Should You Work for Free? A Lesson for Every Photographer
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Should You Work for Free? A Lesson for Every Photographer

At some point or another, if you own a nice camera and have at least minimal skill using it, the time will come (and probably more than once): Someone will ask you to work for free. Or maybe no one will ask you, but you’ll find yourself slow on work, worried about growing your business,…

5 Lessons Learned As A Second Shooter
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5 Lessons Learned As A Second Shooter

Have you ever considered adding wedding photography to your current photography business?   Do you love weddings but simply don’t have the time for the contracts, client meetings, post processing  & logistics?  Are you looking for a way to fill in your schedule gaps and make some additional income?  Two years ago, I answered yes to…

4 Tips To Rock Your Ring Shots
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4 Tips To Rock Your Ring Shots

Wedding ring photos – one of the most symbolic images you will capture on a wedding day. While every detail from the nuptials is extremely important to photograph, there is nothing that signifies marriages more than a photo of two perfectly polished eternal wedding bands. Shooting photos of the rings is also your turn as…

4 Reasons Why You Need a Website for Your Photography Business
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4 Reasons Why You Need a Website for Your Photography Business

For the majority of photographers, having a website will be a crucial element to having a successful business. Having a place where you can visually display your work is key to your photography business. There are a few reasons why having a website is critical to the success of your photography business, and in today’s…

Cole’s Clique Elite Member June Spotlight

Cole’s Clique Elite Member June Spotlight

I am telling you, every day  it’s a party in the Cole’s Clique Elite Private Facebook group.  But don’t get me wrong, it’s not only fun and games, we’re serious about improving our photography and for many like Leslie & Jessica – boosting their photography business too. None of this comes easy.  You have to…

3 Simple Tips for Marketing Your Photography Business
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3 Simple Tips for Marketing Your Photography Business

In today’s highly competitive market for photography, it is not an easy task to build your brand and have people notice you. Now days, you need to stand out from the rest of the crowd and bring people in. If you’ve wondered how to market your photography, look no further. In this article, I am…

How to Help Your Clients Look Their Best
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How to Help Your Clients Look Their Best

So…let’s be honest…what are the odds that your client is a former model? Probably slim ;). Back when I was shooting countless weddings, engagements and portraits, a big part of my job was not to simply just capture, but to also make every day people feel comfortable enough in front of the lens so I…

Growing Your Photography Business on a Budget
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Growing Your Photography Business on a Budget

One of the things that gets under my skin more than anything is stumbling upon articles insinuating that a new photographer must spend top dollar and go into inordinate amounts of debt in able to be considered a “real” photographer. As if the amount of money invested is what buys you a place at the…

How to Make a Photography Portfolio: 10 Simple Tips for Success
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How to Make a Photography Portfolio: 10 Simple Tips for Success

Are you ready to take your photography business to the next level? Are you excited to show potential clients what you can do and grab their attention? Here are some simple, yet very important steps toward achieving your goals of becoming a professional photographer. How to Make a Photography Portfolio – 10 Simple Tips for…

Has Social Media Helped or Hurt the Photography Industry?
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Has Social Media Helped or Hurt the Photography Industry?

We live in a society of constant communication. We’re plugged in to everyone from our loved ones to celebrities broadcasting their day to day happenings in an unending stream of hashtags and filtered photographs. Now that Instagram has joined society and decided to “screw the square,” let’s discuss the liberated rectangular elephant in the room:…

7 Tips to Book More Weddings – From a Brides Perspective!
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7 Tips to Book More Weddings – From a Brides Perspective!

Planning a wedding is no joke. My proverbial hat is off to folks that plan weddings for a living, as they not only organize and multitask, but visualize someone else’s big picture and (hopefully) bring it to fruition. With a small budget we set out with our close friends and family with a general rustic,…

23 Random Facts About Cole from Cole’s Classroom

23 Random Facts About Cole from Cole’s Classroom

One way or another you’ve stumbled upon Cole’s Classroom, and THANK YOU for being here!  It might have been from Facebook, or YouTube or Google or perhaps a friend of yours told you about Cole’s Classroom – at any rate, you’ve likely seen my face or read my words but do you really know me?…

The 5 Best Ways for Making Connections with your Clients!
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The 5 Best Ways for Making Connections with your Clients!

Connection is everything! Without connection it’s extremely difficult to capture true personality and raw emotions. Your subjects cannot relax, and be themselves. Connection takes away the awkward silences. It allows you to focus more on the moment, and less on the pose. So how do you create connection with your clients? What if they’re awkward,…

Getting More Business Through Networking
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Getting More Business Through Networking

Getting More Business Through Networking It’s the million dollar question…how do you get more photo gigs?  Do you already have a solid network?  If not, you are likely leaving lots of opportunities behind you.  Let’s fix that.

Image Delivery Solutions – What Are Your Options?
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Image Delivery Solutions – What Are Your Options?

The days of sending over a box of film negatives or proofs to your clients are long gone. After a job well done, it’s now time to actually deliver your finished images to your clients. The question though becomes, what options do you have and which should solution should you utilize.  At a top level…