10 Ways To Grow Your Senior Photography Business

What’s the easiest field to get started in as a professional photographer? While I’m sure I can get a dozen different answers, after a variety of conversations the last few weeks, my answer today is Senior Photography.

Every year around 4.3 million kids enter their senior year of high school [here in the U.S.] Which means about 4.3 million kids are in need of a high school senior portrait. How can you get a small percentage of these students into your studio?

1. Advertise in school newspapers. Most schools have some sort of school newspaper. Ask for the editor, or teacher in charge of the process. Most have an ad rate - or you can offer a donation to put in your ad.

2. Advertise in community newspapers. Every school is in a small community that has a local newspaper. Place ad ad, and maybe even talk to the editor about an article on a local senior.

3. Start up a contest. Kids need a lot of things when transitioning from high school to college. Why not enter each portrait client into a drawing for gift certificates, money cards, iPods and even laptop computers.

4. Set up buddy days. It’s fun to have portraits taken together. If two or more seniors set up a portrait on the same day, include a buddy portrait at no additional cost.

5. Teach a photography class at your local high school. Or have an after school club to help students become better photographers. Not all schools have photography classes in the curriculum - this is a great way to connect with potential seniors - and potential clients.

6. Build a website. Showcase every client you have. Seniors go where their friends go. Show them who’s come through your doors, and you’re more likely to gain more clients.

7. Set up a display at your local mall. Students spend a lot of time at the mall. So do their moms. Showcase your best work, and start the phone ringing.

8. Mail postcards. Yes, postcards still work, even in the Internet age. Put your best photos on display, get a mailing list of students in your area, and give them a reason to give you a call.

9. Ask last year’s seniors for a referral. Every senior has a friend or two that’s in the class below them.

10. Take out a display ad in the yearbook. Thank this years seniors, and wish them luck as they move on to college. Make sure you put your best photos from this year - to help you book next years’ seniors.

Finding information to blog about

Do you need some inspiration or ideas on what to blog about? Find out some locations of information that will make it much easier.

7 Secrets To Creating A Huge Demand In Any Economy

People buy in every type of economy. What changes is what they perceive is important, and what they are willing to spend money on.

If a family begins spending more money on one item, they'll cut back in another area. But they will still spend. It's human nature.

Growing your own business in any economy is possible, if you understand how to market your product.


1. Give them what they want, not what they need. I may need a new car, but what I really want is that cute little Audi TT Roadster. It may cost a little bit more than I wanted to spend. But I work hard, and I really deserve the can I want.

That's justification.... read more>>

Digital Photography Online Image Editor

Found a great tool that you can use to create some unique effects to your digital images. - http://fotoflexer.com/ There are many tools available and demo videos show you how to quickly use the tools available on the site.

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Photography Website - Evaluate your impact on the World Wide Web!

Too many people today are designing websites without any good reason. Without the reason, or designing one just because everyone else is, you are subjecting yourself to failure. When you create a web site, you have to really focus on what you want that site to do for you. Do you want to sell a product? Do you want people to contact you for more information? Whatever the reason, the underlying goal should be to drive up your profits. You wouldn't send out a postcard without trying to create a sale. Neither should you produce a web site without trying to create a sale. And because your site will reach people from all over the world, really focus on what you can do for these people, not just your current clientele within a few miles of your business.

Six Figure Photographer

When we began designing our website for our photography studio, we focused solely on reaching the people in the Denver area. As people came in to our studio to visit us, we would provide them with our URL, and put a few images up to build our portfolio. But as the months went on, we discovered our site was being viewed from people throughout the world. As our online portfolio grew, we began receiving calls from brides around the world. We made our portfolio available to anyone, 24/7, and they responded because we gave them what they wanted - information on wedding photography, and most importantly, the images. People were willing to fly us in from all over because they liked what they saw and we gave them ease. We changed our business to incorporate a larger target market. And it worked! We opened up our minds to new opportunities, and we succeeded by changing to follow what would bring us in the business - and the money!

You job is to discover how you can make the most out of your photography website. What can you put into it that will get the attention of people throughout the world? How can you make sales from people you don't know, and aren't even in a location that you could sell to? Service businesses are usually the hardest to develop, because you can't imagine working with a client half way around the world - how do you work with them if you never see them? In this global economy, you have to move beyond the thought process of "sitting down at a desk" with your client. Phones and email are more than ample to conduct business. With FedEx, teleconferencing, videoconferencing and computers, there are so many ways to conduct business with anyone in the world. Just yesterday we were chatting online with a gentleman from India! It's truly amazing the directions we can head in the next few years. Don't be afraid to try new things, new ideas, and build a business that reaches beyond your hometown!

