through several marketing strategies that you can apply to your own business. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
This episode is a special treat where we get to hear from Carrie Goldberg - wedding and travel editor for Bazaar.com. We discuss trends in the industry, things to do, things not to do, elements that she looks for and how to stand out in a crowd. We think you're going to love it. Big thanks to Carrie for taking the time to share with us. For the membership deals Carrie talked about, you can go here - https://www.harpersbazaar.com/wedding/planning/a25760257/bazaar-bride-membership-details/ Follow her personal account: @carrielauren --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
This episode is with Photographer and Educator D'Arcy Benincosa. We cover so much in regards to marketing, getting noticed in a noisy space, and doing the work you want to be doing. We discuss creating your 'Marketing Magnet' and what that is - Discovering your Greatness - creating and managing a content calendar - Giving the client what they want - so much more Check out D'arcy's work and content on https://darcybenincosa.com/ Go check out her podast as well - Play it Brave --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Jasmine Star is a Bad Ass. This episode will hopefully kick you into gear to be your best self and go create the work you're meant to create. We talk about so many things from self care to what it takes to hustle, have discipline and courage to get out there and do the work you were made to do. Check her stuff out at http://jasminestar.com Follow her on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jasminestar She's also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/officialjasminestar --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
This episode is about markeing - attracting your customers, how you get leads and how to get them to convert. It is a really good one!! Here's the transcript: Braedon: 00:14 Welcome to the photo report where we have conversations with top level of photographers and other people that create for a living in order to hear their stories of how they've done what they've done, the journeys they've taken to get there, and just the lessons they've learned along the way in order. So you can be inspired, challenge, and hopefully grow in your craft or be encouraged in your craft and get out there to create more good work. I'm Braedon Flynn, your host, and this episode is going to be a little fun one. I'm trying different things here and again, and this is one of those where I had a little something happen and we then I decided to get some voices from other people in the industry to chime in on what I'm talking about. So this is gonna be a good one. We're talking about marketing. Braedon: 00:58 Before we get into the show, I want to tell you real quick about our sponsor film supply club. If you shoot film or you're interested in film, I love film. It is the best place to get it at the best prices than an amazing community of some of the top photographers in our industry. You can check it out at film supply.club/join now onto the show. Braedon: 01:21 So I'm going to tell you a little story that happened a few weeks ago and it was a lesson that I taught to my kids and I thought, hey, this could be a good little intro to the podcast and here it is... Braedon: 01:34 So my family has been planning to have a garage sale for a long time. My wife started listening to or watching the tidy up show on Netflix and if you haven't, I decided to watch it with her. And so we've been tidying up the house and getting rid of stuff and instead of just going to goodwill was like, hey, let's have a little garage sale. We've got some good things. My wife's got some cute clothes and so we did, but it basically at happened, been a very rainy season and every weekend that I had available, basically it was raining. That was on a Saturday. And so finally looking at the weather report, we've got a Saturday coming up and it is, we're going to have the garage sale, we're going to do it. And but that day, so Friday it's raining. Friday night it's raining, but it's supposed to be sunny Saturday morning. Braedon: 02:23 And so we're doing it, we're doing it. And so 6:00 AM rolls around. I get up, I set up the whole, you know, driveway for the garage. I've got everything laid out, tables is displayed, ready to go by seven 15 seven 30 we had had one car drive by our house. That's great to live in a nice quiet neighborhood when you've got kids out playing, but when you have a garage sale, not the best thing. And so it was like, we have so many, there's, it's busy streets all around us. It's like, all right, we, and I actually like weeks ago, for the first time, we're going to try to do the garage sale. I had signs made, they just weren't up. And I was like, oh, well why don't I had my wife, man, the station and I went out and I put out signs everywhere, like all on the main busy streets and all of a sudden cars started flooding to our street. Braedon: 03:20 And so I thought, oh my gosh, I've been studying marketing for so long. I have been reading so many books. I've been looking, I've been researching how to grow a company. And all of it talks about what is your, what is your marketing funnel? How do you get then and a marketing funnel for just you visual people out there to think of a funnel. And if you're talking about it in a strategy for a business, like let's say you are trying to sell film to photographers, just hypothetically speaking. And with that. So you're trying to find it and you've got your ah, your warm audience of people, you know, but for people that you don't know, you're trying to get them in your funnel. And so people can run ads, you can do different thi --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Mike Larson has been shooting weddings for years, from having a big associate studio to winding that down after realizing the toll that took on his life and family. We go really deep on philosophy, self care, thoughtfullness, family, and so much more. It is a good one packed with solid take aways. Check his work here - http://mikelarson.com Or follow him on Instagram: @mikelarson Follow us at: @thephotoreport.com or the blog: http://thephotoreport.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
