October 9, 2025 • 41 mins
In this episode, Amber of Light Livin Photography and Marie of Marie Elizabeth Photography open up about what really happens after you raise your prices—and inquiries suddenly slow down.
If you’ve ever taken that bold leap toward sustainability and alignment, only to feel fear creep in when your inbox goes quiet, this conversation will remind you: you’re not alone, and this season has purpose.
You’ll hear both of our stories—what we learned through our own “quiet seasons,” how we prepared for growth, and the practical shifts that helped us build more aligned, long-term success.
We’ll cover:
- What to expect emotionally and financially after a price increase
- The mindset work that helps you embrace a slower season with confidence
- How to refine your portfolio and website to attract your new ideal clients
- Blogging and SEO strategies that move the needle during slow months
- Using styled sessions to elevate your brand and stay creatively inspired
- Strengthening client relationships and nurturing your existing audience
- Investing in education and streamlining systems for your next level of growth
By the end, you’ll see how this in-between season isn’t a setback—it’s a sacred space for refining your brand, strengthening your foundations, and calling in the clients who truly value your work.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
Okay, welcome back to the Luxe andLegacy Podcast where we talk all
things photography, business, andbuilding a brand that is true to you.
And last, I'm Marie ofMarie Elizabeth Photography.
And I'm Amber of Light Livin Photography.
We're so glad you're here with us today.
If you've ever raised your pricesand then panicked when inquiries
(00:25):
slowed down, this episode is for you.
Yep.
We have both been there, raised ourprices, felt proud of taking that step,
and then hit that scary slow season.
So today we're going toshare our own stories.
Talk about what we learned throughthose seasons and some practical
steps you can do right now to keepmomentum going and move the needle
(00:49):
and prepare for long-term success.
When I first thought aboutraising my prices, I was honestly
terrified to go over $400.
That was kind of my threshold Peoplewould DM me saying, you're undercharging.
You should be at least double that, ifnot more all the time I was getting these
messages from other photographers, but Ididn't believe them, at that point I was
(01:13):
already about three years into my businessand the other photographers who I admired.
So there were these photographersencouraging me to grow, but then
there were other photographers whoI was looking at in comparison.
I'm getting into that competition modein my brain and looking at how talented
they were and how amazing they were, howmany years they've been in business and.
(01:36):
They were still only charging 400, 4 50per session and taking on tons of shoots.
I'm talking like 10 shoots a week, nottaking breaks, not taking vacations.
Just people who were very, very.
Extroverted, and I guess they'reable to do that, but I knew that
(01:57):
there was no way I could physicallyhandle that kind of workload for me.
I'm also an introvert, so I also knewI didn't want that lifestyle ever, and
I knew that would drain me in the end.
And back then photography wasstill a side hustle for me.
I was still working full-time as aninterpreter, so undercharging didn't
feel like it mattered too much to me.
(02:20):
And looking back, I realized thatI had put myself in a bubble.
The people in my circle were onlyever willing to pay maybe up to $500
a session, and I didn't realize therewas an entire world of clients actively
looking for a higher priced photographer.
I finally raised my rates.
Things got quiet, inquiryslowed, and that was scary.
(02:44):
But what eventually happened is that Istarted attracting the right clients,
the ones who valued my work andthe experience that I was creating.
And that shift showed me I didn't needmore sessions, I needed the right ones.
And here's the thing, you guys,that lull happens every time you
move into a new pricing bracket.
When I went from.
(03:05):
400 to 700 that happened.
But also it happened when I went from 800and I jumped all the way into 1400 plus.
So when I made the jump from allinclusive to adding in artwork, I.
minimum became 1400 instead of 800,then there also wasn't a cap, so they
(03:25):
could actually spend thousands withme, and those packages often led to
clients spending thousands with me.
the same thing happened and it feltlike starting over with each new time
I jumped into a new pricing bracket.
And it, it felt like creating a wholenew clientele, and that's something that
I eventually had to just be okay withand letting go past clients who, yes, I
(03:51):
loved, but they no longer were going to.
Continue on in the next pricingbracket, and I had to be okay with
letting someone else serve them inthe price that they wanted to be in,
but that didn't need to hold me backfrom making the financial goals and
the profit that I needed to make.
(04:12):
To keep this business going longterm and feel well as a mom and in
my health and all of that good stuff.
And that makes sense, right?
Because the person who budget shops fora purse or whatever it is at Walmart,
target is not the same person who.
To stroll into designers storesand invest in an expensive
(04:33):
handbag that they'll treasure foryears, and that is totally okay.
So we don't need to take it personallywhen it's really just a different type
of client, a different person thatyou're going to be attracting into your
business, and you have to be okay withletting go someone who maybe isn't the
best fit for where you're at currently.
(04:54):
The best thing you cando is prepare for a lull.
When you make a big jump into thenext pricing bracket, I recommend
actually saving up for the transitionso that you can have time to
buckle down on your mindset, yourmarketing and your messaging.
Because you guys, the sooner you jumpinto that new pool of clients, the sooner
(05:15):
you'll start getting referrals from theirfriends who are also in that same bracket.
'cause it is a, a cycle that goes on.
Yes, yes to all of that.
Amber.
your story is very, very similarto mine and just that huge scary.
Aspect of, of dealing with no's andghosting, and I truly think that
(05:38):
this transition is just not talkedabout enough because this season will
make or break you as a photographer.
Finding clients is so, so much easierwhen you are priced at a low rate.
The higher you go, the more you have towork to market to these ideal clients.
So I first leap into the luxurymarket about five years ago, and I
(06:00):
went from being all inclusive around700 to an a la carte structure
with my minimum spend around 1800.
I would book a client once everyother month or so, if I was lucky.
I had gone from shootinga few sessions a month to.
Barely photographinga few sessions a year.
(06:23):
And shout out to my friend Jessicaof Jessica Burge Photography.
She might be listening because Iremember her saying, Marie, I know
there are these moms out there whowould adore what you have to offer.
They just need to know you exist.
And this idea.
So, so true because oftentimes when wehit this low, we think there's something
(06:45):
wrong with our work or our brand.
And although this can be the case,oftentimes it's just a marketing issue.
We simply have to refine ourmessage and get it out there in
as many ways as possible so ithits as many people as possible.
So we really want you to know thatyou are not alone in this journey.
(07:07):
We have been there, gotten throughit, and are on the other side
to tell you that it is worth it.
Yes.
It's so worth it, you guys.
We've all been there.
No one starts out at thetop in the luxury market.
Every photographer you talk to has startedway down in the Giving away free session,
a hundred dollars sessions, and thenhas had to grow and learn from there.
(07:31):
So we've put together some key thingsto work on to get you to the other side.
Okay.
Let's dive in, shall we?
All right, so first we're gonna talka little bit about the mindset shift.
And Amber mentioned this earlier,but you definitely want to prepare
yourself for this lull becauseyou might be used to these.
Dopamine hits of getting newinquiries in your box, or people
(07:54):
signing the contract and booking,and that's not gonna happen, or it's
definitely not gonna happen as much.
So you wanna prepareyour mindset for that.
And I personally think back on this slowseason that I went through, and to me.
I see it as this golden period becauseI honed in on my brand and my work
(08:15):
and only created the work I wanted to.
I was essentially refining my brand andfeeling creatively inspired, and because
it wasn't booking, I had the time to focuson marketing to get those ideal clients
who wanted what I had to offer to find me.
Yes.
You have to view it as an opportunityfor growth and brand refinement and
(08:37):
making sure you're attracting the rightideal clients now, and not everyone.
Right.
The pool of potential clients willget smaller, and that's a good thing.
You will be the photographer for less and.
People.
I find that in my experience, youare usually not the photographer
for those Facebook group moms askingfor photographer recommendations.
(09:00):
Oftentimes those are based solelyon who is the cheapest, right?
