1. Understand IPS Vs. Shoot And Burn

When it comes to maternity photography pricing, there are generally two different models: the IPS (In-Person Sales) model and the “Shoot and Burn” model.

The IPS model starts with a low sitting fee, i.e $50-$200, and all digital files, prints, wall art, and albums are sold independently. There are variations to this, such as offering limited prints, print credit or limited digitals with the sitting fee. Generally, this model relies heavily on a streamlined sales process that conveys the client the value of printed products and having them purchase those products from you immediately after the shoot. You can find more in-depth information on this topic in our S3: Shooting Stories That Sell Workshop in Premium.

On the other side, you have the shoot and burn (or “shoot and share”) photography pricing model. In this model, the fee includes the photo session as well as a disc,  flash drive, or online gallery loaded with all of the images from the shoot.  Whichever route you choose, there’s definitely a market for each pricing model.

2. Don’t Switch Maternity Photography Pricing Models

If your clients are used to a shoot and burn model for other photo services you offer, you probably need to stick to it. Otherwise, switching up pricing models will likely make the client feel they’re being pressured into buying something that they don’t really want or need. It’s okay to make the initial switch from one pricing model to the other across all of your photo services, but understand that you may still have some pushback from return clients after the switch.

3. Understand the Cost-Based Approach For Minimum Pricing

When determining your prices, be sure to factor in all of your costs, including the time you put into preparing your gear, driving, setting up, post-producing, and more. Also, and this is important, be sure to factor in taxes and operating business expenses. The last thing you want is to underestimate your time and expenses and then get a surprise tax bill when tax season rolls around.

Use these costs, along with your estimates of revenue and the number of shoots, to estimate your annual income.  Does this number meet or exceed your needs and goals?  If not, you may need to increase your package pricing and/or find ways to cut your costs.

4. Understand that Photography is a Luxury Good

Photography, as a product/service, is a luxury good. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, photography sits along the top of the pyramid among other self-fulfilling needs, quite a distance away from basic needs like food, water, shelter, etc.

This is important to understand in terms of creating an experience that adds value to the base product you offer, which is photos of your clients. Clients may not need your photos, but with careful research and planning, you can design an experience that conveys value and shows how your photos will improve your clients’ lives. Helping your clients find value in your product will also help to justify your prices.

5. Create A Target Market Persona

Before you can design a client experience and set your maternity photography pricing, you need to know who your ideal client is. You know she’s expecting a baby, but what else do you know about her?

When imagining your ideal clients, consider the type of cars they drive, the clothes they wear, the foods they eat, and the activities they engage in for fun. This fictional persona will allow you to take a close look at your target market’s brand preferences and examine how those brands are reaching your target audience. What you’ll find, more often than not, is that other brands are selling an idea of how their products lend themselves to their target audience’s ideal lifestyle (how they’ll feel driving a specific car or how they’ll look wearing a particular jacket, carrying a designer hand bag, etc.).

Use this information to help design the perfect experience for your client.

6. Do Your Competitor Research

One way to help determine your pricing is to look at what your competitors are charging for their maternity photography services. The key here, however, is distinguishing between your direct and indirect competitors so that you can arrive at a more accurate price range.

To help identify your direct competitors, consider how difficult or easy it is to differentiate between the maternity photography styles in which both of you shoot. Do you both shoot dramatic portraits against elaborate studio backdrops, or does one of you tend to shoot in a more bright-and-airy outdoors style? Those who shoot in a similar style within the same genre of photography are direct competitors. If the only thing differentiating your service from that of your competitors is price, then it’s likely most clients will choose the cheaper option.

Once you’ve identified your direct competitors, you can also perform a S.W.O.T. analysis to compare your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses with yours and then make adjustments to make your business stand out as the go-to in the maternity photography genre. What you’re mainly looking for in this analysis is to see where your business stands in terms of your product quality, web presence, SEO, and content marketing. If you’d like to download our S.W.O.T. template, you may download it for free by subscribing to our newsletter below:

7. Understand Your Opportunity Costs

It’s easy to overlook opportunity costs, but identifying them can help ensure you’re on the right track with the pricing model and rates you’ve chosen. To determine your opportunity costs, compare the amount of money you expect to earn from your chosen maternity photography pricing model against the potential earnings from other types of shoots.

For example, if you’re making $1,000 for an engagement session and only $500 for a maternity session, you might consider increasing the price for your maternity sessions, even if that leads to fewer bookings.  Of course if you have plenty of room in you schedule for both, you might not change your pricing; but if your lower maternity photography revenue is preventing you from getting your higher engagement session revenue, adjust prices accordingly so you’re getting compensated equally for your time.

8. Present Value In All Pricing Packages

After you’ve determined your costs and set revenue goals for your maternity photography services, you can create pricing packages that will allow you to meet your goals while also presenting value to your clients, no matter which package they choose.