We talk a lot about a lot in this podcast but the main thesis is a conversation surrounding putting your business on hold and then what it takes to ramp it back up to where it was and then beyond. It's a good one and hope you love the episode. Check out Twah on Instagram: @twahphotography Or her website: http://twahdaugherty.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Really honored to have Sylvie Gil on the show who has been shooting weddings for 20 years at a very high end level. She has a background in fashion and commercial photography and gives some really great advice to photographers trying to make it in the biz. Check out her work - https://www.sylviegilphotography.com/ And her workshops - http:sylviegilworkshops.com Below is the transcription of the episode: Sylvie Gil: 01:11 Hi Braedon, how are you doing? Braedon Flynn: 01:13 So good. Well, hey, you have a wealth of knowledge and for those of you that don't know Sylvie, she teaches amazing workshops in France where she's from. But I want to sort of just dig into a little bit of your story and I've got a lot of other stuff I want to ask you. But could you, for people, I know you have a background in fashion, commercial photography and then got into weddings, but can you talk, we don't have to go into like depth of when you first started, but maybe like starting out in commercial photography, then how you ended up in weddings and what that transition was like. Yeah. Sylvie Gil: 01:42 Yeah. So I wanted to be, I basically wanted to be an artist, but I wanted it to be an artist that is um, you know, doing well financially, find a way to just like make the art, you know, just a good financial experience so, and make money. So I went and studied, um, advertising in Paris and uh, I became an account executive. So I learned how to sell a product and had to create campaigns and things like that. And then I came to America and I was really bored with the advertising end of things. So I started working as a commercial photographer and I shot campaigns for, for fashion in studio. And that was going really well until I got pregnant. And when I got pregnant, you know, as if you look at it, most of the fashion photographers are males. It's very difficult to be a female photographer in fashion because your work, these super long hours and you can never be a mom. Sylvie Gil: 02:35 So, and then I had a friend and in the fashion studio that I was working at, I had a friend who was, who was photographing weddings and she showed me this beautiful book of wedding photographs and this was in the early nineties and he was wearing black and white photographs of wedding. There was just super gorgeous. And I, and you know, I'm a sucker for anything romantic. And I was like, wow, I just want to try that out. So I, uh, actually had a friend was getting married in Napa and I shot their wedding and that's how it all started. And I loved it. And this was 20 years ago, Braedon Flynn: 03:07 20 years ago. So it went from, so let's say shooting that first wedding, because I think a lot of people listening are wanting to end up in photography. You're doing that full time, getting that first job versus then getting, you know, more jobs. And how did, how did that end up happening? Like where you'd now started having a wedding business? Sylvie Gil: 03:26 Well, so I did the first wedding. I was fortunate enough that I was able to use the internet. So I created a website immediately, which was in the very beginning of it. This was the early nineties. And I think that was probably one of the first, you know, like people that I knew what a website and uh, the wedding got picked up by a magazine in Canada and uh, they actually created a story with me and a couple of other photographers just based off like one or two weddings I had shot. And then the phone started ringing from there and I just set up the business, you know, hired some help immediately and just created a brand. And which is different today than it was back then. And just, I remember the first year I shot about, 25 weddings. Isn't that crazy? Yeah, that's amazing. And I know the first year and then I went on shooting about 30 weddings for probably like 15 years, 20 years, 15 years. And then I kind of slowed down a little bit after that. But basically, yeah, most of my weekends, spring, summer and fall, we're s --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