And that's where you'll see allthese photographers post these
groups and they'll all havedecent to really beautiful work.
And once again, who is thecheapest is going to win.
And those clients are not for you.
my gosh, yes.
(09:21):
I stay far away fromthose Facebook groups.
That is not where myideal clients find me.
Yeah, so you wanna change your mindsetto allow space for the nos, because
you'll get more nos than you ever have.
And so it's importantto be prepared for them.
Those nos are making roomfor the best yeses out there.
(09:42):
And I mean that I absolutelylove the clients I work with now.
They value my work.
My process, my experience, myeye, basically everything that
I'm providing them, and that'sbecause they are my ideal client.
Yes, yes, yes.
You have to be okay with the no's.
But also I like to filter outpeople so I don't ever have to see
(10:06):
the no's and feel defeated or feellike, oh, is it personally me?
have to have a base amount on mywebsite so that certain people will
not even fill out my lead form andwill not even waste my time on a call
if I'm not in their, price range.
And that's okay because A, we don'twanna waste each other's time.
(10:27):
B, I don't wanna feel defeatedgetting on a call with someone
who isn't my ideal client.
So.
That's another tip is when you switch,especially when you switch price
points and people are not used to youhaving that price point, having like
a base minimum amount that peopletend to spend on the website can help
screen you from some of those no's.
(10:48):
Okay.
In the same vein, there areclients looking for more
expensive photographers, right?
So there are actually peoplegoing on websites and going,
oh, she's too cheap for me.
Believe it or not, there are peoplelooking for a more expensive,
more exclusive photographerbecause they like high-end things.
They like luxury, they likebeing exclusive, and they
(11:11):
don't trust or believe in.
The skills or talent of someonewho is really underpriced
and that makes sense, right?
If you buy something really expensive,you expect it to be really nice.
And so by repelling the budget clients.
You're Sometimes I find that photographersare so focused on what they're losing.
(11:34):
They're not focused onactually what they're gaining.
So you can repel the budget clients, butalso attract the more high-end luxury
clients that are looking for that.
I find that the higherI go and price point.
You guys, I actually have betterclient, not better, but like
clients that are more excited towork with me, they value me more.
(11:57):
They don't question me as much.
They ask for my advice.
They tell me, Amber,you tell me when to go.
You tell me what time,what to wear, where to go.
I trust you a hundred percent.
of course I want them to be part of theprocess, but it's really reassuring that
that's the type of clients that I get now.
That they trust me that muchand, and it makes things easy.
(12:20):
These are the type of clients whothey're motivated to put together
an amazing session with me.
They don't show up with one ofthe kids who forgot their shoes.
They're wearing mismatched socks.
I used to get sessions like that.
Where'd be like, oh,they'd show up and, and.
Maybe have black and red Nike shoeswith like a really nice outfit on their
kid and it just did not match becausethey didn't have time or they were late
(12:44):
to their session or you know, I hadreally great clients in every price
point, but I did find that in thisprice point, easier because people are.
More financially able to investin hair, makeup, all the outfit
pieces, they take it more seriously.
They're never late.
They don't, they don't question me.
(13:05):
So that's another piece of it too.
I think a lot of people are afraidto go into the next price bracket
because they think that the clientswill be mean or too hard on them,
but I found that to be opposite.
I just wanna jump in real fast,Amber, because you brought up
such good points, and I've heardthat from other photographers.
Like, I don't want to get into the luxurymarket because I'm worried that clients
(13:30):
will be mean or Not as down to earth, andthat cannot be farther from the truth.
They really, really do trust you moreand all the recommendations you provide.
They're investing a lotmore into the service.
They're investing a lot moreinto the photos, and so they
don't wanna get in their own way.
They wanna trust the professional.
(13:51):
Exactly.
Okay, so the next piece we're goingto dive into is website portfolio.
All right, so this is one of thosepractical things you can work on during
this lull, and you wanna put yourabsolute best work on your website.
What images.
Make your work unique.
If a potential client is going to landon your website, will they notice a
(14:13):
difference between your work and thework of other local photographers?
So it might be helpful to have some otherpeople look at some of your images too,
so you can get an outside perspective,but you really want to curate here.
And we're thinking quality over quantity.
So.
(14:34):
Again, you only want your best work.
A good rule of thumb is if thisimage was the only image shared of
my work, would it represent my brand?
Yes, I completely agree.
I like to be very selectiveabout the work that I show.
It is a hundred percent quality overquantity, and you only wanna show your
most wow worthy images on your website.
(14:57):
Delete.
Anything that you feel is average orsomething that doesn't truly represent
your best work, just delete it.
Less is more if you're showing on yourinvestment page, a picture at the top
where it's an awkward angle that'screating a double chin for your client.
Or one of the elements of thewardrobe is off, like I mentioned,
(15:21):
where I had a client show up ortheir kid's wearing a really cute.
Tux basically like this reallycute jacket and, and suit pants.
And then he was wearing Nikeshoes, like black and red.
They, it totally did not match.
I would not show that on my websitebecause it's, it's not gonna
represent what I want to recreateand have an a high end brand.
(15:42):
So another element that you want tocheck with your portfolio is that
the lighting is amazing in all of thephotos, if there's a photo where you have
half the background blown out, or thelighting just wasn't very flattering,
it was muddy, or whatever it is.
Take that off the website.
(16:03):
Another thing to checkis your composition.
Are you only showing photos that havereally beautiful composition, or are there
some photos on your website where maybeit just feels really imbalanced, like
there really could have been some morenegative space on the right, or you really
could have used some layering or depth.
Just delete it, and we're gonnatalk about what to do to replace
(16:26):
those images in a minute, but.
Instead, you're gonna wanna replacethose with images where you do have total
control and can get the exact imagesthat you want to show without worrying
about the deliverable to the client.
So, we're gonna talk aboutstyled shoots in just a minute.
Okay, so now let's focus on another way tomarket your business, and that's blogging.
(16:50):
We want to think of blogging in two ways.
We want to provide valuable resources.
To potential clients.
So they see us as a trusted professional,and we want to write blog posts
that people are actually searchingfor so people can discover us.
So first, you wanna createresource blog posts that will be
(17:14):
valuable to potential clients.
So, for example, you can writeabout the best playgrounds in the DC
area, or the best date night spots.
These appeal to local parents andcould very well begin ranking on
Google, bringing in more local trafficand local parents to your website.
And it's also helpful to write blogposts that are just good resources for
(17:36):
parents, like your favorite breastfeedingitems, how to travel with toddlers,
what to wear for photos, et cetera.
These not only help potentialclients see you as someone they
can trust, but you will also buildyour authority with Google because.
Posts like how to travel with toddlers.
Google will see that.
And although that post by itself mightnot rank because it might be a heavily
(18:02):
written post all over the internet,Google will see the relationship
between that post and the fact thatyou are a family photographer and you
have experience working with toddlers.
So those local posts that youwrite about best resources in the
area, those could begin ranking andbringing in new clients for you.
(18:24):
Yes, and I wanna emphasize it's reallyimportant to blog, but only blog things
that are going to move the needle with.
Keyword searches.
We don't have a lot of time to waste.
I definitely don't.
I know you don't either.
Marie, we're busy mamas.
Right?
And one thing I love to do is my favoritephotography locations in certain areas.
(18:46):
That way I know people aresearching for specific terms and,
Keyword phrases in those blogs.
that way if someone's searching SouthBay Maternity Photographer, the blog
post about my favorite locationsin South Bay are definitely going
to come up and rank high for that.
another thing I like to blogabout is educational content for.
(19:08):
Clients like what to wear for theirmaternity session, what to wear for their
family session, how to get their kidsto have genuine smiles at their session.
So these are things that peoplemight search for, and then you can
add in the keywords from there.