When pricing your packages, beware of price relativity. You’ll notice in the image above, we’ve presented three packages. If we only offered a single option (let’s say package two, our desired sell), some potential clients might find the package too expensive and they may look elsewhere without getting to know more about your services. However, with multiple pricing options, what once seemed too expensive (package II) may not seem as such when placed next to an even more expensive option (package III). Plus, there will be a percentage of clients who do choose the most expensive package, so it’s beneficial to offer that option as well.

Conclusion

While pricing can prove tricky with so many variables to consider, there are clear steps you can take to arrive at a functional, profitable price. Here’s a quick recap of the photography pricing tips we shared in this article:

• Understand IPS vs. Shoot and Burn
• Don’t switch pricing models
• Use the cost-based approach
• Understand that photography is a luxury good
• Create a target market persona
• Do your competitor research
• Understand your opportunity costs
• Present value in all pricing packages

You can find in-depth information on the technical aspects of shooting maternity photos in our Maternity Photography Workshop. To dive deeper into the business side of things, don’t miss our Complete Photography Business Training System, available now in Premium.

How to Get Photography Clients

1. Understand Your Ideal Client
2. Create a Website That Brings in Inquiries
3. Understand How Clients Make Decisions
4. Go Above and Beyond to Get People Talking
5. Get More People to Hear About You
6. Stay Top of Mind
7. Refine Your Post Sales Process
8. Ask for Referrals and Create Incentives
9. Bonus: The #1 Mistake That Guarantees Your Marketing Will Fail

1. Understand Your Ideal Client

The more clearly you understand exactly who you want to work with, the easier it will be to get them to hire you. Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal client and think about their lives and answer these questions:

• Where do they shop?
• What are their interest and hobbies?
• What websites do they frequent?

These questions represent a starting point. The better you can understand your ideal client and their lifestyle, the more effective your marketing will be. To increase your effectiveness, base your marketing strategy on your ideal clients.

What works for one type of client will be very different from what works with other types of clients. For example, how you market newborn photography should be entirely different from how you market headshots for CEOs because you are trying to attract two very different types of clients.

When you understand your ideal client inside and out, you can create a marketing plan that makes them feel like you completely understand their needs. This makes them much more likely to book you.

2. Create a Website That Brings in Inquiries

Your photography website is a helpful marketing tool that many photographers take for granted. It is your virtual storefront where clients form their first impression and decide whether they’ll hire you or someone else. You need to be intentional about how your website is structured so that it turns more visitors into inquiries. If you only blog client sessions, show your portfolio, and have a contact page on your site, you’re losing inquiries you could be getting otherwise. Luckily, many website builders available today are affordable and easy to use, and they include multiple features that will allow you to build a formidable online presence.

3. Understand How Clients Make Decisions

If you don’t understand how clients make decisions about who to hire, you may be unintentionally turning away clients that might have loved working with you. When you understand how clients choose a photographer, you can adjust your marketing message to make sure you’re giving them the information they need to make the right decision about working with you. You’ll attract the kinds of clients you really want to work with, and you’ll repel the kinds of clients that don’t value you and are stressful to work with.

For example, if you educate your client about what to look for in a photographer, they’re going to see you as an authority. They’ll be thankful that you helped them understand how to make an informed decision, making them more likely to choose you when they’re ready to select a photographer than someone else who hasn’t helped them in any way.

4. Go Above and Beyond to Get People Talking

When someone hasn’t hired a photographer before, it can be overwhelming to try and decide who to hire. People trust the opinions of friends and family, so they look to them when deciding on a photographer. People are much more likely to book you if they know that a friend or family member had a positive experience with you.

When you go above and beyond to create a remarkable experience for your clients, they’ll be happy to recommend you when they know someone is looking for a photographer. We reached out to our community of professional photographers for their thoughts on how to get more photography clients, and many pointed to using social media.

5. Get More People to Hear About You

Fantastic photos aren’t enough to get you clients if nobody sees them. Word of mouth advertising ranks high on the list of how to get photography clients, but it’s limited by the number of clients you have. You need more people to hear about your business so they can hire you.

Here are a few ways to get people to hear about you:

• Optimize your website to show up in search results: Many people look for photographers by looking them up in a search engine. The better you understand how search engines display results, the more likely you’ll be able to show up at the top of the list.
• Network: When you build relationships with vendors, businesses, and other photographers, you’ll be the person they rave about when prospective clients ask them for recommendations.
• Tap into the power of social media: Social media is powerful if used in the right way. Each platform serves a different purpose, so you have to understand their differences and figure out what works best on each one. For example, you can use Instagram Guides as a key marketing tool to get more people to hear about you.
• Know when to use paid advertising: Unless you know exactly what you are doing, paid ads are generally a waste of money. That being said, paid ads can bring in a lot of clients for very little money when you understand how to create ads that appeal to your client and how to make sure only your ideal client sees them.

