The Business of Personal Brand Photography

Ever had something you really really wanted blow up in your face? Or lost a bunch of money on something that didn't pan out like you thought? Or spent ages creating something only to realize you need to do it all over again and start from scratch? I did... all of these... in the last 12 months! And I want to be super honest with you as I believe in transparency. But I also want to share how I turn...

I am a massive "experience" person. I am not huge into amassing material possessions. I'd happily trade in nice jewelry for an epic holiday to fill my memory banks. That's me. And that is why I love creating experiences for my clients. Cause I really understand that a good photo shoot can go way beyond the necessity to create a bunch of great images. Sure that is the final outcome, but it can be a...

I am so excited about what I am going to share with you. This has literally shaved 10’s or hours of work time from my workload each month  And saved me $1000’s at the same time And it is not just the same for me, it is that way for every one of my students I have shared this with you have jumped in like me. If you are scared of changing up the way you work, feeling overwhelmed right now or ju...

LEARN WITH PAULA CHECKOUT UPCOMING WORKSHOPS Have you ever learnt in person with another photographer ? In the early days I was lucky enough to carry bags, reflectors and fluff dresses and (not robes) for so many awesome photogs. And I was pretty good cheap (and often free) labour, so I got asked to come back. I am a massive fan of learning on the job. And that is why I have always been a huge fan...

I love software that helps me to save time, serve my clients better and make more money. Simple. And I really love software that just makes the whole process of setting up, operating and understanding all the tech stuff easier. Which is why I am a massive fan of Studio Ninja, and why I wanted so badly to chat with Chris Garbacz and introduce him and SN to you if you have not discovered them yet, C...

LEARN WITH PAULA Ever get stuck when you are on a shoot with a client for ideas on how to create variety? When I first jumped from portraits to personal branding I must admit a lot of my work could look a little one-note. I had to work really hard to make sure I was creating enough variety for my clients and really fight the urge to Perfectly portrait pose and crop throughout the shoot. You have h...

Learn with Paula I have said this before, but being in business for yourself can be a lonely old game. And often one that can leave you at the peril of wherever your head is at on a particular issue, a particular edit with a big decision… And let’s face it, sometimes the people in your life just dont get it - not for the lack of love or the lack of wanting to understand what you are going through...

LEARN WITH PAULA I love talking to other photographers who are completely rocking it in their business, so that maybe hearing from others can help you to have a few a-ha moments too. So I loved this discussion with my student and fellow Personal Brand Photographer Mandy Lee as she is going great guns in a business she now really enjoys. Mandy is a Gold Coast Based Photographer (just down the road...

LEARN WITH PAULA How often do you see other photographers in your area zooming up in the ranks (even if you have been around for years)  And wonder how did they become so big so quickly? I used to to sit back and ponder this. As a bit of an over thinker and eager student I would study what others were doing to try and see if I could map out what makes some photogs become well known and stand...

LEARN WITH PAULA WATCH NEW MASTERCLASS : CAPTURE DREAM CLIENTS IN BEAUTIFUL SPACES Are you a little bored with you are currently shooting? Or perhaps you are stuck working in locations that you just don’t love. That was me too. Let’s face it, it can be really tough when you turn up to a shoot all excited only to find you are stuck in a room with no light, dark walls and full or furniture you need...

Here's a shoutout to all my amazing clients to celebrate our 50th Episode!

Learn With Paula One of the things I have struggled with a lot through my career is, overwhelm. That is really the only word for it. Let’s face it - when you are a solopreneur as the grams would call it, you have to do everything and feel like you have to be everywhere for everyone. And as much as it is lovely to be able to facilitate the needs of others as much as you can, this can just leave you...

Learn With Paula One of the most crippling things you can face in your photography business is a lack of confidence. It can manifest itself in so many ways, eroding your ability to make decisions, charge what you know you should, and have you in a mess on a shoot day with your clients. I am no stranger to this In fact I don’t think any professional could be. But how do you manage to work through i...

