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The Easiest Way To Make More Money From Photography

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What if I told you that there is an easier way to make more money from photography?

That your bank account could still be steadily increasing while you take time off, while you play, while you relax… that you could be making money while you sleep?

We photographers work hard, right. Really hard. There is always something to be done, whether you’re out shooting or spending countless hours doing your editing, admin, packaging, website design, blogging… not to mention social media updates.

Who has time to update all of the social media sites, all of the time, with everything you are ‘supposed’ to be sharing? There just never seems to be enough minutes in the day!

That’s without even taking time for one minute to actually refuel our creative tanks – you know, reading things you love, visiting galleries + exhibitions, travelling, sketchbooking, or even just relaxing and -gasp- turning off our phones to spend time with our loved ones.

We love it though, this life of photographer. It’s a beautiful life.  It’s the one we want + the one we chose.

But sometimes… we get tired – don’t we?  Suddenly we don’t want to look at Pinterest boards or overly styled desktop snaps or update our blogs or wonder what the competition / our friends are doing.

We don’t want to be doing all-night editing marathons, or be glued to our phone screens. Suddenly working with tiny babies who won’t co-operate / demanding brides / model divas / ‘the industry’ feels like a lot of hard work.

Do you ever feel like this? Like you would rather just bury yourself back into your bed rather than get up and work? Even though you know that you’re lucky and you love your business and it’s all that really you ever want to do.

So… what if I told you that there is another way?

What if I told you that there is an easier way to make more money from photography? From your photography business?

That your bank account could still be steadily increasing while you take time off, while you play, while you relax… that you could be making money while your sleep?

It works like this.

There is only one of you.  Your photography business can only make a finite amount of money, because there are only a certain amount of shoots you can do – unless you clone yourself.

You can of course work every single minute that God sends, but what is the point in that? No matter how much we love photography + our work, it is still work! And even then, there are only a certain amount of minutes in a day.

So if you think about it this way… there is only a certain amount of money you can earn, right?

Unless you stop trading time for money. 

And you create something that you can sell every minute of the day.

A digital product.

Creating a digital product is perfect for you if you want an easy way to make more money from your photography business.  It’s for you if you would like to free up a little more time – for whatever purpose you wish.

There is minimal cost and often, low competition.  It can provide your business with a huge financial boost – and even completely change the direction of your business entirely, if you want it to.

You just need to believe that you can create something that people will want.  And if you’re passionate enough, people will most likely want it, because your passion will help to sell whatever you’ve created.

 

Thinking about using social media to grow your business? Facebook Ads Academy for Photographers gives you all of the fundamentals you need to leverage the most powerful social network in the world to make much, much more money than you’re making now. We’ll teach you the tricks & secrets to create a successful Facebook campaign on your very first try.

How I Made More Money From My Photography Business

Do you think that  all sounds great, but a bit impossible + unrealistic? Like a floaty day-dream somewhere in the distance?

So did I.  Earlier this year I wrote a book.  Well, it’s actually a guide. A downloadable guide.  It’s about film photography – I love film and shoot film for the majority of my paid and commercial assignments.

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If someone had said to me a year earlier that I was going to write a book about film photography, I would have laughed.  I am definitely not the world’s best film photographer, and I don’t know every single thing there is to know about film photography.

But I am passionate about it. I knew enough.  I researched the rest.  And I added in my own personal experience to my the subject that I love.

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Think about it! What areas and aspects of photography do you absolutely love?

Are you brilliant with newborns, at keeping them calm, at posing them?

Perhaps you are amazing at creating your own presets.

Perhaps you have a specialist niche like equine or pet photography, or ballet photography.

Perhaps you have worked out how to SEO your site to make it on to page one, every single day of the year despite any Google zoo updates.

Maybe you are brilliant at styling product shoots, or creating your own fashion sets, or making your own newborn props with your awesome knitting skills.

Whatever it is that got you into photography in the first place, whatever aspect of photography that keeps your heart burning and alive every time you do it – you can use it to transform your photography business. 

My book has sold – over and over and over again.  It paid for the deposit on our home. + lots more.  It got reviewed on some amazing websites. It completely revolutionised my business.

