In my last post I shared Going Pro lesson #2 on Photography Marketing and how to create a funnel to attract, communicate and engage with prospects and clients. If you only do a small percentage of what I’m teaching in these lessons…you will still be further ahead than most business owners out there.

Photography Marketing Mind Map

In The Going Pro Lesson #3 I’ll show you the (2) pillars that can help you connect and spread the word about your business without it costing you hundreds of dollars in advertising. Yes…it will take some work to get things set up, but once they are created you just need to post content for people to consume. You just have to be a real person who shares their passion. We are Photographers and we take pictures…right? These 2 pillars will allow you to share your talent and have others do the same with hundreds if not thousands of people.

The TOOLS

I mention some tools in the video, some free and some paid…but you need to look at these as tools to help your business grow. It’s like being a photographer…but you don’t have a camera. You need a camera to take pictures and you need a website or blog to market your business. You need an Email Auto-Responder to communicate with your list of prospects and clients. It’s the same thing. They are tools to help with a certain part of your business.

The Marketing Flow

This video will lay everything out for you to follow, so you understand how to create a community that will help promote your business. It will show you how to create content and syndicate it out to various platforms (The 2 Pillars).

Watch the video below that shows the entire outline and concept that anyone can follow.

The…Going Pro Marketing Systems

The Photography Marketing Funnel

OK..this post is going to pick up were we left off in Video #1 of this Photography Marketing Mini Series. I’m going to reveal 2 Pro Marketing Systems that are not being used by 80% of businesses. If you understand this process and how powerful it is…you will stand out from any other business in your area. You will have the ability to connect and build relationships with your prospects and clients. This Is HUGE!

Most Business Owners Are Lazy

Sorry…but it’s the truth. They don’t want to put the extra work in to set things up properly. I can’t tell you how important it is to build relationships first and then make the sale. Think about it for a minute. Isn’t it easier to be sold to by a friend or take their recommendation vs being sold to by a stranger?

Your Prospects Will (Know…Like and Trust) YOU!

I know women always develop a relationship with their hairdresser and trust that person with their hair. Then they continue to come back for future appointments and refer their friends automatically.

What I show you in this lesson will allow you to communicate whenever you want and start to build that relationship over time. This stuff REALLY WORKS!

Watch the video and you’ll see what I mean. The next lesson will build off of this and take it to the next level.

Note: If you missed Video #1 in this Photography Marketing Pro Series…Check It Out!

Click “Like” and leave a comment below!

In this first video I will be covering Photography Marketing and some principles that you need to be focusing on. This will be a video series that will build off of each lesson.

These Photography Marketing lessons were originally released when we opened our private NPB Pro Inner Circle. It was said to be 3 of my best lessons on marketing photography and opened the eyes of many photographers. I really want you to watch each lesson and Take Action! Apply this techniques and strategies and you will get results. I promise!

Video #2 -Coming Soon!

Stay tuned for Video #2 where I go into great detail about how to take your Photography Marketing to the next level. These techniques and strategies are not being used by 80% off the market and you can easily dominate in your local town. But…like I said in the video, you will need to Take Action!

Until Next Time

Click “Like” and leave a comment below!

In this video I’ll show you how I create more than one portrait from the same shot. It’s super simple to do and it only takes a few minutes to complete.

Watch the video below to see me in action perform these simple tricks.

Here’s the link to check out the Digital Creation’s CLUB!

Ok…let me explain how this picture you see right here has caused me a few problems and how I FOOLED the Pros!

Plus…I want you to see that these style portraits are very popular and you should be using these in your portrait business. Your clients will LOVE THEM!

First…I created our “Unique Trench Bowl” Digital Prop and Background set for our Digital Creation’s Club. Then I listed it on Ebay to be sold to professional photographers.

It was selling for $24.95 and people were loving it.

But…not all was good

We started to receive a few refund requests, because they thought it was  a real Wooden Trench Bowl. They said the picture looked real with the baby in the prop. They said they never used Digital Backgrounds or Props before. Some said they wanted to learn more…but some didn’t.

