PhotoBizX The Ultimate Wedding and Portrait Photography Business Podcast

Hosted by Andrew Hellmich: Photographer & the Interviewer Who Asks What Other Photography Business Podcasters

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Oct 2026

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PhotoBizX is the number one photography business podcast for portrait and wedding photographers who want to attract more clients, charge what they’re worth, and build a thriving business. Hosted by Australian Master Photographer Andrew Hellmich, this weekly interview show features the world’s most successful and inspiring photographers and industry experts — the real stars of every episode. Andrew’s relaxed, curious interview style draws out incredible depth and honesty; listeners often say he asks exactly what they’re thinking and are shocked by how much his guests reveal. Each episode delivers real strategies, stories, and systems you can implement immediately — leaving you motivated and ready to grow your photography business.

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October 19, 202653 min

691: Kate Buechner – Why Her $1 Million Photo Studio Was Less Profitable Than Going Solo

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Kate Buechner of www.uberphotography.com.au is a Sydney family, newborn and pet photographer with more than 23 years in business. When I last interviewed Kate almost ten years ago, she was photographing around 300 families a year, selling hundreds of wall portraits and working towards building a million-dollar photography business. She achieved that goal, growing Uber Photography to five full-time staff and more than $1 million in annual turnover. Today, the business looks completely different. Kate is the only full-time person in the studio, with her daughter helping about five hours a week. She works fewer hours, takes home more money, and recently generated $45,000 in a single month. She aims for around 20 sessions per month, averages about $2,500 from family clients, and still runs seven different marketing sources simultaneously. One partnership with a local orthodontist has lasted ten years and generates around 30–35 bookings annually. Kate also has some refreshingly direct views about portrait photography. She doesn’t believe photographers need to be incredibly creative to succeed. She believes the photographs are for the family—not the photographer—and that clients will spend when you create images they connect with and want to own. In this interview, Kate Buechner shares how she went from running a million-dollar studio with five full-time staff to building a smaller, more profitable business she enjoys more. We unpack the marketing strategies that continue to fill her calendar, why transparent pricing hasn’t hurt her sales, how she averages $2,500 from family sessions and the role AI, automation and same-day sales now play in keeping the business lean and efficient. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: How Kate went from a million-dollar studio with a full-time team of five to a smaller, more profitable operation Why she now works fewer hours, takes home more money and spends more time photographing and selling How subletting unused studio space covers approximately 25% of her monthly rent Why Kate runs seven marketing channels simultaneously to maintain around 20 sessions per month How a ten-year orthodontist partnership generates around 50 leads and 30–35 bookings annually Why the orthodontist gives Kate’s $695 photography voucher to every client after their braces come off Why some photography leads require as many as ten emails or text messages before responding How showing complete pricing before booking helps clients qualify themselves and avoids bait-and-switch complaints Why Kate’s family portrait clients spend around $2,500, and her newborn clients average approximately $1,500 Why she believes photographers should create what families want to buy—not what satisfies them creatively Why Kate raised her prices during the toughest booking period she has experienced in 23 years How AI turned a two-hour Facebook advertising task into approximately ten minutes How Kate prepares 30–60 images in half an hour and conducts same-day sales appointments How IPS SESSION simplifies slideshows, image selection, room views, collages and client ordering What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today to get access to FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue, and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. The photography is for the family. It’s not for us, and I think sometimes photographers get confused about that. – Kate Buechner You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. If you’re passionate because it’s about your passion for photography, don’t become a professional photographer. You’re creating photos for someone else, not for yourself. – Kate Buechner Plus, you'll get access to guidance on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, keep you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goal: building a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? After this interview, I’d love to know what you're taking from what Kate shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, share your thoughts in the comments below, let me know your takeaways, and what you plan to implement in your business based on today's episode. I realised that when I was growing the business, I was giving up the parts of the business that I loved and managing staff who were doing the jobs I actually loved to do. – Kate Buechner If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Kate, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. You don’t have to be an incredibly creative photographer. You have to connect with people and make them feel comfortable and relaxed. – Kate Buechner Make AI sound exactly like you — THIS WEEK! Want AI to help write your emails, ads and blog posts without spending ages changing everything so it sounds like you? I went through this training with Ina, and the results were so good! I’d never used Claude before, but I followed along and soon produced marketing copy that sounded like me—using words I’d use and leaving out the ones I wouldn’t. See what’s included and register for US$97 Join us this Thursday 22 October at 7:00 am AEDT (Sydney time) for approximately 90 minutes of hands-on training. You’ll receive the files and two short preparation videos to build your business profile and writing voice beforehand. Then you’ll work alongside Ina to set up four projects for social posts, blog posts, emails and enquiry replies, and ads—ready to use with the details of your business and the way you write. We’ll use Claude for the training, but you can take your business information and voice guidance to ChatGPT, Gemini or your preferred AI tool afterwards. Register before the live session and receive Ina’s BONUS Sales Call Review skill. Use it with a transcript of an IPS session or Zoom sales conversation to identify what you handled well, missed opportunities and ways to respond to objections next time. Registration is US$97. After the live training, the price increases to US$197. Can’t attend live? Register beforehand to get the early price and bonus, with lifetime access to the recording. You can also email Ina with questions afterwards. Register for US$97—including the bonus and lifetime recording access iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to get them… for several reasons. First, it confirms I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. If you want to understand the value of photography, hire a photographer yourself and actually pay for it. It’ll change your perception of what that value is. – Kate Buechner If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google . You can leave an honest rating and feedback, which will help me and the show. I'll thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternat...