Yeah, and circling back on somethingyou said, I have three blog posts
(19:29):
that are all location based, since Iam based primarily out of Washington
DC but I also serve Maryland andNorthern Virginia, and so I have.
Best photo shoot locations in DC bestphoto shoot locations in Maryland.
Best photo shoot locations inNorthern Virginia, and all three
of those posts are ranking.
So that means all three of thoseposts are bringing in people to my
(19:50):
website and bringing me clients.
So there's a lot of value there.
Yes, exactly, and I, I tend totry to focus on the areas where I
know, because in California we havea ton of different cities, right?
I try to focus on the areas whereI know those are gonna be people
searching for end photographers.
(20:11):
So kind of the wealthier areas are goodto focus on too, with those blog posts.
Absolutely.
Blogging is definitely a piece of focuson, but something that I chose to pour
a ton of my energy into during theslow season was website optimization.
Now, what is website optimization?
That is basically.
(20:32):
Putting some key words in strategicplaces on your website to tell Google
that I am a family photographer andI want people in my area to find my
website when they Google, you know, DCFamily Photographer or San Francisco
family photographer, whatever.
And so.
(20:53):
What you need to do is I knew that Ineeded to increase the number of people
going to see my work on my website.
So I invested in SEO Educationto optimize my website.
So now I'm ranking for keywordslike DC newborn photographer,
Maryland newborn photographer,DC family photographer and more.
And what I love about Google is I feel asthough people who are searching on Google.
(21:19):
Are ready to buy.
Whereas on Instagram, someonecan stumble upon your work or get
distracted and jump somewhere else.
Google customers are ready to purchaseand I know Amber, you get a lot of
your clients from Instagram and it justmay be a difference in our clients.
So I definitely don'twant to diss Instagram.
So step one is to do keywordresearch, which is the task of
(21:43):
figuring out what exact wordsor phrases people are Googling.
And then once you find the most Googledword or phrase, sprinkling that in
on the page you want to rank for.
In a natural manner.
That is the overall gist of it, but youdefinitely dive into a lot more detail.
You'll wanna put that keyword in yourSEO title, your meta description,
(22:06):
your all text, and on the pageitself, and I should mention that.
I love using Uber suggestfor keyword research.
That's where you can type in a keywordthat you might think people are searching
for, and it will show you exactly howmany searches per month that keyword gets,
and it will also recommend some similarkeywords that might get more searches or
(22:31):
might not be as competitive to rank for.
So that's a very valuable tool.
That's so awesome.
You are amazing at SEOI am.
Terrible at it.
I definitely outsource this one, butI do think it is important in this
price point to not totally ignore it.
For a long time, I completely ignoredGoogle, SEO, all of that because I
(22:52):
get tons of inquiries via Instagram.
It's still 90% via Instagram forme, but I realize that if I need.
To find specific clients in thisprice point, I need to also make sure
I'm optimizing my SEO and workingon blog posts that move the needle.
So that's something that I havelearned from Marie as well.
For sure.
(23:13):
And that leads us into our nextcategory, and that is social media.
So you.
You wanna share post a social media toposition yourself as both a photographer
and a trusted resource for local moms.
Yes.
Okay, so I have some quick tips for youfor Instagram because like I said, that's
where most of my inquiries come from.
(23:35):
A lot of my clients tell me theyfound me on Instagram, but they've
been following me for years, sothey already have that trust factor.
That's something that I love aboutInstagram rather than someone who
Googled me and found me that day.
This is people who have.
Been alongside me for years,so they really know me.
okay, so here's a few tips, but wehave done an episode on this before
(23:57):
that you can go back and listen to.
And I'm also going to link in the shownotes, a full Instagram guide for you.
But one thing we wanna focus on fortoday during slow season is you want
to curate your Instagram intentionally.
Just like with your website, yourInstagram feed should only show the
type of work you want to be hired for.
If you don't wanna shoot for extendedfamilies or newborn or weddings,
(24:22):
then don't post those at all.
Curate it so that when a dream clientin your exact niche that you want lands
on your feed, then they see themselvesin your work post only your most scroll,
stopping images that reflect your idealclient and what she is looking for.
Another thing you can do is go backand find some camera rolls from your
(24:47):
past sessions behind the scenes thatyou took and create some more stories
or reels using those higher endclients aren't just buying the photos,
they're buying the whole experience.
So if you can show them what a sessionwith you looks like more often, then
they're gonna be more likely to feel likethey can trust to invest that much in
(25:07):
you and book you If you have clips of youstyling the client or fluffing their dress
or shooting, behind the scenes on thelocation, those little glimpses help them
understand why your work is different.
Another thing I do is using stories,so not just the posts in my feed,
but the actual stories I use that.
(25:30):
Probably way more often than I'veactually post, I'd say at least
six times a week I'm posting tostories, whereas with an actual.
Client post or styledshoot post in my feed.
That's really only every couple weeks now.
stories are where people get toknow you, so you can share tips.
(25:51):
Mom hacks.
Favorite local spots or something Ilike to do is reshare reels that I
think my ideal client would also enjoy.
I'm not gonna share.
Every reel of a funnycat video that I see.
But I will often share something thatrelates to being a mom or being a parent.
If it was something that actually reallymade me laugh and I think my clients would
(26:14):
enjoy it, I'll put that in my stories.
another thing you can do is showmore of your family and things
that you're up to in your stories.
I try to keep.
Any personal images or videos outof my feed personally, because
I do feel like a luxury brand.
shouldn't have any iPhonephotos as like the cover photo.
So anything that's like, oh, my firstday of school with my kid that's gonna
(26:38):
go in, my story is not in my feed.
That type of thing.
So posts are more selective stories.
There's more freedom to showwho you are as a person.
Another thing that you can do is, likewe said, for blog posts, you can that
same thing but for your Instagram.
So educational content, thinkingabout what your dream client is
(26:58):
Googling or asking their friends foradvice on what do we wear, where's
the best locations for a photo shoot,um, how do I get my kids to behave?
types of things.
You can be a helpful expert,not just another photographer.
Consistency matters more than volume,so you don't need to post every day,
(27:18):
but you do need, do, need to show upconsistently with content, not just ghost
your, your Instagram for months at a time.
So whatever's sustainable for you.
like I said, I'm on my storiesquite a bit per week, but I am only
posting, once every week or everycouple weeks to my actual feed.
(27:39):
you'd like more of these tips,you can download that guide below.
Those are so great.
Amber, you are the queen of Instagram.
I definitely love sharing, youknow, personal content in my
stories and I find that is agreat way to connect with clients.
I'll often share about, I don'tknow, Europe or Jane Austen
(28:01):
or you know, stuff like that.
And I've found potential clients that way.
Potential clients will reach out tome and say that they've seen, that
I've shared a lot about X, Y, Z, and.
They love me for that.
So it is a great way toconnect with clients.
Alright, moving on.
So another thing you can do duringa slow time are styled sessions.
(28:24):
This is the most fun part of slow season.
You get to create your dream work.
Nowadays.
There are all these styled shootevents where you can go and get three
to four sessions worth of content.
That's super helpful in establishinga consistent brand and getting content
that you can share With that said, Idefinitely recommend planning and styling
(28:46):
at least one of your own style shootsbecause you want your work to stand
out to potential clients, so you don'twant someone to land on your website
and see images from the same sessionthat another local photographer was at.
Because one, you're not gonnastand out and two potential
clients are likely going to go withwhoever's cheaper in that scenario.
(29:07):
So , those Styler events, they're so fun.
It's a great way to meet peopleand you will get beautiful
content that you should share.
I'm just suggesting that you want tocreate your own style session as well.
Yes, definitely.
There's pros and cons to doing both.
I think creating your own styledshoots allows you to develop your brand
(29:29):
and your specific voice really well.