Every time I list something on Ebay or Amazon I’m very careful to be as detailed as possible, so people know what they are getting. You never want refunds on Ebay…especially because it hurts your feedback rating. We don’t want that!

2 Important Lessons HERE!

• 1. Wooden Trench Bowls are very popular right now and you should get one and add this to your prop collection.
• 2. Digital Props and Backgrounds can look real if done correctly and can be added much easier and far less expensive.

Here’s a few Wooden Trench Bowls I found on Ebay to show you that they are available. But…they can be expensive. With that being said…they will pay for themselves over and over again…as anything you invest in for your business. As long as you use it!

I wanted to share this with you, because it proves that people want this stuff and that Digital props can look REAL! Look I Fooled The PROS

I’m probably going to remove our listing on Ebay for a little while and try to create a better description. But…if you want access to our “Unique Wooden Trench bowl” Digital Creation set…I have a special offer for you.

You can download this set for just $19.95.

Click Here to download

or

You can join our Digital Creation’s club and receive this same set for 50% off regular price and over 100 others to choose from. Plus…all the other benefits of becoming a member.

Join the club HERE!

So…I hope I’ve opened your eyes to this huge opportunity…if you’re not already using Digital Props and Backgrounds.  There’s so many options once you learn the process and it will become very exciting for you and your photography.

Talk to ya soon!

Scott

Hey Gang,

I just shot a quick video to hopefully inspire you and get you ready for 2012. Don’t laugh at the guitar portion…but there’s a point I needed to make

Post Your comments down below and let’s GET IT DONE In 2012!

I noticed this on our Digital Creation’s Private Facebook Group and I needed to share it with all our blog and NPB subscribers. It was submitted by Lori Register Burlew of Forget Me Not Photography and she was asked …Is This A Digital Background?

The answer is YES!

This set is from our Digital Creation’s Club and it is called “Comfy Basket Set”

You Can SWIPE This Idea!

Yes…you could recreate this very easily with a hard wood floor, baseboard molding, solid backdrop or wall, wicker style basket and colorful blanket. But…most people don’t want to spend the money on all these components and would rather we create it for them.

So…just keep in mind that if done properly, Digital Backgrounds and Props can be a HUGE asset to your business and help offer more options.

I also would like to say that not all Digital Backgrounds and Props are created equal and there is some bad stuff out there. I’m not bashing anyone here…just stating the facts.

It’s the old saying…Good Quality In…Good Quality OUT!

I hope this post has helped inspire you and also given you some ideas that you can use in your Photography.

Here’s the original post from our Digital Creation’s Facebook Group.

]]> http://newportraitbiz.com/blog/1215/was-this-a-digital-background-and-prop-or-not/feed/ 2 http://newportraitbiz.com/blog/1149/3-powerful-words-to-live-by/ http://newportraitbiz.com/blog/1149/3-powerful-words-to-live-by/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:17:45 +0000 NewPortraitBiz http://newportraitbiz.com/blog/?p=1149

OK…it’s now a brand new year and most people set goals and make resolutions and I think everyone should.

But…it doesn’t matter what time of year it is…we all need to check in with our goals and stay focused.

One of the hardest things in life and in business is being disciplined so you can achieve what you set out to do.

I know this is a photography blog, but most of what I teach and share are life lessons that can be used 365 days of the year.

The other day I logged into my Facebook account and checked my Facebook News Feed and this picture immediately caught my eye.

It was very clever and very TRUE!

I immediately posted it to my FB wall and wanted to share this image by Ty Bellitti…who is also one of our Digital Creation Club Members.

So…here’s what I want you to do.

• 1. Print or write down these 3 powerful words.
• 2. Post these so you can see it and be reminded every single day.
• 3. Grab a pen and notebook and relax somewhere other than your computer.
• 4. Write out your goals for 2012 in great detail.
• 5. In the next day or so…take another hour or two and write out a plan to Take Action and move towards your goals.

I truly believe that if you write down your goals…you are much more accountable, because they are down on paper. There’s something mentally that happens that now makes this something our brain thinks has to been done and it will work really hard on finding a solution.

