Lessons
Day 1
1Where I Came From
37:31 2Work Ethics
34:19 3Finding Your Brand
11:49 4Finding Your Brand Part 2
41:01 5Branding Q&A
20:21 6Model Programs That Work
44:52 7Video Marketing
40:34Simplified Studio Lighting
16:02 9One Light Demo and Q&A
21:21 10Two Lights & Ring Light
18:07 11Posing
26:42Day 2
12Outdoor Lighting
37:41 13Fill Flash and Q&A
23:01 14Adding More Lights
18:59 15DIY Sets
33:32 16Blair's Prop Shops
20:06 17Set Design Q&A
17:02 18Eclectic Locations
46:53 19Locations Q&A
28:09 20Unconventional Marketing
27:13 21Marketing Images
11:19 22Packaging
23:53 23Your Website and Blog
09:48 24Marketing Q&A
21:30Day 3
25Maximizing Profit
38:16 26Photoshop & Efficient File Structure
33:15 27The Ordering Process
27:05 28Custom Collections
43:39 29Diversify Yourself
35:06 30Volume Photography
42:22 31Rethink Products
28:02 32Rethink Products Part 2
31:57 33Bonus Video with Purchase: "Photoshop Workflow: Actions"
13:02Lesson Info
Your Website and Blog
This is something that is very important once you reach a point or even if you've been in the business for a long time and your website just isn't really up to par, how many of us can truly hold up your hand and say every image on our website? We're super proud off? No, because you update your style. Style grows, your images grow. But your work on your website never does. You don't go back in and change it because it's a pain to do it. It's so aggravating. All right. No flash. All right. People can't see it on certain devices. Well, I've got something. I've got a plan for you. My website. I've got, like, seven different websites. I used to work with companies that sold template based products. You could never get in touch with them. They had no kind of support. I've got one that's still owes me $700. I can't even get in touch with him. I will never, never see it. No one will answer the phone photo, his web solutions. They are, in my opinion, the leader of the pack. When it comes to a t...
emplate based website, you can overnight have a website looks just like mine. You can change the whole face of your website with the click of a button, you can give it a whole new style, a whole new look, a whole new template all the way through. You can upload full size images with a breeze and if you have any sort of any sort of back up, But all were like Well, can't figure this out. They have a dedicated team of people larger than this building that we're in right now that will pick up the phone and help you for three hours that they need to. Now, why would it be important for me? Toe Have five separate websites. Why is that one websites enough, right? No, think about it. If I'm a high school senior, do I want a thumb through pictures of newborns and don't want to click on on a page that has a newborn on the front? No, I want to go to something that is designed specifically for seniors. If I'm a new mother or a new father searching for newborn photographers, I don't want to go somewhere. This send me mixed signals. It's got rock n roll mixed with teddy bears. That's just not a good look. Not a good look. So here, that's my senior site. That's the weddings. The babys, the family's everything has a sub site, so they're not fishing through it. So I have a landing page, but then we have separate sites. They click on it, click, click, click each site. It takes him to a whole another room. So that's something to think about. So something that's going to become even more popular, I feel. Is your blawg all right? Most people don't even have a blogger. They don't want to fool with it. It's pain in the butt. You gotta have a backup plan. You gotta have a way to update your work. What if Social Media fails? What a Facebook goes away? What if pinchers go the way when all that stuff is going to continue to change? Who knows? Maybe one day we'll go away and you're left with nothing. You're like I got used to rely on that, and that was all I had. Well, you gotta Blawg, when I use it is very personal. It's way more personal than Facebook, and you're in control of your blog's. No one else is in control. So what you want to do to gain people as host a contest on your blog's have A You are a all that takes them from Facebook. They click their it takes him to your blawg right up with stories said, Hey, I really, really want you guys to start following. I'm gonna start phasing away from Facebook just a little bit because I want to post a lot of my attention to my block. And if you need content hosted, hosted contest, it says, Hey, give me your best story about this or what's your best experience with this? Where do you go for this? You've got your content right there. Ask clients to write customer right testimonials. They'll do all the commentary for you and videos. I have my seniors. I say, Look, I want you to go home. Just make a video of how you fail, getting your senior pictures made here. Some of them I throw away because they suck. It's like I felt really good about going to get my pictures made. Blair Phillips retired he because he was really cool and he takes good pictures. Okay. Thank you, Lacey. That was great. I'm gonna throw that garbage because you're a terrible actress, but Q them on what you want them to say? I got this next senior. This next one is a video, and the audio quality is absolutely horrible because she did it from her computer. That is horrible. But it's riel. I said, Listen, Hayley, I want you to go home, and I want you just off the cuff talk to pretend as though you're talking to other seniors That may be thinking of coming here. You want to encourage them on why they should come here. And this is what this is what she did right before I came. And I love it. It's so pure, So riel, working with both of my pictures with a lot of fun. Even my mom. Come with me. Go get there first. Um, where are you? I thought you was. And they need more and more. Did you get that? I don't have fans on my pictures. Anything like really, girl. It was funny. It's like you were my friend taking my pictures in a professional photographer, and it was a super great experience now, Every time I hear my talks about getting the picture is