But going to those retreats cansometimes be great, especially for
people who haven't really fleshedout their brand and exactly.
Inspires them quite yet.
So I highly recommend kind of doing a mixof both doing your own styled shoots that
are unique, but also if you do a retreator a content day, try traveling to one
(29:55):
in another location if you can afford it.
That way you're not getting just likeall the same thing that the local
people are doing and having thatsame portfolio as everybody else.
In your area, like Maurice said, Iabsolutely love styled shoots as well.
I'd say that's the jam thatI, I just love styled shoots.
It's part of what makes me an artist.
(30:18):
I've always been an artistsince, you know, kindergarten.
That's what I put that I wanted to do.
So it's something that reallyhelps me keep up my inspiration
and continue to develop my brand.
So I highly recommend right now use.
Sit down and make a plan for at leasttwo to three styled shoots this year.
Think about different seasons that youcan plan them for and make sure they feel
(30:41):
completely aligned and unique to you.
This will really boost your luxurybookings when you create shoots
that attract a high-end client withwell thought out outfits, locations.
And models who are photogenic and easyto work with in front of the camera with
their hair, nicely done with professionalhair and makeup, that helps too.
(31:05):
Adding florals can also be a really greatboost for an elevated aesthetic as well.
, Certain things that.
People in a, in a higher price pointare looking at and going, oh wow.
That is the whole packagethat screams luxury to me.
That's something that youwill definitely be worth your
(31:26):
time and energy to invest in.
For sure, and as Amber said,like both Amber and I still do
styled shoots yearly because itis just a great creative exercise.
We're constantly wanting topush our creativity and also.
Constantly want to refine ourbrand and they're just fun.
(31:47):
So when you're doing these styled chewsduring the slow season, we totally
understand that finances will belimited when you're not booking clients.
So you don't need to plan these elaboratesessions for each styled session you do.
I would recommend investing inwardrobe, hair, and makeup, and
possibly florals or location permitfor at least one style shoot.
(32:10):
But you can still get refined.
True to brand and unique images byworking in locations that don't have
a permit fee or using wardrobe you ora model might already have, or putting
some pieces together or just investingin a new wardrobe piece for a session and
opting out of florals or new location.
(32:30):
So style sessions.
So many benefits.
, There's portfolio refinement.
You get fresh content to share on socialmedia, and it just makes your brand more
and more clear to potential clients.
Definitely and some other waysyou can, save some money is by.
(32:50):
Contacting professional models, butthey also are gonna do it for free.
So maybe not working with people whocharge per hour for it, but someone
who's really interested in gettingfree images in exchange for their time.
, And then you can also reach out tohair and makeup people and say, okay,
this person, she's a model, so you'llget the images you want for your feed.
(33:14):
Would you be willing to,know, donate your time?
To the hair and makeup,so that saves you money.
You're not having to pay for the hair andmakeup, and that person gets the images
that they want for their website as well.
, You could rent the dress insteadof buying a dress, you could.
Buy a dress and return it if you'reonly using it once and not getting
(33:36):
it dirty if you really need to,there are ways you can work with it.
You can even find florists who arejust starting out and they, they
want some portfolio images too, soyou can take some images of their
bouquets or their head pieces forthem and, get free florals as well.
I've done that before.
Yeah, you shared a great piece of advicethere, Amber, and that was like reach
(34:01):
out to other vendors, whether it'sa florist, hair, makeup artist model
who are at the , same point in theirbusiness is where you are in yours.
Because someone who is a highlyestablished luxury hair and makeup
artist is not going to do a styleshoot for free or little charge.
They are going to charge their full rate.
(34:22):
But if you're reaching out to peoplewho are just getting started or
trying to elevate their business likeyou, you could very well establish
a wonderful relationship with thesevendors that you can go back to
and use when you are getting thoseconsistent clients in for booking.
Yeah, I've even done more expensiveflorals, offered to do a free
(34:48):
branding session for a florist.
So like you set up theseamazing florals and I will do
some branding photos for you.
So there are workarounds thatwill help you save on that
when you're in slow season.
For sure.
The next little bit we're goingto touch on really quickly
is repurposing your content.
So once you get the ideas for your blogposts, you can change them into Instagram,
(35:14):
carousels reels, or Pinterest graphicsto extend the life of each content.
Yeah, there is no needto reinvent the wheel.
So what you share to your blog,you share as an Instagram post.
You share as an Instagram story.
You share as an Instagramreel, you pin to Pinterest.
So one piece of content can go a long way.
(35:37):
All right, now on to strengtheningclient relationships.
So we want to nurture past clients.
This is a great time to reach outto these past clients and share how
you revamped your business and theexperience clients are gonna receive.
Share how excited you are about thisnew experience and how excited you
(35:58):
are to work with these past clientsagain, then give them an action step.
Tell them it's time to booktheir next session so you can
build off that excitement.
You can also reach out to pastclients and ask for Google reviews,
and these reviews will go into theGoogle Business page, which will help
(36:19):
your business get found on Google.
And you could also repurpose these reviewsinto testimonials for your website.
So the most powerful and best reviewsyou get, just use those on your
website because that is social trust.
So when potential clients are going toyour website and seeing what these former
(36:40):
clients of yours are saying about yourimages and the experience working with
you and how you made them feel, it's goingto get them to get on board a lot easier.
Lastly, it is such a good timeto invest in your education.
Use the slow season for continuedlearning, like workshops, online
courses, mentorship, coaching programs.
(37:02):
Believe me, everything that I've everdone education wise, I've gotten back.
and I know that my studentsin my courses have gotten back
their investment a hundred fold.
So this is a great time toinvest in things like that.
And make sure you commit to finishing it.
Take the notes, do all the things,go out and practice the things that
(37:23):
you learned and implement them.
Yeah, when I was in the slow season,I took a moment to look at my business
from a very objective perspective,so I wanted to see where I was.
Then where I wanted to be,and then what were the holes?
What were the gaps?
Like, why wasn't I there yet?
And so for me, during thattransition, it was my marketing.
(37:44):
I simply wasn't getting enough peopleto my website and my social media.
So I invested in educationto help patch those holes.
I learned SEO so I could getmore people to my website so I
could get more people to book me.
The last thing you could do isupdate your workflows, make sure
things are more automated, morestreamlined in your business.
(38:07):
Use client guides.
So if you're someone who's stillsending requests for a Venmo, or
you're still sending them informationvia email, like a Gmail template.
some guides, templates that youcan make in Canva, make things look
really beautiful, really luxurious.
This is the type of thing that luxuryclients definitely expect, when you're
(38:29):
giving them the whole client experience.
Alright, we went over so much duringtoday's episode, so here are some quick
tips that you can implement right waythat sums up everything we went into.
So number one.
Update your homepage with threeto five of your strongest images.
(38:51):
Number two, write one blog postthis week on a local resource
and share it on Instagram.
Number three, plan one styledsession in the next month.
Number four, research and add one newkeyword phrase to your website copy.
And number five, reach out to three pastclients with a genuine check-in email.
(39:15):
Another thing I want you todo really quick today is.
Mute the local competition ifthey make you feel anxious and
scared about raising your prices.
So like that person I talked aboutat the beginning of the episode,
she was so talented, been doing thisfor 10 years, tons of weddings and
clients and all the things, and shewas still only charging four 50 a
(39:39):
session and that's just not profitable.
And she was gonna wearherself out eventually.
So.
I wish someone had told me, just mute her.
Ignore her.
Do not focus on people who are bringingyour prices down, because really,
truly, it does not matter if you'vegot the messaging, the marketing,
(39:59):
and the brand presence that you need.
as a reminder, raising pricesis a natural growth step.
Trust the process.
Use the slow season as aninvestment season, not as a setback.
The clients who value you will come.
Yeah.
Remember, slow seasons are not setbacks.
