Photo Fuel | The Vision, Art, and Business of Family Photography

In this week’s episode of Photo Fuel, I sit down with Annemie Tonken—photographer, educator, and host of the This Can’t Be That Hard podcast—for a thoughtful, no-fluff conversation about what it really takes to run a sustainable photography business in a changing world. This conversation goes beyond productivity hacks or pricing formulas, because while all those logistics are so important, they ar...

We’re now over 50 episodes into the Photo Fuel Podcast, and I’m coming to you from the messy middle with some real talk. In this episode, I’m sharing a big update on the future of the podcast and why I’m choosing to step back from weekly episodes—for now. If you’ve been tuning in regularly, you know I’m all about sustainable business practices and aligning your creative work with your actual life....

One of the biggest questions that comes up for clients when preparing for their session is "what do I wear?" As the photographer, it's good service to help them with that!  But that doesn't mean you have to become a full-on stylist, stock a client closet, or put them in a cookie cutter formula of "what looks good." Of course, full styling is an option that serves some photographers and clients ver...

Extended family sessions can feel like a whole different ballgame compared to standard family shoots—more people, more potential, and more opinions! In this episode, I’m sharing why I actually love extended family sessions and how you can approach them with confidence and creativity. We’ll cover: Why photographing at home makes a difference and how to make it work My philosophy on pricing extended...

Creating a standout brand and an unforgettable client experience is key to building a thriving photography business, and Christine has mastered both. In this episode, she shares how her bold, playful branding attracts her dream clients and how she ensures stress-free, enjoyable sessions through thoughtful preparation and communication. From detailed prep guides to surprise gifts and heartfelt foll...

🎉 Happy One-Year Anniversary to Photo Fuel! 🎉 This week marks a full year since I launched this podcast, and I want to celebrate with a special Q&A episode! I asked my email list to send in their biggest questions—about photography, business, motherhood, and more—and wow, you guys delivered. In this candid, coffee-chat-style episode, I’m answering: 📸 How to handle tricky toddlers in family...

Around Black Friday last year, I made a big decision to switch my CRM from Sprout Studio to HoneyBook—a huge move after nearly five years with the same CRM. One of my big goals for Q1 was managing this migration myself, and in this episode, I’m sharing how it’s going so far.  I’ll walk you through: ✨ Why I decided to make the switch (and why this isn’t a Sprout Studio takedown!!!) ✨ My top three...

The client booking call—also known as a discovery call or inquiry call—is one of the most debated steps in the photography client experience. Some photographers swear by it as a way to increase bookings and build trust, while others feel it creates unnecessary barriers. So, do you really need to require a phone call before a client books? In this episode, we’re breaking down: - The pros of booking...

Your client experience is more than just delivering a beautiful gallery—it’s the foundation of a thriving, relationship-driven photography business. In this episode, we break down the four key stages of client experience: Attracting, Nurturing, Serving, and Continued Connection.   A solid client experience isn't necessarily about extreme high touch details or expensive gifts (it can be, but it doe...

What happens when you have to rebuild your photography business in a brand-new location? How do you create an intentional client experience that blends your own skills and capacity with your market needs? In this episode, guest Natasha Sewell helps us explore the challenges and strategies of moving a photography business while maintaining (and improving) your client experience. Pivots can be scary...

In this episode, I'm tackling a controversial topic: shooting for free. When is it worth it, and how can it benefit your growth as a family photographer? I’ll share three instances where free shoots are a great move, plus, I’ll offer tips for handling free sessions with professionalism, creativity, and control (despite the free price tag). Whether you're just starting out or years into your photog...

This week, I'm addressing a question from the Photo Fuel Facebook group about pricing around the common concern -  how do I “convey the value.”    In this episode, we'll address how to structure a package so it feels good in your gut and your wallet, what to include in it and what to leave behind. I’m going to give you 3 main points to consider when thinking about your package structure and settin...