6. Stay Top-of-Mind to Get More Photography Clients

If you want to get more referrals and get them now, then you have to be Top of Mind (this not only works with clients, but vendors as well!). The way you get Top of Mind (you and your business are at the forefront of someone’s mind) is by doing something for them and getting on their radar. Many times you don’t get referred by a past client or vendor because you simply haven’t done anything for them lately.

With current clients, stay Top of Mind by doing something for them every few weeks. It can be as simple as an email, call or note in the actual mail, or better yet, a perzonalized gift which helps them focus on their relationship (date night kit, anyone?) and is NOT about you and your photography.

Click below to hear us talk about a practical way to stay Top of Mind with vendors!

7. Refine Your Post Sales Process

If done correctly, in the post sales process, you can really separate yourself as a business person. This is your opportunity to get creative and think of spectacular ways to get referrals from clients. Word of mouth is 10x stronger than most marketing campaigns you can create using Facebook, radio ads, or whatever form you chose. On the unfortunate side of things, if someone has a spectacular experience with you, they are likely to only tell a few people to hire you. On the flip side, if they have a bad experience, they will be happy to tell ten people not to use your service within a day. Even with the numbers skewed against you, word of mouth is a powerful tool for photographers, and initially, it is the best way to launch your newfound business. This is why it is very important to focus on first performing remarkable work and secondly having a great system that makes it easy for clients to refer more clients to you!

8. Ask for Referrals and Create Incentives

Ask immediately after the sale. Mention to your client that your businesses runs mostly off referrals and would love to help out any friends, family or coworkers of theirs.  I have always been a personal fan of rewards. If you want me to refer someone to your business, reward me with something I want. If you do a reward system for referrals, then make sure you build that referral system with the client in mind. Really think about what would excite them to refer people to you.

Bonus: The #1 Mistake That Guarantees Your Marketing Will Fail

When you apply these tips to your business you’ll get better clients and more of them. You’ll be able to charge profitable prices and only work with the clients you really want. However, there’s one mistake that guarantees all your efforts will fail: not creating a marketing plan

It can be hard to find time to focus on marketing when there are so many other things to do in your business, but if you don’t take the time to actually do any marketing, you won’t see results. Creating a marketing plan helps to ensure you set aside time to put these marketing strategies into practice. The marketing plan outlines what you plan to do and gives a game plan to reach your goals. It helps you decide exactly when you’ll be doing each task so you can schedule time to work on marketing. To make sure your marketing plan attracts the clients you really want, it has to be customized to your ideal client and market.

More Info

If you need help creating a marketing plan or growing your business in general to get more of the clients you want, check out the Photography Business Training System. In this workshop, Pye Jirsa shares ALL of the strategies, templates, and workflows used over the past decade to build his photography studio

When it comes to being a photographer, our overall mission is to create consistently incredible imagery. But to become a successful photographer, there are four key skills you must acquire. These four skills fall into two categories: hard skills and soft skills. The hard skills are the technical ones that come from being able to use your gear creatively, come up with new ideas, and know how to find and create light, post processing, etc.  The soft skills involve the ability to properly communicate with your clients and understand what they want and need.  If you’ve ever wondered “what skills do you need to be a photographer?” then this article is for you.

Many successful photographers you may come across in the industry aren’t necessarily the best artists, but they have fantastic technical skills. Or you may find some that are incredibly successful because they’ve mastered the soft skills of client relationships and communication, but are not necessarily as technical or artistic.

If you want to become a successful photographer, it’s important to have all four key skills, with a balance between the four.

25% Hard Skills

The hard skills needed to be a photographer can be referred to as internal skills because you can improve on these skills by simply studying and practicing on your own. These are very important but they’re not the sole means to success. Hard skills encompass the technical side and the artistic side, and should make up about 25% of a successful photographer.

1. Technical Hard Skills

As stated above, hard skills are easy to teach and learn. Our numerous workshops cover the many aspects of the technical side. On the technical side, there is camera, composition, and exposure control. This is all Photography 101 course content. Then there’s mastery of lighting and light modification from our Lighting workshops. You’ll need post production skills and for this we’ve created three entire courses on Lightroom editing in the Lightroom Workshop Collection. And then there’s posing, which is one part hard skill, one part soft skill, both of which is taught in the Natural Light Couples Photography Workshop.

2. Artistic Hard Skill

The artistic side covers artistic camera, composition, and exposure control which is, again, discussed in all of the courses listed above. Technical and artistic are two very different hard skills needed to be a photographer. Think about some of the photographers that you know, or even yourself. Would you classify yourself as a technical photographer or as an artistic photographer? There are so many incredible photographers who are absolutely amazing artistically; they can create images that are breathtaking, yet they don’t really know much about the technical components of what they’re doing.

On the flip side, do you know photographers that are incredibly technical? They know their lighting ratios, everything there is to know about aperture, maximum dynamic range, about optimal shutter speeds, etcetera, yet there’s always seems to be something missing from their photographs? These are technical photographers. Generally, most of us are going to have a balance between these two but it might be weighted on one side.