(40:22):
They're truly opportunities.
So use this time to refine yourbrand, connect with your clients, and
create work that you genuinely love.
And don't forget, theright clients will come.
Raising your prices is part of steppinginto the business and lifestyle you want.
We've been there and are cheeringyou on every step of the way.
(40:44):
Thanks so much for joining us on thisepisode of Luxe and Legacy Podcast.
If you found this helpful, shareit with a fellow photographer and
don't forget to subscribe so youdon't miss the future episodes.
Until next time, keep building your dreambusiness to support the life you love.
Okay, welcome back to the Luxe andLegacy Podcast where we talk all
things photography, business, andbuilding a brand that is true to you.
And last, I'm Marie ofMarie Elizabeth Photography.
And I'm Amber of Light Livin Photography.
We're so glad you're here with us today.
If you've ever raised your pricesand then panicked when inquiries
(00:25):
slowed down, this episode is for you.
Yep.
We have both been there, raised ourprices, felt proud of taking that step,
and then hit that scary slow season.
So today we're going toshare our own stories.
Talk about what we learned throughthose seasons and some practical
steps you can do right now to keepmomentum going and move the needle
(00:49):
and prepare for long-term success.
When I first thought aboutraising my prices, I was honestly
terrified to go over $400.
That was kind of my threshold Peoplewould DM me saying, you're undercharging.
You should be at least double that, ifnot more all the time I was getting these
messages from other photographers, but Ididn't believe them, at that point I was
(01:13):
already about three years into my businessand the other photographers who I admired.
So there were these photographersencouraging me to grow, but then
there were other photographers whoI was looking at in comparison.
I'm getting into that competition modein my brain and looking at how talented
they were and how amazing they were, howmany years they've been in business and.
(01:36):
They were still only charging 400, 4 50per session and taking on tons of shoots.
I'm talking like 10 shoots a week, nottaking breaks, not taking vacations.
Just people who were very, very.
Extroverted, and I guess they'reable to do that, but I knew that
(01:57):
there was no way I could physicallyhandle that kind of workload for me.
I'm also an introvert, so I also knewI didn't want that lifestyle ever, and
I knew that would drain me in the end.
And back then photography wasstill a side hustle for me.
I was still working full-time as aninterpreter, so undercharging didn't
feel like it mattered too much to me.
(02:20):
And looking back, I realized thatI had put myself in a bubble.
The people in my circle were onlyever willing to pay maybe up to $500
a session, and I didn't realize therewas an entire world of clients actively
looking for a higher priced photographer.
I finally raised my rates.
Things got quiet, inquiryslowed, and that was scary.
(02:44):
But what eventually happened is that Istarted attracting the right clients,
the ones who valued my work andthe experience that I was creating.
And that shift showed me I didn't needmore sessions, I needed the right ones.
And here's the thing, you guys,that lull happens every time you
move into a new pricing bracket.
When I went from.
(03:05):
400 to 700 that happened.
But also it happened when I went from 800and I jumped all the way into 1400 plus.
So when I made the jump from allinclusive to adding in artwork, I.
minimum became 1400 instead of 800,then there also wasn't a cap, so they
(03:25):
could actually spend thousands withme, and those packages often led to
clients spending thousands with me.
the same thing happened and it feltlike starting over with each new time
I jumped into a new pricing bracket.
And it, it felt like creating a wholenew clientele, and that's something that
I eventually had to just be okay withand letting go past clients who, yes, I
(03:51):
loved, but they no longer were going to.
Continue on in the next pricingbracket, and I had to be okay with
letting someone else serve them inthe price that they wanted to be in,
but that didn't need to hold me backfrom making the financial goals and
the profit that I needed to make.
(04:12):
To keep this business going longterm and feel well as a mom and in
my health and all of that good stuff.
And that makes sense, right?
Because the person who budget shops fora purse or whatever it is at Walmart,
target is not the same person who.
To stroll into designers storesand invest in an expensive
(04:33):
handbag that they'll treasure foryears, and that is totally okay.
So we don't need to take it personallywhen it's really just a different type
of client, a different person thatyou're going to be attracting into your
business, and you have to be okay withletting go someone who maybe isn't the
best fit for where you're at currently.
(04:54):
The best thing you cando is prepare for a lull.
When you make a big jump into thenext pricing bracket, I recommend
actually saving up for the transitionso that you can have time to
buckle down on your mindset, yourmarketing and your messaging.
Because you guys, the sooner you jumpinto that new pool of clients, the sooner
(05:15):
you'll start getting referrals from theirfriends who are also in that same bracket.
'cause it is a, a cycle that goes on.
Yes, yes to all of that.
Amber.
your story is very, very similarto mine and just that huge scary.
Aspect of, of dealing with no's andghosting, and I truly think that
(05:38):
this transition is just not talkedabout enough because this season will
make or break you as a photographer.
Finding clients is so, so much easierwhen you are priced at a low rate.
The higher you go, the more you have towork to market to these ideal clients.
So I first leap into the luxurymarket about five years ago, and I
(06:00):
went from being all inclusive around700 to an a la carte structure
with my minimum spend around 1800.
I would book a client once everyother month or so, if I was lucky.
I had gone from shootinga few sessions a month to.
Barely photographinga few sessions a year.
(06:23):
And shout out to my friend Jessicaof Jessica Burge Photography.
She might be listening because Iremember her saying, Marie, I know
there are these moms out there whowould adore what you have to offer.
They just need to know you exist.
And this idea.
So, so true because oftentimes when wehit this low, we think there's something
(06:45):
wrong with our work or our brand.
And although this can be the case,oftentimes it's just a marketing issue.
We simply have to refine ourmessage and get it out there in
as many ways as possible so ithits as many people as possible.
So we really want you to know thatyou are not alone in this journey.
(07:07):
We have been there, gotten throughit, and are on the other side
to tell you that it is worth it.
Yes.
It's so worth it, you guys.
We've all been there.
No one starts out at thetop in the luxury market.
Every photographer you talk to has startedway down in the Giving away free session,
a hundred dollars sessions, and thenhas had to grow and learn from there.
(07:31):
So we've put together some key thingsto work on to get you to the other side.
Okay.
Let's dive in, shall we?
All right, so first we're gonna talka little bit about the mindset shift.
And Amber mentioned this earlier,but you definitely want to prepare
yourself for this lull becauseyou might be used to these.
Dopamine hits of getting newinquiries in your box, or people
(07:54):
signing the contract and booking,and that's not gonna happen, or it's
definitely not gonna happen as much.
So you wanna prepareyour mindset for that.
And I personally think back on this slowseason that I went through, and to me.
I see it as this golden period becauseI honed in on my brand and my work
(08:15):
and only created the work I wanted to.
I was essentially refining my brand andfeeling creatively inspired, and because
it wasn't booking, I had the time to focuson marketing to get those ideal clients
who wanted what I had to offer to find me.
Yes.
You have to view it as an opportunityfor growth and brand refinement and
(08:37):
making sure you're attracting the rightideal clients now, and not everyone.
Right.
The pool of potential clients willget smaller, and that's a good thing.
You will be the photographer for less and.
People.
I find that in my experience, youare usually not the photographer
for those Facebook group moms askingfor photographer recommendations.
(09:00):
Oftentimes those are based solelyon who is the cheapest, right?
And that's where you'll see allthese photographers post these
groups and they'll all havedecent to really beautiful work.
And once again, who is thecheapest is going to win.
And those clients are not for you.
my gosh, yes.
(09:21):
I stay far away fromthose Facebook groups.
That is not where myideal clients find me.
Yeah, so you wanna change your mindsetto allow space for the nos, because
you'll get more nos than you ever have.
And so it's importantto be prepared for them.
Those nos are making roomfor the best yeses out there.
(09:42):
And I mean that I absolutelylove the clients I work with now.
