Commercial Photographer: Your Guide to Marketing, Creativity and Growth

This week, we're joined by professional photographer Martin Hobby. With over 30 years in the industry, Martin has experience in many genres, from weddings to corporate work to music photography. He shares his story, offering valuable advice on how to build a successful career and handle life’s unexpected challenges. Martin also sheds light on the business side of photography, the importance of...

This episode is sponsored by Website for photographers. Website 4 photographers help photographers get more leads from their websites. You can get in touch here ⁠ info@website4photographers.co.uk ⁠ ⁠ 01482 765871 ⁠ The show starts talking about why would you have a business plan? The most basic answer is it helps you achieve your goals in life and in business. This is linked to where you and your...

The Royal Photography Society This week Marcus is doing the show solo, without Sam, and talking to Dr Michael Pritchard from the Royal Photography Society(RPS).   Michael’s story Photography has been something Michael has been involved in since he was 11  years old.  He started working as a Saturday boy in a professional studio in the late 70s. The studio did a wide range of different work from we...

Sam and Marcus have a cozy fireside Christmas chat about the podcast over the last year. Marcus refers back to our very first show Degree or disagree. Marcus loves this for the content of the show and for the pun. This is always a debate that stirs up a lot of emotion.   Sam refers back to the show on networking . As networking is such an important part of your marketing for photographers. Marcus...

Gillian Devine is a photographer of 18 years. Gillian started with weddings and babies, but is now a brand photographer, business coach and marketing mentor to other photographers. Gillian says she is where she is today as married the wrong man. She started in corporate marketing and then married a man called Phil Devine. His dad Vincent Devine was a professional photographer with 40 years experie...

Marcus’s answer is… it depends! The pros of working for free If you are starting out as a photographer Marcus thinks there are some advantages to working for free. One is getting experience . Marcus thinks that if you are working for free it allows you to try the client photographer relationship but without the client handing over any money. Portfolio building is another reason to work for free. W...

She helps people who have got to a point in mid life when they start ask who they are and what are they doing. Her job is about finding what really fires people up and she helps them identify that and helps them make the change towards doing what they want. “Life is an illusion of your own creation” How do you see your own life? Marcus asks what she means by mid life. Sarah says it’s the forty to...

This episode is sponsored by Website for photographers. Website 4 photographers help photographers get more leads from their websites. You can get in touch here ⁠ info@website4photographers.co.uk ⁠ ⁠ 01482 765871 ⁠ There are several different models for how to decide on a price for your services. We talk about some of the main ones in the show. 1. Charge per hour. With this approach you decide wha...

Allie used to lecture and the  decided to walk away when she had a photograph hanging in a gallery alongside work by Martin Parr . Allie started photography when she was 16 or 17 shooting black and white with film. But Allie had a difficult childhood and so felt she had to get a “sensible” degree so she did a degree in English literature. She then taught, until she felt she had been “bled dry”. Wh...

 Marcus talks through his customers' experience Marcus’s customer journey Marcus likes to respond initial enquiries quickly, ideally within an hour. He then moves on to trying to setup a Zoom call. As photography is visual, having a visual call is really important. That call is all about listening not selling. Zoom also means ideas can be shared visually. After this Marcus will send out a quot...

Lauren McWilliams is a Brand photographer and Strategist. Lauren works with ambitious service based entrepreneurs across the UK through photography and programmes. With a keen eye for capturing the essence of brands through photography and a knack for strategic thinking, she’s the go-to for those looking to make a lasting impact in their market.  Her passion for helping others can be seen and was...

This episode is sponsored by Website for photographers. Website 4 photographers help photographers get more leads from their websites. You can get in touch here ⁠ info@website4photographers.co.uk ⁠ ⁠ 01482 765871 ⁠ In this episode Sam says we should talk much less about ourselves in our marketing. People are interested in themselves, not about you. So if your marketing is talking about you, the pe...

In this show we talk to Colin D Smith who is an expert in listening. A skill we have talked about many times in the show.   Listening makes people feel needed and valued. It is something that can be learnt either through coaching in group settings or 121. Even though most people think they are good listeners in reality very few people have the skills to do it well. And this is reflected in society...

Creativity and Rest Marcus takes us back to episode 12 and reminds us about the 5 Rs of creativity Rules Research Reflection Repetition Rest Today Marcus is going to talk more about the subject of rest. Marcus has been looking at the latest research into creativity. According to the research your brain works in two different modes 1.   “Default Mode Network” When you are not really thinking about...

This episode is sponsored by Website for photographers. Website 4 photographers help photographers get more leads from their websites. You can get in touch here ⁠ info@website4photographers.co.uk ⁠ ⁠ 01482 765871 ⁠ In this episode Marcus and Sam discuss the different platforms available for building a website. Sam grouped into three different broad groups. 1. The self build platforms – Wix , Squar...

In this show Marcus tells us about style, what it is and how it can be used in your business. Marcus says having a style means that if someone looks at your work they can tell it’s your due to the style. Marcus gives these photographers as examples of photographers with a very unique style. Martin Schoeller Madame Yevonde   What makes a style? It could be a technique, it could be using black and w...

Fabienne is a property stylist who works with Airbnb owners. She loves to create an original, playful property. She helps their AirBnb stand out online. She loves to go crazy with paint and then build on the “fluff” from there. Fabienne has to think not just about the look of the property, but she also has to ensure it works. Once a visitor arrives it’s vital the property works for them. Fabienne...

This episode is sponsored by Website for photographers. Website 4 photographers help photographers get more leads from their websites. You can get in touch here ⁠ info@website4photographers.co.uk ⁠ ⁠ 01482 765871 ⁠ This week Sam and Marcus discuss the “Call to Action". A key concept in marketing in general that is used a lot in websites. What is a “call to action”? In marketing it is the acti...

This week Marcus and Sam discuss the use of black and white photography. Marcus did a poll on LinkedIn and found that (from the sample of people who responded) people preferred colour for a head shot, but like black and white photography in their homes. William Eggleston a famous photographer did an exhibition in the Museum of modern art, New York in the mid 1970s and he used colour. At the time t...

Website planning This week Sam and Marcus discuss website planning. An effective website needs planning carefully and Sam shares his knowledge and experience in this area. Goals and Call to actions It’s vital that a website has a goal. What is it that you want the visitors to your website to do? Do you want them to call you, buy a product or something different. Once you’ve decided this is essenti...

This week Marcus and Sam talk about making that big jump to going pro. What are the key things to think about?

We talk to Nick about how he got into men's styling and how photographers can use a stylist on their shoots.

Sam and Marcus are in the same room together and took this rare opportunity to quiz each other about their past! This episode is a little like being present as they chat about their past in the pub, pint in hand.   Sam started design websites n the 90’s working with HTML and hand coding in Notepad. And even though he had various jobs he was always designing websites in the background. As a keen wh...

Straight talking and bags of experience makes this episode from Donna unmissable. She leaves nothing to chance with her work and marketing with detailed research, preparation and planned execution. Donna adds pounds to the people she photographs - pounds as in money that is! Her niche is in branding photography and her practice is based in Edinburgh.   In this show we discuss the ins and outs of b...

This week Sam and Marcus talk to Gemma Griffiths. Gemma is a branding and family photographer based in South Wales. She has 16 years experience in the industry. She offers bespoke personal branding shoots, headshot shoots and family photoshoots in lots of fabulous locations around South Wales. Gemma also offers photography training for beginners and professional photographers too. You can book a o...