Supercharge Your Profits - Learn To Shoot Film

And all I had to do was sit and write it. A process which was completely enjoyable + engrossing + satisfying.

How long do you think it would take you to write a book?

It took me just under 3 weeks. 

I do love to write, but more than that, I was passionate about what I was writing about.

ANYONE can do this.  I’m not anybody special.  I don’t have an English degree.  I don’t have super-powers.  I just decided that one day, I was tired and there must be an easier way.

You can do it too. 

Not a writer? There are so many other digital products that you could create, that will help you to earn money while you sleep, free up your time, and transform your photography business.

It just needs to be something that you can create and then distribute online.

What about actions/ presets? websites? courses? what about a series of podcasts? What about a video course? Downloadable guides and courses? Even meditations + visualisations for photographers would sell to the right audience, the right group of photographers!

A lot of photographers think that the next logical step after mastering their craft that the next logical step is to run a workshop.  But although workshops are fun and beautiful and help to raise your profile – again, you are still trading time for money.  There are only so many workshops you can run, only so many hours you can squeeze into one workshop, only so many tickets you can sell.

This model of making more money is SO much easier.

A little bit more about how easy it is to create a digital guide –

I didn’t even need to find a publisher.  You won’t need any special equipment – I wrote mine on google docs because I don’t have Word on my laptop.  I used a free trial version of Acrobat to edit it when it was finished.  I pay $5 a month to host my book online, used a wordpress template that I already had to set up a website for it.

How does this sound to you so far? Does it get you feeling excited about the potential and possibilities? It should do – because if you do it right it can be such a great way to make more money from your business.

Why My Book Is A Success

These are the reasons my book has sold – and continues to sell – so successfully.  You can use these tips to help create your own digital products.

– I was truly passionate about my subject

– I wrote conversationally- the way that I talk- meaning the book is easy to read and digest

– I explained almost everything on the sales page – why I wrote the book, and more importantly what you can expect to gain from reading it (check it out here to view it as an example)

– I could demonstrate that I knew what I was talking about through my past experience.  So if you can provide evidence to your readers or buyers that you truly know what you are talking about, they will be more likely to trust you – and buy from you.

My (film) photography has been published in leading online + print publications – (Style Me Pretty + Magnolia Rouge amongst many others) so my readers trust that I know what I am talking about.

My other credentials include that I am a writer for the film photography blog 35to220.com, I was selected as a Beta tester for the wonderful UK Film Lab when it opened its doors,  and the four years I spent studying fine art photography at University.

But you don’t have to have all of this – don’t be put off if you feel your credentials don’t look similar.  Testimonials are equally as powerful – I gave away a few copies when the book was first launched in the hope that I would gain some positive feedback if they enjoyed the read, which I could then use on the page.

– I give away a free sample.  On my sales page I have a link where anyone can download a free sample of the book – and it’s quite a big section, not one piddly page or anything like that.  If people like what they read, they buy the book.  Sometimes buying online can be a bit scary for customers if they don’t know what they are going to get, so I take this fear away by showing them via the free sample.

Want to know more? Don’t miss these recent posts:

If this post has been useful, please leave us a comment! We would love to know if you’re planning a digital book, course, guide or other product! 

Is Your Confidence Holding Back Your Business?

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This is a really, really scary post for me to write.

For a long time I wanted to write a personal post for you.  But I haven’t been able to.

It’s not for lack of thinking about it – if thoughts could write, I have no doubt that the great WordPress machine would explode with the weight of all of those unwritten posts.

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Why haven’t I been able to write a personal post for you?

This is another one of those –arrrghh I don’t want to write this but I know I should because it might help someone– type posts.

The reason I stopped writing personal posts was because somebody told me I wasn’t good enough.

And I listened.

Their words weren’t really intended to wound.  They didn’t specifically say ‘you aren’t good enough. What they actually said was

‘But you… your blog… it’s just – you’.

They didn’t mean it personally.  It wasn’t about my work, or my business.  It was about my writing.  Me, writing, on here.

And then that person went on their way, and that tiny little gremlin that sometimes sits in all of our brains said to me

‘did you hear that? she said you aren’t enough. She said – what’s the point of your blog? Nobody cares’.

