I interviewed Justin and Mary Marantz years ago, but their words are still just as relevant and inspirational today.

Recommended Reading for Photographers:

• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach (more geared toward women)
• Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen

Did you enjoy this episode? I would absolutely adore a review on iTunes to help others find the podcast.

The post Episode 83: Replay: Creating a Profitable Photography Business with Justin and Mary Marantz appeared first on Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers.

This episode originally aired on the podcast last spring, but I’m bringing it back this week because this is the perfect time to reflect, reset and start setting goals and planning for 2018. I’m currently going through Molly’s Holiday Council—spending my evenings sipping egg nog on my big couch with my little red notebook scribbling down ideas and pinning all the things.

A few topics from today’s show:

• Inner conflict, feeling unfulfilled, making giant leaps and learning to adult
• Gaining clarity for your dreams and your goals
• How to set goals that will actually make you happy
• Jealousy, comparison and defining “success”
• Getting away from the expectations of others

Related Links:

• The Joy Equation Course From Stratejoy (running live from May 6 – June 19, 2017)
• The Holiday Council from Stratejoy (running every December)
• Gretchen Rubin: What Kind of Person Are You? The Four Rubin Tendencies

Did you enjoy this episode? I would absolutely adore a review on iTunes to help others find the podcast.

The post Episode 82: Replay: Goal Setting for the New Year with Molly Mahar appeared first on Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers.

Not many photographers can call a helicopter a part of their regular photo equipment, but Nick Ulivieri regularly flies high above Chicago as a part of his professional photographic work.

A few topics from today’s show:

• How Nick made the leap from a full time job to full time self employed photographer.
• How Nick figured out what to charge for his work.
• How Nick learned the technical aspects of photography.
• How Nick finds new clients (including Instagram).
• How Nick got into ariel photography (and got clients to pay him to fly in helicopters).
• What does a week in the life look like for Nick?

Check out some of Nick’s amazing photos below. Check out his website and follow him on Instagram to see more.

The post Episode 21: How Nick Ulivieri Found a Unique Perspective in Commercial Photography appeared first on Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers.

As creative professionals, we photographers are often drawn in by the artistry of creating beautiful images, and many of us struggle with the necessary business mindset that it takes to turn photography into a viable full time business. Maria Bayer is on a mission to change that mindset for photographers and other wedding professionals—she’s a sale coach who specifically works with wedding professionals to help them win clients and charge what they’re worth.

A few topics from today’s show:

• Listen to Maria talk about the selling mindset that you must have to win clients and charge what you’re worth
• Learn how to build value with your clients (hint: it’s harder to do through e-mail)
• Learn a few quick tips that you can implement now to start vetting potential clients and leading them to book larger packages
• Hear Maria talk about the two different ways her clients go about selling products

Learn more about Maria’s training at mariabayer.com and on Facebook.

The post Episode 20: Maria Bayer: How to Sell as a Creative Entrepreneur appeared first on Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers.

Before he was a photographer, Ian Holmes was an image retoucher living in Paris. The more he worked on other peoples’ images, the more he became interested in photography himself.

Eight years later, Ian has built a name for himself as an english speaking romantic portraiture photographer in Paris. He shoots 25 weddings each year and three to four portraits sessions each week. During his off season, he heads off to the French Alps to recharge for the winter.

I met Ian in 2013 when he took photos for me and my husband while we were in Paris. We love the photos, and they have a special place in our home today.

A few topics from today’s show:

• Find out how clients discover Ian
• Find out how Ian connects with wedding clients who travel from out of town
• Hear how Ian grows his skills in the off season
• Find out why Ian is starting to incorporate film into his business
• Find out which lens Ian can’t live without
• Hear Ian’s advice about what every photographer should be doing to grow

Check out a few of Ian’s photos below, and head over to his website to see more.

The post Episode 19: How Ian Holmes Niched Himself as an English Speaking Romantic Photographer in Paris appeared first on Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers.

Jill Devries studied communications in college and landed a great full time job after school. While second shooting weddings on the weekends, she realized that she wanted to transform her passion for photography into a full time career. For the next year, Jill continued to do photography on the side, learning, growing, networking and building up her professional equipment. After a busy year, she gave herself a goal of 20 weddings on the books before quitting her full time job. She went full time in April, 2010, and she hasn’t looked back.

Over time, Jill has learned to take photos that reflect how she sees the world—photos that are true to her unique vision. Rather than trying to be like someone else—an easy trap to fall into—Jill does her own thing, and she never feels like she’s in competition with other photographers who have their own styles.

In this interview, Jill tells her story and addresses what it’s like to run a business as an artist—dealing with fear and uncertainty while always pushing forward.

Recommended book: Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders

A very small sampling of Jill’s amazing body of work:

See more amazingness on Jill’s blog.