A  photographer strives to have a good balance of the technical and the artistic and this makes up what we call the skilled photographer. It is only a small fraction of what it takes to be a successful photographer. The bulk of comes from the soft skills side.

75% Soft Skills

The soft skills needed to be a photographer are labeled, “external skills” because these need to be practiced with people. These soft skills are a greater part of the process therefore these soft skills are more important and weighted more in the balance of being a successful photographer.

3. Communication Soft Skill

Communication is key to building a relationship. Being able to communicate with people and discuss their interests, backgrounds, and anything other than photography is an extremely important soft skill. It involves smiling, being genuine, and being interested in what others have to say. You’d be surprised how much this could do for you. It’s the ability to use positive and reinforcing words as well as provide positive solutions to your client’s sometimes random requests.

When it comes to posing, as we mentioned above, there’s a technical side but much of posing comes down to communication and how you guide and direct your clients. You can have the know-how of what makes a good pose, but you need to have the ability to communicate and guide your clients through it.

4. Understanding Soft Skill

Being able to ask targeted questions is part of communication, but a major component for the soft skill of understanding. While communication is about your words, how you speak them and how you communicate your vision to your clients is critical. And understanding involves talking less, listening more and asking targeted questions so you know what their vision is.

When you seek to understand your clients’ wants, needs, and concerns, as well as having the ability to address and resolve those concerns, it will show that you are present in the moment.

Having the ability to communicate clearly and understand people makes you an empathetic communicator, able to understand their vision and share your own vision effectively.

[REWIND: Tips on Client Satisfaction, Reviews and Testimonials]

External Soft Skills vs. Internal Hard Skills

The combination of skilled photographer and the empathic communicator is what makes a successful photographer.

Throughout the entire process, almost every touchpoint will draw on your external soft skills. From understanding the vision, tailoring expectations, proper planning, and exceeding expectations, communication and understanding are required. Only when you get to the shoot execution do you use those external hard skills, but even then on shoot day, both soft and hard skills are incorporated.

In the process of creating consistently incredible images with every single client, the vast majority of your interaction and the process itself relies on your soft skills and your ability to communicate and understand, versus your technical and artistic ability. You need both sides, and all four skill sets to succeed.

You can learn more on developing and using these skills in part 1 of the Wedding Workshop. Gain access to the workshop and so much more by becoming an SLR Lounge Premium Member here.

Having A Team & Going Solo

Having a consistent team will most likely garner more test shoots; some of which may even be paid in the future. In the beginning, however, a team may prove difficult to come by. If you do not have a team, do not fret. An essential lesson to take away from testing is learning to maximize production value with as few resources as possible.

This is not ideal, but it does teach the bare essentials. Rest assured that once you learn to master this by yourself your work only improves. I was a one-person show when I first began and it allows me to jump in wherever needed if someone on my team isn’t available due to a last minute booking. It has also helped me be a better director.

Being able to deliver and elevate a quality basic test shoot is priceless.

Gear: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 85mm 1.2L II, Broncolor Siros L 800Ws, Broncolor Beautybox 65 Softbox

Tech Specs: ISO 200, f/10, 1/160th of a second.

Mood Boards & Styling

Mood boards are a key component to model test shoots as they set the mood and expectation. Most agencies will request to see a mood board in the beginning to make sure your vision is in alignment with theirs. It also helps keep everyone on track for the duration of the shoot.

When it comes to styling, the days of having the model scantily clad in a pair of jeans and nothing else are gone. Unless the test is specifically geared toward body images, the more clothing the better. Choose simple and classic items that pervade a tone of timelessness. Inquire if the model has any pieces that will fit this vision.

Black, white and other neutral colors are perfect. For everything else that is still needed, check out vintage stores and other major retailers such as H&M. These are great choices that are easy on the bank account. You may even be able to rent pieces online or borrow from a friend. Make sure to ask the model to bring a pair of nude and/or black heels as well as nude undergarments. Two to three looks are more than sufficient.

Gear: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 85mm 1.2L II

Tech Specs: ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/320th of a second.

Hair & Make-Up

As far as hair and makeup are concerned, less is more. Have the model come prepared to wear their hair down as well as up in a loose bun or high ponytail.

Makeup looks great when it appears fresh and natural, so dewy skin paired with a little bit of lipgloss and mascara always works, and the minimal approach provides a youthful vibe which is always a plus for the model. In addition, the clean slate approach will give potential clients a blank canvas to envision several different looks. Keep in mind, you can always add more makeup as the photoshoot progresses if you feel so inclined.

Courtesy

As a common courtesy, ask the booker if they have any specific images that they need and make sure to deliver those requests. Whether the location be a studio on a white or grey seamless, or outdoors, there are three frames that you can’t go wrong with. Always make sure to capture:

• full length
• 3/4
• portrait

Some models have a look that begs to have a beauty image taken while others do not. The other angle that I will always deliver is a straight on horizontal image of shoulders up. The booker always loves this angle and often doesn’t know this until they see it.