And just like that, I found every excuse I could to stop writing.

I believed that I wasn’t enough.

That had a knock on effect in all other areas of my business.  I stopped tweeting as much.  I stopped using IG.  My facebook status updates were few and far between.

Because social updates are personal, aren’t they? You’re putting your statuses out there for people to read. And judge.

And yet, despite not being enough, or feeling confident, or significant-

*My photography business became more successful than I had ever really imagined it could be.  Even though I had taken steps to make it successful, somehow, you just never really imagine it can happen – until it really does. It provided the life that I dream of + enabled my husband to leave his job + so much more.

*My photography was featured in my dream magazine – Magnolia Rouge.

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*The weddings I shot this year were all entirely beautiful + my work took me to a castle in France and magical Ibiza

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*My mentoring services were entirely sold out.

*My mentorees started doing amazing things + I’m SO proud of them!

*My book has helped so many other photographers to transform + grow their business (download your free sample here)

Thanks to my photography business, I’m living more of a beautiful life than ever before. A life that nourishes my soul + my spirit + my creativity.

*We have moved to an island of sunshine, to the most perfect family home. It is surrounded by flowers, the sky, sea, and mountains.  It has so much space for our tiny girls to play in. Last week I floated on my back at midnight in our pool and looked up at the stars and was thankful for all of my blessings.

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Every Saturday morning I have rare + precious time to myself to sit and create and do my scrapbook (I’m doing Gala Darling’s Radical Self Love Bible School, and I love it) and read and laze in the sunshine.

In that space between sea and sky, when I had chance to clear my mind of clutter and breathe and pray and think; whilst reading, I realised.

I realised that I had let the off-the-cuff comment to allow a little demon to enter and eat away at my confidence. 

And I realised something more.

All of those women whose blogs I love to read, whose books I love to buy, whose videos I watch, who I feel like I have come to know?

Those businesswomen who host sell-out workshops, courses, and who raise family members (fur babies absolutely count) as their priority?

It’s just them!  Each woman by herself, on her own.  Writing her blog + encouraging others + sharing what they know. They are enough. They are good enough, by themselves.

They may have teamed up with others now.  They have grown and are super-amazing and ‘big names’.  But they started out just them. Nothing more, nothing less.

Some of them still don’t have huge teams, or even any teams at all.  They all have priorities other than money (yet they are still living a beautiful life of financial abundance).

and again – it’s just them.

They are successful just by being themselves.  By being confident in their ability.  By knowing that what they share with the world is of value.

*     *     *     *     *

So if you’re suffering from a confidence crises; if an unexpected bolt of words or an action or an event has left you reeling, and you’re not quite sure where your confidence lies at the moment, do this.

3 steps.

1. Put 30 minutes into your schedule, asap.

2. Read any or all of the blogs by these fabulous girls –

  • Gala Darling
  • Leonie Dawson
  • Blacksburg Belle
  • Wild Sister
  • Yes + Yes
  • Marie Forleo

They aren’t photographers, but these women will lift you up + inspire you + encourage you + their words will give you the support of the best sisterhood you ever had or wanted to have.

3.  You do what I am doing right now. You come back.  You take action.  You attack whatever it is that is defeating you, that is eating away at the edges of your mind, and you put pen to paper or destroy your block or find a social circle that uplifts you and join a mastermind or a mentoring program that makes you feel great or you do your sketchbook. Whatever it is that is sitting on your shoulder like a little gremlin, you take action against it, and you say, I AM ENOUGH.

Because positive action destroys negative thought.

You’re good enough.  You need to know that.  I needed to tell you that. In fact you’re more than enough. You don’t need a mega rock-star industry ‘name’ to retweet you.  You don’t need to compare yourself to others.  Your friends and followers are all you need- even if that’s just one person.

to the world you may be one person

I know you know this already.  But sometimes we need reminding. There are times we feel alone and like our business is small and like we are small.  Sometimes when we start out we feel like the journey ahead is so exciting, yet also so vast.  Sometimes we reach a place when we feel like giving up, wonder if it is all worth it.

So I wrote this for you.  To tell you that you are are enough.  Keep going.  Don’t let anything make you stop.  Keep creating + sharing + push through.