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Shaun is the co-founder of Kiss Books. Having been a photographer for 15years, photographing over 500 weddings, he has a lot of insight into what it takes to run a successful photography business. Out of that, he started Kiss Books, a high end album company to help serve his fellow photographers. In this interview, Shaun shares advice on how to sell and upsell by casting a vision and setting expectations. Below is the transcript of the interview with timestamps: Braedon Flynn: 00:00 Welcome to the photo report where we have conversations with top level photographers and other people that create for a living to hear stories about how they do what they do, how they've done, what they've done, struggles along the way in a way that hopefully inspires, encourages and gets you to go out there and create more work. And this episode was with Shaun Gordon who is one of the founders of kiss books, which is a high end album company and we hear the story about how he goes from being a photographer to launching this company, which is now a significantly sized company. And we talk a lot about being, you know, when you're in business, you have product and you're. And as a photographer you are a service. You're basically selling your time for dollars. And so we have a conversation about how do you take the things that you're already doing and then make more money through sales and doing it in a way that's just really great. Braedon Flynn: 00:44 So we actually recorded this live and so if you want to watch the video, you can go to the photo report dot Com. And see it there, or search youtube for the artist report and then type in his books. I'm sure it'll show up that way, but I hope you love this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. Before we get into the show, want to tell you real quick about our sponsor film supply club. If you shoot film or you're interested in film, I love film. It is the best place to get it at the best prices than an amazing community of some of the top photographers in our industry. You can check it out at film supply.club/join now onto the show. Thanks. Thompson being here and after getting into that, can you just give a little intro on the sort of how you got to where you are to give people that don't know you a little bit idea? Shaun Gordon: 01:30 Sure. Yeah. I was a photographer for about 15 years, a shot around 500 weddings. I'm mostly based out of Orange County and up traveling to 10 for, for that and I'm just saw this gap in the industry and cofounded kiss books because of this space that was like I loved, I, you know, she didn't over 60 weddings a year for a few years, which is kind of crazy. But the amount of albums that I was selling, it just became such a bottleneck in my business and it was basically at a point where it was like, it has to be easier than this at some point. And so having chosen the album makers that were in the history at the time, we kind of made our version of kiss and then decided like this is something I think that we can do on our own. Shaun Gordon: 02:17 And created a system, a very simple way to get to the product and we launched kiss about 11 years ago now. So her dad and what like with, with that though. Braedon Flynn: 02:30 So how did you transition from photography to then launching a thing to them becoming a thing where now you are just doing that? Shaun Gordon: 02:38 Yeah, I love creative entrepreneurs and having been one for a long time, I was raised by an entrepreneur that knew the business side of things, so that was one thing that I loved and learned from my dad and um, understood what it meant to hustle, you know, shooting that amount of weddings and things like that made sense during that season. But also knowing that like I loved entrepreneurs as a whole and how could we create a space where we can all thrive together. I saw a lot of friends kind of like come in the industry and go out of the industry because of the business side. Shaun Gordon: 03:10 It wasn't --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
This episode is a little different. Perry ask Braedon about how he handles his client inquiries and the two of them talk through the ways each of them approach, respond and aim to book leads coming their way. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Paul has been a photographer in the wedding industry for 10+ years and in this episode we talk about his journey. Getting started, through burnout and how he got himself out of it. It's a good one! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
Lexi Clifford is the founder of Belle Lumiere Magazine which supports and features film photographers from all different genres. We talk about her journey, why she started the magazine, and how she balances family and work. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
John Dolan is best known for finding the in-between, unplanned moments that make real people look beautiful and beautiful people look real. John has woven a career of advertising, editorial and fine art photography. He is a recognized leader in contemporary wedding photography. Wedding clients include magazine art directors and editors, as well as celebrity couples Will & Jada Smith, Ben & Christine Stiller, Kate Bosworth & Michael Polish, Bridget Moynahan & Andrew Frankel, and most recently, Gwyneth Paltrow & Brad Falchuk. The modern wedding has become so much about the photographs and John takes an approach that is more about the wedding and less about the shot list. He photographs as things happen vs curating and cultivating what wouldn't otherwise be there. This is a great interview and hope you like it. And here's the transcript from the conversation with John and Braedon: Braedon Flynn: 00:01 John, thanks so much for coming on the show and sharing your wisdom and all that and stoked to have you here. Awesome. Well, for people that don't know you as well, can you just give