Gear: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 85mm 1.2L II

Tech Specs: ISO 200, f/4, 1/400th of a second.

Remember Who It’s About

Test shoots are typically about the model, so remember to direct them in a way that captures their whimsical and mischievous moues. Subtle movements seem to prevail over the hard hitting poses, and that is because there is often a disconnect at the beginning until the intimacy sets in and you feed off of each other’s timing. The best images are captured when you are communicating without speaking at all, transfixed in the moment with each other.

Gear

You can get away with photographing an entire test shoot with minimal gear. I photograph the majority of my tests with an 85mm, switching to a 50mm when the situation calls for it. Some tests can be captured using only natural light and a reflector. In the studio, a single light will always do the trick. My lighting consists of a single Broncolor Siros L 800ws with a shoot-through white umbrella and the collapsible beauty box.

• Canon 5D Mark III
• Canon 85mm 1.2L II 
• Broncolor Siros L 800Ws
• Broncolor Beautybox 65 Softbox
• Savage 36″ Shoot Through Umbrella 

What Files Agencies Request

In the beginning it is very normal for a model booker to request all unedited images from the shoot. Until that rapport is built, they want to cull and choose the final selects to be edited. This often comes hand in hand with a critique that is brutally honest. Listen to all of it, the good and the bad, and apply it to the next few tests. Once that trust is established, you will only send them final edits of your choosing.

Test shoots are the perfect time to test out new gear, lighting setups and themes. Ensure that you first capture what the agency has requested of you and then have fun. Learn to master the basics and the rest will come. The more tests you crank out, the more people tend to want to collaborate with you. This is when the best relationships are developed and quality teams are built. This is also when some of the best work is created. 

Benefits and Limitations of Posing on Instagram from Desktop

Before getting in to the different ways to post to instagram from desktop, let’s review the benefits and limitations of doing so. There are several reasons one might want to post on Instagram from a desktop:

1. Image and File Management – Photos stored on a server or on your hard-drive are often easier to find and upload on desktop.
2. Better Photo Editing –  Desktops often have more powerful photo-editing software, giving users more control over their image quality and editing options.
3. Easier Typing – Crafting the perfect caption or response to comments is often easier on a full-sized keyboard.
4. Bulk Management – Businesses and influencers managing multiple posts can benefit from the larger screen real estate and multitasking capabilities.

Though Instagram has evolved to include some desktop functionality, there are limitations.  For example, features like adding a collaborator are only available on the mobile app.  We’ll review more of these limitations as we dive deeper into the different ways of posting to Instagram from a desktop computer.

How to Post Directly on Instagram.com on Desktop

A straightforward way to post on Instagram with Desktop is directly through the Instagram website.  However, this method gives you the least amount of features, and you won’t be able to do things like schedule your posts or add collaborators.  To post from instagram.com, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to instagram.com and log into your account.
2. In the left menu, you will see a ‘+’ icon with the word “Create”. Click on it.
3. Choose the file you want to upload from your computer.
4. Adjust the size, add your caption, and hit the ‘share’ button.

How to Post on Instagram with the Creator Studio

Instagram’s Creator Studio is especially helpful for those with business accounts.  Creator studio lets you post to Facebook and Instagram at the same time.  You can also schedule your content one month ahead.  To get started with posting on Instagram on desktop with Creator Studio, follow these steps:

1. Visit the Creator Studio.
2. Select the correct Instagram and/or Facebook account at the top.
3. Click on ‘Create Post’ or ‘Create Reel’

4. Upload your content, and add captions
4. Click Schedule or Publish.

Using 3rd Party Apps like Planoly

Third-party applications like Planoly can be beneficial for managing all of your social media.  This can be useful for scheduling content on multiple platforms and planning your social media calendar months ahead of schedule.  Of course, it does come with a monthly cost, which may or may not be worth it to you.  If you decide to go with this route, follow these steps:

1. Sign up for a Planoly account and link your Instagram.
2. Use Planoly’s dashboard to drag and drop your photos, plan your grid, and schedule posts.
3. Add captions, hashtags, and choose a posting time.
4. Planoly will either auto-post for you or remind you to post at your chosen time.

Device Mode on Chrome

You can also use ‘Device Mode’ from within Google Chrome which will allow you to browse as if on a mobile device, therein allowing you to upload from a desktop to Instagram.

Device Mode is there more for developers to test various screen sizes, site performance and such things, but this is a handy feature. To access it go to View>Developer>Developer Tools, and then you’ll see a little icon that looks like a phone and tablet in the top right which allows you to toggle the mobile site version on and off. and it’ll look something like this:

Conclusion

The desire to post on Instagram from a desktop is evident and, thankfully, there are now numerous ways to do so. Whether you choose to use Instagram’s native desktop site, the Creator Studio, or third-party tools, you can comfortably manage and upload your content without reaching for your phone. Just remember to stay updated with Instagram’s features and policies to ensure a smooth posting experience.