October 12, 202651 min

690: Tara Shuler – When Mum Wants $5,000 in Photography Wall Art and Dad Wants to Leave

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Tara Shuler of www.convocontrol.com believes the person asking the questions controls the conversation—and ultimately, the outcome. She’s a sales trainer, author, and former VP of Sales with more than 20 years of experience studying what makes people buy. Based in Tampa, Florida, she helps business owners move beyond explaining their services and start understanding what their clients actually want. Her approach centres on questions rather than memorised scripts. The idea is to get prospective clients talking about why the purchase matters to them, instead of relying on you to convince them it should. For photographers, that raises an uncomfortable question: how much time do we spend explaining packages and defending prices when we still don’t understand why someone wants the photos? Tara is direct about this. She sees many sales objections as a sign of questions left unasked earlier in the process. When a client says, “We need to think about it”, she challenges whether our easy acceptance helps them—or simply keeps us comfortable. In this interview, Tara shares how questions can change how photographers handle enquiries, uncover what clients value, and approach hesitant buyers. We work through familiar situations, including free-session leads and a couple facing a $5,000 wall art decision with very different expectations. Some of her suggestions pushed me outside my comfort zone, particularly around how directly we should challenge an objection. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: Why Tara favours questions over scripts to lead photography sales conversations Why she recommends calling website leads rather than simply emailing a price list Uncovering what clients want their photographs to mean—not just which package they want Qualifying free-session leads and recognising when it’s time to walk away What “we need to think about it” leaves unresolved—and why photographers hesitate to ask more Distinguishing a genuine budget limit from a client who doesn’t see the value Spreading a $12,000 purchase over time without reducing the total price Preventing the sales-room surprise when Mum wants $5,000 in wall art and Dad doesn’t know the prices Connecting the photo session to the wall art clients said they wanted during their consultation Spotting future portrait and headshot opportunities through conversations about clients’ lives Why “just following up” gives leads little reason to respond Using silence to give clients room to explain what matters to them Why continuing to explain features and benefits after a client says yes can work against you Tara’s direct approach to objections—and where I felt uncomfortable using it myself What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. Most objections are a symptom of you not asking enough questions to understand what they really want. – Tara Shuler You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. Once you get the yes, stop talking. Don’t talk about features and benefits anymore. You already got the yes. – Tara Shuler In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Tara shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today's episode. He doesn’t want to spend it because he doesn’t see the value. – Tara Shuler If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Tara, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. A lot of people think sales is the gift of gab. But if you’re not asking questions, you’re not in control. – Tara Shuler Make AI sound exactly like you — live masterclass with Ina Jalil Want AI to help write your emails, ads and blog posts without spending ages changing everything so it sounds like you? I went through this training with Ina, and the results were so good! I’d never used Claude before, but I followed along and soon produced marketing copy that sounded like me—using words I’d use and leaving out the ones I wouldn’t. See what’s included and register for US$97 Join us on Thursday 22 October at 7:00 am AEDT (Sydney time) for approximately 90 minutes of hands-on training. You’ll receive the files and two short preparation videos to build your business profile and writing voice beforehand. Then you’ll work alongside Ina to set up four projects for social posts, blog posts, emails and enquiry replies, and ads—ready to use with the details of your business and the way you write. We’ll use Claude for the training, but you can take your business information and voice guidance to ChatGPT, Gemini or your preferred AI tool afterwards. Register before the live session and receive Ina’s BONUS Sales Call Review skill. Use it with a transcript of an IPS session or Zoom sales conversation to identify what you handled well, missed opportunities and ways to respond to objections next time. Registration is US$97. After the live training, the price increases to US$197. Can’t attend live? Register beforehand to get the early price and bonus, with lifetime access to the recording. You can also email Ina with questions afterwards. Register for US$97—including the bonus and lifetime recording access iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. If you’ve been dealing with the wife this whole entire time, and you haven’t asked her, does he know what this is costing, you’re being blindsided by this whole situation because you didn’t do your discovery right. – Tara Shuler If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google . You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast . Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. If you have the gut feeling that they’re not going to ever become anything, listen to your gut. – Tara Shuler Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX ...

October 6, 202636 min

689: Pipi Diamond – Can You Sell Your Photography Business—or Will You Have to Close It?

