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

Kate Densmore of katedensmore.com is a Day In The Life photographer, author and teacher. In this interview, Kate shares her complete process for what is becoming a popular genre of photography (amongst photographers so far) and being described as Day In the Life photography. From finding clients and having them find you to shooting, sales, products and marketing plus a whole lot more.

She's currently based in The Grand Canyon USA, Kate's husband is a National Park Ranger (which means moving around the country while running her photography business. Kate is the author of “Stories Of Home – The Art of Photographing Family.”

If you check out Kate's about page on her website, you'll see she describes herself as a…

PHOTOGRAPHER – MENTOR – FRIEND – WIFE – CREATIVE – NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FAMILY – MOTHER – COFFEE DRINKER – NIKON SHOOTER – TEACHER – GIRLBOSS – AUTHOR – DREAMER and WANDERER

I think you'll find she comes across as all this plus  in this episode.

Included with episode is a promo code for 30% off Kate's book: Stories Of Home – The Art of Photographing Family – use the code PBX30 at the checkout.

Here’s some of what we cover in this interview:

  • How Kate structured her business to fit a lifestyle that involves moving regularly
  • The business challenges involved when constantly moving your home base
  • Where Kate’s income comes from – which parts of her business
  • What Kate teaches in her photography classes
  • How Kate finds her photography clients today and how they find her
  • How to utilise the power of word-of-mouth to find clients for your business
  • Who are the typical clients of Day in the Life photographers?
  • The importance of educating clients about your expertise
  • What clients need to expect when signing up for a Day In The Life session
  • Should you allow clients to do activities they don’t normally do during a Day In The Life shoot?
  • The ideal times to schedule Day in the Life sessions
  • How to prepare clients for their Day in the Life sessions
  • Why Kate spends 24 hours in a client’s home for her DITL photo sessions
  • The ideal clothes to wear during Day in the Life photo sessions
  • How to handle family downtimes when photographing Day in the Life sessions
  • Pricing and what’s included in your DITL packages
  • What to consider when structuring your prices
  • Do clients resist paying upfront for photographs they haven’t seen yet?
  • Kate’s reason for documenting family photography
  • What kind of albums are best for Day in the Life shoots?
  • Why Kate lets clients select and pick what goes into their albums
  • Which software Kate uses to design her albums

Kate Densmore Photography Podcast

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re a premium member, you should have received an email with links to your version of this episode where you can hear more of the interview where we dive deeper into some of the earlier topics plus some new ones that I pushed for and include:

  • Does Kate direct her photo sessions at all?
  • How to approach children when starting Day in the Life shoots
  • The importance of planting seeds on family activities to include during photo sessions
  • What to do when families don’t look authentic during the photo shoot
  • How did Kate’s photography change or developed after shifting to Day in the Life sessions?
  • Why Kate switched from Canon to Nikon
  • The best thing Kate has done for her business
  • The importance of having confidence in running your business
  • What Kate would do if starting over from scratch today

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

Authenticity happens when they forgot that you're a photographer who’s there with them, and that you’re just fun friends who’s hanging out with them for the day – Kate Densmore

Plus, access to a members only Secret Facebook Group where you can connect with other members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take what you hear in each episode and put it into action. You will not find more friendly, more motivated and caring photographers online.

Kate Densmore Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Kate 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 todays episode.

Everything had to be perfect before. And starting with this style, once I got immersed in it I realised that perfection is kinda boring, and my very favourite images that I’ve ever taken of clients or my personal ones are almost always the ones that have something in them that’s a little bit imperfect. And that was really freeing. – Kate Densmore

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

Kate Densmore 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 means 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 key words or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to.

Everything you need to be a successful photographer

In iTunes by Dan Waters of Get Pro Photo Club from UK on February 13, 2017

Incredibly practical and actionable advice in every interview. Andrew practices what he preaches and reports back with the results, so you know this stuff really works.

If you want to be a successful portrait and wedding photographer in this competitive market then this is the kind of information you need. Not the latest Photoshop Action or baby posing tool… …but tried and tested business advice that's presented with clarity and more charm than a mongoose beguiling a cobra!

Very entertaining and informative!

In iTunes by Santa Barbara Wedding Videographer, Robert Michael from the USA on February 23, 2017

Really enjoying this podcast. Andrew does a great job as host. The guest interviews are informative and inspiring.

Hands down the best photography business podcast! 

In iTunes by Michael Teo from Australia who shoots portrait photography in Melbourne on January 28, 2017

This is hands down the best photography business podcast! Andrew's interview technique is excellent and the information shared by the interviewees  is so valuable.

Listening to this podcast and putting into action the advice has helped to build my photography business and as a Premium Member, the support of the group has been great for keeping me on track.

I can't thank Andrew enough for this incredible resource he is creating for the photographic community.

Kate Densmore Photography Podcast

The NEW Photography Xperiment Podcast is live and available

Following the success and support shown by listeners after the experimental format of the recent interviews, the new Photo Xperiment Podcast has been launched and is available on this site and in iTunes now.