Get A New Lens - How to get inspired with your photography # 1

Purchase a new lens for your camera equipment. With this lens, you need to attach it and use it. Photograph everything with it. Let look at a fisheye lens - use it on columns to bend an twist a huge structure. Change the look of anything, a face, a car, a building or anything you want. Don’t use this lens for wide angle shots but use it to over accentuate any object. Get Inspired Today!


Earn money today with you photography - Photography Money Club. Providing new ideas to your photography business and information on how to start a photography business. Stay up to date with our photography newsletter which provides tips on your photography studio.

Get A New Lens - How to get inspired with your photography # 1

Purchase a new lens for your camera equipment. With this lens, you need to attach it and use it. Photograph everything with it. Let look at a fisheye lens - use it on columns to bend an twist a huge structure. Change the look of anything, a face, a car, a building or anything you want. Don’t use this lens for wide angle shots but use it to over accentuate any object. Get Inspired Today!

Earn money today with you photography - Photography Money Club. Providing new ideas to your photography business and information on how to start a photography business. Stay up to date with our photography newsletter which provides tips on your photography studio.

Tips To Using Photography To Record Memories

A picture is worth a thousand words, or so the saying goes.

As a photographer, I've used that quote thousands of times.

When you glance at a picture of a newborn infant, it can make a young mom cry, remembering that exact moment she first saw her child.

digital photography

Or when you see an image of a happy couple celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary, the memories are etched on their content faces.

That's really the power of a photograph. It can transport you back to a particular moment in time instantly, remembering exactly how you were feeling at that moment.

Read more Tips to using photography to record memories>>

Photoshop Tips and Tools Website

Learning the tools of Photoshop can be a huge undertaking for novice and a seasoned pro. We have found a site with easy to follow Photoshop Tip Tutorials. You can click on many of the tools and instantly view a Photoshop Tutorial for the particular tool. Tips for how tool the Photoshop Slice Tool of how to use the Photoshop Pen Tool can be found at 925PhotoshopTips.com

7 Ways To Make Your Photography Studio’s Website More Sellable

7 Ways To Make Your Studio’s Website More Sellable

“I put up my website a few months ago,
and I’m still not at the top of the search engines.”

“Why isn’t my website working?

I’m still not making money online.”

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard these phrases! Unfortunately many people still believe putting up a website will be the answer to their marketing problems. If you’re having trouble getting people in to your business using traditional marketing methods, chances are you’re problems will carry through to your online marketing methods as well.

Thousands of websites are being added to the Internet everyday. By doing a recent search on Google I discovered:

66,900,000 pages exist with the word “photography”

9,270,000 pages exist with the words “photography studio”

1,450,000 pages exist with the words “wedding photography studio”

991,000 pages exist with the words “professional wedding photography studio”

196,000 pages exist with the words “California professional wedding photography studio”

And if you’re beyond the top 20-30 pages, chances are you’re never getting in front of your potential customer. So where do you go from here? How do you use your website to get in front of a good, qualifying potential customer?

A successful website is not something you build over night. It is a work in progress, something that you should work on week after week. To start you off, here are 7 ideas to help grow your website and the potential it has to market your business.

Create a professional site. This is probably the first thing you see in any list talking about how to build up an Internet presence. Yet it’s amazing how many sites are out there that still have a homemade appearance.Your website is an extension of your business. Not only should it be informative, it should be entertaining, and provide people with exactly what they are looking for. You are a photographer. Show people your work. Make them feel the emotion of your photography, and the service you provide to your customers. A gallery of a dozen images that each take seconds to load is not emotional. Professionalism comes from knowing what your customers want, and giving them more than they expect.

If you can’t create a professional website by yourself, hire it done. Because you earn your money through photography, don’t expect yourself to be good at all forms of creative graphics. Websites are a marketing tool, not a creative extension of your business. Foremost, your website is a sales tool that can bring in unimaginable profits to your business – but only if you use it as such.

Pricing on your website. The biggest debate on the Internet for photographers is whether to list pricing information. On one hand, listing your pricing will guarantee only truly motivated people will contact your studio. On the other hand, every customer you have will be calling you solely based on your pricing.I myself prefer to not list pricing, or do it in a very discreet way. I want my customers calling me because they love my work. I want them to feel the passion of my art, and call me because they can see themselves in my photographs. Price is secondary.

If you still feel pricing is something you have to list on your website, list it only once on your services page. After you describe what services you offer your customers, list a phrase like “starting from $3900”. This gives your potential customer a basis for your services, yet doesn’t make the main goal of your website price.

