Explore new partnerships and expand your client base when you collaborate with vendors Photography can be a lonely business if you let it. Or, you can step out of your comfort zone and seek out other business owners or creative types and work together for the benefit of all. There are hundreds of entrepreneurs and…
10 ways to keep your sanity this fall and survive the photography busy season Fall. It means beautiful leaves, long-sleeve shirts, football, maybe a pot of chili simmering on the stove. Unless you’re a photographer. Then it means chaos. Lots of sessions. Lots of editing. Little sleep. Coffee. More editing. Even more coffee. The photography…
Stop being a slave to your inbox! 7 Photographer E-mail Templates You Need in Your Workflow! We’ve all heard the expression work smarter, not harder. But how can you, as a photographer, do that, exactly? One practice to start implementing as soon as you hang your shingle as a professional photographer is using photographer e-mail…
We’ve all seen it before, a close friend or family member asks you for free photos favor: “When you come over for Chelsea’s birthday party, can you please take a few shots of her? I’m going to be cooking on the BBQ and won’t have time to take any photos”. Free photos requests are the…
Crawl before you walk! We’re starting at the beginning of baby photography to start your growth spurt in this industry off right! Baby photography is not for the faint of heart. It requires patience, stamina, a gentle touch and a strong stomach. But if snuggling, shushing and swaddling make your heart clench in absolute joy,…
What’s so nifty about the fifty? Let’s find out! It’s inexpensive, easy to use and optically sound. So what’s not to love about a 50mm nifty fifty lens? In a word, nothing. There is a reason the 50mm lens is nicknamed the “nifty-fifty.” Learn why this lens is one just about every photographer owns and…
Family photography might just be the most universal type of photography out there, the type of photography most widely appreciated across the world. So how do you master this photography genre? By most widely appreciated, we don’t mean everyone everywhere is going to care all of your family photography. In fact, each family photo session…
We’ll help you build a smart product photography pricing strategy that works for YOUR business! On any given day in the Cole’s Classroom Facebook group, we see a request for help on product photography pricing. The post usually goes something like this… “A store has contacted me to take pictures of their new product line. …
What’s the best macro lens for your kit? Read this first! Macro photography can be a lot of fun to shoot. There is just something fascinating about seeing tiny details at life-size. There’s a whole teeny, tiny world out there waiting for an explorer like you! The problem? To uncover these bijou realms, you need…
It’s not all the time that I show the back of my camera to the client BUT…sometimes with the loud, boisterous, child scolders, you have to let the image do the talking! The backseat photographer-mom enters the scene. Keeping control on a photo session is tough, y’all! When Mom Takes Control…and Won’t Relax! You’ve probably…
What’s worse than a potential client turning you down for another photographer? A potential client telling you that you’re too expensive? A potential client saying they’ll book “possibly in the future”? A ghost. A ghost by definition is a person (in this case a potential or existing client) who inquires and initiates a conversation with…
Outfit your favorite shutterbug with one of these best kids cameras! Do you have a budding photographer in your ranks? It’s never too early for kids to fall in love with photography. But what are the best kids cameras available right now? Should you get something simple? Something a young photographer can grow into? Something…
Need answers to the BIG questions when it comes to organizing mini-sessions? Start here! Mini-sessions can be a great addition to just about any portrait photography business. “Minis” can add an income stream, bring in new clients and provide a place for some serious creativity. But organizing mini-sessions requires planning and forethought. Not sure where…
If you’re a business owner you will eventually encounter this uncomfortable situation, saying the two scariest letters you’ll ever have to with a client… N. O. Saying “no” to a client can put you in a really awkward, sticky situation. It’s almost never fun but there’s definitely some great ways to help things go over…
The workhorse 70-200mm lens should be on just about every photographer’s must-have list Are you on the fence about purchasing a 70-200 mm lens? Worried about the cost? The weight? Whether it’s a good lens? I can’t make these lenses get any cheaper or heavier, but I can alleviate your concerns about it being a…
Should you be watermarking photos? We’ll discuss why and why not so you can make the best decision for YOUR business. Post this question in a photography forum and it’s a bit like setting off a bomb. Things get hot and then they explode. Watermarking photos has become one of the polarizing issues in the…