I’ve always written personal posts (if you have followed our recent posts, you’ll know why they are essential for your website) and the FPA is no different. If you’re here for just the info, you will still get all of that too. You don’t have to read these more-personal posts.  But these posts are for you, if you want to –

See for yourself why I believe in your ability to achieve a successful photography business that can change your life.

Understand why exactly it is that I want to uplift, inspire + support you ( + if you want to be the first to know about the secret, exclusive Facebook FPA mastermind support group, click here

Get to know me as a person + see for yourself the difference a successful photography business really makes (it’s not just a lovely family home but so much, much more) and learn more about my journey

Learn how I juggle my other commitments whilst running a successful business (mainly 2 tiny toddlers + this website + writing for other sites + writing my book + mentoring other photographers + running my business)

Because I’ll be sharing all of this + much more.

Like I said in one of our recent newsletters, for me, the FPA really is personal. So I’m taking a deep breath, and pressing publish on this post.  Some of you won’t like it.  That’s ok.  But hopefully some of you will, and it will strike a chord with you.  If it does, email me – I’d love to hear from you. charlie@femalecreativesassociation.com

Coming up soon, I’ll be sharing details about the next round of mentoring when it opens again- for the very first time, it will be exclusive to FPA members – (if you truly want to grow your photography business, don’t miss out on this – join our subscriber list here for more info) and also about a very new member of the FPA team who is joining me later this week.  I really can’t wait to introduce you! Oh, and don’t forget to come back on Thursday, when we will be sharing the last 20 key elements of a website that gets you more clients.

Thanks for reading – I truly appreciate it.

 

Charlie

The Editor.

via geniusquotes.net

 

 

How Film Photography Will Transform Your Business

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Why Learning Film Photography Helps Your Photography Business

The butterflies in my tummy were more like dinosaurs on a rampage.  I sat in the car,  too nervous to get out, delaying my arrival for as long as I could.

I walked to the door and rang the bell, feeling like I desperately needed the toilet (does anyone else get that when they are nervous, or is it just me). The glowing new mama opened the door and welcomed me into her home, all smiles and hugs.

There, in front of me, was the source of my nerves.  A tiny, pink, kicking bundle of little legs and arms that I had no idea what to do with.

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Help. How do I photograph this bundle in all its beauty, perfectly.  

How can I make my shots good enough.

How can I possibly capture each precious eyelash and her gummy grins and tiny fingers and little rolls on the back of her neck like I see them, how can I use my equipment to show the world how wonderfully + perfectly she is made. 

Of course I had my Pinterest inspiration boards.  I had posing guides and lists and I knew my equipment like the back of my hand. I even had 2 years studio experience.

But this was so different.

No big umbrellas/ lights to hide behind.  No confined studio space that was so familiar to me it felt like my own home. Nobody else around to ask for help or assistance.

Help.

When I first set up my photography business, I had a degree in Photographic Arts, a ton of marketing experience, and not much of a clue about how to photograph weddings.  Or babies, or boudoir, or bridal portraits, or engagement sessions, or anything at all really.

I could completely handle complicated lighting set-ups or generating in-depth fine art conceptual shoots.  But put a wriggling crying baby or highly stressed bride in front of me and I was virtually clueless.

Of course, experience helps you to grow.  You learn what works and what doesn’t.  (Shooting newborns, and maternity sessions, are now my absolute favourite things to shoot).  As well as experience, my marketing background helped my business to expand + grow.  It took a little bit of knowledge and some smart business moves to succeed.  But as well as that, I attribute my business success to one other thing.

Learning to shoot film completely transformed my business.   It sent my profits sky-rocketing and enabled me to step away from the money + profit fears that occupied my thoughts.  It enhanced every area of my life.

Learning to shoot film worked as a huge part of my strategy and it can work for you too.  Here is how I used film photography to grow my business- and how you can use it to grow your business profits.

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1. It enabled me to increase my prices.

Because film is an intricate, marvellous process, it has that same stamp of authenticity, heritage, and history that accompanies it as, like records played on a record player, wine that has been left to age, and couture clothing.

