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Business Roadmap For Photographers

There are so many resources out there for photographers which is incredible, but can also cause a lot of confusion when it comes to deciding what is *actually* useful and...

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Business Roadmap For Photographers

Welcome photographers, to your very own business roadmap. 
Regardless of where you are in your business, there will always be ways to improve and scale. I want this blog to serve as a guide, and show you where you can invest, based on where you are now, in order to create the business of your dreams.

Before we dive in, I want to remind you of this: being a creative entrepreneur is a journey. Each of us have different backgrounds, different stories, and began at different times. Don’t let what you see others accomplishing ahead of you discourage you. You’ll get there in time, all it takes is that next step!

1. Mastering Shooting & Camera Settings

It's no secret one of the first steps to being a photographer is learning how to use your camera - but sometimes in our eagerness to start shooting, we gloss over that part and switch the dial to auto, or find the right settings through a lot of trial and error. In The Complete Guide to Camera Settings, I'll walk you through the basic components of your camera, cover aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and flash in depth, when to use flash v. high ISO, share my exact settings for different scenarios, and give tips for shooting in a variety of tricky lighting situations. This course is created to provide something for all experience levels. Whether you just have a nice camera and have never figured out how to use it properly, or you're a pro, but would love to feel more confident with the perfect settings when under pressure, it’s full of valuable information for everyone.


2. Nailing Your Edits

Once you’ve had a chance to play with your camera and capture some amazing images, it’s time to conquer editing. The secret is, you don't have to be a Lightroom expert to have consistent beautiful edits that your clients love. By using DC Presets, you can edit quicker than before while having edits that are known to be swoon-worthy and timeless. If you're looking to dive even deeper into editing, check out The Editing Course, our 11 part in-depth course to help you learn about all you can do in Lightroom, and master a beautiful and consistent editing style.


3. Directing Clients

Now that you're feeling confident about using your camera and editing your photos, it's time to elevate your shoots with The Posing Decks. It's one thing to know what poses to use, but it's an entirely new thing to have prompts on hand that can be used to capture genuine and authentic connection. Even after shooting portraits for 15 years, I still have moments where my mind goes blank during a session and I need some fresh posing inspiration. The Posing Decks come in four different editions (Couple, Wedding, Portrait & Family) plus an educational video from me, sharing posing philosophies, how to make your clients comfortable, and how to best use the decks. The Posing Decks have been known to make showing up at sessions easier than ever! 

4. Protecting Your Business

It is so important to be covered legally in the service industry, and I can’t stress enough how crucial having solid contracts in place is. The legal side of business was definitely the most intimidating part for me starting out (back when contract templates were few and far between, and the best option was spending thousands to hire a lawyer). I don't want you to deal with the same stress I did, and I don't want you to experience the detriments of something happening and wishing you had a contract in place. So I worked with my contract lawyer to create these thorough, affordable, easy to use Contract Templates. Simply copy and paste, fill in a couple blanks, and send to your client!

5. Creating an Amazing Client Experience

Finally we've covered all the basics, now you're on your way to elevating your business in ways that will take it to the next level - it's time to start thinking about how you can refine your branding and enhance your client experience. These two things are what can truly set a business apart in a huge way.
A great place to start is The Client Worfklow Roadmap, a free guide I created to take you through a seamless journey with your clients from initial inquiry, to beyond their gallery delivery.
Next, The Client Toolkit as an all in one resource full of templates and guides to create an incredible and organized client experience. Everything you need to create a streamlined and polished client workflow, with templates like: contact form guide, emails, client questionnaires, wedding timelines and more. Plus, the toolkit comes with an entire video course to walk you through implementing these templates in your own business.  
Additionally, the guides you send your clients throughout their experience working with you can make a huge impact. Not only do they showcase your brand in a professional and polished way, but they present you as an expert, help your clients feel informed and taken care of, eliminate back and forth emails, and get everyone on the same page - making their day run smoother and your job easier. I've teamed up with my own graphic designer to create beautiful, easy to customize templates, including the Pricing & Services GuideCouples Handbook, and Wedding Handbook.
Finally, The Brand Kit is a collaboration between myself and my brand designer. A loaded resource to help you build a brand you love. Along with educational material, you'll find templates and resources for logos, color palettes, typefaces, social media and more. It's everything you need to create a polished, personalized brand with beautiful design.


6. Taking Your Business to the Next Level 

All of these pieces come together to form one thing - a solid foundation. Even if you feel good about all the pieces above, there will always be something new to learn. That’s why I created Rise Academy. Think of it as your one stop shop for photography education + community. Not only do I drop new lessons every quarter, but the old content never expires. The Academy includes access to dozens of courses, workbooks, templates, presets, community, live coaching calls, and more. We cover all the topics you need to refine your photography skills and grow a business (including foundations of photography, shooting, editing, posing, branding, client experience, social media, passive income, productivity, and more). Regardless of where you are in your journey, there’s something for you. Check out Rise Academy HERE, and join the thousands of photographers who have taken their business to the next level through the Academy.

If you're still unsure of what step to take next, take our quiz What Does Your Photography Business Need Right Now?

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