Scared of raising prices as a photographer? Fear not! We’re here to provide you with some helpful insights for how you can do so, confidently!
The first thing you should focus on building on, is confidence. To gain confidence, you’ll need to build a portfolio that stands out to your IDEAL client. You’ll also need to have a deep understanding of your business and be able and willing to provide a remarkable client experience.
How do you do this, you ask?
By investing into 3 main things:
- EDUCATION
- STYLED SHOOTS
- CLIENT EXPERIENCE
If you thought I was going to start naming a bunch of fancy camera equipment, you were a bit off 😉
Although nice gear is helpful, a $3000 lens is just a tool. The real trick lies in how you utilize the tools available to you.
The type of paint brush that an artist uses does not define the kind of artist they are. It’s how they use their brushes.
I’m a firm believer that you don’t need expensive gear to create high end images. Investing in your education, practicing through styled shoots, and providing a personalized client experience will be of far more value to you in the long run.
That is how you are going to grow as a photographer/business owner + make money doing it along the way.
I’m going to share how investing in these three things led me to building my confidence so I could raise my prices.
Would you believe me if I told you that I have invested in over $100,000 in the past 10 years of being a photographer?
Well, it’s true… and I’m here to tell you that some of those investments turned out to be smart, while others, not as smart.
For example, accumulating college debt for a bunch of art/media and design classes probably wasn’t the best idea for me. But I got suckered into the mentality that I needed college to succeed.
Don’t’ get me wrong, college is great for some, but this was a belief that I held onto and simply didn’t turn out to be true in my case.
It only took me two years to realize the college path wasn’t for me. I joined two different photography mentorship programs and started working for a commercial photographer who also helped guide me.
I chose to self-educate through online courses while studying the greats of photography including Richard Avedon, Man Ray, David LaChapelle, Dorthea Lange, Mario Testino, Andre Kertesz, Annie Leibovitz, Sarah Moon, Paolo Roversi, Cindy Sherman, Steven Meisel, Helmut newton, just to name a few.
This period of self-guided learning is where I gained the most value. It allowed me to study and push my creative boundaries, and it gave me the confidence and motivation to start my own photography business.
I put myself out there and started networking with all kinds of creatives, including wardrobe stylists, hair/makeup artists, clothing boutique owners, models and other kinds of talent.
When I was presented with opportunities to shoot within a niche I wasn’t experienced in, I would practice by staging styles shoots. I would then build a portfolio showing my skills in that particular niche. This is how I would attract the clientele I wanted at the time.
The experience and education helped me set a better gauge of what my skills are worth. I was able to set prices commensurate to my experience and the value that I bring to the table. I learned early on that the best way to maximize my profits was through in person sales (IPS). This allowed me to provide my clients with a unique and tailored experience. It occurred to me; I wasn’t just providing my clients with digital photos, I was delivering art pieces that would be hung and displayed in their home. And that was a turning point for understanding my worth.
Final Thoughts
Even though my business model and niche has changed over the years, I’m always looking to find new ways to invest my time and energy in education, styles shoots and customer experience.
I’d be lying if I told you taking risks and investing in yourself and your business isn’t scary.
It’s scary AF! Because it’s the unknown… but guess what? Life in general is a big unknown! I think we all learned that lesson from Miss Rona in 2020!
Remember this, if you’re not growing, you’re stagnant.
Being stagnant means that you are stuck, not flowing. And no one likes to be stuck.
There have been many times I’ve had to suck up my feelings and get out of my own way. I think it’s time you get out of your own way too.
Just being aware of what scares you, what insecurities you have or the limiting beliefs you’ve set yourself up with puts you steps ahead. Focus on what you can do to change your mindset and what will help you feel the most confident.
Try to lean into the fear and embrace it, thank it for being there to protect you, but also let it know that it’s not needed at this moment in time, because you are just on a path toward expansion!
If this post helped boost your confidence a little more, please check out our upcoming portfolio building workshops/mentorships that will help you gain the confidence you need to finally get paid what you are worth by clicking here!