It is a luxury process. Film isn’t disposable.  You don’t have safety of a screen to check your shots. Film is developed and processed by hand. Because it is relatively expensive to learn and create film images (note- relatively) due to the time it takes to learn the skill, buy your equipment, and then the time involved in the film itself being processed, film is a luxury medium with all of the connotations of a luxury product.

Because film can be costly and time consuming and because of its luxury connotations (+ because I worked hard to make my film photography good, the same as you do if you are a digital shooter) I was able to increase my prices to cover those costs- and to increase my profits.

2.  It gave me a unique style

Because there aren’t too many film shooters around, even now it’s becoming more popular again, in my local area (and far wider) I was able to use the fact that I shoot film as a unique selling point.  Not all clients recognise the benefits of film and many of them were curious, which meant a great opportunity to open up conversation with them about its unique feel + my style- and why they should book me.

Being unique in my area meant that most of my clients come to me saying – I love your style! When your clients tell you that they love your work because they haven’t seen much other work like it, you know that you’re on your way to a successful business.

3.  It freed up my time

Because of the little amount of editing required when shooting film and using a great film lab, I was left with free time on my hands that I could only dream of as a digital shooter.  I mean literally, days.  Whereas I used to take an entire day (and more) to edit a full wedding, now my wedding edits are done within a few hours.

I then found that I had much more time to spend on my marketing strategy instead of being chained to lightroom + photoshop; although for me the true value came in the amount of time it freed up for me to spend with my family.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Learning film is a beautiful and exciting experience which enables you to create such beautiful work and completely transform your business at the same time. 

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It wasn’t just being able to learn to photograph screaming newborns or pose stressed-out brides or encourage new models that made the difference.  Learning to shoot film really did transform my business, and it can work for you too.

Autumn is the perfect time to learn new skills or to deepen your understanding of specific areas and so we want to help you.

Checkout our  Learn Film Photography guide for your FREE chapters (about a third of the way down the page, click the add to cart button to download for free, instantly and don’t worry – no payment required)!

 

And that’s it! Our guide has had amazing reviews as well as being featured over on Wedding Sparrow and 35to220; it will be an incredible boost or beginning to your learn film photography journey.

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FPA Q&A – Top Tips For A Styled Shoot

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I really want to have absolutely breathtaking images on the front page of my website, so I’m currently planning a styled shoot. Do you have any tips that could help me?

Firstly, congratulations for understanding that high-end styled shoots can really make the difference in your business. When you have beautiful images on your site, social media, and marketing materials that are the very best that you are capable of creating, you take your professionalism to a whole new level.

You provide that aspirational imagery that says to your clients – I want that! I want what that photographer is creating!

Whether it is delicious pearly-perfect newborn images, fine art film weddings or haute fashion pages, having your very best work on display at all times – not the shots you gained from your friend’s newborn session / your friend’s wedding / your friend on a night out shot with vsco /party-party filters – is essential.

So, in order to get your best-ever work, you need a professional-level shoot. Here are our tips on how to make sure your shoots are incredible, not stressful, and that you love the results.

1. Find a good location

So often I see typical venues – like beaches, for example. You need to think about your theme, and think outside the box, and don’t ever think that your dream location is beyond reach.

I managed to secure a shoot at one of the most luxurious and decadently deliciously quirky location simply by sending an email briefly explaining my shoot idea and publication intention, with a few samples of work. Nobody believed there was any way on earth I was going to get it, so I was pretty happy when the ‘yes’ came through.

You have nothing to lose by contacting your dream locations and making an enquiry. This isn’t  just for wedding and fashion shoots- if you want gorgeous newborn or maternity photos on your site, find a location that has gorgeous huge light-filled windows and a beautiful room you can style as a nursery, for example.

2. Pay a professional model

There are some things you can absolutely scrimp on when doing a professional shoot; a model is not one of them. A professional model will take the headache out of posing for you and instinctively know how to work the camera and make their clothing look amazing whilst at the same time looking natural.

A non-professional model can often look posed, contrived, and unsure of how to use expression properly- meaning you spend your session worrying about your model, or fussing over the angle of their hands, etc; instead of concentrating on your lighting and composition, etc.

Find a great agency, and pay for a great model. It’s entirely worth every penny when you consider this choice could make or break your shoot.

