With Laura Esmond

You know those sessions where everything just flows? The light cooperates, the kids cooperate, you and your clients are completely in sync, and you drive home thinking that was magic — I could never repeat that. Morgan Williams doesn't accept that. She says the magic is repeatable. But only if you understand what actually created it, and that answer goes deeper than your prompts, your presets, or...

A few months ago, portrait photographer Laura Gattis called me and said the words so many of us have felt but rarely say out loud: I am really struggling. She had just come home early from an industry retreat, and over the next two weeks, a string of small moments stacked up until she found herself at an awards ceremony with tears streaming down her face, asking herself what she'd done with her li...

As business owners, it's easy to believe that success means doing everything ourselves. Editing the images. Answering every email. Keeping the house clean. Being present with our kids. Growing the business. Holding it all together. But what if that belief is exactly what's keeping us exhausted? In this honest conversation, photographer Shannon Griffin and I talk about the surprising freedom that c...

Why Photographers Discount — and What It's Really About If you are a portrait photographer who has ever built a discount into your pricing hoping it would make clients more likely to say yes, this episode is for you. We talk about why the impulse to discount makes complete sense on the surface, what is actually driving it underneath, and why a simple package structure will always outperform a comp...

If it feels harder than ever to stand out as a portrait photographer right now, you’re not imagining it. In this conversation, Laura sits down with photographer and educator Katie Lamb to unpack one of the biggest challenges in today’s industry: everything looks the same. From identical editing styles to repeated locations and trends pulled from Instagram and Pinterest, photographers are unintenti...

There’s a version of working on your business that feels productive… but doesn’t actually move anything forward. In this episode, we’re pulling apart one of the biggest traps photographers fall into, especially in a slow season. Posting more. Tweaking captions. Trying to “stay consistent.” And still feeling like nothing is really changing. This is not a visibility problem. It is a differentiation...

In this episode, I’m joined by family photographer and educator Suzzane Brown for a conversation that feels a little different, in the best way. We didn’t come in with a strict plan, but what unfolded was an honest, layered discussion about what it looks like to be a photographer right now, in an industry that’s changing quickly, in a world that feels louder than ever, and in a season where so man...

Stop Acting Like a Content Creator Somewhere along the way, the portrait photography industry traded permanence for convenience. We stopped making things and started delivering files. We told ourselves it was progress. This episode is my pushback on that. If you have been handing over galleries and hoping clients do something with them, this episode is going to reframe what your job actually is an...

Why Your Email List Is Failing You (And How to Fix It) with Laura Esmond  About This Episode If you have an email list that feels like it is just sitting there — people opted in, you send something occasionally, and then nothing really happens — this episode is going to reframe the whole thing for you. Laura Esmond is a portrait photographer with 26 years of experience and the founder of Get Roote...

A lot of pricing advice in the photography industry tells you to either give all the digitals away at a ridiculous price or withhold digital files to pressure clients into investing in artwork they may not be ready for. What if there’s a different way to honor a client's wish for the digitals while not sacrificing your ability to get your photos on their walls.  In this episode I explain exactly w...

There was a moment in this conversation where Casia said something that made me pause. She admitted that bookings slowed down at the end of 2024 and into 2025. And instead of pretending everything was fine or quietly panicking behind the scenes, she said the thing a lot of photographers are feeling but not always saying out loud. Things feel different right now. If you’ve been wondering whether it...

In this first part of my conversation with Casia Fletcher, we go deep. You may have heard Casia’s story on The Motherhood Anthology podcast, where she shared about a $45,000 client win inside her motherhood membership: check out that episode here! But our conversation is a little different. It’s an honest conversation about the shifts we have seen the past two years and what you can do when bookin...

Feeling the slow season hit a little harder this year? Wondering if there's more you could be doing to create consistent income, even when bookings slow down? In this episode, I’m joined by the incredibly wise and wildly practical Joy Michelle , educator, business coach, and host of the Called to Both podcast. Joy walks us through how she’s built multiple income streams as a working photographer a...