The post Episode 18: Jill Devries on Standing Out in a Crowded Market appeared first on Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers.

Michelle Moore is a fashion and senior photographer based in Seattle. In this podcast interview, Michelle shares how she went from studying atmospheric sciences in college to leading a successful photography studio that focuses on fashion and senior photography.

I always love to ask for book recommendations from other professionals. Michelle recommends 4-Hour Work Week. While the book becomes a bit convoluted at the end, the overall concept of living your life now rather than working life away helped Michelle refocus her work life balance.

See more of Michelle’s work on her blog.

The post Episode 17: Michelle Moore on Breaking in as a Fashion + Senior Photographer appeared first on Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers.

Like many others, Meg Borders became interested in photography after her daughter was born. And like others before, Meg made some mistakes during the early days of her business. She finally put her business on hold to create a plan and work on branding—and her new focus on senior girls has allowed her to thrive.

A few topics from today’s show:

• Don’t rush into business—have a business plan
• Take time to concentrate on branding
• Give yourself time to discover which aspect of photography you like the best
• For outdoor portraits, don’t leave clients an option on timing—Meg always shoots her senior sessions two hours before sunset
• Be who you are, and don’t try to be someone else

Recommended Resources:

• ILovePhotography.com
• ClickinMoms.com
• IHeartFaces.com
• OpenSourcePhoto Forums
• Fast Track Photographer by Dane Sanders

Check out some of Meg’s gorgeous work below, and see more on her blog.

The post Episode 16: Meg Borders on Creating a Plan For Your Business appeared first on Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers.

Justin and Mary Marantz blew me away at WPPI back in 2011, so I knew that I had to talk with them for the Field Notes podcast to share their story and words of wisdom. In this interview, learn how Mary Marantz went from Yale Law School to co-owning one of the fastest growing photography studios on the East Coast when she met her now husband, Justin.

“Nobody else in this world is going to give you permission. Nobody is ever going to write you a letter or an email or knock on your door and go, ‘Okay, now you get to go out and chase your dream.’ And nobody did that for us, and when we first decided that we were going to have the business and I was going to turn down the law firm offers, there were a lot of people who said, ‘What are you doing? You can’t be serious’…You have to be the ‘can’ in your own life. You have to be the permission that you give yourself to chase whatever it is that you want to do.” —Mary Marantz

Recommended Reading for Photographers:

• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach (more geared toward women)
• Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen

A little beauty from this talented team:

Keep up with Justin and Mary on their blog.

The post Episode 15: Justin + Mary Marantz on Creating a Profitable Business appeared first on Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers.

Laurel McConnell has the kind of personality that you can’t help but adore, and she does an amazing job of showing that bright personality throughout her work.

Laurel was originally studying psychology at the University of Washington when she made a dramatic leap and enrolled in the Art Institute of Seattle to study commercial photography.

After college, she found herself in a bust economy with plenty of student loans. After an advisor set her up to photograph her first wedding, she was hooked.

As Laurel puts it, a lot of people get caught up in the art and fun of photography, and they forget to build a solid business plan and business structure. Hear more about Laurel’s story, as well as her sound business advice in this week’s episode of Field Notes.

Recommended Business Resources for Photographers:

• Sage Wedding Pros (business workshops for wedding pros)
• ASMP.org (American Society of Media Photographers)
• ASMP Professional Business Practices in Photography (book)

Enjoy some of Laurel’s beautiful and fun wedding photography:

The post Episode 14: Laurel McConnell on Creating a Sustainable Wedding Photography Business appeared first on Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers.

Some of Angela Renee’s earliest memories are of creating drawings for art shows. She majored in painting in college and used photography as a base for the art (painting from photos), which eventually led her toward the moving image and video portraits. A friend asked Angela to video her wedding, where she met a photographer and decided she might like to give that a try.

Video essentially became the gateway to photography. Angela second shot with a number of photographers to learn her style, and she’s been shooting on her own for about two years now.

A few topics from today’s show:

• Selecting the equipment and gear load that works for you (both technically and for lugging around)
• Carrying backups
• Letting go, outsourcing and work life balance
• Creating a schedule for yourself
• Building a business as a new photographer
• Showing the work you want to make
• Ask clients how they found you and what made them want to meet with you
• Facebook marketing
• Determining who your ideal client is

Recommended Resources:

• Zach Arias
• Digital Wedding Forum
• Creative Live
• Tangents (Lighting) with Neil van Niekerk
• MJ Studio Solutions (color correction outsourcing)

Check out some of Angela’s gorgeous work below, and be sure to check out her blog to see more.

The post Episode 13: Angela Renee on Wedding Gear That Fits Your Style appeared first on Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers.