Marketing

4 Ways to Make More Money

I’ve always said the best way to make more money is to work more with the clients you already have—the ones who love your work, trust your judgment and have already given you their business. It’s much less work than finding new clients. Sometimes just by offering more to existing clients, not even doing full-blown sales sessions, you can earn tons. It made me about $20,000 the first year I gave it a try. Here are four ways you can make more money without spending any money at all.

02/01/2018

Marketing

The Top 5 Marketing Mistakes You Need to Stop Making Now

You’re a photographer, not a salesperson. Cut yourself a break. Pour out the chai/coffee/wine/absinth (no judgment) and listen up. You don’t need a master’s in business to become a successful photographer. But if you don’t immediately cut out a few things, you will turn into the cliché of the starving artist that your right-wing Uncle Barnie loves to mock, asking you at family gatherings, “So when are you going to get a real job?” To that I say, “Sit your fat ass down, Uncle Barnie. I’ve got this.” Stop pulling your hair out trying to employ these five marketing strategies everyone tells you to do but that bring in zero ROI.

02/01/2018

Shutter Magazine

Better Sales Through Variation

Most of the articles I see on increasing sales revolve around pricing strategies, approaches to marketing and, especially, in-person sales because of their immediate and considerable impact. But these articles don’t get to the heart of why we have trouble increasing sales: There might not be enough sellable images.

02/01/2018

Post Production

Branch Out With Beauty Retouching in ON1 Photo RAW 2018

Shooting and editing Raw files is a major part of my workflow. Editing in a Raw processor is a must for me, and I am always trying new programs from software companies that are always seeking the edge with new capabilities. From a beauty retouching perspective, there has always been such a dependency on Photoshop’s layers. Working in Lightroom, the closest thing I get to layers are local adjustment brushes and editing pins. These lack in skin retouching, requiring me to export the Raw file to another program just to smooth skin. On1 Photo RAW offers a nondestructive Raw processing alternative for retouching.

02/01/2018

Marketing

Are You a Photographer or a Marketer? You Have to Be Both!

Marketing is messaging. It’s that’s simple. Don’t overcomplicate it, which is easy for us to do. Yes, it’s social media, it’s bridal shows, it’s magazines, it’s networking, but all these things can be described in a single word: messaging. You must communicate the benefit of your product or service to potential customers. I am sure you are sitting there right now thinking, well, duh, Sal, the benefit is obvious, it’s our great images.

02/01/2018

Lighting

The Least Expensive, Most Versatile Lighting Modifier

When the question “What’s the one lighting modifier I should buy?” comes up, my answer is always the same: a convertible umbrella. With many models available for close to or under $100, this humble tool is arguably one of the least expensive lighting modifiers you’re likely to come across—and, without question, one of the most versatile.

02/01/2018

Boudoir Photography

Beauty & Boudoir Lighting: Do I Go Natural or Artificial?

When I found my new studio, I fell in love. It has huge factory windows on the second floor that give me privacy. I have north-, south- and west-facing windows. As we all know, being a professional means delivering a consistent product. When I moved into my studio, I found myself using only natural light because it is so beautiful. I know what time of day and quality of light I need for any photo my clients might pick out as a favorite. But what happens when you have a dark, dreary day, and your client wants that hard-light look?

01/01/2018

Boudoir Photography

Memoirs of a Male Boudoir Photographer

It sounds like every man’s dream job: Stand around all day shooting beautiful women in skimpy lingerie as they throw bundles of cash at you. Let me tell you firsthand that there is a tremendous amount of stress when one ventures into this alleged dream job. In this article, I cover tips, tricks and traps of boudoir, with a focus on male boudoir photographers.

01/01/2018

Business

Chasing Perfection: 6 Ways to Improve Your Business in 2018

In this article, I speak to both the entrepreneur looking to build an empire and the photographer looking to make a few extra bucks and pursue his creative passion. Whichever camp you are in, you are still running a business, even if you are the creative who is employed by the entrepreneur. Business moguls often talk about how you have to take risks to get rewards. But as we kick off 2018, I want to talk more about our own community and industry, starting with the Behind the Shutter community.

01/01/2018

Lighting

Transitioning from Natural Light to Studio Light

There are many parallels between natural and studio lighting and photography. Most people who teach studio photography and lighting don’t teach it from a natural-light perspective. When I tried to learn it all those years ago, it became even more confusing than when I started. The old saying “Light is light is light” applies here. In this article, I break down studio lighting in a way that’s easy to understand, from the perspective of a natural-light shooter who painstakingly learned how to light in a studio.

01/01/2018

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Behind the Shutter

Photography training and education for the modern photographer

In today’s competitive landscape, quality online photography training and education is priceless to your growth. Unfortunately, most publications contain a ton of fluff. No real meat to their content. Not at Behind the Shutter. We are committed to the photography community and improving professional photography by providing current, insightful, and in-depth educational content.

Training topics include photography lighting techniques, photography off-camera flash tips, photography posing guides, photography business concepts and marketing strategies, Facebook for photographers, boudoir and glamour photography training, high-school senior photography concepts, IPS (In-Person Sales) strategies, family photography, Lightroom tutorials, Photoshop how-tos, and much, much more.

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Behind the Shutter

Photography training and education for the modern photographer