I’m sharing three honest lessons I learned from scaling my portrait photography business, and then intentionally scaling it back. If you're a family photographer, brand photographer, or creative entrepreneur who’s ever been tempted to "go big" with a studio, team, and all the trappings of growth, this is a must-listen. We’re getting real about what happens when your business looks successful on th...

In today’s episode, I’m inviting you behind the scenes of the full client experience I’ve refined over the last two decades as a portrait photographer. From that very first inquiry to the moment artwork is installed in their home, every touchpoint is intentionally crafted to make clients feel safe, seen, and deeply cared for. Whether you’re new to business or ready to elevate your systems with mor...

Creative Local Business Partnerships: A Real Approach to Growth In this episode, host Laura Esmond shares her personal journey and unique approach to growing her business by forming meaningful partnerships with local businesses, rather than relying on social media or elaborate marketing strategies. She emphasizes the importance of building genuine relationships by offering support and generosity,...

In this episode of 'with Laura Esmond,' Laura dives into the essentials of crafting effective inquiry responses for portrait photographers. She discusses how to tailor your response to align with your business and offerings, emphasizing the importance of understanding your core product and unique differentiator. Laura also announces a potential name change for the podcast and provides insights on...

In this episode of the podcast, Laura Esmond shares reflections from a month-long break during the holiday season, including time spent with her family, prepping for the Peace and Profit Bootcamp, and welcoming new students into her Get Rooted program. She opens up about the common guilt many motherhood portrait photographers feel when stepping back from business tasks like social media, blogging...

In this inspiring episode of the podcast, Laura Esmond sits down with portrait photographer Tawni Adams to unpack the real and raw journey of transforming a photography business—from charging $300-$600 per session and burning out, to confidently booking consistent $1500+ sessions and even landing a nearly $12,000 sale. Tawni opens up about the mindset hurdles she faced, the emotional rollercoaster...

In today’s episode, we’re talking about one of the most powerful ways to grow your portrait photography business: creating a little spectacle. But don’t worry, I don’t mean hopping on every trend or becoming a human highlight reel. This is about showing up with intention, creativity, and a little bit of wow factor that feels true to you. Whether you’re in year one or five of business, creating a b...

Welcome back to part three of this four-part planning series. If you’re dreaming about a 2026 that feels aligned, profitable, and actually doable, this episode is for you. So far, we’ve walked through gratitude (what’s already working) and reflection (what needs to shift). Today, we’re stepping into planning your photography business —but not just numbers on a spreadsheet. This is where photograph...

In Part 2 of our 4-part series on planning your most intentional and profitable photography year, we’re diving into two game-changing topics: how to reflect honestly on your business before you set 2026 goals, and the biggest mistake photographers make when starting In-Person Sales (IPS). If you’re a portrait photographer who wants to grow a sustainable, profitable business—and you're tired of cha...

It’s Thanksgiving week, and if you're anything like me—and most photographers I know—you’re probably feeling a strange mix of gratitude, pressure, comparison, and reflection. This slower season in our photography businesses gives us a rare chance to breathe and think about where we’ve been and where we’re going. In this episode, I’m kicking off a four-part series designed specifically for photogra...

In this episode, Laura Esmond dives into the intricacies of portrait photography pricing, especially for photographers transitioning into premium pricing. Laura discusses four common pricing mistakes that many photographers make, such as offering the wrong session length, overdelivering in petite sessions, copying competitor pricing without real market research, and staying at starter rates for to...

Balancing Business and Motherhood: From Wedding to Portrait Photography with Caroline Klaar Join Laura Esmond as she welcomes wedding and portrait photographer Caroline Klaar to discuss her transition from focusing on wedding photography to portrait photography. Caroline shares her journey of building a sustainable business while raising young children, pricing strategies, the impact of burnout, a...