Get ready for a lovely and super practical episode! This week, I’m hanging out with the amazing Brenda Pottinger—photographer, educator, and marketing genius. She also has a heart for giving back and before we chat about her easy marketing strategies, she shares her love for helping others using the power of photography.
Who is Brenda? Well, with degrees in Art-Graphic Design and Mass Communications from Emory & Henry College, she jumped into the world of weddings and portraits in Cincinnati. Over the next 20 years, she built a thriving business, picked up a few well-earned photography degrees (like Master of Wedding Photography, Master of Photography, and Certified Professional Photographer), and even served on the PPA Council.
Oh—and no big deal—she was nominated for Top Ten Wedding Album at the International Photographic Competition and named Photographer of the Year twice by Professional Photographers of Southwest Ohio!
Inside this episode, we chat about:
• How a Girl Scout camera sparked her lifelong love of photography
• Her 7-step “Marketing Made Easy” method
• Why it’s all about relationships, not just ads and posts
• Knowing exactly who you want to photograph (and how to find them)
Brenda is also teaching a PPA Super One Day Workshop called Marketing Made Easy on May 14—don’t miss it! Just log on to the PPA website to sign up for her class.
Trust me, you’re going to come away from this episode smiling and ready to tackle your marketing with way less stress.
I had the most amazing time at PPA’s Imaging Expo and if you are one of my new listeners I met in Dallas…HELLO!!
We have the most incredible industry. We are so fun, dedicated, creative, smart and love to hang out together. I feel soooo blessed ho have had 40 years in this community.
This episode features Debbie McFarland, a photographer with 27 years of experience who’s found her passion in empowering tweens through photography. Tweens, ages 9-12, are at a critical stage of growth and transformation, and Debbie shares how capturing their beauty and confidence has not only impacted her clients but also grown her business.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
• Why tweens are an underserved market and how focusing on them can make a meaningful difference.
• Debbie’s marketing strategies—from partnering with local businesses and therapists to hosting large community events.
• How heart-driven work leads to success, including her global kindness initiative, Sparks of Kindness.
Debbie’s story reminds us that passion, creativity, and connection can transform your business. Tune in for actionable tips and inspiration to incorporate more meaning into your work while thriving financially!
On this episode of The Profitable Photographer, I’m joined by Marcel, a wedding photographer in Australia with over 16 years of experience who is all about creating a remarkable client experience. He loves the connective and passionate memories that he creates for couples. And he’s also generous with his time by mentoring photographers entering the market, he loves to assist other photography studios as needed, and also helping our wider wedding planning community.
One of my main takeaways I totally agree with from this conversation are..1. Be nice/likable. 2. Be caring. 3. Build relationships. Make connections with our clients but also with vendors, guests and bridal parties.
Listen for these topics and how and how you can use this info to thrive in the very competitive wedding photography world.
• Deliver Memorable Client Experiences: how his passion for connecting with clients leads to unforgettable wedding photography that truly captures the essence of the couple’s special day.
• The Power of Networking: why strategic networking with other wedding vendors and photographers has been the cornerstone of his business success, providing him with a steady stream of referrals.
• Maximizing Visibility: his technique of sharing galleries with vendors post-wedding, which not only strengthens relationships but also amplifies his brand’s reach.
• Sales as a Service: the importance of being personable and listening to clients during the sales process. He shares his approach to asking the right questions to uncover what clients really want.
• Smaller Weddings, Bigger Profits: info on how smaller weddings can be surprisingly profitable and how Marcel has streamlined his process to maximize efficiency.
If you’re looking to build stronger client relationships and leverage networking to grow your business, this episode is packed with actionable insights from Marcel!
By the way, if you are attending the Professional Photographers of America’s Imaging Expo this coming Feb 2025, watch for news about them get together for my listeners and guests. I am anxious to meet you in person!
And here we are at Part Three…the final solo episode about the material
I share in my eBook called “10 Big Ideas for Marketing High Dollar
Portrait and Wedding Photography in the “Real World”.
You can download your free copy by going to the bottom of the home page at www.lucidumascoaching.com to follow along and gain deeper insights into the topic.
Here is a reminder about the core teaching in this eBook. Well, so many people
stay on their computer to do most or even all of their marketing efforts. Social
media of course has many great ways to reach potential clients. But if that is the
only way these photographers are marketing, they are missing out on the power of meeting people in person, getting their work seen as printed photographic art, and directly reaching ideal clients.
In the first episode in the series, I shared some basic wisdom such as the importance of
knowing how to sell and how to produce photographs that people will purchase. We can be
awesome at marketing but fall short if those activities are lacking.
In the second chapter, I cover the next Big Ideas in detail including Gift Certificates as fundraisers, Publications, Networking, and Mastermind groups.
In Part 3 I finish up with the last topic:
8- Events
9- Auctions
10- The importance of effective branding
Be sure to watch or listen to all 3 episodes as I dive into each of these ideas for how to
Today’s episode is Part Two of Three solo episodes about the material I share in my eBook called “10 Big Ideas for Marketing High Dollar Portrait and Wedding Photography in the “Real World”.
You can download your free copy by going to the bottom of the home page at www.lucidumascoaching.com to follow along and gain deeper insights into the topic.
So what is the main theme of this teaching, you ask? Well, so many people stay on their computer to do most or even all of their marketing efforts. Social media of course has many great ways to reach potential clients. But if that is the only way these photographers are marketing, they are missing out on the power of meeting people in person, getting their work seen as printed photographic art, and directly reaching ideal clients.
In the first episode in the series, I shared some basic wisdom such as the importance of knowing how sell and how to produce photographs that people will purchase. We can be awesome at marketing but fall short if those activities are lacking.
Then I cover the next Big Ideas in detail
4- Gift Certificates as fundraisers
5- Publications
6- Networking
7- Create your own mastermind group
Be sure to watch for Part Three as I continue to explore the info in my ebook on marketing. Just scroll to the bottom of the HOME page to get the link.
Connect with Photography Business Coach Luci Dumas:
A big, exciting and maybe a little scary dream to have a successful, profitable and creative photography business doing exactly what you love for wonderful, grateful clients? Or do you want to bring your business to the next level of fun and profit.? If so, then this Podcast is for you.
For over 36 years, I have made a great living as portrait and wedding business, Luci Dumas Fine Photography, with no other source of income. No rich husband or lottery winnings, through the ups and downs of the industry and economy.
Now as a business coach with Insight Training for Photographers, I love love love to support photographers who want to do the same. This podcast is full of practical business info, and insights gained from my years in business, plus interviews with amazing people. My desire is to help you along on your joyful journey to success, however that looks to you.