3. Plan In Advance

Like, ridiculously far in advance. You need to allow yourself enough time to research thoroughly, which could trigger more beautiful and creative ideas that you wouldn’t have otherwise had. You also need to have everything planned with military precision from your call sheet to your outfits to your styling – the more time you give yourself the less it becomes one huge stressful mountain to conquer immediately before your date. You also give yourself a little breathing room should anyone pull out or anything go wrong- you’ll have time to fix it, properly.

4. Work With A Stylist

A stylist can take your shoot from blah to brilliant in the blink of an eye. Never underestimate their value. They will source products and add detail into your captures that make your shots look super-professional, whether it’s spray painting seashells in powder blues to decorate a baby nursery or calling in the hottest shoes that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to get, a good stylist has the best access to the props you need on speed dial and knows how to make them look fantastic on set.

If you’re just starting out and can’t afford a stylist, reach out to those on training courses or those who want to broaden their own portfolios. You’d be surprised how many talented stylists are happy to work collaboratively with the result being you both have gorgeous images for your portfolio.

5. Use Group Pinterest Boards

Group Pinterest boards are a wonderful way of ensuring that you and your stylist are on the same page, visually speaking.  When you create a vision with your stylist you broaden one another’s vision and can bring in new ideas for one another.  You can then share the board with your team at a later date to ensure that they too share the same vision and that you are all working towards the same goal.

6. Prepare A Shot List

Preparing a shot list for the day is essential.  When you know in your head exactly what is being shot in what way and when, your shoot will run much more smoothly than if you were just turning up and thinking about potential shots on the day.

Not only that but it will actually give you much more time to think creatively- once you know the shots on your list are complete for each ‘set-up’ you then have more time to play and experiment.  It will also put your mind at ease about getting the essential shots that you need.

Oh, and if you’re familiar with photographer’s block, this list will definitely help to prevent pressure causing that on the day.

7. Create A Day-Before Checklist

The amount of times I have forgotten something on a shoot… even something as small as hair grips or bulldog clips (for clipping back those dresses that are too large) can throw you out slightly, and when you are in a pressured shoot situation even the little things can cause you to feel stressed.

I know it sounds kind of (definitely) obvious, but something as small as creating a ticklist can make a huge difference in the smooth-running of your shoot.

8.  Beg, Borrow, Steal

Those three words are how you find resources for your shoot, seriously.  The ideal way to create a beautiful and professional looking shoot is to assemble together a team of people who can work together to create something wonderful; and if you can’t afford a fee, look for people with the same level of experience as you, students, or perhaps people in the industry who would be happy to provide their creative expertise in exchange for coverage, credits, and gorgeous new photos for their sites.

Tip- You know how we like to cosy up over winter and entirely revamp our websites? The rest of the world does that too, so autumn is a pretty good time to plan a shoot, when others might be in need of pretty new images to complete their new branding, etc.

Once you have assembled your team, assess what is missing from your shoot that you would like (it’s most likely to be prop-related) and work with your stylist on how to acquire it.  Many companies are happy to lend their products for a shoot, a quick phone call or email is all it takes.  Otherwise, beg,  borrow, or steal, particularly when it comes to clothing and accessories.  Ok well maybe not steal, but a little ‘borrowing’ isn’t harmful.  At University we were told that it’s common practice to buy clothes, use them for the shoot, and then send them back- after all, they will be barely worn.  Just make sure you protect them at all costs if this is your plan, they need to be returned in immaculate condition if you want your money refunded. If only this worked every time we needed a new outfit.

These are our top tips on making sure your photoshoot is professional and produces the absolute best work that you are capable of, so that you have a website that is entirely gorgeous, you have a body of work that is cohesive and attractive, and that your clients fall in love with you + your work!

Like this article? Make sure you join the FPA here to make sure you don’t miss out on the rest!

 

 

6 Quick Ways To Fix Work Overload – 2

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If you read our article yesterday, you’ll know that we have been discussing the giant fun-pit that is busy season.  It’s a bit like a toddler ball pool, all of the balls are your shoots that seem so pretty and shiny and you can’t wait for them and then WOAH! you’re in way over your head and you’re drowning in them. Hello photography business overload.

