My conversation with family photographer and business coach Jill C. Smith is a deep dive into pricing, marketing, client experience, and building a photography business that fits your life.
If you know me at all, you know how I am always on my soapbox about selling printed wall art and albums. So you might be surprised by our conversation about why Jill is a huge fan of selling digital files only. She opened my eyes to the reality that this can be highly profitable when done correctly. And she helped me understand why it is perfect for some people as long as it is financially rewarding and fits their lifestyle.
About My Guest
Jill went from teaching English to refugees to creating a successful photography business in New York’s Catskills 12 years ago. Her style is a blend of lifestyle and documentary – focusing on all things warm, honest, and connected. Jill is also a coach and mentor to other photographers, with her main areas of focus being on pricing, marketing, and client experience
And she hosts The Business Focused Photographer podcast. Be sure to listen for the episode where I am her guest.
In This Episode, we explore
• The difference between lifestyle and documentary photography
• Why pricing is often a mindset challenge
• Creative ways to market your photography business
New episodes drop every week — make sure to subscribe so you never miss an inspiring guest or a powerful solo episode designed to help you grow your photography business.
This episode is such an encouraging conversation about photography, money, and building a life that actually feels good. I sat down with photographer and business coach Mycah Bain to talk about financial freedom, mindset shifts, creating wealth without guilt, and why getting support in your business can completely change your life.
Mycah shares how she grew her photography business into a multi-six-figure studio with a team of 10 women, all while creating more freedom, more peace, and more opportunity for herself and others. We also dive into money blocks, gratitude, investing, retirement, generosity, and the importance of women feeling empowered to build real wealth.
This conversation felt equal parts practical, inspiring, and deeply honest.
In This Episode
• Why women deserve to build wealth and financial freedom
• The mindset shifts that helped Mycah grow her business
• How hiring help creates more peace, energy, and profit
• Money blocks photographers often struggle with
• Gratitude practices that can change your relationship with money
• Simple ways to start planning for long-term financial freedom
• Why generosity and wealth can beautifully coexist
Free Gift
Mycah created a free money mindset resource for photographers: mycahbain.com/money
She’s also offering complimentary one-on-one chats for a limited number of listeners. Email her and mention Luci. hello@mycahbain.com
Memorable Takeaway
“One moment of gratitude can completely shift your relationship with money.”
This episode is a beautiful reminder that money doesn’t have to feel scary, selfish, or overwhelming. It can be a tool for freedom, generosity, creativity, and building the life you truly want.
Connect with Photography Business Coach Luci Dumas:
New episodes drop every week — make sure to subscribe so you never miss an inspiring guest or a powerful solo episode designed to help you grow your photography business.
Have you ever donated a photo session to a charity event… and wondered if it was actually worth it?
If you want to know how to get booked solid without competing in the online world, you will want to listen and take notes. Today, I’m sharing how I used charity auctions and giveaways to attract ideal clients who invest well and helped my photography business thrive—without discounting my value or feeling salesy. All while supporting causes I truly care about.
Back during the 2009–2010 recession, this approach helped me stay visible, attract ideal clients, and generate thousands of dollars in business. I’m breaking down exactly what worked, what didn’t, and how to make charity marketing feel intentional instead of exhausting.
This episode is full of practical ideas, mindset shifts, and little details that can make a huge difference if you want charity events to actually support your business instead of draining it.
In This Episode
• How I used charity events to attract ideal portrait clients
• Why the right event matters more than doing lots of events
• My strategy for gift certificates, refundable deposits, and pre-qualifying clients
• Simple display ideas that make your booth or auction table look high-end
• Why every charity client deserves the same amazing experience as a full-paying client
A Few Big Takeaways
• Charity marketing works best when your ideal clients are already attending the event
• A beautiful presentation and strong branding matter more than giving away “more stuff”
• Sometimes one great charity partnership is worth more than ten random events
• The goal isn’t just exposure — it’s connection, trust, and creating future clients
Memorable Reminder
Supporting a cause and building a profitable business do not have to be opposites. When done thoughtfully, charity events can create genuine relationships, beautiful experiences, and real income for your business at the same time.
If this episode sparks ideas for you, I’d love to hear about it.
Connect with Photography Business Coach Luci Dumas:
New episodes drop every week — make sure to subscribe so you never miss an inspiring guest or a powerful solo episode designed to help you grow your photography business.
In this episode of The Profitable Photographer, I had such a delightful conversation with Karen Wood about the art and business of newborn photography….and the business of photography for any specialty.
Karen Wood is an award-winning newborn photographer, educator, and speaker based in Dallas. She has photographed everything from sports and weddings to family portraits, but her passion today is newborn and maternity photography. Karen is also an associate with the Professional Newborn Photographers International and loves helping photographers improve their technical skills, safety practices, and client experience.
What I especially appreciated was Karen’s calm, thoughtful approach. She has such a deep understanding of both the technical side of photography and the emotional side of serving families. Her wisdom around creating custom sessions and learning to truly “see” light was incredibly inspiring.
In This Episode
• How to safely soothe and pose newborns during sessions
• Why custom, personalized experiences lead to higher sales
• Common lighting mistakes photographers make (and how to fix them)
• Why continuing education can dramatically improve your photography business
Karen generously offered a complimentary 15-minute image critique/coaching session for a limited number of photographers. Just reach out to her through her website
Memorable Takeaway
Karen reminded us that success in photography often comes from slowing down, mastering the fundamentals, and creating a personalized experience that clients truly value. Whether you photograph newborns or any kind of portrait, learning to connect with people and refine your craft is what helps you stand out.
Connect with Photography Business Coach Luci Dumas:
New episodes drop every week — make sure to subscribe so you never miss an inspiring guest or a powerful solo episode designed to help you grow your photography business.
I had such a great conversation with Marcin Rafalowicz in this episode of The Profitable Photographer. He’s incredibly smart, thoughtful, and inspiring, and we talked about so much more than photography.
We dove into mindset shifts, perfectionism, confidence, AI, automation, networking, and what it really takes to build a profitable business without trying to do everything alone.
One of my favorite takeaways: “Perfectionism keeps photographers stuck. Progress and consistency are what actually build businesses.”
In This Episode: • Letting go of perfectionism • Using AI and automation to save time • Why mindset matters in business growth • The power of networking and relationships • Learning through failure instead of fearing it
About Marcin Rafalowicz Marcin is a photographer, branding specialist, and business coach with 17 years of experience in weddings, portraits, fashion, and corporate photography. His work has appeared in publications including Vogue and Cosmopolitan through collaborative editorial projects. Today, he helps photographers build profitable businesses through mindset coaching, branding, marketing, automation, and AI systems.
Special Free Gift Marcin is offering listeners a free business scoreboard assessment at ProImageAcademy.com/start to help photographers identify their strengths, biggest bottlenecks, and areas for growth.
Connect with Photography Business Coach Luci Dumas:
New episodes drop every week — make sure to subscribe so you never miss an inspiring guest or a powerful solo episode designed to help you grow your photography business.
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.