Interviews are underway and I'll be looking for new guests, not restricted to wedding and portrait photographers. If you have someone you think would be a good fit, let me know in the comment area below or email me, andrew@photobizx.com.

The idea behind these interviews is to get into the headspace of the photographer and find what makes them tick, what drives them, their thought process, philosophy on shooting and how they achieve what they do with their photography. So yeah, a little technique type content too.

These interviews will not focus on the business of photography – that'll be preserved solely for the weekly and unchanging format of the PhotoBizX podcast.

To hear these interviews in your podcast app, you will need to subscribe to the podcast – these interviews will not be delivered automatically if you're subscribed to PhotoBizX. Open your favourite podcast app and search “Photography Xperiment Podcast” or enter the feed URL,  https://photobizx.com/feed/xperiment/ into the search field of your podcast app.

The last episode featured Craig George of www.craig-george.com who was also interviewed for episode 140 of PhotoBizX podcast in one of the most downloaded episodes where he shared how he rose from nothing to a fully booked destination wedding photographer in one year!

Last month, I saw a social media post from Craig that he is giving up on digital photography and moving to film. This goes for all future bookings and any existing bookings who want him to shoot film for their wedding. He's now facing a bunch of challenges including pricing, packages, education and having to re-learn how to shoot conservatively.

It’s so hard to be different. But it doesn’t matter because essentially nobody else can look through that viewfinder in my camera and nobody else can write the words that I write – Craig George

In this interview, my aim is to uncover why the change and the complete thought process behind the BIG change including how Craig is going to pull this off successfully and stay profitable.

The interview is available here: Craig George Interview

Kate Densmore Photography Podcast

The ShotKit list of gifts for photographer

I was in Japan last week and I remembered Mark Condon of ShotKit.com and episode 124 of the podcast was a TV star there a few years ago. We exchanged a couple of emails and he told me about these crazy eye drops that he remembers and there was a link in his page – Gifts For Photographers – to the product… Rohto Z.

I got hold of and tried the eyedrops… It was like dropping liquid mentos into each eye. A little bit of a sting then it was like my eyes were inhaling cold air. Give em a try if you're ever in Japan.

Besides the eye drops though… you have to check out the Gifts for Photographers page if you're ever looking for a gift idea for yourself or want to drop a hint to someone looking to buy for you. This is a great list! Some practical, some funny, some ridiculous (like the eye drops) and some very cool things I know I'd love to receive.

Here's the link to the page: http://shotkit.com/gifts-for-photographers if you want to bookmark it.

Kate Densmore Photography Podcast

Get on the waiting list for a new book on lighting

In that same exchange of emails with Mark from ShotKit, he told me about a new book he's working on:

I’m currently working on another ebook called LIT. It’s going to show some of the world’s best wedding photographers and their lighting techniques to achieve their iconic shots.

I’ve put together a discount page for anyone showing some early interest: http://shotkit.com/lit/

I've signed up and am looking forward to what Mark comes up with. If his More Brides book is anything to go by, this will be a TOP resource for anyone looking to improve their lighting skills.

Crazy Anna Pumer is putting on another workshop! 

Anna Pumer is a regular around here after appearing in two episodes, one for PhotoBizX another for The Photography Xperiment Podcast and putting together a super helpful resource for Premium members on creating the perfect about page for your website – which is available for download in the premium resource area.

Speaking of which, you absolutely have to check out Anna's new about page. WHOA!

Anyway…

Anna is putting on another workshop! I asked why when the lead up to her first one seemed so stressful?

She says, “It was one of my past students telling me I absolutely must do it again. I'm a sucker for flattery, so here we are.”

Check out the page and Anna's work and you'll immediately see, this will be one cracker of a workshop!

http://www.annapumerphotography.com/kick-ass-workshop-brighton/

It's 22-25 May in Brighton and is all about getting your ideal couples and documentary wedding photography (with a live docu shoot!)

Kate Densmore Photography Podcast

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

Kate Densmore Website

Kate Densmore on Facebook

Kate Densmore on Instagram

In Conversation: Kate Densmore

Stories of Home: The Art of Photographing Family by Kate Densmore
Use the code PBX30 at the checkout to save 30%!

David DuChemin

Finao Albums

Finao Final Playbook

Miller’s Signature Albums

Adobe Premiere Pro

AlbumStomp

Episode 203: Neale James – The Business of PhotoFilms for Photographers 

Gifts for Photographers

The Lighting Secrets of the World's Best Wedding Photographers!

Anna Pumer's Kick Ass Photography Workshop

Kate Densmore Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening and thanks to Kate for coming on and sharing her thoughts and ideas on Day In The Life Photography, her business, marketing and life as a working photographer.

I don’t feel like the need to necessarily capture every single potential client that comes my way, for better or worse – Kate Densmore

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