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Editing and admin and just generally running a business takes completely over, and as for actually getting your work out there and published? That seems like a hazy, pleasant dream you once had.  Perhaps you’ll get back to it after busy season is over, maybe…

We’ve come up with 6 top tips to help you manage your photography business overload.  These tips work for us and they will work for you too.  Don’t forget to join us over on Instagram when you’ve finished reading to share your top tips for work overload!

4. Turn Off Distractions

You know what happens! Facebook calls at lunchtime.  Or your whatsap pings you a notification.  Most of the time, these are pleasant distractions, but during peak work times they turn into demonic time sucks.  Social media is just too easy to use as a work-avoidance tactic.

‘I’m working! I’m working! I’m tweeting! That is essential work that needs to be done’! You don’t need to convince me.  I’m (usually) right there on Twitter with you.  But you know, if you want to be working at your most productive, put the phone down.  In fact, turn it all notifications off apart from calls, and stick it in a drawer so you aren’t tempted to take ‘just one quick check’ and before you know it an hour has flown by. An entire hour that you could have used way more productively.

Don’t log in when you’re online, keep browser windows to an absolute minimum, and turn off notifications.  Your sanity will thank you for it.

5.  Cluster-Bomb

BOOM I love the cluster-bomb way of working! It makes me feel like Superwoman and cuts down my to-do list like nobody’s business.  It’s simple to do, as long as you are disciplined and can do step one, above.  Cluster-bomb working is choosing one target area of your business that you know needs work, and focussing on just that one area, in one short, powerful space of time.

For example, you know you want to blog four times per week.  However writing a post a day especially during busy periods can often seem impossible.  You only have time for so much work in a day, right? So this is why cluster-bomb working is perfect.  You choose one day, one time slot, and you concentrate on just this one task.  You sit down and you write your four blog posts.  You do nothing else but these four blog posts.  No email, no facebook, nothing else but the task at hand.

By the end of the day you will feel such a sense of achievement and a real weight off your mind when such big tasks are complete.  That feeling of accomplishment is a real boost to your psychological well-being, and is also a huge dent in your workload.  For those reasons alone, we highly recommend cluster-bombing during your busy periods.

6.  Futures Folder

A Futures Folder is one you create for those shoots and assignments that you are working on that you plan on submitting in the future (or perhaps when you are cluster-bombing).

We use Evernote to create ours, and in it we put anything and everything that might be useful to our business in the future.  It works by preventing us getting distracted by future tasks whilst we concentrate on the present ones, so it keeps us on-track, whilst at the same time paving the way for future ideas and submissions to come to fruition.

We use Evernote because the phone app is quite frankly, fabulous.  Whilst browsing Pinterest and the internet in general, we are constantly coming across shoot ideas, props, gear, and a whole host of other things that we want to bookmark for future reference.  Evernote enables you to add web links and images to a specific folder.  Plus, you can photograph anything and add those images to a folder too.

Editing a wedding you want to submit when you have the time at the end of the season? Snap your desktop on your phone, add it to the folder.  Seen a gorgeous outfit on Pinterest for client meetings that you definitely want to add to your fall wardrobe? Add the link and the image to your folder.  Know your business cards need a redesign come Autumn and you just got handed one that you absolutely love the font? Shoot, upload to folder.

Got the late-night creativity vibe and blog posts ideas are flowing? Jot them all down in your Futures Folder.

Search for the Evernote app, spend a little time getting to know it, and we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

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So that’s our roundup of 6 top ways to overcome work overload! Have they helped you? We would love to know. Join our discussion over on Facebook.

 

 

21 Essential Items Every Photographer Needs

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featured images main supercharge your profits on ipad by Jeanie Micheel

My heart was in my mouth, and I felt nervous, shaky.  I was almost sweating.  It was the last thirty minutes of the auction, and my fingers hovered desperately over my keys,  trying to decide whether to offer a ridiculously large bid and quite possibly not eat for the next month, or just to pray that nobody else was online at this ridiculous time of night.

I desperately wanted that lens.  I had seen the work others had created with it.  I’d read all of the reviews ‘pin-sharp wide open’, ‘creamy, dreamy bokeh’ + all of the rest.  I just had to have it.