TRUE STORY

I remember just over 3 years ago now…I was sitting at my dining room table writing down my goals. I wanted to help people online and have a blog that people could go to for advice. Well…now we have over 20,000 subscribers that I can communicate with and help in this business.

Let me just say…I never would have thought this could have happened. But…I wrote what down on paper what I wanted and I then wrote a plan to Take Action. I posted my first video on Youtube (which was awful by the way), I set up a blog and then I found a way to build an email subscriber list.

Well…The rest is history and I continue to set new goals all the time and review and revise them every few months.

Always Reach for MORE!

Remember to always set your goals higher than you think you can actually achieve. You will try much harder and if you fall short…you will be further ahead.

Let’s do something just for fun to get you to Take Action NOW!

Write a short comment below this post of what you want to achieve in 2012.

Here’s to your success

Scott

The Holiday’s are one of the busiest times for portrait photographers and their businesses. That’s why you need to take advantage for these busy times and be creative in your sessions.

I wanted to share 5 new portraits we just created for our NPB Digital Creation’s Club. You are free to use these as inspiration and put your own spin on them for your upcoming sessions.

Portraits #1 – Peaceful Holiday Night

Pro TIP: Always try to name your portraits or themes. This makes it unique to you and your style.

Portrait #2 – The Train StationPro TIP: Using Trains as a theme or a prop are usually a big hit with clients.

Portrait #3 – Elegant Evening

Pro TIP: Old Victorian furniture adds a classy look and can be used for the Holidays or anytime of the year.

Portrait #4 – Christmas Eve

Pro TIP: Capturing cute poses or expressions will help sell your portraits. Try this one!

Portrait #5 – Hat and Mittens

Pro TIP: Use fun props to be creative, but don’t over do it. Simple is sometimes better.

So…there’s 5 unique portrait ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Study these images and see how you can add a unique flare to your Holiday portraits.

It doesn’t matter if you use our Digital Backgrounds or not…you should have some fresh ideas for you to…BE Unique!

Now…if you want to take a short cut and add portraits like these almost instantly and you’re not currently a Digital Creation’s club member…you can get started HERE!

Good Luck and I look forward to seeing your unique portraits this holiday season.

Happy Shooting

I want to share these 3 new portrait ideas that were created for our Digital Creation’s Club. I wanted to give you some ideas that you could use in your photography.

It doesn’t matter if you use our Digital Backgrounds or not…you can create similar portraits like the ones I’m about to share with you.

All it takes is sometimes is a few creative ideas and inspiration to get your creative juices flowing

Portrait #1 was an idea for people that “Love” Motorcycles and that Freedom Type Feel. Remember…I’m sure you’ll have a client that’s into motorcycles and would love an image like the one we created here.

You could always offer to shoot their motorcycle if they have one and use it as your prop.

We named this one “Born To Ride”

The 2nd one we created for The DC Club we named “Flower Pot Surprise”

This can be created using a large Flower Pot that has some type of unique look to it. Usually you can find these at Home Improvement stores or even Garage Sales. Then…choose a backdrop or background that will compliment the Flower Pot with blending…non distracting colors.

The 3rd portrait we created we named “Stylish Stacked Bowls”.

This is all about simplicity with some bold colors. All you need is some large wooden bowls and a white backdrop to create this shot. These don’t have to be bold colors, but with a white background…it looks really good.

The bowls can be found at stores like Target, Walmart or any other Home Department store. These can be expensive…but well worth the investment.

Side Note: I added the light blue background in Photoshop using the vignette technique and erasing the bottom portion.

So..there you have it!

3 New Portrait Ideas that you can use in your photography. I hope you use these or something similar and offer to your clients.

Remember…as photographers in this competitive market we need to be unique. Creating portraits that people will talk about and can only receive from you.

If you would like to find out more about our Digital Creation’s Club…CLICK HERE!

Have Fun and Happy Shooting

Scott

P.S.

If you like these new portraits…Click The “LIKE” button and spread the LOVE