3 Secrets to Avoid Portrait Photographer Burn-Out
I’ve gone through the turnstiles into Portrait Photography Land three times in the last twenty years. There were various reasons for doing yet another stint of teaching elementary school, but one of the biggest ones was photographer burn-out. I believe I have finally come to a burn-out free zone as a portrait studio owner and I’d like to share the secrets with fellow photographers who hover on the edge of turning their camera gear in for another way to make a living.
Niches and fortes:
We all see the irony in a website banner that says “specializing in newborns, maternity, families, seniors, pets and children”. It’s not necessary to choose one, per se, but if you can narrow that list down, your professional life will take on new meaning. The marketing, pricing and selling of your work instantly becomes less complicated, as do the sessions themselves. Years ago I decided to pivot to be a dog photographer. I found so much clarity in how to reach my audience and hone the style I felt people would be drawn to. It was so clear, I was even asked by Amherst Media to write a book on the subject!
These days I’m on the backdrop with humans again, but I’ve still chosen specific types of photography that feed my soul. I love empowering girls with a session we’ve created called Kaleidoscope. It took a year to fully form, but I believe we offer something no else does. We are very deliberate in how we market and who we market this session to, as well as pricing the art we work so hard to produce. I realized that I needed one more niche to keep me interested, so we added in families, knowing that they come in all shapes and sizes which can be fun and unpredictable (in a good way). I also realized that the best way to make the living I wanted to make was to work with families because they are likely to return year after year as the kids grow up. I’m a relationship builder and I like the idea of keeping up with families by creating original art for them periodically.
One way to figure the perfect niche for you is to imagine your phone ringing at the studio. It is someone wanting to book a session. Who, in your photographer heart, do you want it to be? Does the calm, quiet nature of a newborn session put you at ease? Does the fast-paced, colorful on-location fun of a senior session float your boat? Do you squeal with delight at the thought of toddlers smashing a cake on your backdrop? Pay attention to who you want to be on the other end of that phone call. She or he just might be your perfect niche client.
You also don’t have to go “all in” on one group of clients when you’re ready to niche-down. You can trickle them in until they’re 20%…40%…80% of your clients. I remember when I crossed over to where enough people knew me as a dog photographer that I could consistently book clients. It’s your studio…you can decide which images you want to put on social media to attract the clients you’re looking for. Remember: show what you like to shoot. You will receive more of that. Avoid any images (even if they’re good!) Of the type of clients you’d rather let go.
Creative projects:
Even though I’m pretty successful at talking clients into a creative idea, they can be hesitant when it comes to original portrait plans. Yet, I know if I flex my creative muscles each month, I will feed that part of my career that needs to feel meaningful and fun. Enter my yearly list of “Artist Projects” I plan for the quiet months. The uncertainty of January is a feeling we all know well. Many cohorts I know simply get out of Dodge once the holiday rush is done and don’t return until mid February. I take this time to shoot my most outrageous, fun and innovative session ideas. There’s set-building and costume-creating. And the good news is if I put enough heart and marketing into the project, I can usually turn a project into a money-making campaign. The intent is always to make the art, but I find when I put all of my people/technical/creative skills into the endeavor, I can usually end up with a nice profit I never would have gotten in a typical January or February. Most importantly, it’s fun and I am filled up before the next season of portraits begins. Kaleidoscope began as a creative project because as a former 6th grade teacher, I loved helping girls to feel strong and beautiful. It was so well received (and I loved doing it so much), it became the main offering at our studio within a year. You just never know where a creative project can take you.
What do you love creating when it comes to fine art photography? What could you shoot all day if given the chance? Why not nail down an idea, market it on social media as a fee-free experience with you, the artist? When you feel on fire for something, good things happen.
Go Deep Instead of Wide
I’ve never liked the “turn and burn” way of running a studio. As in, fitting as many sessions as your studio hours allow. Over time I’ve also adopted the belief that every client needs a pre-session consultation either in our studio or at their home. We are in the business of creating original art for our clients and the only way I know how to do this is to spend a lot of time and energy on each one. That being said, I also know that time is money, so I made a drastic change in my pricing. We see our sessions as an experience and charge accordingly. We also made a decision to sell only wall art and albums. We plaster this information everywhere on our site, on social media, and in phone inquiries. My studio manager spends a lot of time talking to people about the investment they will be making, what they receive for this investment, and how happy they’ll be when the process is done. There’s no quibbling when a potential client says it’s way more than they can spend. We want to know this information before booking someone, so we can educate on how we do things and why. It’s the 20/80 rule. Eighty percent of the people who contact us will not be looking to make this kind of investment in portraits, but twenty percent will be “all in”. These “all in” folks are how we make a great living . Everyone wins: we get to shower them with incredible customer care and they receive an heirloom piece of art for their coffee table of wall. We’ve learned to explain all the things ahead of time so there isn’t sticker shock or frustration at the ordering session. There should be no surprises.
This is also a studio model you can ease on into. You don’t have to flip your pricing and policies on a dime overnight. Choose a session type you know takes a lot more time and energy and price what you think the experience and finished product are worth. Ask a mentor for help. Allison Tyler Jones in Mesa, AZ was an incredible help to me when I decided to go this route. Knowing someone could make it work gave me the courage to give it a go myself. The pep talks and basic pricing information kick-started me to a place of less fear of owning it. My employees and I say this to each other all the time: “We have something special here. Yes, it’s an investment and we own it.”
Working with fewer clients has many benefits. Balls don’t get dropped with scheduling and delivery. Clients feel cared for and special. The energy exerted to have one session a day is much less than juggling multiple shoots. When you charge more, you can up your product game. We took on a professional framer in our town and our artwork got an instant upgrade. It looks the part and we really like that. I will tell you that going deep with single clients rather than wide with many has been the number one reason I feel I’m living a balanced life. The key is to know the worth of what you provide and communicate it well. Once you do this, you feel compensated for your time and talent and your clients get something truly unique and special.