The thing is with us photographers, we are much more likely to want to spend our hard-earned cash on kit.  Oooh, I really need that new lens / camera / bag / insert-your-favourite-kit-item that is currently tempting you.  (Yes, we have an entire list too).   We all think *that* lens or *that* camera will transform our photography business.

Most kit of course, holds the possibility of transforming your photography.  All marketing knowledge holds the possibility of transforming your photography business.  Only a transformation in your photography business will help your profits increase (which will eventually lead to you buying as many lenses over late-night ebay marathons as your heart desires).

Investing in your education and grow your photography business- whether you chose to opt for the huge amount of free information out there, or take your business seriously invest in it financially- is going to make the biggest difference to your success.  More than any lens, new camera body, bag or workshop.

Last month I spent over $1,000 on e-books, guides, courses. I don’t see it as spending money. I view it as investing in my business.  I view it as being able to borrow hundreds upon hundreds of tried and tested marketing ideas; investments that are worth much more than the ticket price.

Investing in your marketing education is the number 1 way to safeguard your photography business against failure, and a huge leap on the way towards achieving your goals + reaching your dreams.

Whether you prefer listening to a podcast as you travel to work, or reading a book before you go to bed, there are so many different types of learning resources available that will boost your business (you’re using one of them right now).

How many of these have you invested in recently? How often do you purposely grow your photography business? How many of these have you invested in financially? Like any other investment, the more you invest, the more you stand to gain.  Have you spent more on kit, than you have spent on understanding how to make your business profitable?

21  Smart Ways To Invest In Your Photography Business

1. Books

2. Blogs

3. Online courses

4. Workshops

5. Mentoring programs 1-to-1 sessions or group programs

6.  Traditional courses eg college classes, night schools, etc

7.  Magazines

8.  Podcasts

9.  Video tutorials

10.  Webinars

11.  Membership programs – online, offline

12.  Group coaching via social media eg private facebook groups etc

13.  E-guides

14.  Transcripts

15.  Field Trips

16. Seminars

17.  E-books

18. Blogs

19. Journals

20. Forums

21.  E-Guides

22.  Planners / Calendars / Goal Reviews

Want to know my favourite? I love e-guides, for their portability, but I love planners too- there is something so satisfying about planning and ticking off your goals and dreams.  (If you love mapping your goals too, we have something amazing for you coming in October, make sure you are subscribed to our newsletter to find out more).  Webinars and podcasts are brilliant for exercising (I didn’t think I would be able to listen to them whilst running either, turns out I can and it’s amazing! Body + brain workout in one) and transcripts can really yield hidden gems.

What Is Your Learning Style?

Discovering your learning style might help you to decide which of the above is right for you.  Try this quiz here. What did you get? How can you use your learning style to determine which of the above is right for you?

For example, if your learning style is intrapersonal, you learn best;

  • Studying alone in a comfortable yet quiet environment.
  • Setting goals for yourself, and monitor your progress regularly.
  • Reflecting on what you have learned, and think through new material.
  • Creating a connection between new material and subjects you already know, and gaining understanding by finding their similarities.

So you too might love e-guides and planners.  If your learning style is musical, however, you might learn best

  • Listening to music while you study to connect its patterns and sounds with the subject you are studying.
  • Creating a rhyme, song, or chant for material you would like to memorize.
  • Associating what you’re learning with a song you like.
  • Using your ability to distinguish sounds as well as hear the beat, tone, or chord in a song by learning an instrument or mixing sound.

So you might find that you learn better listening to a podcast or watching video tutorials.

That’s not to say the other forms of learning resources won’t apply to you, or that you can’t use them.  It’s just about being able to use your learning style so that you get the most out of them.  For example if you are a musical learner, you can still gain maximum benefit from reading an e-guide! But you might want to read it while you listen to a track you love.

How do you plan on growing your photography business? Which are your favourite learning resources? Are you guilty of spending way more on kit than you are on investing in your business knowledge?

Leave a comment below, we would love to know.  Your feedback will help make our articles and information more useful to you + your business, so don’t be shy- let us know your thoughts!

image via Jeanie Micheel