The Successful Professional Photographer

The Successful Professional Photographer

by Roberto Valenzuela
Released August 2020
Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
ISBN: 9781681986128

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Book description

Learn how to confidently build a thriving and profitable career as a professional wedding or portrait photographer!

For nearly a decade, renowned wedding and portrait photographer Roberto Valenzuela has been sharing his vast knowleEAe and unique, systematic approach to making photographs as he has taught workshops around the world and written five critically acclaimed and bestselling books that cover composition, posing, lighting, and wedding photography (his Picture Perfect and Wedding Storyteller series of books). He has helped countless photographers improve their craft.

But the truth is that you can create the most amazing photos…yet still have a failing business. And what’s the point of being a great photographer if you can’t build a career, pay your bills, and feed your family? In order to create a thriving business, you need a different kind of knowleEAe and a new set of tools to succeed. In The Successful Professional Photographer, for the first time Roberto turns his focus on the business and marketing of your photography so that you can build and sustain a highly profitable business as a wedding and portrait photographer. Roberto shares all his hard-earned knowleEAe regarding finding clients, marketing and presenting your work, and getting paid what you deserve. Topics include:

    • Best practices and strategies for Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook
    • Being found through SEO
    • Promoting yourself and your work
    • The role that testimonials and reviews play in your success
    • Creating long-term client relationships
    • Forming personal connections with clients with promo videos
    • Why you should feature your work in publications
    • Pricing your work and the gentle art of the up-sell
    • Understanding and conveying the crucial importance of selling prints

While the photographs you create are the core of your work as a photographer—being exceptional at your craft is a must—that’s only half of the formula you need for building and sustaining success. The other half of the formula is here, in The Successful Professional Photographer. Implement the strategies and techniques outlined here, and you’ll have everything you need to succeed and build a long, prosperous, fulfilling career as a wedding or portrait photographer.

Foreword by Luke Edmonson


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part I: How to Stand Out
Chapter 1: Unleashing Instagram's Business Potential
Chapter 2: SEO for Portrait and Wedding Photographers
Chapter 3: Client Testimonials
Chapter 4: YouTube and Facebook Live Broadcasts
Chapter 5: The Effective Business Promo Video
Chapter 6: Featuring Your Work in Magazines and on Blogs

Part II: How to Get Hired
Chapter 7: The Impact of First Impressions
Chapter 8: Understanding a Prospective Client's State of Mind
Chapter 9: Delivering a Skillful First Prospective Client Meeting

Part III: How to Make Money
Chapter 10: The Perceived-Value Tier System
Chapter 11: Client-Centric Pricing Strategy
Chapter 12: Anchored Collections Sales Method
Chapter 13: A La Carte Sales Method
Chapter 14: Final Design and Presentation
Conclusion

