I am so excited to introduce you to Kate DeCoste and her thoughts about the importance of storytelling as photographers.
In business since 2009, she calls herself a “confidence curator and small-town sparkplug” based in Wahoo, Nebraska. What I love is that she helps people show up authentically on camera, and her sessions feel more like a celebration than a checklist.
Her background is really fascinating—before photography, she was a ‘theater girl” and was a stage manager in New York City and Milwaukee. Now she brings that same blend of creativity, organization, and big-picture vision into her photography work and her podcast, The One Behind the Lens.
In our conversation, Kate shared how storytelling is really at the core of her photography. She creates an experience where clients feel truly seen from the very beginning. When people feel recognized and valued, their walls come down, their confidence shines through, and the photos end up telling an authentic story that clients treasure.
Here are a few highlights from our chat:
• How her theater background led her into photography
• Why storytelling begins before the camera ever comes out
• The questions she asks to truly get to know her clients
• How she creates sessions where people feel seen and celebrated
• Why it’s so important for photographers to value their work and sell prints
I just loved Kate’s energy and enthusiasm… and I know you’ll come away from this conversation with ideas for creating more meaningful, memorable experiences in your own photography sessions.
PS…thanks for subscribing and sharing! Luci
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.
This episode is a “BUFFET” of ideas and quotes about the power of attraction, the importance of visualizing, and why positivity is one of our most important tools for success in business. I can’t
possibly cover everything about any one of these tools in 25 minutes, so I decided to share a handful of teachers and quotes that have helped me in my life and career.
As a professional photographer for over 40 years, and along the way, I’ve discovered something amazing: these tools don’t just make business sense—it can feel downright magical.
I’m referencing ancient wisdom from the Bible, Buddhist teachings, and Jewish texts, alongside lessons from modern teachers like Wayne Dyer, Esther Hicks, and Napoleon Hill—all of whom have guided me to manifest incredible opportunities, clients, and experiences.
We talk about:
How a positive mindset can attract your ideal clients and unexpected opportunities.
Why being crystal clear on what you want is a total game-changer.
Ways to focus your energy so it actually works for you, not against you.
How to turn visualizations and intentions into real, booked sessions (yes, it really works—I’ve seen it happen time and time again!).
This episode is packed with practical advice, mindset tools, and a bit of storytelling from my four decades in photography. If you’re ready to see how positivity, vision, and focus can open doors you didn’t even know existed—while having some fun along the way—this episode is for you!
PS…if you would like a complimentary “Create the Business of Your Dreams” Strategy session,
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.
Okay, let’s face it. Creatives have special challenges when it comes to being organized and keeping track of our stuff.
The reasons can vary. There might be issues with all the things we use that “norm-ies” don’t need, like a list of things needed as a photographer, including cords, lenses, batteries, cameras, chargers, props, and so on.
Or the reason can be that we have many different projects going at the same time.
Or that…like me…we are more interested in the next creative activity and don’t notice the “wake” left behind from the last one.
My amazing guest, Lee Silber, offers hope and practical tips that are contrary to traditional organizing teachings.
He is the award-winning author of 26 books, including the popular Creative Person series. Lee is a master at helping right-brained creatives like us find simple, effective ways to organize and run our businesses without killing our spark.
One AHA moment for me is how organizing itself can be viewed as an art form, and how leaning into our creative tendencies makes us more successful. Lee shared some wonderfully practical strategies for organization, productivity, and confidence—designed for the way our brains actually work.
Here are a few of the highlights from our conversation:
Create right-brain friendly organizing systems: color-coding, index cards, and piles that make sense.
Why perfectionism is the illusion that keeps us stuck, and how to move forward anyway.
“Action is the antidote for anxiety”—just start with one small step.
A point-based to-do list that turns productivity into a game.
Lee also has a brand-new book, We Got This, all about building confidence, and he’s offering a free one-sheet gift called Quiet Confidence at leesilber.com/bonus-freebies.
If you’ve ever felt like typical business advice doesn’t quite fit how your brain works, this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air.
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.
Welcome to a super informative episode of The Profitable Photographer with Luci Dumas! This week, I’m joined by longtime friends, industry icons, and master photographers Bert and Cindy Behnke — and oh, what a fun and insightful conversation we had!
Bert and Cindy ran a 68-year-old, three-generation portrait business in the Chicago suburbs until they passed the torch in 2024. Specializing in fine portraiture and corporate work (with a big love for photographing families and women!), they’ve impacted countless lives — not just through their lens, but through their warmth, wisdom, and connection.
Now they’re jet-setting across the globe, leading international photo workshops in dreamy destinations like Italy, Scotland, Ireland, Mexico, and Croatia. And you can join them!
In this episode, we dive into:
The power of connection and relationship-building in portrait photography
Why making clients feel seen, heard, and truly cared for is at the core of a thriving business
How asking the right questions unlocks emotional impact and deeper client engagement
A reminder that craftsmanship matters — solid skills + solid relationships = magic
And so much more!
There is so much value in listening to photographers with decades of success. And this episode is a big, beautiful reminder that our greatest success comes when people know, like, and trust us. I know you are going to feel this way about Bert and Cindy
Thanks for tuning in, beautiful humans! Your support means the world to me. Until next time, sending you a big heart full of love — and as always, keep doing what you love, loving what you do, and making this world a better place one portrait at a time.
With gratitude, Luci Dumas
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.
This week I get to hang out with Jeff Rojas—a mellow, super talented commercial photographer and former Adobe rep who’s been in the photography game for 14 years. His story started with something really personal…photographing a classic car with his grandfather…and it grew into a career that’s full of lessons for all of us.
Jeff and I cover a lot of ground in this episode, including the business of photography, the future of creative entrepreneurship, and how to thrive in commercial photography today. Here are just a few of the gems you’ll hear:
How wealth doesn’t really change people—it just turns up the volume on who they already are
Why working with clients who truly value quality is the key to a thriving business (money or no money)
Jeff’s approach to pricing: not fixed rates, but real value
What he learned as Adobe’s go-to-market manager and how that ties into the future of creative entrepreneurship
His refreshing take on AI—it’s not here to replace us, but to multiply what we can do
And my favorite: his “jawbone of a donkey” analogy—why you should use the skill you’re most afraid to use, the one you already have, instead of waiting for the perfect tool
Jeff also opens up about taking a much-needed break during 2020 to recover from burnout, and how he found his balance again. It’s an honest, inspiring conversation about creativity, business, and the courage to make the most of what you’ve been given.
Here is how to check out what Jeff is up to and get in his orbit:
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.
