As a photographer, you probably started taking photos because you loved some aspect of it, right? Maybe the artistry or the relationships you built, or the freedom that career seemed to offer you.But at some point, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed, overworked, and out of love with the career we once dreamed of. So, if that’s where you find yourself today, how do you recover? How do you find your spark again?Well, in this episode, Eden Strader is here to help. She’s a photographer turned ...
It’s a new year, and a time for looking ahead. So, what do you want your next year to look like? Does the prospect of planning and setting intentions for the upcoming year feel overwhelming?Well, if that’s been your experience, you’re in the right place, because in this episode, I’m going to walk you through how I think about intentions and my process for setting them that takes a little bit of the pressure off, while still offering clarity for the future.Grab a pen and notebook and let’s get...
The holiday season can be wild. Presents and events and finalizing projects can get overwhelming, and we might find ourselves stressed out and overworked.But, the holidays also offer us the perfect moment to just… stop for a second. We have the opportunity to rest, reflect, and reset for the upcoming year.So in this episode, I’m sharing a few questions you might want to ask yourself this holiday season, and six steps you can take as you reflect on the previous year. Let’s dive in!What’s in th...
When Paige first started out in senior photography, she spent… more time than you’d think explaining that it was for teenagers, not senior citizens. But that comes with the territory when you’re building a brand new niche in your area!In this episode, Paige Puglisi sits down with me to explain what led her to senior photography in the first place. She shares her top tips for building a strong brand in a specific niche, what it’s like working with teens (including how she builds trust with the...
We all have that thing, perhaps we’ll call it a dumpster fire. This fire is something that we know we should take care of, put to rest, deal with, etc, but we just… don’t. Maybe we’re scared or it just feels too big, but whatever the reason, this fire haunts us, saps our energy, and distracts us from the work that we could be doing. So in this episode, I’m sharing four steps we can take to identify and address our dumpster fires, and avoid this kind of self-sabotage in the future! L...
When it comes to our photography careers, things can get complicated fast. Adding more sessions, more price tiers, more options and locations, etc. And while that can be good for building your business in the short term, it can also be a fast-track to burnout.In this episode, I’m joined by Ingvild Kolnes who is sharing how she keeps her business simple and sustainable. She is offering some great advice on how she sets (and holds) boundaries in her photography business, how she stays connected...
As creatives, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of tying our self-worth to our work. Our creative work is so meaningful and special to us… But what happens when we have to step back from that work?In this episode, I’m sharing how I’ve had to work through this myself, as I’ve stepped back from being a full-time photographer in the last few years. We’re diving into all facets of this: external validation, identity, balance, and more. Let’s dive in!What’s in this episode:[00:00] Intro[00:30] Ho...
When it comes to building a photography business, you need a camera, some clients, and a little bit of hustle, and you’re good, right?Well, while you do need all those things, Kristina Mack would argue that you need one more essential piece: your business fundamentals. Planning your workflows, creating detailed and well-crafted experiences for your clients (even if you have a basic budget), and understanding how to price for profitability can make or break your business.So today, Kristina is ...
If I can be frank for a moment: as creatives, we sometimes get too precious about our process of creating art. We need the right conditions, the best lighting, the perfect mindset, or else we feel like we can’t create because it might not be perfect or even good.The problem is, we can get so hung up on this that we never end up creating at all as we wait for all the stars to align. So in this episode, I’m sharing how I’ve started letting go of this ideal standard of creativity to just get bac...
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I wish I could have a luxury brand, but…”Well today, Lindsay Walden is here to address those “but”s. Because you’re probably not lacking talent or clientele or even location, the first thing you need to address is your trepidation. When it comes to luxury, confidence and willingness to step into the space in the first place is what keeps most photographers on the outside.In this episode, Lisa chats with Lindsay all about her workflow for luxury clients...
We all have thought patterns we fall into from time to time. Things like self-doubt, procrastination, perfection are all classics for many creatives. One might say we even indulge–or over-indulge–in some of these emotions to our own detriment.Because while we can’t prevent ourselves from feeling the whispers of these emotions, letting them linger too long ultimately hurts our energy and creativity.So in this episode, Lisa is sharing how she’s learned to break free from indulging in negative e...
Between the two of them, Jenny and Allison have decades of experience as luxury photographers. And this year, after being friends and colleagues for much of that time, they’ve finally launched a brand new program together to empower photographers to take control of the business side of their work.In this episode, Lisa sits down with Jenny and Allison to chat all about what exactly The Profitable Portrait Society is, some of the biggest hurdles they see photographers face over and over again, ...
Baking often gets described as a science instead of an art, which might be true to some degree… But while we can get a recipe from someone else, we still have to adjust to the unique environment we’re working in, whether it’s dry, humid, using different brands of flour, etc. We have to experiment and test and trial it until we find the recipe that works best for our own environment.And it’s not just baking that’s subject to this. As it turns out, creative success works pretty much the same wa...
When it comes to sharing her love of art, color, photography, and business, Kellee Wynne isn’t shy. But that openness and willingness to say what’s on her mind didn’t always feel like a good thing when she was growing up. Instead, it’s been a skill she’s spent more than a decade refining and cultivating through her various business ventures as an artist, author, business mentor, and podcaster.In this episode, Kellee and I chat all about sharing knowledge and cultivating a community online. We...
The age of AI is here… and that’s not a comforting realization for many of us working in the creative field. But the technology isn’t going away, so what if we could use AI tools to elevate our work, instead of replacing us?That’s the future Justin Benson and the team at Aftershoot have in mind for AI in the photography field. In today’s episode, Justin shares just what Aftershoot is, why it can be a game-changing assistive technology for photographers, and how he hopes the creative world wil...
Before Valerie Eidson found photography, she tried every other creative field first. Eventually, she found herself behind a camera with a new problem: how to learn and develop her own voice and style.In today’s episode, Valerie and I sit down to chat about the key decisions that helped her create her own unique perspective when it comes to her photography. She shares her best advice for other photographers just starting out (spoiler: you just have to keep shooting), and how she navigates the ...
While artistic interest runs in Anna Kruse’s family, she didn’t immediately take an interest in photography. In fact, she didn’t even begin photography until she became a mother, but it wasn’t until the loss of her father that she finally decided to make photography into her career, after truly understanding the gift of captured memories. In today’s episode, Anna vulnerably shares her story of love, loss, and passing her family’s artistic legacy to another generation. She explains what p...
When it comes to motherhood and business, there is no perfect balance. In some seasons, one takes precedence over the other… and that’s okay! Finding success in both requires holding space and giving ourselves grace when both parts of our life feel less than harmonious. In this episode, family photographer Aspen Dawn shares how exactly she goes about navigating the ebb and flow of motherhood and her photography business. She shares the mental health struggles she’s faced and the ways she...
Sandy beaches, wind and waves, and small children everywhere… sounds like a recipe for chaos when it comes to a photoshoot, right? Well, to be honest, it is! And that’s okay with Kristen Coberly. In this episode, Kristen shares how she’s learned to embrace the chaos of photographing large families by planning for multiple outcomes, going with the flow, and learning to turn toddler meltdowns into memorable keepsakes. She shares her very best tips for photographing big families, including ...
For Liz Devinny, photography isn’t her only interest. In fact, her passion for art and education (she’s a middle school and high school teacher!) led her into her photography career. Along the way, she’s developed her own playful, bright style by experimenting with color and using her teaching experiences to set all of the family members at her photo shoots at ease.In this episode, Liz shares how she got started in photography, how she created her signature style and encourages her students t...