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Why Diversify with Passive Income?

As a successful photographer, do you need to think about how to diversify your photography income? The thing is, even if you’re doing great in your career, relying on one income stream is risky. A sudden illness, life changes, or another global pandemic can come along and change everything. 

Give yourself the freedom to pivot when life throws you a curveball. Future-proof your business by leveraging your skills into multiple earning streams. A passive income side hustle can also provide a creative outlet where you can just be you, an outlet that isn’t dependent on clients’ demands.  With that said, here are 7 ideas for passive income in photography.

Teach Education or Mentor Online

Teach a Course or Start a Community

Sharing your knowledge and expertise online is a great way to create a stream of passive income. Platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, Kajabi and Coursera allow you to create and sell courses on topics you are well-versed in.   Once your course is created and published, you can earn money each time someone purchases it, watches it or subscribes to it.

An example of this is our very own SLR Lounge Premium. A word of caution though, this is quite challenging. Due to the unprecedented number of content creators and the vast amount of top-notch content available for free on YouTube, the oversaturated market necessitates that you effectively teach a unique skill set and foster the community.  This will take time and can quickly become a full time job.  If you’re interested in pursuing this route, see our article on The Best Online Course Platforms.

Sell Prints Online

One of the best ways to add passive income to your photography business is to sell prints of your client work to the guests of your events.  Online galleries such as Pixieset and Smugmug streamline the process so that order fulfillment is automatic and handled by a third party.  This lets you earn money from your prints without the need for active involvement in the printing and shipping process.

While you will have to come up with a strategy that works for you, here are a few tips:

• Ensure that purchasing is enabled in your galleries.
• Ask your couple to share the gallery with their family and friends.  Consider adding incentives or bonuses if the do so.
• Consider passing out cards to guests with a QR code to collect their email and send them a notification when the images are ready.
• Cull and curate the images so that you’re only showing the best of the best and so that you’re eliminating the duplicates.  A great image can get lost in a sea of repeats and below average shots.  To help you cull, consider using a tool like Narrative Select, but be sure to take the time and manually scan the final selections as well.
• Send email reminders during the holidays with special promotions on prints.

Sell Presets and Other Workflow Tools

Many photographers and content creators are willing to pay for tools that will help streamline their workflow and enhance their images. Selling editing tools such as Lightroom presets, Photoshop actions, or other tools to run a photography business, such as email templates or contracts, can be a great way to generate passive income.

In terms of presets, this is exactly what we have done for years with our Visual Flow Presets.  However, just like with education, the market is very saturated and competitive. So if you decide to pursue this route, make sure you’re offering something unique and be prepared for a lot of work.

Start a Blog for Affiliate and Sponsorship Revenue

Starting a blog on photography or a related niche allows you to share your knowledge and passion while also generating income through affiliate marketing. By recommending products or services you trust and use yourself, and including affiliate links in your blog posts, you can earn a commission each time someone makes a purchase through your link.

Here are a few affiliate programs to consider:

• Amazon affiliates
• Adorama’s affiliate program
• B&H’s affiliate program
• Affiliate programs for software such as Lightroom, Skylum, Shootproof, Honeybook, and more
• Affiliate programs for your favorite lighting gear such as Magmod or Westcott
• More!  Search your favorite brand plus the words “affiliate program” to see if they offer something

Sell Stock Photography

Although the popularity and profitability of stock photography have been affected by platforms like Pexels and Unsplash, it is still an option for generating some passive income. By uploading your images to stock photography websites like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or Alamy, you can earn money each time someone purchases a license to use one of your images.

Start a YouTube Channel

Starting a YouTube channel is another way to share your knowledge and passion for photography while generating income. By creating and publishing videos on topics of interest to photographers, and monetizing your channel through ads and affiliate marketing, you can earn money each time someone watches one of your videos.

What can you expect?  In the photography niche, you can usually expect to receive $2-$5 for every thousand views directly from Youtube.  From there, you can leverage the audience to land sponsorships with major brands, which will pay a wide range of rates depending on your audience and engagement numbers.

Start a Related Business

You may have other creative outlets that you can lean into to diversify your photography income. You could find a way to express your brand and reach a broader audience through unconventional methods. There are obvious photo-related accessories like postcards or zines, but think outside the box – the sky’s the limit.  We’ve seen photographers go on to launch successful marketing agencies, tech platforms and more!

For example, married couple Chris and Ruth naturally progressed into an unrelated side business – making hats. In an interview, they told the story of how they always wore hats when shooting weddings, and people started associating that with their brand. Over the years, they bought a lot of hats and decided they wanted to create a better product, so they did. Now, they have a side hustle selling straw and felt hats. Watch the interview below.