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Pipi Diamond of www.soulfulphotographyllc.com has spent 12 years building a pet and family photography business in the San Francisco Bay Area—and now she’s selling it. She started out photographing dogs on location, including portraits with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, before creating a boutique backyard studio at home and eventually moving into a commercial space. Today, the business has three photographers, two assistants, and annual gross revenue of US$139,000. Around a third of her sessions in 2025 came through charity silent auctions. Pipi chose her business name with a future sale in mind. But preparing to hand it over has brought some surprises. Prospective buyers wanted regular repeat clients, her broker placed more importance on the studio space than she did, and losing her lease saw the asking price fall from US$75,000 to US$50,000. She’s also frank about why she wants out: the emotional toll of photographing ageing dogs, the ongoing stress of ownership and wanting her weekends back. Hiring photographers has helped, but it hasn’t made the business run itself. In this interview, Pipi shares what it takes to prepare a photography business for sale, what prospective buyers have questioned, and why the staff, systems and reputation you’ve built matter beyond the images you create. Whether you’re considering selling or haven’t given it a thought, there’s plenty here to make you look at your own business differently. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: Why Pipi chose a business name she could sell—and later dropped “pet” to broaden its appeal The emotional toll of photographing ageing dogs and why she’s ready to leave after 12 years Why hiring three photographers and two assistants hasn’t removed the pressures of ownership What Pipi and her broker disagreed on: the value of the studio space versus the staff and systems How losing her studio lease brought the asking price down from US$75,000 to US$50,000 Why prospective buyers questioned the lack of annual repeat clients in her premium portrait business The US$10,000 broker fee that would leave her with US$40,000 from a US$50,000 sale How charity silent auctions generated around a third of her sessions in 2025 Why her charity contact list, gift certificate templates and email drafts could be sold separately The bookkeeping reports, ongoing contracts and monthly costs buyers want to inspect How she’s documenting the business with phone scripts, checklists, Loom videos and recorded Zoom sales calls Why selling to an existing staff member could simplify the handover—and why it isn’t an option for Pipi The risk of a new owner changing your business culture or letting trusted staff go Why Pipi is considering closing the business if a sale doesn’t happen What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. My prices are high enough that people feel like it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not an every-year update. – Pipi Diamond You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. So many photographers name their business after themselves, like Pipi Ray Diamond Photography. Who wants to buy your name? Then they’ll have to change it. – Pipi Diamond In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Pipi shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today's episode. The word turnkey is a little misleading, or maybe a fantasy. Who owns a business and doesn’t do anything? – Pipi Diamond If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Pipi, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. What’s a big deal is the trained staff and all the knowledge and training I’d be giving about how to get clients in, service them, get them to pay, and get them out. – Pipi Diamond Make AI sound exactly like you — live masterclass with Ina Jalil I went through this training with Ina, and the results were so good! I’d never used Claude before, but I followed along and soon produced emails, blog posts, and marketing copy that sounded like me—using words I’d use and leaving out the ones I wouldn’t. You can build the same foundation for your photography business. Join us on Thursday 22 October at 7:00 am AEDT (Sydney time) for approximately 90 minutes of hands-on training. You’ll build your business profile and writing voice, and Ina will teach you how to use them. We’ll use Claude during the session, but you can take the information you create to ChatGPT, Gemini or your preferred AI tool afterwards. Register before the live session, and you’ll also receive Ina’s BONUS Claude Sales Call Review skill. Use it to review your recorded IPS sessions or Zoom sales conversations, with feedback on what you handled well, missed opportunities, and how you could respond to objections next time. The cost is US$97, doubling to US$197 after the live training. Can’t attend live? Register beforehand to secure the US$97 price and bonus. You’ll also receive lifetime access to the recording and can email Ina with questions afterwards. Registration and more details here: https://learn.photobizx.com/make-ai-sound-like-you-registration/ iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. A third of my sessions in 2025 were from silent auctions. – Pipi Diamond If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google . You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast . Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. I think I have compassion fatigue from getting a lot of clients that have really old dogs that are really close to being put down, and those kind of sessions are really tough emotionally. – Pipi Diamond Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business. Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: <a href=...

September 28, 202649 min

688: Andrew Ferdinands – How To Get 80% of Your Photography Work Through Referrals