Photography Business

Creating a purpose. What is the overall purpose of your website? Is it to get a potential customer to contact you? Is it to drive your existing customers to a place to purchase your photographs? Before your website can be successful, you have to discover your number one purpose. Then use every page to motivate people towards your purpose.Again, your website is more than a brochure. It is a member of your sales team that ‘talks’ to your potential customer. When you talk with a person in person, or on the phone, your ultimate goal is to get them to make some type of commitment. Your website should have the same goal.

Showcase your work. You’re a photographer. Showing a dozen images doesn’t show a potential client what you do. Pull your customer in by providing them with a wealth of information on your website. Clients come to you for photographs; show them photographs! Photography is one of those rare industries in which you can’t have too many graphics on your website, providing they are small files that load quickly.

Use motivating text. Are you writing to your customer in a professional manner? Does your website use the same language you use when meeting with a person face to face? Your website is your sales tool. Treat it as if it were a 24/7 sales person, and let your website do the talking for you.On the Internet, the one thing you can’t do is hide. Depending on how a person searches, every website is a potential find. Because someone from New York, or California, or even India may pull up your site, how are you talking to him or her? Instead of writing your text from your perspective, write as if you are a person in a far away country that knows nothing about your industry. Her sole purpose is to find out more information on wedding photography. Are you educating her? Are you telling her what she wants to know AND what she cares about? (Most people don’t care what type of cameras you use; they only want to know how they benefit.)

Create links to other sites. Is your site a useful resource? Think of yourself as a mini-wedding coordinator or parent advisor. Depending on the type of photography you specialize in, provide your customer useful information to go beyond just hiring your services.A wedding photographer can provide links to caterers, florists, and reception halls. A family or children’s photographer can provide links to schools, clothing and sports stores, and community events.

Tip: When you’re linking to other websites, have them link back to you as well. This boosts up your ratings in the search engines!

Get your site listed on other sites. There are hundreds of ways of getting your site listed on other websites. Linking is one of the easiest methods. But beyond linking, you may try other means.Purchase banner ads. Many sites offer paid advertising, usually at very reasonable prices.

Purchase classified advertising. Many newspapers and magazines offer a deal where you purchase an ad in their print edition, and you get a website listing for free. For example, we have a Colorado Parent magazine in our community. By purchasing an ad in the classified section, you also get a listing on the website.

Find community directories to list your services in. Larger communities have at least one directory online that makes it easy to find resources within your area. Join at least one, and always be on the lookout for others that may benefit your business.

Keep your eyes open for opportunities to advertise your website, both online and in traditional marketing methods.

Photography Business - Dreaming Big

Dreaming Big

Wouldn't it be nice to take the family to the Caribbean, and have your business write off the entire trip?

What about skiing in some of the best snow around (pick your place - The Rocky Mountains, The Swiss Alps) knowing your business is paying you to be there?

For many people, these dreams sound wonderful. They talk about doing it. They may even read a few things on how to do it. But when Monday rolls around, it's back to the same old job, working with the same old tasks.

It doesn't have to be that way. But you do have to put some effort into it. After all, dreams can't come true if you don't set goals to achieve your dreams.

Imagine you love traveling, and want to travel several months out of the year. Why not become a travel photographer? There are many sources that will pay you good money for images of destination locations. Every magazine needs quality images. Stock houses will pay well, once you become an excepted photographer.

Imagine you love weddings, and want to photograph weddings anywhere in the world. You can't just put up a sentence on your website that says, "I'm a destination wedding photographer" and expect it to happen. You need to choose several destinations, and work at getting known in those locations. The more you're "known", the bigger you'll become - and not just in your choice destinations.

Imagine you love fashion, and would love to photograph for magazines and catalogs. Take your first step, and find a small company to work with. Every business started out small, and needed just a few images for their first catalog (or magazine). I know the founders of two start-up magazines right here in Colorado - I'm sure you can find similar contacts in your area.

Make Money With Photography

Take a few minutes and think about exactly what you would like to do. In your dreams, what would you like to be doing a year from now? Write it down! (Email me - I'd love to hear your dreams!)

Then take the next step, and do one thing that will help you make your dream a reality. It may be to choose a destination for your wedding photography services. It may be to book a trip to a resort in your community. It may be to join an association to get closer to catalog producers.

Remember the saying, "Rome wasn't built in a day." Neither is your business. But you do need to take action towards your goal every day. When you complete one task, start in on another. When one task fails, try something new. Never give up!

[If you're dream is to start in a new field of photography, check out my step by step plans. There are 26 guides to help you along the way.]