Focal Points with Dorie Howell

Are you heading to one of our industries incredible live events this year?  Imaging USA, WPPI, Shutterfest, SYNC, The Noobie Conference, The Portrait Masters, and so many more all are wonderful ways for photographers to gather with other photographers and just live and breathe what we do for a few special days each year.  It is a great way to learn, connect, and grow BUT there are some things you...

Many times when you think about making more money in your business you are told two things.  Get more clients and raise your prices.  But the truth is, that isn't something that a lot of people can do easily.  So where does that leave those who are willing to work hard, put in the time and energy but still want to make more?  In this episode Dorie goes through several strategies on how to make mor...

Running a successful photography business is so much more than taking pretty pictures.  Last week Dorie discussed three of the most important traits of successful business owners.  In this episode Dorie breaks down three more.  This is the 2nd of two emails on this topic that every small business owner and entrepreneur should listen to.    Be sure and get this week's download that covers all 15 (+...

Running a successful photography business is so much more than taking pretty pictures.  In this episode Dorie breaks down some of the most important traits we need to keep our businesses on track.  From Empathy, Persistence, and Creativity, in this two part series she dives into what are three of the most important traits and how we can develop those for our business and life beyond the camera.  ...

The end of the year brings up a lot of different feelings for all of us.  Some are great and some of those other feelings are more like shame or inadequacy because we didn't get all things done this year that we set out to do.  Maybe we didn't do that marketing campaign, make as much money, or drop the weight.  So why set any new resolutions when those resolutions are always broken anyway?  In thi...

There are many things in the photography industry that are passed around in conversations that become almost requirements for anyone wanting to be a photographer.  And in fact, most of those things are either based in antiquated ideas OR are just there to provide shame to those who choose to run their businesses in ways that aren't the norm.  In this episode Dorie breaks down a few of these ideas...

My Guest today is Tavia Redburn, incredible newborn and birth photographer who runs her business in the Oklahoma City Area.  Tavia has been in business for awhile and she knows a thing or two about birth photography.  So much so she even offers an accreditation program for people who want to become certified as birth photographers.  Today we discuss what it is like to be on call for your client an...

Selling our work can be a tricky thing.  It doesn't have to be though.  Your clients hire you for a reason and they want to see what you have to offer.  If you approach it from a standpoint of helping your friends find great things that you love vs. a place of dread and fear, your business will be so much better off for it. In this episode Dorie breaks down her process and the thoughts behind why...

Join Dorie for this episode of Focal Points as she sits down with her friend, Raj Bandyopadhyay , NYC branding photographer of Series A Photography,  and listen as they discuss the importance of showing a diverse range of people in your portfolio.  Why that is so important to all business owners and steps to take if you maybe don't have a very diverse clientele but want to show a variety of people...

In this episode Dorie welcomes her guest, Jeremy Hyler who is the marketing manager at Photobiz.  Some things we discuss are: Mistakes photographers make on their websites Things your website can do for you The Importance of great SEO Elements you need to have on your website Many of us neglect our websites and they can be one of our most powerful ways to attract people to our business.   Photobiz...

Today on the podcast Dorie dives into part three of her four part series that walks through her entire process from inquiry to final delivery of products.  Having a solid workflow is key to a great business and today we discuss all the ways you can deliver your products that give clients a great final impression of you and your business.  Be sure and grab the download for this episode here: DORIE'...

It is no secret that our host, Dorie, believes that one of the first things that photographers should do when running a business is to outsource their editing.  AND it is no secret that most photographers are very reluctant to do this very thing in their business.  For some reason they believe that they are the ones that must do the retouching or it makes them less of an artist.  Or they think fin...

Today on the podcast Dorie dives into part two of her four part series that walks through her entire process from inquiry to final delivery of products. The 2nd step in the process is all about how to "Sell" during the session. This sounds scary but it doesn't have to be. It can be as easy as adding certain phrases into the conversation that help get a client ready for the sales appointment. If yo...

Today on the podcast Dorie starts a series of four episodes that walk through her entire process from inquiry to final delivery of products.  It all starts with a great foundation that includes three steps:  Developing Rapport, Establishing Yourself as the Expert, and Going over logistics.  Once you set the foundation with these three steps you are on your way to a great experience with your clien...

This week on the podcast Dorie has a great conversation with Chip Dizard, branding and wedding photographer.  They talk about how Chip decided that to move his business forward he needed to take some calculated risks and take advantage of the opportunities that were presented to him, even if it meant funding them out of his own pocket.  They also discussed how Social Media has played a huge part i...

In this episode Dorie has a really great conversation with Michal Czekański (Chi-kan-ski) Business Development Specialist at nPhoto.  Dorie and Michal discuss some of the things that photographers need to consider when working with a lab, how to form a great partnership with them, how products are developed, and how to work together with them to create a great partnership for your business.  It is...

Learning how to make quick and effective decisions is one of the best skills photographers can develop to see growth in their business.  Today I talk with Heather Lahtinen of The Flourish Academy about how photographers can learn how to quickly move through the decisions they need to make from what gear to buy to what kind of sessions to book so that they don't spin their wheels but instead, use t...

Pricing our products is one of the hardest parts of what we do.  Price to high and you don't get any clients.  Price to low and you don't make enough to stay in business.  So how do you price what you do in a way that makes sure you are making enough for your services AND attracts a loyal client base?  Don't worry, Chris can help you out with all of that in this episode.    Grab the download here:...

Selling any product like wall art (or albums) to every single client is something that is possible.  In this episode Dorie walks through the most important things you can implement into your workflow that will greatly increase your chances of selling wall art more consistently.  Grab the download here: Sure Fire Ways to Sell More Products Tip Sheet Miss the episode on how to sell more Albums? Be s...

One of the many skills that successful business owners have learned is how to stop overthinking all the decisions that are required to run a business. Today I talk with Heather Lahtinen of The Flourish Academy about photographers can learn how to stop overthinking and move forward in their business. Be sure and grab Heather's download that will help you move through the steps of overthinking and d...

Selling an album (or the product of your choice) to every single client is something that is possible.  In this episode Dorie walks through 10 things you can implement into your workflow that will greatly increase your chances of selling an album more consistently.  Grab the download here: Get your 75% discount on your first sample album from nPhoto Be sure and follow these accounts on Instagram:...

Stefany Ficut started a photography studio after moving here from Europe.  She didn't know how to sell, or how to serve her clients the way she wanted to.  After investing in a lot of education and planning, she has grown her studio to be a leading luxury studio featuring A product based business model and exceptional customer service.  You don't want to miss this episode. You can find Stefany in...

Shamika of Aria Rose Photography in Dallas Texas is my guest today and we discuss her journey into being a truly creative artist vs. just a camera for hire.  Her studio features beautiful one of a kind art tailor made for her clients.   I loved hearing about her process for creating her gorgeous images and learning about her sales process. You can find Shamika in the following places: Aria Rose Ph...

The money is in the follow-up.  Well, that is what people say.  In this episode Dorie discusses why you need to have a strong follow up strategy and how you can create one.  Be sure and download this free follow-up guide for many ideas on how to create a follow up system that works for you and your business. Get the download here with 25 ways you can follow up with inquiries. Want a 75% off discou...

In this episode Dorie talks about a conversation she had at a dinner party with a person who was unhappy with their photographer.  Why were they unhappy and how can we avoid our clients having conversations like this in the future?  She breaks it all down on this episode of the Focal Points Podcast. Be sure and download the pdf that goes with this episode.  Managing Client Expectations Want a 75%...