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands of www.ferdi.com.au has photographed more than 3,000 events over 17 years. Based in Melbourne, Australia, he’s built a business bringing in around $200,000 a year, photographing everything from birthdays and baptisms to weddings and corporate events. The business has grown well beyond Ferdi shooting every job himself. He has a pool of more than 30 photographers, and in one busy year, the team covered around 400 events. Their busiest month… 44! What caught my attention, though, is that Ferdi says 80% of his work comes from referrals and word of mouth, despite almost never asking for them. He believes photographers can get the marketing, pricing and photos right, then lose the next booking because guests felt awkward or the client didn’t enjoy having them there. His approach is people first, camera second. In this interview, Ferdi shares how he’s built a team around that idea, why he hires for people skills, and what he does before and during an event to understand what the client wants. We also talk about his simple pricing, repeat bookings and the AI tools he’s using to handle a growing workload. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: How Ferdi built a photography business bringing in around $200,000 a year after 17 years and more than 3,000 events What it took to cover roughly 400 events in one year, including 44 in his busiest month Why 80% of his work comes through referrals and word of mouth, even though he almost never asks for referrals Why he believes a photographer’s people skills can matter more to future bookings than technically perfect photos How he chooses photographers for his team, and what one client complaint taught him about the cost of a poor experience How he handles clients who want to book the same subcontractor again while encouraging that photographer to grow their own business Why his $499 package for two short sessions is designed to earn money and put his team in front of more potential clients How transparent prices and an easy booking process help clients decide without a long exchange of emails The two questions he asks before an event to learn what the client means by a successful service and a successful gallery Why he shows clients photos during an event, even letting them choose between different lighting styles How his team handles thousands of images a week and delivers galleries within seven days Where AI helps with culling and editing, and what Ferdi still checks himself Why he’s building his own AI-assisted CRM to speed up replies and photographer availability checks What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. We’ve never asked for referrals. It’s pure organic. It’s just by being so good that they want you at every party. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. You could do everything perfectly. You could be the best photographer in the world technically. But when you rock up to the gig, how are they going to remember you? – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Ferdi shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today's episode. The people skills are the differentiator. They’re the needle mover. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Ferdi, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. Show the client the photos. Get immediate feedback. Maybe it’s you who needs to change something, and they’ll tell you. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. You need to become part of their family, their extended family. They need to see you as the go-to photographer for all their milestones. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google . You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast . Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. A good gauge is that if you don’t get any feedback, you might need to improve something. They can’t be bothered to tell you that you’re doing something wrong. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business. Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: Andrew Ferdinands Website Ferdi Photography on Facebook Ferdi Photography on Instagram Event Photography 101 Event Photography 101 on YouTube Event Photography App Ferdi Tech Ask the client, “How do you define a successful photography service?” and “How do you define a successful photography album?” Those two questions do the heavy lifting. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands Thank you! A huge thanks to Ferdi for joining me and sharing so openly. The biggest standout… how 80% of his work comes from referrals and word of mouth, yet he says he almost never asks for them. He puts that down to how his photographers make people feel at an event. It’s why he looks for people skills first when hiring. I’d love to know what stood out for you. 80% of my clients come from referrals and word of mouth. – Andrew “Ferdi” Ferdinands That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business! Thanks for listening—speak soon, Andrew The post 688: Andrew Ferdinands – How To Get 80% of Your Photography Work Through Referrals appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market you...

September 21, 202652 min

687: Ina Jalil – The Pre-Shoot Consultation That Raised Her Average Sale from $600 to $2,800

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Ina Jalil of www.inajphotography.com first appeared on the podcast in episode 475 , back in 2022. At the time, she’d been running her Canberra pet photography business for just two years. Even then, she was generating impressive sales, testing different promotions and running in-person sales appointments while still learning what worked. What stood out was her willingness to take action. She implemented what she learned, tracked the results and accepted that some ideas would work while others wouldn’t. Fast-forward four years and she has now photographed more than 1,000 dogs and built a pet photography business generating around $305,000 a year from roughly 80 to 100 sessions. Her average sale has grown from around $600 to $2,600 to $2,800, and she recently raised her session fee to $1,190. Along the way, she’s become a Sony Digital Imaging Advocate, started mentoring photographers and launched The Pet Photographers’ Journal podcast. She’s also using AI in ways that go well beyond writing social media posts—including reviewing her sales calls, building an objection bank, drafting client emails and creating custom tools for her business. In this interview, Ina shares how she turned a disappointing $20,000 book project into more than $72,000 from just 26 sessions, generated over $33,000 from a $689 Facebook campaign, and uses pre-shoot consultations to qualify clients, set pricing expectations, and plan what she’ll photograph before the session begins. She also explains why photographers don’t need to continually invent new marketing campaigns—and how she uses AI to improve the systems and conversations already driving her business. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: How Ina grew her pet photography revenue from around $190,000 in 2022 to $305,000 in 2025 while photographing fewer clients Why she believes business and marketing skills matter more than exceptional photography when it comes to building a profitable studio What went wrong when her first book project produced 48 sessions but only around $20,000 in sales How better positioning and stricter client screening helped her second book project generate more than $72,000 from 26 sessions Why mandatory pre-shoot consultations helped lift Ina’s average sale from around $600 to between $2,600 and $2,800 How questionnaires and planning calls reveal what clients want to purchase—and help Ina photograph specifically for their finished artwork How she discusses the typical $1,000–$3,000 investment before accepting a booking without making the conversation awkward How a $400 International Dog Day campaign generated 72 leads, 18 bookings and $38,000 in sales The giveaway campaign that attracted 191 leads and produced more than $33,000 in sales from a $689 ad spend Why meeting potential clients at local events can work better than advertising to a completely cold online audience How a two-day expo costing roughly $1,500 generated around $20,000 in pet photography sales Why Ina raised her session fee to $1,190—and still allows clients to walk away with artwork without spending more Why photographers don’t need to continually invent new promotions when they have a repeatable campaign that works How Ina uses AI to critique her sales calls, track recurring objections, draft client emails and identify weaknesses in her marketing The guardrails she uses when giving AI access to client information, email and advertising data What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. I don’t have to come up with a new idea every time. I can repeat the same process that works. – Ina Jalil You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. My average sale went from $600 to between $2,600 and $2,800 after introducing the pre-shoot consultation. – Ina Jalil In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Ina shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today's episode. My first book project had 48 sessions and made just over $20,000. The second had 26 sessions, 25 clients purchased, and it generated more than $72,000. – Ina Jalil If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Ina, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. I don’t want someone who only wants to be featured in a book. I want someone who wants beautiful artwork of their dog, with being featured in the book as a bonus. – Ina Jalil iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. When the same objections keep coming up, I look at how I can address them earlier through my website, social media or email sequences. – Ina Jalil If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google . You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast . Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. I use AI to review my consultations, help me improve my sales skills and build an objection bank from the questions clients ask. – Ina Jalil Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business. Here is the latest review… ★★★★★ Thank you from the bottom of my heart Via Google Reviews by New Zealand documentary wedding photographer Sarah Watkins in New Zealand on September 18th, 2026. I'm so grateful to Andrew for him and his podcast. I started listening over 10 years ago. He takes a personal interest in each and every one of his listeners. He always has inspiring and insightful guests who are comfortable sharing all about their businesses. I literally wouldn't be able to support my wee family without...

