Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area.

Elena Blair of www.elenasblair.com/schooled (use code schooled-photobiz) was interviewed for episode 279 of PhotoBizX, where we explored a few topics including content marketing, utilising Pinterest effectively and email marketing, but the one which resonated most and caused a real stir amongst listeners was her approach to school photography.

Elena presented a way to photograph kids in schools (from pre-schoolers to high-schoolers) in a way I, and you, may never have considered… using natural light from classroom windows, simple backdrops, a 50mm lens and capturing real expressions – no forced smiles.

The images she creates and sells are worthy to be featured as wall art in any home and the best part for working portrait photographers, she is generating a FANTASTIC income from these shoots and averaging $40 in sales PER CHILD she photographs.

Following that interview, plenty of members and listeners purchased Elena's “Schooled Resource” (which is underpriced!) – the complete guide to adding fine art school portraits to your photography business and have introduced these shoot to their businesses.

I had a chance to get Elena back on the show to learn more about the process and jumped at it. This interview is the result.

Plus, Elena has set up the promo code “schooled-photobiz” to save you 20% for the month of July 2019. PhotoBizX Premium Members also receive an additional 30% off!

Here’s some more of what we cover in the interview:

  • An update on Elena's school photography course for photographers
  • What you can expect from Elena's Boutique School Photography
  • How parents perceive the photos they get from school photo sessions
  • How these school photography sessions work
  • Sending educational materials to parents before the school photography sessions
  • Do you need a team to do school photography or can solo photographers do it
  • The first step to consider when implementing school photography into your business
  • Adding school photography to fill the income gap for slower months
  • The importance of preparing a portfolio when pitching your work to schools
  • Portfolio building for school photography
  • How long does it take to kick off a school photography niche
  • Booking your first school can be accelerated with connections
  • Why you need to venture into school photography
  • Why Elena doesn't believe in competition
  • How Elena books family sessions directly from her school photography shoots
  • Is it hard to break through the competition and into school photography
  • The best reply if schools say they already have a photographer
  • Kickbacks or charitable donations to your schools
  • Using prints to make more money
  • What is unit printing and why it's effective for school photography
  • Do families receive digitals and prints
  • The advantage of having competitive pricing
  • Recommended lens for school photography
  • What's the biggest challenge for photographers who enrol with the schooled photography course
  • Why Elena doesn't outsource editing for school sessions
  • Elena's take on retouching images and charging for it
  • Dealing with online privacy for school photography
  • What to look for in a print lab for school photography

Elena Blair Photography Podcast

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re a premium member, you should have received an email with details on how to save a further 30% on Elena's course.

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, get access to an amazing back catalogue of interviews and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

It's great for your SEO to have that many visitors to your website every day. – Elena Blair

Plus special member-only interviews.

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. There are also FB live video tutorials, role-play interviews and special live interviews happening in the group.

You will not find more friendly, more motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Joining a Mastermind Group (encouraged by Andrew) has been incredibly valuable and fun, I look forward to connecting with my group members every week. Jina Zheng, Premium Member and Melbourne Children photographer.

And that's not all… you get a set of steak knives… I'm kidding!

Seriously though, that's not all. In addition to everything above, you'll get access to and instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable and build friendships with other pro photographers with similar motives to you – to build a more successful photography business.

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Elena shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below, let me know what your takeaways were, what you plan to implement in your business as a result of what you heard in today's episode.

Once you have one school under your belt it's kind of like wildfire spreads, it spreads a little bit easier. – Elena Blair

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Elena or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

Elena Blair Photography Podcast

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

Each week I check for any new iTunes reviews and it's always a buzz to receive these… for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they really are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes is the biggest search engine when it comes to podcasts and it's your reviews and ratings that help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and ultimately a better show.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you!

If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes and you can leave some honest feedback and a rating which will help both me and the show and I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast and email me your keywords or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has made a difference to you and your photography business.

Here's the latest review…

Awesome Podcast! Great Info! Helpful Host!

★★★★★ in Apple Podcasts by Atlanta Wedding Photographers,  Cindy Brown Photo from the United States of America on July 1, 2019

By far my favourite photo business podcast! Andrew finds the best folks (he would say “mates”) to interview. And then he asks the questions I want to hear the answers to.

Subjects range from dog portraits to SEO tactics. I find myself listening to interviews that have no direct relationship to the kind of photography I do, just because they're so fun to listen to.

Even before I was a Premium member, I was a regular listener. Now that I'm a Premium member, I get so much more. Not just the best parts of the interview that are set aside for Premium members, but also a FB group where Andrew, interview subjects and other members help each other.

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Elena Blair Website

Schooled – A COMPLETE GUIDE TO FINE ART SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY – use promo code schooled-photobiz in the month of July 2019 to save 20%

After July 30th 2019, use the promo code: photobizx10 for a 10% rebate on the course at the regular price.

Elena Blair on Facebook

Elena Blair on Instagram

Episode 279: Elena Blair – Content marketing for photographers and school portraiture with a killer difference

ShootProof

Pixieset

Color Inc Pro Lab

Evergreen Facebook Ad Funnels for photographers course

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening and big thanks to Elena for coming on and sharing her thoughts on the business of school portraits and just how doable it is to add this genre of photography to any portrait shooters arsenal of all-year-round income producing options. The best part, in addition to the income-producing aspects, is any photographer shooting in this style will still feel like they are producing something special for their client, not just cookie-cutter, pop out photography.

We're all about profits. In my business I feel like if you're going to be in business you're going to be making a profit. – Elena Blair

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks and speak soon
Andrew