They value my work.
My process, my experience, myeye, basically everything that
I'm providing them, and that'sbecause they are my ideal client.
Yes, yes, yes.
You have to be okay with the no's.
But also I like to filter outpeople so I don't ever have to see
(10:06):
the no's and feel defeated or feellike, oh, is it personally me?
have to have a base amount on mywebsite so that certain people will
not even fill out my lead form andwill not even waste my time on a call
if I'm not in their, price range.
And that's okay because A, we don'twanna waste each other's time.
(10:27):
B, I don't wanna feel defeatedgetting on a call with someone
who isn't my ideal client.
So.
That's another tip is when you switch,especially when you switch price
points and people are not used to youhaving that price point, having like
a base minimum amount that peopletend to spend on the website can help
screen you from some of those no's.
(10:48):
Okay.
In the same vein, there areclients looking for more
expensive photographers, right?
So there are actually peoplegoing on websites and going,
oh, she's too cheap for me.
Believe it or not, there are peoplelooking for a more expensive,
more exclusive photographerbecause they like high-end things.
They like luxury, they likebeing exclusive, and they
(11:11):
don't trust or believe in.
The skills or talent of someonewho is really underpriced
and that makes sense, right?
If you buy something really expensive,you expect it to be really nice.
And so by repelling the budget clients.
You're Sometimes I find that photographersare so focused on what they're losing.
(11:34):
They're not focused onactually what they're gaining.
So you can repel the budget clients, butalso attract the more high-end luxury
clients that are looking for that.
I find that the higherI go and price point.
You guys, I actually have betterclient, not better, but like
clients that are more excited towork with me, they value me more.
(11:57):
They don't question me as much.
They ask for my advice.
They tell me, Amber,you tell me when to go.
You tell me what time,what to wear, where to go.
I trust you a hundred percent.
of course I want them to be part of theprocess, but it's really reassuring that
that's the type of clients that I get now.
That they trust me that muchand, and it makes things easy.
(12:20):
These are the type of clients whothey're motivated to put together
an amazing session with me.
They don't show up with one ofthe kids who forgot their shoes.
They're wearing mismatched socks.
I used to get sessions like that.
Where'd be like, oh,they'd show up and, and.
Maybe have black and red Nike shoeswith like a really nice outfit on their
kid and it just did not match becausethey didn't have time or they were late
(12:44):
to their session or you know, I hadreally great clients in every price
point, but I did find that in thisprice point, easier because people are.
More financially able to investin hair, makeup, all the outfit
pieces, they take it more seriously.
They're never late.
They don't, they don't question me.
(13:05):
So that's another piece of it too.
I think a lot of people are afraidto go into the next price bracket
because they think that the clientswill be mean or too hard on them,
but I found that to be opposite.
I just wanna jump in real fast,Amber, because you brought up
such good points, and I've heardthat from other photographers.
Like, I don't want to get into the luxurymarket because I'm worried that clients
(13:30):
will be mean or Not as down to earth, andthat cannot be farther from the truth.
They really, really do trust you moreand all the recommendations you provide.
They're investing a lotmore into the service.
They're investing a lot moreinto the photos, and so they
don't wanna get in their own way.
They wanna trust the professional.
(13:51):
Exactly.
Okay, so the next piece we're goingto dive into is website portfolio.
All right, so this is one of thosepractical things you can work on during
this lull, and you wanna put yourabsolute best work on your website.
What images.
Make your work unique.
If a potential client is going to landon your website, will they notice a
(14:13):
difference between your work and thework of other local photographers?
So it might be helpful to have some otherpeople look at some of your images too,
so you can get an outside perspective,but you really want to curate here.
And we're thinking quality over quantity.
So.
(14:34):
Again, you only want your best work.
A good rule of thumb is if thisimage was the only image shared of
my work, would it represent my brand?
Yes, I completely agree.
I like to be very selectiveabout the work that I show.
It is a hundred percent quality overquantity, and you only wanna show your
most wow worthy images on your website.
(14:57):
Delete.
Anything that you feel is average orsomething that doesn't truly represent
your best work, just delete it.
Less is more if you're showing on yourinvestment page, a picture at the top
where it's an awkward angle that'screating a double chin for your client.
Or one of the elements of thewardrobe is off, like I mentioned,
(15:21):
where I had a client show up ortheir kid's wearing a really cute.
Tux basically like this reallycute jacket and, and suit pants.
And then he was wearing Nikeshoes, like black and red.
They, it totally did not match.
I would not show that on my websitebecause it's, it's not gonna
represent what I want to recreateand have an a high end brand.
(15:42):
So another element that you want tocheck with your portfolio is that
the lighting is amazing in all of thephotos, if there's a photo where you have
half the background blown out, or thelighting just wasn't very flattering,
it was muddy, or whatever it is.
Take that off the website.
(16:03):
Another thing to checkis your composition.
Are you only showing photos that havereally beautiful composition, or are there
some photos on your website where maybeit just feels really imbalanced, like
there really could have been some morenegative space on the right, or you really
could have used some layering or depth.
Just delete it, and we're gonnatalk about what to do to replace
(16:26):
those images in a minute, but.
Instead, you're gonna wanna replacethose with images where you do have total
control and can get the exact imagesthat you want to show without worrying
about the deliverable to the client.
So, we're gonna talk aboutstyled shoots in just a minute.
Okay, so now let's focus on another way tomarket your business, and that's blogging.
(16:50):
We want to think of blogging in two ways.
We want to provide valuable resources.
To potential clients.
So they see us as a trusted professional,and we want to write blog posts
that people are actually searchingfor so people can discover us.
So first, you wanna createresource blog posts that will be
(17:14):
valuable to potential clients.
So, for example, you can writeabout the best playgrounds in the DC
area, or the best date night spots.
These appeal to local parents andcould very well begin ranking on
Google, bringing in more local trafficand local parents to your website.
And it's also helpful to write blogposts that are just good resources for
(17:36):
parents, like your favorite breastfeedingitems, how to travel with toddlers,
what to wear for photos, et cetera.
These not only help potentialclients see you as someone they
can trust, but you will also buildyour authority with Google because.
Posts like how to travel with toddlers.
Google will see that.
And although that post by itself mightnot rank because it might be a heavily
(18:02):
written post all over the internet,Google will see the relationship
between that post and the fact thatyou are a family photographer and you
have experience working with toddlers.
So those local posts that youwrite about best resources in the
area, those could begin ranking andbringing in new clients for you.
(18:24):
Yes, and I wanna emphasize it's reallyimportant to blog, but only blog things
that are going to move the needle with.
Keyword searches.
We don't have a lot of time to waste.
I definitely don't.
I know you don't either.
Marie, we're busy mamas.
Right?
And one thing I love to do is my favoritephotography locations in certain areas.
(18:46):
That way I know people aresearching for specific terms and,
Keyword phrases in those blogs.
that way if someone's searching SouthBay Maternity Photographer, the blog
post about my favorite locationsin South Bay are definitely going
to come up and rank high for that.
another thing I like to blogabout is educational content for.
(19:08):
Clients like what to wear for theirmaternity session, what to wear for their
family session, how to get their kidsto have genuine smiles at their session.
So these are things that peoplemight search for, and then you can
add in the keywords from there.
Yeah, and circling back on somethingyou said, I have three blog posts
(19:29):
that are all location based, since Iam based primarily out of Washington
DC but I also serve Maryland andNorthern Virginia, and so I have.
Best photo shoot locations in DC bestphoto shoot locations in Maryland.
Best photo shoot locations inNorthern Virginia, and all three
of those posts are ranking.
So that means all three of thoseposts are bringing in people to my
(19:50):
website and bringing me clients.
So there's a lot of value there.
Yes, exactly, and I, I tend totry to focus on the areas where I
know, because in California we havea ton of different cities, right?