September 14, 202643 min

686: Megan Jones – How 25-Minute Santa Sessions Became a $300K+ Photography Business

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Megan Jones of www.meganmichaelphotography.com has been in business for 16 years and has grown her Nebraska-based photography studio from $610,000 in revenue in 2023 to being on track for $3.5 million in 2026. Today, she has a team of 13 employees, three full-time photographers and a 5,000-square-foot studio capable of handling up to 14 sessions a day. Megan describes the business as a luxury volume studio — high-end photography and product sales on the client side, with a highly systemised operation running behind the scenes. Boudoir makes up around 80% of the business, but I was particularly interested in one part for this interview. Santa photography. And we're definitely not talking about your typical $150 Christmas mini session with a handful of digital files. Megan photographs around 175 Santa clients a year and averages roughly $2,000 per session. Her personalised Christmas storybook package is $4,200; clients are told upfront they could spend anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000, and the sessions themselves last just 25 minutes. What makes it even more interesting is that Megan refuses to call them mini sessions. They're limited-edition experiences — complete with purpose-built sets, personalised letters from Santa, a carefully scripted session and products designed to become part of the family's Christmas tradition. Which raises some interesting questions… How do you turn something commonly sold as a cheap seasonal session into a premium photography experience? What are clients actually buying when they're spending thousands of dollars on Santa photography? And what can portrait photographers take from Megan's approach to pricing, scarcity, sales and client experience and apply to their own businesses? In this interview, Megan Jones shares how she progressed from $200 sessions to building a $3.5 million luxury photography business, why she eventually replaced herself as the photographer, and how her team now generates and handles hundreds of leads each week. We get into the thinking behind her limited-edition campaigns, the psychology she uses around sales and pricing, why she believes scripted sales sessions don't work, and the details that have helped turn her Santa photography into one of the most unusual and profitable seasonal portrait offerings I've come across. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: How Megan grew her photography business from $610,000 in 2023 to being on track for $3.5 million in 2026 Why mastermind groups and openly sharing real business numbers helped Megan make better decisions faster How repeatedly doubling her prices helped her move from $200 sessions to a far more profitable luxury model Why Megan replaced herself as the photographer and now focuses almost entirely on business development How she built a 13-person team, including three full-time photographers and a dedicated booking team How 40+ Meta ads are used to feed a pipeline targeting around 700 leads per week Why boudoir now accounts for roughly 80% of the studio’s income How Megan uses rotating campaigns like 40 Over 40, business portraits and other themed projects to keep demand moving How around 175 Santa sessions a year have become a roughly $350,000+ annual revenue stream Why Megan positions Santa as a limited-edition experience rather than a traditional mini session How 25-minute Santa sessions, multiple sets and personalised pre-session details create a premium client experience Why personalised Christmas storybooks sell for $4,200, and why clients are told upfront they may spend $1,000–$10,000 Why Megan believes scripted sales sessions are “stupid” and prefers to sell around what each client actually values How IPS, wall art, folio boxes, albums and digital files all fit into a luxury-volume photography model What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. I work a hell of a lot less hard now than I did then, and I’m making way more money. – Megan Jones You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. Sales is people. There’s a lot of psychology that goes into figuring out what people are thinking, overcoming objections and figuring out what’s important to them. – Megan Jones In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Megan shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today's episode. Behind the scenes, we’re a machine. We’re a luxury studio, but in all reality, we’re a luxury volume studio. – Megan Jones If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Megan, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. Scripted sales sessions are stupid, in my opinion. There should be no script in the sales room because not every person is the same. – Megan Jones iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. If something is not my expertise, I outsource it. – Megan Jones If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google . You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast . Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. Nobody just books a shoot to book a shoot. They’re coming in for a reason. – Megan Jones Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business. Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: Megan Jones Website Megan Jones Santa Sessions Megan Jones Email Megan Jones on Facebook You have to know your products, and it’s not just the amount of revenue coming in. It’s profit margin too. – Megan Jones Thank you! A huge thanks to Megan for sharing so openly. What stood out to me ...

