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00:00:01
What I’d Do If I Was Starting My Photography Business From Scratch
104 Plays3 months ago
Starting from scratch? This one's for you. In this episode, I’m laying out the exact steps I would take if I were starting my family photography business all over again no fluff, just the real deal. Whether you’re brand new or need a reset, this episode will help you build a profitable business with confidence and clarity.
📌 What You'll Learn:
- Why your mindset is the first thing that needs to change
- How to niche down and stand out in a crowded market
- The fastest way to build a high-quality portfolio (even without paying clients)
- Why pricing for profit from day one is non-negotiable
- The parts of your online presence that actually matter (hint: it’s not social media)
- How to create an incredible client experience that keeps people coming back
- Why you need a lead generation system ASAP (and what that can look like)
- How to scale your offers smartly without burning out
💡 Final Thoughts:
You don’t need to wait to be “ready.” You need a plan, confidence, and the willingness to show up like the CEO of your business. This episode is your roadmap.
🔗 Links & Resources:
👉 Apply for the Elena S. Blair Mastermind
Recommended
Transcript
Getting Started in Photography Business
00:00:00
Elena Blair
What's up, Empowered Photographer? I am excited to come to you today with some practical business advice for those of you who are maybe just getting started and wondering what you should be doing to but with all of the things that you have to do, wondering how to get started with your photography business.
00:00:16
Elena Blair
So I want to tell you exactly what I would do right now if I was starting my family photography business over from scratch. All right. So the first thing that I would do is I would shift my mindset.
00:00:31
Elena Blair
This isn't a hobby anymore. This is a business and business needs strategy. Business needs confidence and business needs consistency.
00:00:43
Elena Blair
Not just talent. In fact, I know a lot of very talented photographers who are no longer in business. So first and foremost, shift your mindset. Start taking this seriously and start believing in yourself. That alone will make a big difference.
Choosing and Sticking to Your Niche
00:00:59
Elena Blair
number two i would get crystal clear on my niche i'd focus on family photography and newborn photography and i would define my style and stand out in the photography industry so why am i saying this because i always knew that i wanted to be a family newborn photographer yet i did all kinds of things that were not aligned just because i thought i had to to make money i did headshots i did parties i did a wedding i did events and that was really watering down my my brand so if i started over now i would stay in my niche which is lifestyle family and newborn photography and i would really stick to that now i do have a school photography segment of my business which is really there to fuel my family and newborn photography business so more on that in coming episodes
00:01:47
Elena Blair
But anyway, I would get crystal clear on my
Creating a Portfolio and Pricing Services
00:01:51
Elena Blair
niche. Okay. So first I would shift my mindset. Then I would get crystal clear on my niche. Next, I would build a portfolio and quickly.
00:02:00
Elena Blair
I wouldn't wait to get paid for clients. I would not wait for clients to come to me before I started really making my portfolio faster. up to snuff, as good as possible. I would do model calls strategically so that I was able to showcase the work that I wanted to attract.
00:02:16
Elena Blair
And this piece, number three, I actually really did this. When I first became a photographer, I photographed every family member, every friend, anyone I knew with kids, anyone who I knew who was pregnant, anyone I knew who newborns,
00:02:28
Elena Blair
so I could build my portfolio. When you're newer, you need practice. You can't skip that part. So i ah the I would suggest getting as much practice as you can in the genres that you want to focus on so that you can show a high quality portfolio as soon as possible.
00:02:44
Elena Blair
The next thing I would do is I would price myself for profit from day one. Even if I was doing a lot of free shoots, my actual prices that you saw on my website would make me a profit right away.
00:02:57
Elena Blair
So how would you do this? You calculate all of your costs, you figure out what you need to make at a minimum, and you charge accordingly. accordingly based on how many shoots you want to do do a month. I have a free pricing guide that'll help you figure this out. It's just a math equation. It's not about what packages you do. It's not about you want to be an all-inclusive photographer. None of that actually matters. You just have to know what you're making per session. So I'll link the pricing guide in the show notes.
00:03:20
Elena Blair
that would be the fourth thing that I would do is I would price myself for profitability right away.
Building an Online Presence and Client Experience
00:03:25
Elena Blair
Next, I would establish, number five, a strong online presence with a with social media being the one that I spend the least amount of time on.