done, little Blair, Philip. There's no one better. They're not good. I know the audio quality was terrible, but you see the enthusiasm there. That's why I gotta ask a bunch of seniors to do it because you're gonna get a dud all the time. And then you find a diamond in the rough. She really enjoyed her experience, but she was charismatic, and she did what I asked her to do. So I can put that on Facebook. I couldn't put that on my block. I could put that everywhere, and I'll put her to use what? We're going to re film it, because that was absolutely terrible. But that's what I had to go with. It was organic. It was really all right. Let's move forward. Unconventional marketing to kick it up a notch here, uh, doctor's offices. All right. Why would I wanna go to an orthodontist and say, Hey, can you send people my way? They have good smiles. They care about what they look like. They have money, you know. And again, I'm not only targeting people that have money, don't I don't want to come off as like, well, he only works for people that have money. Well, do you want to work for people that don't have money? I want to work with people that, like pictures that care about the amount of work that goes into it. They care about their appearance. I'm targeting rising seniors. So when I said earlier, a product very similar. This I I make one for the dentist office. There are for the orthodontist. And I said, Listen, I went in his business. He hired me to do a commercial photographer for him. And I said, Hey, I said, Mark, listen, you got the kind of clients I want. I've got the clinic clients that you want A lot of my clients have really jacked up teeth, so they're gonna be great for you. And hey said, Well, what were you getting that man? I said, Let's figure with a market share, man. I said, Why don't why don't I put something together? And why don't we give it to these people that care about their appearance? Because number one I know that they're pre qualified for me. I know that they're there. I know they have the money. I know they care about what it looked like and I said, What if we put one of these down in every single bag, the take home bag, the day to get their braces off? And this is a gift from you? It says we've experienced an amazing journey together. So in celebration of your incredible new smiles, your honor and pleasure to provide a complimentary session with the award winning the tire for Blair Phillips, it looks like he gave it to him, but really on the one giving it to him. If they call, that's great. If they don't that's not great. That's great, too. But those people are going to get it and they're gonna call. They're going to schedule an appointment. They're going to come in and spend money. One of my largest orders. Actually, the largest order I had last year was from a fellow orthodontist That was a friend of his, that he showed this card, too. And he said, What do I want to call him and get a session? So you called, booked a session. It was the most of my biggest sale ever. The scout had two homes and he wanted to outfit both of them with large porters. And I just about fell out whenever he kept ordering. But it can happen, So don't be afraid to give a little bit. But give in the right ways because if you just go in everywhere and just start handing out free sessions, you're gonna get people that don't value the work. And I'm really kind of hesitant sometimes on doing things this way. But you got to take a chance sometimes. And it's coming from a pre qualified client. But you have to do, though, is when they do call you and say, Oh, you just got your braces on. That is also my love to see your smile. We'd love to have you in their Now let me tell you a little bit about my business. You go through the whole steel whole skills well, and you say, you know, here we do ourselves a little bit differently. We do have a $500 minimum order, and then you just keep your If they're like OK, well, I'm no Yeah, I'm going to call you back on that. Don't try to talk them into coming let him go. It may not be the right client for you. That's how I get over that awkwardness of cash, man. I don't know how is how much? Oh, my gosh, you're killing me here. So think clever ways to market that don't cost you a lot of money and you never know what can happen.
Class Materials
bonus material with purchase
Ratings and Reviews
David - Muse 10
As an experienced photographer myself, this class was both helpful and inspirational…we're never too experienced to learn from someone. Blair is really a lot of fun to watch and listen to. He has a way of making things fun with his high energy and dry sense of humor. To be completely honest in my review of this class, the lighting and posing sections, while VERY good, have been done over and over again by lots of photographers and didn't offer much in the way of new ideas. The real value was in the customer service and marketing techniques presented here. Blair's use of video as a marketing and communication tool with his clients is very unique and sparked TONS of ideas I would like to implement in my studio. His simple pricing structure and the way he presents it to his clients is also unique and has helped me rethink some of my own methods. "That being said" (Blair should appreciate that phrase) this class is totally worth the price and will continue to be a good reference for me. Some photographers are excellent at their craft but are dry teachers; others are great teachers but their "real-life" work doesn't live up to their classroom presentations. Blair is the real deal and makes this class very exciting.
a Creativelive Student
Blair is great. This class is packed full of great info and is a genuine good hearted person.. Really like his approach with high school seniors. I recommend it.
a Creativelive Student
This has been my favorite class on Creative Live. I loved how Blair explained exactly how he landed dance and sports contracts. This class was packed full of ideas for marketing and selling products. There was just so much great information. Thanks, Blair!
Student Work
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