September 7, 202655 min

685: Ben McCoy – The $17 Lead, $105 Booking and $2,400 Portrait Photography Sale

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Ben McCoy of www.withthebenjamin.com.au started his photography career by ringing wedding photographers he found in newspaper ads and asking if he could tag along and carry their bags. He was knocked back again and again before one photographer finally gave him a chance. That eventually led to photographing 40 or 50 weddings a year and learning the business from the ground up. Fast-forward to today and Ben has built something very different. He started Good Life Portraits from the back of his car in 2016 and has grown it into a busy Perth portrait studio with seven full-time staff, including photographers and an in-house booking team. The studio is now tracking towards $2 million in annual revenue, has photographed more than 5,000 sessions and is shooting somewhere around 80 portrait sessions a month. And the numbers behind the marketing are just as interesting. Ben aims for roughly $17 per lead, around $105 to acquire a client and an average sale of about $2,400. He’s also built much of the business around systems — from lead generation and booking through to client nurture, sales and production — and over the past year has added AI and Go High Level to handle more of that process automatically. What I found particularly interesting is that despite the scale of the business, Ben still believes the human conversation is one of the most important parts of converting a lead into a client. In this interview, Ben McCoy shares how he built a high-volume portrait studio without remaining the bottleneck, why he believes the people handling bookings can be more important than the photographers, how he uses Meta ads, AI and automated nurture to move leads towards a phone call, and what has changed as he’s gone from doing almost everything himself to running a team and a business approaching $2 million in revenue. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: How Ben grew Good Life Portraits from working out of his car to a seven-person studio tracking towards $2 million in annual revenue What it actually takes to run a portrait business shooting around 80 sessions a month Why Ben believes photographers cap both their income and growth when they remain the person doing everything How hiring a photographer to replace himself helped Ben finally spend more time working on the business instead of constantly shooting and retouching Why Ben wants staff who can wear multiple hats — and why he isn’t worried about training people who could one day become competitors How years of staff burnout, hiring mistakes and working seven days a week changed the way Ben now builds and manages his team Why Ben says the people making the booking calls can be even more important than the photographers doing the shoots How Ben moved from market stalls, coupon boxes and local partnerships to running dozens of Meta campaigns and generating around 90% of his leads online The marketing numbers Ben watches closely — roughly $17 per lead, around $105 to acquire a client and an average sale of about $2,400 Why chasing the cheapest possible leads backfired, and how Ben learned that a $5 lead can be far less valuable than a more expensive, better-qualified one How Ben uses AI, Claude and Go High Level to answer enquiries, nurture leads, handle FAQs and book phone calls before a staff member steps in Why the goal of Ben’s automated nurture isn’t to make the sale — it’s to get the right prospect onto the phone Why Good Life Portraits doesn’t position digital files as the main product, and instead uses the nurture process to prepare clients for physical artwork and heirloom products Why Ben is willing to share his systems with photographers located just 10 kilometres from his own studio — and why he sees strong competitors as good for the industry What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. The goal is to get them on the phone. – Ben McCoy You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. AI has been a game changer because it’s available for when the client is ready, not for when we’re ready. – Ben McCoy In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Ben shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today's episode. Cheap leads aren’t always good leads. I was getting $5 or $6 leads, but they were low quality and not many people were booking. – Ben McCoy If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Ben, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. $17 a lead is about $105 to land the client, and our average sale is around $2,400. – Ben McCoy iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. My job as a business owner is to make employees so happy that they don’t want to leave. – Ben McCoy If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google . You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast . Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. I was the bottleneck for years. I knew I had to figure out a way so the business could actually run without me — and not just run, but grow. – Ben McCoy Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business. Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: Ben McCoy Website Ben McCoy on Instagram Ben McCoy on Facebook Good Life Portraits Website Good Life Portraits on Instagram Good Life Portraits on Facebook When I focused solely on numbers, every person that came in the door became a number. I realised I was focusing on what I could get out of them instead of what I could create for them. – Ben...