00:03:34
Elena Blair
me say that again. I would establish a strong online presence with social media being the part that I spend the least amount of time on. You read that correct, or you heard that correct, excuse me.
00:03:46
Elena Blair
Social media is a big waste of time. Social media is a time suck. You need to use it strategically and then move on to things that you can control. So what would I focus on when I say online presence? I would focus on my search engine optimization, my website, and I would focus on growing my email list. Those would be the main things.
00:04:03
Elena Blair
So those are the online presences that I would worry about the most. Did make that word up? Each time that I was working on search engine optimization, on email, I would be working to attract the right clients with being present in those online spaces.
00:04:21
Elena Blair
with being present in those online spaces
00:04:26
Elena Blair
If I had one more thing to work on, to tell you to work on early on, if I was starting over from the beginning, I would dial in my client experience. From inquiry to delivery, I'd create a seamless high-end experience that turns clients into repeat customers.
00:04:42
Elena Blair
focusing on client longevity. So many marketing tools or tactics that are taught out there are all about getting mass amounts of people through the door, new clients, new clients, new clients, and you're missing out on an incredible opportunity.
00:04:54
Elena Blair
And that is to have one client that you serve really, really well year after year after year. So I would dial in that client experience as soon as possible.
Lead Generation and Scaling Your Business
00:05:04
Elena Blair
Next, I would also create a lead generation system.
00:05:08
Elena Blair
No waiting around. I'd use something like mini sessions, school photography, community partnerships, referral incentives to keep clients coming in year round.
00:05:20
Elena Blair
And then i would scale my offers, meaning that instead of overbooking and burning out, I would increase my revenue by gradually raising my prices as demand grew, adding school photography. I would add school photography or mini sessions as soon as possible so that I could inject cash into my business.
00:05:38
Elena Blair
And I would create high value service that encouraged bigger bookings. Smart scalings means more profit without more work.
Summary and Additional Resources
00:05:48
Elena Blair
Now, that was a lot.
00:05:50
Elena Blair
I just shared a lot of different things that I would do. So let's review all of the things that I would say that I would do right now if I was building my family photography business from scratch.
00:06:02
Elena Blair
First, shift that mindset. Start treating this as a real business. Second, get crystal clear on your niche as soon as you can. Build a profitable portfolio. Build a portfolio that is high-end immediately. You cannot skip that step.
00:06:21
Elena Blair
Price yourself for profit from day one. Know your numbers and know what you need to make per session to be profitable. Establish a strong online presence in the areas that you have control, your website, and grow your email list.
00:06:37
Elena Blair
Dial in the client experience from inquiry to delivery. Create an amazing lead generation system that goes beyond your typical online systems like social media.
00:06:51
Elena Blair
No waiting around. So mini sessions, school photography, community partnerships. This injects cash into your business, but also brings attention and awareness to your business. Scale your offers surely slowly but surely, gradually raising your prices as your calendar books out.
00:07:08
Elena Blair
Add something to your business that is going to bring in consistent income like school photography or mini sessions. And create a high value service that encourages bigger bookings or bookings year after year after year.
00:07:20
Elena Blair
Smart scaling means more profit without more work. Okay, here's what I want you to know. You got to nail the lighting and posing. You got to set up a simple high converting website now.
00:07:32
Elena Blair
You have to price yourself from for profit from day one. You do have to learn how to market yourself consistently. And you want to build relationships with your clients so that they come back year after year. i have a five-month group coaching program the elena s player mastermind where i teach you how to do all of this all of this and more we're actually accepting applications right now i'm going to put the link to apply in the description here in the in all of the of the words that we share.
00:08:01
Elena Blair
i would, if, if you're like hearing this stuff and you're like, yes, I'm ready to learn how to run a real photography business. I want a profitable, reliable, mean meaningful photography business. You should definitely apply. Applying takes about five minutes.
00:08:13
Elena Blair
And if you are selected for an interview, it is no pressure. It's me and you doing a discovery call for 15 minutes. I'll answer all your questions. If you are not sure you're ready to apply for my mastermind, no problem. I'm going to link my photography business roadmap here as well.
00:08:29
Elena Blair
And that's where I'm going to break down exactly what I would do if I was starting from scratch, but in a little bit more detail with, you know, written out so you can see it. So I'll send that to you as well, or I'll i'll link that for you as well.
00:08:40
Elena Blair
All right. Start taking yourself seriously. You got this.