JOIN LIVE MINI SESSIONS WORKSHOP LEARN WITH PAULA I know all too well the perplexities that can come when you have an existing client base say in family portraits or boudoir and how unsettling it can feel to want to offer Personal Branding But also how difficult it can feel to introduce it to your audience. Will they feel weird, will they stop following or will they come along? So I decided to ask...

PRICING & PACKAGING WORKSHOP LEARN WITH PAULA Have you been mulling over a price increase (or decrease) for a while now?  Implementing changes in your pricing can make you feel a bit ick. I get it. But there comes a time when you have to put your business pants on and implement some changes in the way you are pricing your photography, otherwise you might end up finding yourself in a pickl...

LEARN WITH PAULA   UPCOMING RETREAT   In this episode, I delve into the challenge of getting lost in the daily grind of your photography business and losing sight of the fundamentals.  Imagine wiping the slate clean and starting anew in your business. However, let's set aside discussions about gear since we assume you already have a camera and a decent lens. Instead, I want to make...

LEARN WITH PAULA When you are a creative, looking at numbers and organising the financial stuff can be really challenging.  Let’s face it, this uses a completely different part of our brain, that most of us would like to avoid! But it is important to be organised, not only so that you make sure you manage your money (and get paid) but also so that your client has the best experience working w...

FOR MENTORING + LEARNING WITH PAULA CLICK HERE Making mistakes, going through hard times personally, bad weather you can’t avoid… all these things will go wrong. But how do you cope? Are you the kind that gets overwhelmed and wants to run away? Do you bring the outside stresses of your life into your session? Or do you find a way to push through? Nobody is perfect, and life will happen. In this ep...

FOR MENTORING + LEARNING WITH PAULA CLICK HERE Keen to bring some different voices into the mix, in this episode Paula interviews PhotoBizX host Andrew Hellmich on how he got his start, Burnout and the Value in creating a lifestyle focussed business and AI and the future potential for early adopters. Click to checkout Full Episode Show notes To get to know Paula and get insight into her work, clic...

FOR MENTORING + LEARNING WITH PAULA CLICK HERE Let’s face it, working on your own can be really tricky. And we all learnt that being disconnected that be really challenging on your mental health. I recently had a stint where my daughter was away - and for those of you who know me know that this is incredibly hard for me, as we have been joined at the hip since she was born (it is just the two of u...

FOR MENTORING + LEARNING WITH PAULA CLICK HERE Video, we all know this is where it is at in so many places when it comes to personal branding. But are you actioning this powerful tool in your business? I know I know, right now you are most likely cringing and being like… but Paula…. What???? I already have so many things on my to do list, and now you want me to do video? No, I am not suggesting yo...

FOR MENTORING + LEARNING WITH PAULA CLICK HERE Want to learn more about 6 week done-with-you training to help you to set up a mini session day in your business? Let me walk you through step by step how to Plan, Design, Market, Shoot, Execute and then Sell Your Images for more profit, using automations, sales pages, ad copy, email templates and contract & questionnaire scripts, already created...

FOR MENTORING + LEARNING WITH PAULA CLICK HERE So one of my favorite things to do is to connect with photographers who I have trained and see how they have grown in their business. And this guy is a legend in my eyes. Mike Styer is a Philadelphia/Exton-based headshot and branding photographer who works with small businesses, corporations, entrepreneurs, to create “a photographic experience that do...

FOR MENTORING + LEARNING WITH PAULA CLICK HERE Sometimes when you create your experiences, they will not sell straight away. Or it will happen way slower than you need it to. You spend all your time choosing the right images, writing the copy, creating beautiful landing pages, create the links… and when you launch it… crickets. This happens. And you bet it can be really frustrating and make you wa...

FOR MENTORING + LEARNING WITH PAULA CLICK HERE There is so much talk about how AI is taking over the world and ruining industries. Yes there is a credible point here, as “Digital Human” Technology advances… However I wanted to take a different look at how you can take advantage of this technology and make your life a whole heap easier. We are already using AI in many ways, but there are two main a...