August 31, 20261 hr 2 min

684: Lucas Z – Why Photographers Making Good Money Still Have No Money

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Lucas Z of www.thebigsplitwithlucas.com was running a successful photography business in Aspen, Colorado, making good money and, from the outside, doing pretty well. But financially, things were a mess. He had $25,000 in credit card debt, was behind on his taxes, had no real savings or assets and eventually worked out that he was spending 99.5% of everything he made. The interesting part is, his answer wasn’t simply to go out and book more clients or make more money. He realised the bigger problem was what happened to the money once it actually came in. That led him to develop what he now calls The Big Split — a simple way of handling irregular income by dividing money between the business, tax, lifestyle and paying yourself first. Using that approach, Lucas cleared his $25,000 debt in five months, got on top of his back taxes and built more than $60,000 in savings within the first year. And he’s not coming at this as a traditional financial adviser. He’s spent more than a decade running his own photography business, so he understands what it’s like to deal with seasonal income, inconsistent payments, good months, quiet months and the temptation to treat a $5,000 or $10,000 client payment like it’s all available to spend. In this interview, Lucas Z shares how photographers can create more stability from irregular income, why earning more doesn’t automatically mean keeping more, how financial leaks can quietly drain an otherwise successful business, and why paying yourself first may matter more than another budgeting app. We also look at where The Big Split differs from Profit First, how Lucas decides what percentage goes where, and the point where money management stops being the problem and the business simply isn’t generating enough income. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: How Lucas was spending 99.5% of everything his photography business made despite earning good money How he cleared $25,000 in debt within five months and built more than $60,000 in savings in his first year What Lucas does when a $5,000 or $10,000 client payment lands instead of treating it all as available cash How The Big Split divides irregular income between business, tax, lifestyle and paying yourself first Why Lucas still uses a simple 25/25/25/25 split after seven years — and when he changes those percentages Why irregular and seasonal income creates a feast-or-famine cycle even for profitable photographers How building separate financial stockpiles helped Lucas stay stable when his photography income stopped during COVID The financial leaks photographers often overlook, including poor payment policies, delayed invoices, weak contracts and chasing clients for money Why making it easier for clients to pay can have a bigger financial impact than photographers realise Why Lucas believes photographers should pay themselves first, even if they start with only a small percentage Why cutting every enjoyable expense isn’t necessarily the answer — and how Lucas decides what spending is actually worth keeping How one client earning around $300,000 a year discovered they needed only about $70,000 to live, then cleared six figures of debt and saved six figures within 12 months Why a photography business making only $40,000 can still be financially healthy if the gap between income and expenses is large enough How to recognise when the real problem is no longer money management — the photography business simply isn’t generating enough income What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. If you don't pay yourself first, you're not going to pay yourself. That's just how it works. – Lucas Z. You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. When that $10,000 comes in, I was lying to myself. I didn't have $10,000 because I was forgetting about the bills in the business, the taxes and putting something towards savings. – Lucas Z. In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Lucas shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today's episode. You can shift your finances fairly quickly. Start looking at money from your creative brain, not the traditional brain. You've built a business. You've already done the hard work. – Lucas Z. If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Lucas, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. The reason most successful business owners who are making good money never have any money is because they're putting themselves last. – Lucas Z. iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. We spend our entire lives giving our money away to everyone else, and guess who is holding the bag at the end of the day? Us. – Lucas Z. If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google . You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast . Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. Instead of stealing from my business so that I could live more extravagantly, I created a barrier. I will not steal from my business. I will not steal from my savings. – Lucas Z. Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business. Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: The Big Split With Lucas Website The Big Split With Lucas on YouTube The Big Split With Lucas on Instagram I like to keep things very simple with money. The simpler it is, the more likely I am to actually follow through with it. – Lucas Z. Thank you! A huge thanks to Lucas for sharing so openly. What re...

August 24, 202646 min

683: Gabi Kline Leon – How to Build a Photography Business Averaging $6,000 Per Client

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Gabi Kline Leon of www.gavriellaphoto.com was living in Israel when she saw a photographer in the USA share that they’d made $62,000 in a single month. Her reaction was basically, if photographers can make that kind of money in America, I’m moving to America. So she did. Two and a half months later, she was on her way to Florida with her 14-year-old daughter, very little money and a plan to build a full-time pet photography business. Her very first client spent $5,000! That didn’t mean everything took off immediately. COVID hit soon after, and Gabi says it took around three years before she really felt like she had a solid business. What she built during that time was very different to a typical high-volume photography business. Gabi describes herself as a commissioned photo artist rather than simply a photographer. Her booking fee is $1,500; clients are told that most spend between $3,000 and $10,000, and her average sale is around $6,000. She visits clients in their homes, sometimes photographs the same client across multiple sessions, helps design artwork for their walls and keeps her pricing deliberately simple. She has also tested some unusual marketing ideas along the way. One magazine partnership generated more than $100,000. Mini-session days inside a groomer’s business brought in more than $10,000 a month. And she has strong views on where pet photographers should focus their attention online, especially around SEO, Google Business Profile, reviews, and fresh content. And then there are the sales. Gabi regularly talks about $7,000, $10,000 and larger client orders, including one extraordinary $50,000 sale from a client she photographed across four sessions. In this interview, Gabi shares how she built a low-volume, high-value photography business, why she believes positioning yourself as a commissioned photo artist changes the way clients see what you do, how she approaches pricing and in-home sales without feeling salesy, and why simple offers, real relationships and getting in front of the right people have mattered more to her than chasing every new marketing tactic. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: Why Gabi sees herself as a commissioned photo artist rather than simply a photographer — and how that changes the entire business How a $1,500 booking fee and clear $3,000–$10,000 spending expectation filters clients before they enquire What Gabi learned from landing a $5,000 first client after moving from Israel to the US How one client eventually spent $50,000 across four separate photography sessions Why Gabi’s average client spend sits around $6,000 — without relying on high session volume How one magazine partnership generated more than $100,000 in client sales, while another produced almost nothing How mini-session days inside a groomer’s business generated more than $10,000 a month Why Gabi believes photographers need to get in front of real people rather than relying only on ads and social media How model calls helped her build connections, content, reviews and word of mouth in a new market Why she sometimes photographs the same client across two or three sessions to create more variety and stronger sales opportunities How Gabi positions photography as interior design rather than simply selling photos Why she keeps her pricing deliberately simple and avoids long product menus, upgrades and confusing add-ons How she handles the reveal and sales appointment without hard-selling — including helping clients choose favourites first, then artwork Why Gabi believes pet photographers should pay more attention to Google Business Profile, reviews and fresh content than traditional SEO What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. You cannot think that you will attract people who spend $50 on dresses to spend thousands of dollars on a designer. Totally different clients. So you have to understand who your client is, and you have to put yourself in front of them. – Gabi Kline Leon You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. Yes, it is an investment, but don’t put it as an investment in photos. Put it as an investment in interior design. People have a very different thought when they’re thinking about how much money they’re going to spend on interior design in their home. – Gabi Kline Leon In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Gabi shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today's episode. There are two totally different types of businesses. One is being a photographer. One is being what I call a commissioned photo artist, which is a totally different business. – Gabi Kline Leon If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Gabi, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. The more you’re out there, the more you meet people, the more you’ll have private clients. Period. That’s just the way it works. – Gabi Kline Leon iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. First, it confirms I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Second, iTunes and Google are the biggest podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. If they book me, they will spend an average of $6,000. It’s already embedded in me. It’s not, Oh, I wish they will, or nobody pays. I don’t have any of that. – Gabi Kline Leon If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google . You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you share your name and website URL. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast . Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. A confused mind doesn’t buy. Everything has to be very simple. – Gabi Kline Leon Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business. Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: Gavriella Pet Photography Website Gabi Kline Leon on Facebook Gavriella Pet Photography on Instagram <a ...