a slight background as to, I mean where you are in your photo journey and how you got there. John Dolan: 00:22 I've been in the game for a long time. I was thinking about last night. It's the only job I've ever had since I was 15 years old. Uh, so I've never had a full time job. I've never had a paycheck from somebody besides myself. So I've had 30 years freelance in New York and I started out as a magazine photographer and slipped my way into weddings in the early days of the nineties and I've always had an ambition to keep weddings as part of my business but not let them be the whole business. So I've balanced magazine work, ad work and weddings for 30 years. Braedon Flynn: 01:09 I think a lot of people either. I know a lot of commercial photographers that have just recently started getting into weddings because I know when I first started getting into weddings who was sort of like, oh, that's cute, you shoot weddings, and it was almost. It was really frowned upon to shoot weddings. Have you found that to be the case coming from both worlds? John Dolan: 01:31 Certainly when I started, weddings were the lowest form of photography, even I remember being at a party with a lot of journalists back in the nineties and people were talking about doing projects in Nicaragua or Bosnia and they turned to me and said, what are you doing? I've been shooting weddings and they all kind of frowned at me for a second. And I said, well, I just thought will smith wedding. I shot Ben Stiller's and, they started handing out business cards. Do you need a second? John Dolan: 02:08 But it was, it was a great moment because I realized that I wasn't ashamed of doing it and I was doing it my way. And also in the nineties it was wide open. There was a very small group of us who embraced wedding as photographers rather than as wedding photographers. When you come to it with that attitude that you're. I really thought of myself as somebody who was fascinated by weddings rather than by the wedding industry. I just wanted to tell the stories that I saw in front of me and and dive deep into them as if I was shooting a magazine story. So it was almost that I was naive to the ways of the wedding industry. That was a real help. Sometimes being being an amateur is a help and I feel for people who are starting these days because the wedding industry is so strong and they're so many great photographers who are. I'm making a really good living, doing big time wedding photography, but in a funny way. It was much more innocent to a movement. We were rejecting the cheesy stuff with the eighties and just doing our thing in the nineties, so it's a tricky time now. Braedon Flynn: 03:38 We'll get into that in a second, but I'd still love to go back to just going from being a journalist and then going to shooting people like will smith and Ben Stiller. How, how did that end up coming about? Like --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
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Jeremy Chou is an award winning photographer specializing in destination weddings. He's shoots commercially as well, educates, hosts workshops and has resources for photographers which you can find on his site. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
This episode's going to be a little different than our typical episodes. Usually I'm interviewing top photographers and trying to draw out some of the story of where they've been, how they've got there, the business behind their art and all that sort of stuff, but I also wanted to start just I guess giving some input or advice and little shorter clips that are in the interview format where it's just me talking and this is going to be one of those episodes. I would say that being your own boss is incredible and the dream that everyone should want. And I actually don't think it's for everyone and wanted to just. Yeah, talk about that a little bit and was listening to a podcast by Tim Ferriss and also listened to a lot of Seth Godin. Here's the article from Seth: The world's worst boss That would be you. Even if you're not self-employed, your boss is you. You manage your career, your day, your responses. You manage how you sell your services and your education and the way you talk to yourself. Odds are, you're doing it poorly. If you had a manager that talked to you the way you talked to you, you'd quit. If you had a boss that wasted as much of your time as you do, they'd fire her. If an organization developed its employees as poorly as you are developing yourself, it would soon go under. I'm amazed at how often people choose to fail when they go out on their own or when they end up in one of those rare jobs that encourages one to set an agenda and manage themselves. Faced with the freedom to excel, they falter and hesitate and stall and ultimately punt. We are surprised when someone self-directed arrives on the scene. Someone who figures out a way to work from home and then turns that into a two-year journey, laptop in hand, as they explore the world while doing their job. We are shocked that someone uses evenings and weekends to get a second education or start a useful new side business. And we're envious when we encounter someone who has managed to bootstrap themselves into happiness, as if that's rare or even uncalled for. There are few good books on being a good manager. Fewer still on managing yourself. It's hard to think of a more essential thing to learn. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thephotoreport/message
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