I try to focus on the areas whereI know those are gonna be people
searching for end photographers.
(20:11):
So kind of the wealthier areas are goodto focus on too, with those blog posts.
Absolutely.
Blogging is definitely a piece of focuson, but something that I chose to pour
a ton of my energy into during theslow season was website optimization.
Now, what is website optimization?
That is basically.
(20:32):
Putting some key words in strategicplaces on your website to tell Google
that I am a family photographer andI want people in my area to find my
website when they Google, you know, DCFamily Photographer or San Francisco
family photographer, whatever.
And so.
(20:53):
What you need to do is I knew that Ineeded to increase the number of people
going to see my work on my website.
So I invested in SEO Educationto optimize my website.
So now I'm ranking for keywordslike DC newborn photographer,
Maryland newborn photographer,DC family photographer and more.
And what I love about Google is I feel asthough people who are searching on Google.
(21:19):
Are ready to buy.
Whereas on Instagram, someonecan stumble upon your work or get
distracted and jump somewhere else.
Google customers are ready to purchaseand I know Amber, you get a lot of
your clients from Instagram and it justmay be a difference in our clients.
So I definitely don'twant to diss Instagram.
So step one is to do keywordresearch, which is the task of
(21:43):
figuring out what exact wordsor phrases people are Googling.
And then once you find the most Googledword or phrase, sprinkling that in
on the page you want to rank for.
In a natural manner.
That is the overall gist of it, but youdefinitely dive into a lot more detail.
You'll wanna put that keyword in yourSEO title, your meta description,
(22:06):
your all text, and on the pageitself, and I should mention that.
I love using Uber suggestfor keyword research.
That's where you can type in a keywordthat you might think people are searching
for, and it will show you exactly howmany searches per month that keyword gets,
and it will also recommend some similarkeywords that might get more searches or
(22:31):
might not be as competitive to rank for.
So that's a very valuable tool.
That's so awesome.
You are amazing at SEOI am.
Terrible at it.
I definitely outsource this one, butI do think it is important in this
price point to not totally ignore it.
For a long time, I completely ignoredGoogle, SEO, all of that because I
(22:52):
get tons of inquiries via Instagram.
It's still 90% via Instagram forme, but I realize that if I need.
To find specific clients in thisprice point, I need to also make sure
I'm optimizing my SEO and workingon blog posts that move the needle.
So that's something that I havelearned from Marie as well.
For sure.
(23:13):
And that leads us into our nextcategory, and that is social media.
So you.
You wanna share post a social media toposition yourself as both a photographer
and a trusted resource for local moms.
Yes.
Okay, so I have some quick tips for youfor Instagram because like I said, that's
where most of my inquiries come from.
(23:35):
A lot of my clients tell me theyfound me on Instagram, but they've
been following me for years, sothey already have that trust factor.
That's something that I love aboutInstagram rather than someone who
Googled me and found me that day.
This is people who have.
Been alongside me for years,so they really know me.
okay, so here's a few tips, but wehave done an episode on this before
(23:57):
that you can go back and listen to.
And I'm also going to link in the shownotes, a full Instagram guide for you.
But one thing we wanna focus on fortoday during slow season is you want
to curate your Instagram intentionally.
Just like with your website, yourInstagram feed should only show the
type of work you want to be hired for.
If you don't wanna shoot for extendedfamilies or newborn or weddings,
(24:22):
then don't post those at all.
Curate it so that when a dream clientin your exact niche that you want lands
on your feed, then they see themselvesin your work post only your most scroll,
stopping images that reflect your idealclient and what she is looking for.
Another thing you can do is go backand find some camera rolls from your
(24:47):
past sessions behind the scenes thatyou took and create some more stories
or reels using those higher endclients aren't just buying the photos,
they're buying the whole experience.
So if you can show them what a sessionwith you looks like more often, then
they're gonna be more likely to feel likethey can trust to invest that much in
(25:07):
you and book you If you have clips of youstyling the client or fluffing their dress
or shooting, behind the scenes on thelocation, those little glimpses help them
understand why your work is different.
Another thing I do is using stories,so not just the posts in my feed,
but the actual stories I use that.
(25:30):
Probably way more often than I'veactually post, I'd say at least
six times a week I'm posting tostories, whereas with an actual.
Client post or styledshoot post in my feed.
That's really only every couple weeks now.
stories are where people get toknow you, so you can share tips.
(25:51):
Mom hacks.
Favorite local spots or something Ilike to do is reshare reels that I
think my ideal client would also enjoy.
I'm not gonna share.
Every reel of a funnycat video that I see.
But I will often share something thatrelates to being a mom or being a parent.
If it was something that actually reallymade me laugh and I think my clients would
(26:14):
enjoy it, I'll put that in my stories.
another thing you can do is showmore of your family and things
that you're up to in your stories.
I try to keep.
Any personal images or videos outof my feed personally, because
I do feel like a luxury brand.
shouldn't have any iPhonephotos as like the cover photo.
So anything that's like, oh, my firstday of school with my kid that's gonna
(26:38):
go in, my story is not in my feed.
That type of thing.
So posts are more selective stories.
There's more freedom to showwho you are as a person.
Another thing that you can do is, likewe said, for blog posts, you can that
same thing but for your Instagram.
So educational content, thinkingabout what your dream client is
(26:58):
Googling or asking their friends foradvice on what do we wear, where's
the best locations for a photo shoot,um, how do I get my kids to behave?
types of things.
You can be a helpful expert,not just another photographer.
Consistency matters more than volume,so you don't need to post every day,
(27:18):
but you do need, do, need to show upconsistently with content, not just ghost
your, your Instagram for months at a time.
So whatever's sustainable for you.
like I said, I'm on my storiesquite a bit per week, but I am only
posting, once every week or everycouple weeks to my actual feed.
(27:39):
you'd like more of these tips,you can download that guide below.
Those are so great.
Amber, you are the queen of Instagram.
I definitely love sharing, youknow, personal content in my
stories and I find that is agreat way to connect with clients.
I'll often share about, I don'tknow, Europe or Jane Austen
(28:01):
or you know, stuff like that.
And I've found potential clients that way.
Potential clients will reach out tome and say that they've seen, that
I've shared a lot about X, Y, Z, and.
They love me for that.
So it is a great way toconnect with clients.
Alright, moving on.
So another thing you can do duringa slow time are styled sessions.
(28:24):
This is the most fun part of slow season.
You get to create your dream work.
Nowadays.
There are all these styled shootevents where you can go and get three
to four sessions worth of content.
That's super helpful in establishinga consistent brand and getting content
that you can share With that said, Idefinitely recommend planning and styling
(28:46):
at least one of your own style shootsbecause you want your work to stand
out to potential clients, so you don'twant someone to land on your website
and see images from the same sessionthat another local photographer was at.
Because one, you're not gonnastand out and two potential
clients are likely going to go withwhoever's cheaper in that scenario.
(29:07):
So , those Styler events, they're so fun.
It's a great way to meet peopleand you will get beautiful
content that you should share.
I'm just suggesting that you want tocreate your own style session as well.
Yes, definitely.
There's pros and cons to doing both.
I think creating your own styledshoots allows you to develop your brand
(29:29):
and your specific voice really well.
But going to those retreats cansometimes be great, especially for
people who haven't really fleshedout their brand and exactly.
Inspires them quite yet.
So I highly recommend kind of doing a mixof both doing your own styled shoots that
are unique, but also if you do a retreator a content day, try traveling to one
(29:55):
in another location if you can afford it.
That way you're not getting just likeall the same thing that the local
people are doing and having thatsame portfolio as everybody else.
In your area, like Maurice said, Iabsolutely love styled shoots as well.
I'd say that's the jam thatI, I just love styled shoots.
It's part of what makes me an artist.
