It is no secret that to be a “professional photographer” in 2013 means that you need only a basic skill level in photography (read, “I shoot wide open all the time.”), a professional looking camera, a website and photoshop. There are literally thousands of “professional photographers” in both Phoenix, AZ (Mara’s town) and Philadelphia, PA [...]
What is a Professional Photographer?
A quick scan of the internet and facebook listings for professional photographers will reveal that the term “professional” is being used rather liberally. The definition of the adjective “professional” is “following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain”. The definition of the noun “professional” is “a person who is an expert as [...]
Feeling Frustrated?
Right now is the time that many photographers are feeling frustrated. Yesterday was the first official day of spring, you are recovered from the hectic holiday season and ready to make some money. But, where are the clients? Maybe you have spent a portion of the last two months (after taking January to recover of [...]
To everything there is a season…
If you are anything like we were when we first started our photography businesses years ago, you find this time of year to be very frustrating. The dormancy of winter and the lack of creativity associated with it can cause stress and discomfort with the “so called” plan for your business. Money is probably dwindling [...]
Personal Connections Only Please!
In our world of texting and emailing, an actual phone call does wonders. First of all, it shows the potential client that you care about them enough to pick up the phone. Also, it takes care of business right away. You can let your bright personality shine through and ask questions to get them excited [...]
If You Sell the Digital Files, Your Clients Will Eventually Come to Me…
I want to share a story of one of my clients (let’s call her Anna) who came to me after she had gone to three other photographers. For those of you who don’t want the story spoiled skip ahead right now. For those of you who are wondering, Anna is now my client for life, [...]
Next workshop dates announced! January 2013
We are so excited to announce that registration for the next THRIVE Workshop is now open! January 17-19, 2013 in Phoenix Arizona Hosted by Mara Blom Schantz at her amazingly beautiful and newly renovated boutique studio. Like everything in life, this workshop is not for everyone. We have done our best to share everything you [...]
How Did I Do That?
Today I had a sale that was $11,000 before any framing. Lucky, you might say? Well, luck really had nothing to do with it. If you follow what we tell you to do, you can have sales like this as well. From start to finish (we are not really finished yet, we have the framing [...]
Proper Attire Required
It does not matter what you have written on your website or what you have printed in your “clothing guide.” From time to time, we are all faced with the matchy-matchy family, the superman T-shirt family, or the cut off jeans family. Help your clients make the best clothing selections for their session by spending [...]
Karen’s Studio Renovation
In the spirit of celebrating the THRIVE STUDIO MAKEOVER project, I thought it would be cool to share some images of my own extensive studio renovation project. Complete with the before and after photos. Currently Mara is in the midst of her own move and rebuild, so look forward to seeing her amazing new studio [...]
Do you know how to photograph fireworks?
Do you know that 85% of photographers go out of business within 3 years of starting. Perhaps it is because they don’t know how to be in business. Perhaps it is because they don’t know how to photograph fireworks. Do you know how to photograph fireworks? Do you know the appropriate lens choice for a [...]
Make Suggestions
If you have met with your client prior to the session to help design the session and get to know what they want (see previous tips on how to “Design to Sell”), after the session while you are editing the images, the next logical step is to put together packet of “Suggestion Pages” that are [...]
Online Galleries Suck
Online galleries suck the life out of your sale. They suck the energy out of your clients. And they suck the impact out of your images. When you present session images to your clients in an online gallery and do not take the time to meet with them to help them through the ordering process, [...]
Makeover Winner Announced!
We are thrilled to announce the winner of the THRIVE Studio Makeover! After pouring through the entries and evaluating the candidates, we are excited to share that we have chosen REBECCA COYLE as the THRIVE STUDIO MAKEOVER winner! Over the next few months, her life and her business will be transformed by Karen and Mara [...]
How to Handle an Initial Inquiry
We recently recorded a real call that was made to a professional photographer inquiring about scheduling a portrait session. We did this so that we could teach photographers how important it is to learn how to field calls professionally. The mistakes that this photographer made are glaring to us because we are trained and understand [...]
Pricing philosophy
People invest in photography for emotional reasons. Don’t overwhelm yourself and your clients with a price list full of numbers, options, and different packages. Keep it simple. Value your work accordingly based on artistic merit, your experience in the field, cost of goods, and time invested creating the images. Create a simple a-la-carte price list [...]
One photographer’s THRIVE story
Kelly Touey is a photographer from BC, Canada She attended the THRIVE Workshop in January 2012. Here is her story in her own words. I just attended The THRIVE workshop and I am arriving back in Canada emotionally exhausted, dead tired and completely inspired. Normally I would return from a workshop and say, oh yes, [...]
Why you need to know about commerical licensing
The following is an excerpt from the ASMP Licensing Guide resource. Most photographers go into business for themselves because they are passionate about making pictures — not because they want to be in business. The irony is that photographers who do not learn and implement sound business practices will not be able to continue photographing [...]
Be Yourself! Because if you try to be anyone else you will fail
Karen and Mara are great examples that being true to yourself is more important to your success than anything else. They are total opposites in many ways in terms of their style, taste, and demeanor. Each is unique in the way they interact with clients and the way they build relationships. Karen is a “Philly [...]
Our Guarantee
We believe that all great success stories in the service industry are based on loyalty and trust. The very best way to gain loyalty and trust is to sell with integrity and honesty. It is our personal guarantee that your experience at The THRIVE Workshop will be one that exceeds your expectations and equips you [...]