Capturing New Opportunities for Passive Income

Earning a living as a photographer means succeeding in a competitive and unpredictable market. By finding ways to diversify your photography income, you can earn more while enriching your professional life and opening new doors for your creativity to flourish. We hope you have found inspiration to enhance your photography career for a long and profitable future.

Generating passive income as a photographer requires some initial effort to set up, but with some creativity and dedication, it is possible to create multiple streams of income that require minimal ongoing effort. By exploring the options listed above and finding what works best for you, you can create a more stable and diversified income as a photographer.

Linkedin Tips for Photographers

LinkedIn stands out as a professional network that offers unique opportunities for photographers to connect, collaborate, and advance their careers.  In previous articles, we’ve covered Pinterest for Photographers, Instagram and Facebook for Photographers; and in this one, we’re going to provide essential tips on using Linkedin for Photographers to build their network and market their services.

Build a Strong Profile

Your LinkedIn profile is like your virtual business card in the professional world. Start with a profile picture that reflects your professionalism while showcasing your personality.  Keep the following in mind:

• Profile Picture – Choose a professional picture for your profile that your network can easily and quickly identify as you.
  Cover Photo – Choose a cover photo that resonates with your audience.  This can be a beautiful image, a team photo, or a graphic that showcases your style and brand.
• Headline – Craft a compelling headline that encapsulates your photography focus or lets the audience quickly understand what you do. Tell your story, highlight your skills, and share your passion for photography.
• Featured Section – Use the “Featured” section to exhibit your portfolio, giving visitors a glimpse into your creative world.

Network and Connect

LinkedIn for photographers is more than just a platform for digital connections – it’s a networking powerhouse for photographers. Start by connecting with colleagues, mentors, clients, and fellow photographers. Personalize your connection requests to show genuine interest in building meaningful relationships. Expand your network strategically to include professionals who align with your photography goals.

Showcase Your Work and Make Announcements

The “Posts” feature on LinkedIn serves as your personal blog space. Share your photography insights, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and tips on mastering the art. Visual content speaks volumes – utilize images to captivate your audience. Whether you’re discussing the latest photography trends or sharing your personal experiences, this platform lets you establish authority and engage with your audience on a deeper level.

Try to work this into your workflow, just as you would Facebook or Instagram.  For example, if you post a new blog entry to Facebook or a collage or images to Instagram, why not take the extra 5 minutes and post it to Linkedin as well?  Continue to track the effectiveness with the built in analytics and see if your content resonates with your network.

Consistency is key when it comes to personal branding. Ensure that your profile, posts, and interactions all reflect your unique style and creative vision. Through your content, demonstrate your expertise and perspective. A LinkedIn for photographers strategy is to use these posts to promote your photography services, workshops, and any special projects, reinforcing your position as a trusted photographer.

Join and Participate in Photography (and other related) Groups

LinkedIn Groups offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in specialized communities. Seek out photography-related groups to connect with like-minded individuals, engage in discussions, and learn from peers. Participating in conversations showcases your expertise and establishes you as an active contributor within the industry.

Try to join various groups based on the following characteristics:

• Your Location
• Your Photography Niche
• Your Larger Industry (Wedding, Newborn, Etc)

Find Photography Job Opportunities

The platform isn’t just about connections – it’s also a gateway to job opportunities. Explore job listings, freelance gigs, and photography projects tailored to your skills and aspirations. Customize your profile and messages when applying for positions to showcase your suitability. Recommendations and endorsements from your connections further enhance your credibility.

Get Testimonials and Recommendations

Client testimonials and recommendations from industry pros provide tangible proof of your skills and professionalism. Request recommendations from clients and colleagues who can vouch for your work. Don’t hesitate to endorse others as well – it often leads to mutual endorsements, bolstering your profile’s authenticity.

Use Analytics and Insights

LinkedIn’s analytics offer valuable insights into your profile’s performance and post engagement. Track views, likes, comments, and shares to refine your content strategy. Adjust your approach based on audience behavior to maximize your impact.

Linkedin provides information on the following:

• Page Views
• Visitor Demographics
• Follower metrics
• Follower Demographics
• Leads
• Content engagement
• Competitor Analytics

Use this information to gauge your success and adjust your strategy over time.

Conclusion

LinkedIn isn’t just a digital address book – it’s a dynamic space where photographers can showcase their talents, foster connections, and seize unique opportunities. By crafting a robust profile, actively engaging with others, and leveraging the platform’s features, photographers can elevate their careers, solidify their professional reputation, and open doors to a world of endless possibilities.

I’m willing to bet that many of you reading this probably have a LinkedIn account and like me, probably rarely use it for anything except to update your work history and accept ‘connections.’ We are missing out! If your target market are upper middle-class professionals, LinkedIn is a place to be. With LinkedIn, you’ll be immersed with millions of other professionally-minded people who are marketing themselves and networking with one another. Plus, if most of the photographers are on Facebook and Instagram (which they aren’t; many commercial photographers market themselves on LinkedIn), then wouldn’t it be a great place for you to differentiate yourself and your photography business?