(30:18):
I've always been an artistsince, you know, kindergarten.
That's what I put that I wanted to do.
So it's something that reallyhelps me keep up my inspiration
and continue to develop my brand.
So I highly recommend right now use.
Sit down and make a plan for at leasttwo to three styled shoots this year.
Think about different seasons that youcan plan them for and make sure they feel
(30:41):
completely aligned and unique to you.
This will really boost your luxurybookings when you create shoots
that attract a high-end client withwell thought out outfits, locations.
And models who are photogenic and easyto work with in front of the camera with
their hair, nicely done with professionalhair and makeup, that helps too.
(31:05):
Adding florals can also be a really greatboost for an elevated aesthetic as well.
, Certain things that.
People in a, in a higher price pointare looking at and going, oh wow.
That is the whole packagethat screams luxury to me.
That's something that youwill definitely be worth your
(31:26):
time and energy to invest in.
For sure, and as Amber said,like both Amber and I still do
styled shoots yearly because itis just a great creative exercise.
We're constantly wanting topush our creativity and also.
Constantly want to refine ourbrand and they're just fun.
(31:47):
So when you're doing these styled chewsduring the slow season, we totally
understand that finances will belimited when you're not booking clients.
So you don't need to plan these elaboratesessions for each styled session you do.
I would recommend investing inwardrobe, hair, and makeup, and
possibly florals or location permitfor at least one style shoot.
(32:10):
But you can still get refined.
True to brand and unique images byworking in locations that don't have
a permit fee or using wardrobe you ora model might already have, or putting
some pieces together or just investingin a new wardrobe piece for a session and
opting out of florals or new location.
(32:30):
So style sessions.
So many benefits.
, There's portfolio refinement.
You get fresh content to share on socialmedia, and it just makes your brand more
and more clear to potential clients.
Definitely and some other waysyou can, save some money is by.
(32:50):
Contacting professional models, butthey also are gonna do it for free.
So maybe not working with people whocharge per hour for it, but someone
who's really interested in gettingfree images in exchange for their time.
, And then you can also reach out tohair and makeup people and say, okay,
this person, she's a model, so you'llget the images you want for your feed.
(33:14):
Would you be willing to,know, donate your time?
To the hair and makeup,so that saves you money.
You're not having to pay for the hair andmakeup, and that person gets the images
that they want for their website as well.
, You could rent the dress insteadof buying a dress, you could.
Buy a dress and return it if you'reonly using it once and not getting
(33:36):
it dirty if you really need to,there are ways you can work with it.
You can even find florists who arejust starting out and they, they
want some portfolio images too, soyou can take some images of their
bouquets or their head pieces forthem and, get free florals as well.
I've done that before.
Yeah, you shared a great piece of advicethere, Amber, and that was like reach
(34:01):
out to other vendors, whether it'sa florist, hair, makeup artist model
who are at the , same point in theirbusiness is where you are in yours.
Because someone who is a highlyestablished luxury hair and makeup
artist is not going to do a styleshoot for free or little charge.
They are going to charge their full rate.
(34:22):
But if you're reaching out to peoplewho are just getting started or
trying to elevate their business likeyou, you could very well establish
a wonderful relationship with thesevendors that you can go back to
and use when you are getting thoseconsistent clients in for booking.
Yeah, I've even done more expensiveflorals, offered to do a free
(34:48):
branding session for a florist.
So like you set up theseamazing florals and I will do
some branding photos for you.
So there are workarounds thatwill help you save on that
when you're in slow season.
For sure.
The next little bit we're goingto touch on really quickly
is repurposing your content.
So once you get the ideas for your blogposts, you can change them into Instagram,
(35:14):
carousels reels, or Pinterest graphicsto extend the life of each content.
Yeah, there is no needto reinvent the wheel.
So what you share to your blog,you share as an Instagram post.
You share as an Instagram story.
You share as an Instagramreel, you pin to Pinterest.
So one piece of content can go a long way.
(35:37):
All right, now on to strengtheningclient relationships.
So we want to nurture past clients.
This is a great time to reach outto these past clients and share how
you revamped your business and theexperience clients are gonna receive.
Share how excited you are about thisnew experience and how excited you
(35:58):
are to work with these past clientsagain, then give them an action step.
Tell them it's time to booktheir next session so you can
build off that excitement.
You can also reach out to pastclients and ask for Google reviews,
and these reviews will go into theGoogle Business page, which will help
(36:19):
your business get found on Google.
And you could also repurpose these reviewsinto testimonials for your website.
So the most powerful and best reviewsyou get, just use those on your
website because that is social trust.
So when potential clients are going toyour website and seeing what these former
(36:40):
clients of yours are saying about yourimages and the experience working with
you and how you made them feel, it's goingto get them to get on board a lot easier.
Lastly, it is such a good timeto invest in your education.
Use the slow season for continuedlearning, like workshops, online
courses, mentorship, coaching programs.
(37:02):
Believe me, everything that I've everdone education wise, I've gotten back.
and I know that my studentsin my courses have gotten back
their investment a hundred fold.
So this is a great time toinvest in things like that.
And make sure you commit to finishing it.
Take the notes, do all the things,go out and practice the things that
(37:23):
you learned and implement them.
Yeah, when I was in the slow season,I took a moment to look at my business
from a very objective perspective,so I wanted to see where I was.
Then where I wanted to be,and then what were the holes?
What were the gaps?
Like, why wasn't I there yet?
And so for me, during thattransition, it was my marketing.
(37:44):
I simply wasn't getting enough peopleto my website and my social media.
So I invested in educationto help patch those holes.
I learned SEO so I could getmore people to my website so I
could get more people to book me.
The last thing you could do isupdate your workflows, make sure
things are more automated, morestreamlined in your business.
(38:07):
Use client guides.
So if you're someone who's stillsending requests for a Venmo, or
you're still sending them informationvia email, like a Gmail template.
some guides, templates that youcan make in Canva, make things look
really beautiful, really luxurious.
This is the type of thing that luxuryclients definitely expect, when you're
(38:29):
giving them the whole client experience.
Alright, we went over so much duringtoday's episode, so here are some quick
tips that you can implement right waythat sums up everything we went into.
So number one.
Update your homepage with threeto five of your strongest images.
(38:51):
Number two, write one blog postthis week on a local resource
and share it on Instagram.
Number three, plan one styledsession in the next month.
Number four, research and add one newkeyword phrase to your website copy.
And number five, reach out to three pastclients with a genuine check-in email.
(39:15):
Another thing I want you todo really quick today is.
Mute the local competition ifthey make you feel anxious and
scared about raising your prices.
So like that person I talked aboutat the beginning of the episode,
she was so talented, been doing thisfor 10 years, tons of weddings and
clients and all the things, and shewas still only charging four 50 a
(39:39):
session and that's just not profitable.
And she was gonna wearherself out eventually.
So.
I wish someone had told me, just mute her.
Ignore her.
Do not focus on people who are bringingyour prices down, because really,
truly, it does not matter if you'vegot the messaging, the marketing,
(39:59):
and the brand presence that you need.
as a reminder, raising pricesis a natural growth step.
Trust the process.
Use the slow season as aninvestment season, not as a setback.
The clients who value you will come.
Yeah.
Remember, slow seasons are not setbacks.
(40:22):
They're truly opportunities.
So use this time to refine yourbrand, connect with your clients, and
create work that you genuinely love.
And don't forget, theright clients will come.
Raising your prices is part of steppinginto the business and lifestyle you want.
We've been there and are cheeringyou on every step of the way.
(40:44):
Thanks so much for joining us on thisepisode of Luxe and Legacy Podcast.
If you found this helpful, shareit with a fellow photographer and
don't forget to subscribe so youdon't miss the future episodes.
Until next time, keep building your dreambusiness to support the life you love.
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