August 17, 202657 min

682: Myriam Ménard – The $20K Wedding Photographer Who Doesn’t Chase Marketing Trends

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Myriam Ménard of www.myriammenard.com is a wedding photographer who has built a 17-year business without pretending to be a marketing guru. Based in Montreal, she photographs weddings across Canada and Europe and describes herself as a thoughtful wedding photographer. From what I’ve seen of her work and the way she approaches her business, that description fits. Her success has come through word of mouth, reputation, community, careful curation and a portfolio that feels genuinely like her — not from chasing every new marketing tactic or trying to outsmart the algorithm. She’s spoken in front of 500 photographers at Way Up North and is the founder and host of Beyond the heArts, now in its fourth year. If you’re tired of constantly posting, performing online, tweaking funnels and feeling like you need to become someone else to market your photography, this interview will feel refreshing. We cover intentional curation, self-worth, creativity, premium pricing, documentary photography with elegance, offline networking, and what it really looks like to build a business aligned with who you are. In this interview, Myriam shares how she attracts high-value wedding clients through relationships and referrals, why she believes other people talking about your work is becoming more important than talking about yourself, how she uses curation to shape the kind of clients she attracts, why saying no can protect your brand, and how she has built a low-volume wedding business where local bookings can reach $22,000 CAD and European destination weddings start at €12,000. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: Why Myriam believes offline marketing is becoming more valuable than constantly posting online How real relationships and word of mouth helped her build a premium wedding photography business Why saying no to the wrong clients can protect both your brand and your creativity How Myriam spots clients who are unlikely to be a good fit before the wedding Why meeting planners, florists and photographers in person has become a major part of her marketing How one genuine behind-the-scenes TikTok video led to more enquiries and even reached Drew Barrymore Why effective networking is a long game rather than an exercise in asking for referrals How Myriam builds trust with destination wedding clients even when she hasn’t photographed at their location before Why her European destination weddings start at €12,000 and Montreal weddings reach $22,000 CAD How photographing just 8–15 weddings a year can create a successful, lower-volume business Why intentional portfolio curation can change the kind of clients your photography attracts How Myriam uses words and visual branding together to create a clearer, more recognisable brand Why she believes other people talking about your work may become more important than talking about yourself Why photographers need to stop rushing, build trust over time and avoid skipping the steps that create a lasting business What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. It's going to be even more important in the following five years at least that you don't market yourself. It's going to be the others talking for you. – Myriam Ménard You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find friendlier, more motivated, caring, and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. Go out there, find your people, and don't be shy to show up in your real way and be vulnerable. That's how we connect, and to me, that's the best marketing. – Myriam Ménard In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, hold you accountable, and help you build friendships with other pro photographers who share your goals—to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Myriam shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on today's episode. If I let others dictate me what they want to see, I will lose myself. – Myriam Ménard If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Myriam, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. People sometimes don't understand what they want, but when they see it, they feel something. – Myriam Ménard iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show. I allow myself the luxury to say no because I knew already that it could be so unaligned that it could backfire at me, and it already happened to me in the past… being honest and real-that's what attracts the right people to you. – Myriam Ménard If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google . You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast . Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them. I love to call it offline marketing. So I go out there and I just show up. And to me, it's the best way to really show how I care, to also feel it if I want to work with someone or not, and like see if we're aligned actually because I follow strongly my instincts. – Myriam Ménard Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business. Here is the latest review… ★★★★★ Most Trusted Resource for Photographers Via Google by Bóna Barna, a family and wedding photographer based in Szeged , in Hungary on August 12th, 2026. For years, it has been my most trusted resource for business-related content. Never before have I had one like this that I keep coming back to so often. Andrew's service-focused approach is something I just can't say enough good things about. Highly recommended! Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode: Myriam Ménard Website Myriam Ménard Education Myriam Ménard on Facebook Myriam Ménard on Tiktok Behind the Scenes with Myriam Part 1 <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@myriammenardphoto...

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