Spending that much time managing clients basically means freelancers are missing out of 20% extra profit, because that’s time allocated away from client deliverables and towards administration. Today, we’re here to talk about Bloom.io, a CRM (customer relationship management) platform that frees up your time, so you can increase billable work hours, and look way more professional while you do it.

Why Are CRM Platforms Useful for Freelancers?

Photographers and freelancers learn to wear so many hats, and also use so many different tools. We use one tool for our website, another to capture leads, another to track leads, another to communicate, another to send proposals/invoices, another to sign contracts, another to track tasks, another to process payments, another to deliver images, etc, etc.

This leads to a disconnected system which becomes a massive time drain, especially for busy freelancers running photography businesses, copywriting businesses, website design or other deliverable-based services. While you may have run into solutions like Honeybook and Dubsado, I found these platforms to fall short in their user interface, and how they were difficult to learn to use.

Recently, I was introduced to a new platform called Bloom.io, which is doing something different. From what I can tell, it’s the only marketing-CRM that gives you very powerful tools not only to manage existing clients but to acquire new ones by giving you some pretty insane lead generation tools.

Who Is Bloom.io For?

Bloom is incredibly easy to set up and is perfect for photographers and freelancers running side-gigs, all the way to automating large studios.For the new photographer, you can launch your website, portfolio, and all your lead generation and contract templates are there to get you going. For the established pro, you can use Bloom to automate your already working system, freeing up your time for things that matter the most to you like personal time, or spending more hours behind the camera instead of behind the computer. So the short answer is it’s for everyone.

Key Features Of Bloom

1. An interface designed for visual learners.

When you log into the Bloom.io CRM platform for the first time, you’re presented with a streamlined guide of what to do to get up and running along with several embedded “how to” guides for additional help. Working through them was a breeze and once that’s done, the layout is simple and easy to navigate making managing your business a breeze.

2. Sign contracts and send invoices like a professional.

How you invoice your clients is part of your brand experience. Here are some ways in which Bloom stands out.

• Payment integrations with Stripe, Square, Paypal, Zelle, Venmo & Cash App.
• Add contracts to invoices.
• Fully supports multiple currencies and international users.
• Quickbooks integration.
• Retainers, discounts, tipping, & recurring invoices.
• Incredibly beautiful client experience.

3. Live Website Chat Widget.

(This feature when paired with the mobile app is amazing.) This feature alone was worth the price of admission for me. I’ve been able to communicate with potential clients while on the road, on set, and anywhere that I at least had cellular access! The ability to respond like a text message and send as a chat or email to the lead is kind of unreal and incredibly useful for those fast-turnaround bids.

4. Revolutionary forms that do the selling for you.

(You can practically automate everything!) I’m still diving into this section of my setup. It’s kind of overwhelming having never used a system like this before, but it’s really laid out well, especially if you have your info and contracts ready to go already. In the next few weeks I hope to have my system completely automated and cannot wait to see how it works with my clients.

5. Built-in client image galleries & proofing tools.

Many professional photographers use digital client galleries instead of an online drive like dropbox or Google. Instead of paying for a separate tool, Bloom has this entire feature-set built right into the CRM! At this point, they only support digital downloads, so if you rely heavily on print fulfillment, you’ll want to keep your 3rd party image sharing solution.

6. Full suite of business tools.

Bloom also includes a scheduling tool replacing Calendly, contract signing replacing Docusign, automations, lead management tools, and even a website portfolio builder if you don’t already have a website. It works well if you’re just starting out or already a seasoned business.

7. The price is right.

(You can try the system for free with a 7-day trial!) Bloom.io is an incredibly affordable CRM solution for photographers (and other freelancers). After your one week free trial, you can roll into a $13/month plan and always upgrade from there. Even with the full-platform it’s on par with an Adobe Subscription.

Conclusion

There are a lot of CRM tools out there, but few that Ii’ve seen have been as easy to dive into and get rolling as Bloom. While I’ve only scratched the surface of what you can do on their system, I’m already in love with it and will be spending a lot of time over the next few weeks expanding on my automation, packages, and contracts. All so that I can make my website a one-stop-shop for all of my future work, freeing me up to spend more time face to face with my clients.

Another thing I’ve loved is their 24-hour support. Anytime I had a problem on my end, or with a feature that I felt could be added, the support team was there and ready to help. In fact all the things I mentioned as a feature request have already been implemented in the system!

If you’d like to give Bloom a try, it comes with a free 7-day trial and as an added bonus, they’re giving our reads a $4/mo offer for the first 4 months if you use this link: https://bloom.io/slrlounge

Do you use any other CRM tools? Which are your favorites and why? Be sure to let us know what you think if you’re already a user of Bloom (past or present), and if you decide to give them a try for your Photography business.