In this episode, we’re diving back into my pricing journey and picking up where we left off in Part I. Over the past decade, I’ve experimented with session structures (IPS, virtual, print credits, collections - you name it), along with team fluctuation, revised brand vision, and big mindset shifts. From beginning to scale a team, to navigating 2020, to restructuring again - and navigating having t...

Here it is - THE PRICING TALK. Since I believe storytelling is one of the best avenues of learning, I'm broaching this with simply my experience - which, let's be honest, after 10+ years in business I've seen and tried just about everything. I'm talking —$50 sessions with CDs in plastic sleeves, IPS out of my tiny starter Hawaii apartment, every combination of session fee + collection model imagin...

In this episode, I'm kicking off a series on pricing and workflow with a short and sweet entry point around setting your mindset for this kind of work. Pricing tends to bring up a lot of fear and questioning and imposter syndrome and I believe this one question - why not? - is the key to getting out of your own way and staying dedicated to curiosity, trial and error, and building the business you'...

Happy new year and welcome to Q1 where it’s known in the family photography world as kindof a dead zone for bookings and shoots. For wedding photographers, this it usually the start of a busy season of bookings, but in our world I’ve noticed that no matter how I slice it, things tend to slow way down.   If you’ve listened to the last few episodes, you’ve probably noticed it’s been heavy on the ref...

Wait, this is a family photography podcast - why are you talking about journaling? Writing and photography are so intertwined - they are both practices centered around noticing. I think the best thing you can do to become more tuned-in and capable of noticing is to record and reflect, so whether that’s with a camera or a pencil, the goal is the same. Presence, depth, understanding, processing.  Th...

As you’re taking some time over the next month to think big and set goals and get down to business on your business, I want propose a temporary pause to think past your gut reactions about what you “need” to do and how you’re going to “get back on the horse.”    Not every question is going to pull a thread for you, but the right questions just might lead you down a path of discovery that you’ve be...

As we're approaching the end of the year, maybe you're looking for a good book to kick back within the new year. So today I'm sharing 5 of the most influential books that have shaped my business, art, and life. Most of them are not even classified as "business books," but somehow, they top the list of books that have shaped the way I do business, how I think, and how I aspire to grow as a person....

It’s time to start winding down your business from 2024 and whew, that’s an exciting time right? But before you can move onto goal setting and projects, this last month of the year is a beautiful time to take the pulse of your business. It's the imperative FIRST STEP to any kind of planning for the future.    Making time for this process of reflection and study of what the heck actually happened t...

How do you find joy photographing your own holidays when your job is as a family photographer? How can you distinguish photographing in your regular life as fun, creative fuel vs obligation or "work?" (even if you love your work!)  I hear a lot of guilt from photographers around not making photos at home “enough.” So in this episode, I want to dispel that and bring back the fun, ease the guilt, an...

In this episode, I'm sharing a run-down of the 4 categories of investments that serve as umbrellas for all the things you *could* purchase to support your business growth. 1. Software 2. Brand 3. Gear 4. Education Each has several subcategories, too, so we'll walk through how to determine what will serve your business well AND I'll give you some recommendations to narrow down the scope.   Of cours...

As the person in your earbuds each week bringing you photography education and industry stories, I felt it was time to give you a little more context about my history and experience getting to this place.  I don’t have a fancy background or any official qualifications or fancy job history. My business has grown slowly and humbly - but maybe that’s exactly the kind of realness you need?   Failure a...

You likely have passion and excitement to create beautiful photos, but have you ever found yourself working behind the computer and thinking what the heck am I doing? Am I even doing the right thing? Am I doing the things that are actually going to help? Am I completely wasting my time? Today's guest is Lydia Fine, and our conversation circles around this idea of imposter syndrome with a sprinkle...

Whether you're winding down your fall season or you're still in the thick of the season, not *everyone* experiences that "busy fall" photographers like to talk about. Maybe you're reflecting on what this fall looked like for you and instead of being filled with clients sessions, it was kind of stale. Maybe you weren't as busy this fall as you usually are, or you're just getting started and you've...