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. About the Author
  7. Contents
  8. Foreword
  9. Introduction
  10. Part One How to Stand Out
    1. Chapter 1 Unleashing Instagram’s Business Potential
      1. Strategic and Consistent Color Palette in Your Instagram Feed
      2. A Feed with a Theme
        1. Post What You Want to Sell, and Rotate Photo Categories
      3. Carefully Created Hashtags
        1. Make Sure Your Hashtags Match or Are Related to the Photo
        2. Number and Placement of Hashtags
      4. Portrait or Wedding Photographer Caption Strategies
        1. Make the First Part of Your Caption “the Hook”
        2. It Should Be Informative, Relatable, or Interesting
        3. Offer a Key Takeaway
        4. Present a Call to Action
        5. Make It Easy to Read
      5. Use Instagram Stories to Create a Personal Touch
        1. Pitfalls of Instagram Stories
    2. Chapter 2 Seo for Portrait and Wedding Photographers
      1. Searcher Intent: Be First on Google
        1. Searcher Intent
        2. Ranking First
      2. SEO Manual from Good Gallery
        1. SEO
        2. Ranking Factors
        3. Keywords
        4. Keyword Phrases
        5. Titles
      3. Content Creation
        1. Copywriting
        2. Define Target Keywords
        3. Investigate Keywords
        4. Review the Top 10 Search Results
        5. Consider Searcher Intent
        6. Research the Topic
        7. Write the Content
        8. Revise the Content
      4. Image File Guidelines
        1. Filenames
        2. Content
        3. Tags
      5. Final Words on SEO
    3. Chapter 3 Client Testimonials
      1. When Is It Appropriate to Request a Review from a Client or Vendor?
      2. How to Request a Client Testimonial Via Phone
        1. Phone Testimonial Request Example
        2. Why This Works
      3. Requesting a Testimonial Via Email
      4. Providing an Incentive for Writing a Testimonial
      5. How to Handle Negative Reviews
      6. Learning from Review Patterns
    4. Chapter 4 Youtube and Facebook Live Broadcasts
      1. YouTube and Facebook Live
      2. Creating YouTube and Facebook Videos in the Live Environment
        1. Set Up a Casual, Well-Lit Space
        2. Dress Casually but Be Professional
      3. The Purpose of Your Videos or Live Sessions
        1. Share Your Process, Techniques, or a Relevant Story
        2. Show a Live Shoot
        3. Give Helpful Advice on an Important Topic to Your Clients
        4. Invite Your Clients to Book a Shoot, Buy a Product, Sign Up for Something, or Follow You on Social Media
      4. A Note about Gear
    5. Chapter 5 The Effective Business Promo Video
      1. Not All Styles of Promo Videos Are Effective for a Photography Business
      2. The Anatomy of a Great Story-Style Business Promo Video
        1. Riveting Opening Scene
        2. What Motivated You to Begin Your Journey?
        3. Introduce Conflict and Challenges
        4. Provide Conflict Resolution
        5. Wrap-Up: What Motivates You Now?
        6. Video Footage and Length
      3. Final Thoughts on a Business Promo Video
        1. Have Two Versions of Your Promo Video
    6. Chapter 6 Featuring Your Work in Magazines and on Blogs
      1. Why You Need to Be Featured
        1. Gain a Talented and Loyal Working Team
      2. Find the Right Magazine or Blog for Your Submission
        1. Check Out Magazine and Blog Submission Guidelines and Requirements
      3. Breakdown for Wedding Submissions
        1. Details
        2. The Rest of the Wedding Story Breakdown
        3. Of All These Photos, Which Ones Should You Choose to Submit?
        4. Explain Why the Wedding Interested You Enough to Submit It
      4. A Quick Note About Submission Etiquette
      5. The Basics of Portrait and Editorial Submissions
        1. Baby Steps
        2. Fashion Editorial Photos Are the Opposite of Portrait Photographs
        3. Writing Stories with Styled Shoots
  11. Part Two How to Get Hired
    1. Chapter 7 The Impact of First Impressions
      1. Passing the First-Impression Test
        1. What You Wear Greatly Impacts Your Prospective Clients’ Opinion About You
      2. Unoriginal Small Talk Questions
        1. Greeting
        2. Small Talk Questions and Topics to Avoid
      3. Engaging Small Talk Conversations
      4. Conversation Starter Props
    2. Chapter 8 Understanding a Prospective Client’s State of Mind
      1. The Client’s State of Mind
        1. They Have Done Extensive Research
        2. They Are Part of a Long Sales Cycle
        3. They Are Highly Skeptical
        4. They Are Overwhelmed with Information
    3. Chapter 9 Delivering a Skillful First Prospective Client Meeting
      1. Avoid Loaded Terms and Exaggerated Enthusiasm
      2. How Would Clients Benefit from Hiring You?
        1. Your Style
        2. Your Approach
        3. Your Pricing
        4. Your Experience
        5. Your Genuine Enthusiasm
        6. Your Technical Ability
        7. Your Flexibility
        8. Your Personality
      3. Show Prospective Clients “Before and After” Contrasts in Your Presentation
      4. Work Out a Google Earth Plan for Prospective Clients
      5. Connect Printed Photographs with Positive, Emotional Stories
      6. Set Realistic Expectations from the Start
  12. Part Three How to Make Money
    1. Chapter 10 The Perceived-Value Tier System
      1. Value Placed on Wedding Photography Versus Dollars Spent on Wedding Photography
      2. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) Product and Time Strategy
        1. Low-Value Tier: 5–14% of Total Wedding Budget ($1,500–$4,200)
        2. Mid-Value Tier: 15–19% of Total Wedding Budget ($4,500–$5,700)
        3. High-Value Tier: 20–30% of Total Wedding Budget ($6,000–$9,000)
      3. What About the Cost of an Assistant or Second Photographer?
      4. Key Factors Influencing Which of the Three Tiers the Photographer Belongs In
        1. The Importance of Delegating
    2. Chapter 11 Client-Centric Pricing Strategy
      1. Four Steps to a Client-Centric Pricing Strategy
      2. Client Motivation to Invest in Photography
        1. Memory-Motivated
        2. Self-Motivated
        3. Need-Motivated
      3. Value Creation Tools
        1. Scalability
        2. Incentives
        3. Negotiable Items
        4. Personalization
      4. How to Implement the Material in This Chapter
    3. Chapter 12 Anchored Collections Sales Method
      1. Photography Collections
        1. Collections Sales Method Pros and Cons
      2. What Are the Options for Products and Services You Can Offer?
      3. Anchored Collections
        1. Breaking Down the Anchored Collection Strategy
        2. Retainer Strategy
      4. Profit Margin Examples for Portrait and Wedding Photographers
        1. Working Out Your Profit Margin, Simplified
        2. Couples Portrait Pricing Example
      5. A La Carte Products and Services
    4. Chapter 13 A La Carte Sales Method
      1. A La Carte Session Fee Strategies
        1. Low Entry Fee Strategy
        2. Exclusivity Session Fee Strategy
      2. Mini Session Fee Strategy
        1. Straight Session Fee
        2. Session Fee with Print Credit
      3. Advisory (Sales) Meeting with the A La Carte Selling Method
        1. Have a Benchmark Ready
      4. My A La Carte Pricing Method for Wall Art and Mounted Photographs
    5. Chapter 14 Final Design and Presentation
      1. Design and Presentation Methods and Examples of Price Lists
        1. Wedding Photography Collections Design
        2. Portrait Photography Design
      2. Take Your Time Designing Your Price Lists
  13. Conclusion

Product information

  • Title: The Successful Professional Photographer
  • Author(s): Roberto Valenzuela
  • Release date: August 2020
  • Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
  • ISBN: 9781681986128