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

Jean-Laurent Gaudy of www.jeanlaurentgaudy.com and www.jeanlaurentgaudy.co is a French photographer now based in the USA. After building a successful wedding photography business in France, JL was offered the chance to move anywhere in the USA. To do so, would mean leaving everything behind and starting over… from scratch.

In this interview, learn exactly what JL did before leaving France and since arriving in New York to build the kind of photography business I know any listener would be proud to call theirs. JL relied heavily on networking and social media and we dive deep into how he built the relationships he did, how he utilises Instagram for so many bookings and what he'd change if starting over again.

JL describes himself as a destination, elopement and intimate wedding photographer – you can see examples of all these on his website plus intimate portrait studies that will leave you feeling like you know his subject as well as he does. His work has a definite documentary style and an earthy feel with subdued colour tones and contrasty black and whites.

And the real beauty behind JL's photography is it all comes straight from his heart. He's openly willing to sacrifice bookings and ultimately money even while in such a fragile position as the new photographer on the street to shoot the way he wants. He says, that's the reason he does photography and he won't change that for anyone… ever.

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

  • Using an advertising background as leverage to set up a new business in the USA
  • Why Jean-Laurent left France for the USA to start over with his photography business
  • Why wedding photography is not a viable business in France
  • How Jean-Laurent was able to move to the US and how he obtained a green card
  • The decision to leave an established business behind
  • The reason Jean-Laurent chose New York to be his home-base when he moved to the US
  • What preparations to consider when moving your business to a different country
  • Jean-Laurent’s strategies to generate bookings in the US before his arrival
  • Subscribing to wedding blog vendors list to get your name out there
  • Utilising the power of social media to market yourself
  • The difference between French and US wedding photographers
  • Networking with wedding photographers from the country you are moving to
  • The importance of building relationships with photographers who share your vision and mindset
  • Why Jean-Laurent believes weddings blogs are not relevant for wedding photographers
  • Referrals and Instagram as main sources to generate client bookings
  • The need to make your website Pinterest-friendly to advertise your business
  • What Jean Laurent does to receive wedding photography referrals
  • Asking clients to properly tag and credit JL’s photography when shared on social media
  • Does personality play a role in attracting bookings or is more about the photography?
  • Describing Jean-Laurent’s first meeting with potential clients
  • How to dress for a client meeting
  • The first client meetings serve to determine if you are a good match with your couple
  • What is the right way to tell couples they are not a good fit for the kind of work you do
  • How Jean-Laurent works
  • Being prepared to loose potential clients who won’t compromise with how you work
  • JL’s current work flow
  • JL’s turnaround time and how clients get their photos
  • Why JL doesn’t like including albums in his packages

Jean-Laurent Gaudy 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:

  • JL’s strategy to generate bookings on Instagram
  • The importance of staying consistent with the look of the photos you upload in Instagram
  • Increasing Instagram followers through hashtags and geotags
  • Does JL see a significant increase in Instagram followers when huge IG accounts repost photos?
  • The need to reply, answer and acknowledge IG comments on your feed
  • What JL would do differently if he were to start building his Instagram account from scratch
  • Why JL doesn’t show any personality on his Instagram feed and treats it purely a business account
  • How clients find Jean-Laurent’s work
  • How a Skype meeting with clients works
  • The best thing Jean-Laurent has done for his business
  • The importance of shooting for yourself
  • Jean-Laurent’s realisations when switching to a different market in a new country

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 Cole, get access to an amazing back catalogue of interviews and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

I will not change the way I shoot for anyone. I’m trying to shoot the way I like it – Jean-Laurent Gaudy

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.

Jean-Laurent Gaudy Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Jean-Laurent 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.

I’m not going to change my editing process and the way I see things for you guys – Jean-Laurent Gaudy

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

Jean-Laurent Gaudy 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.

Jean-Laurent Gaudy 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 Franck Boutonnet who has built a portfolio worth dying for… all in the name of photography competitions and ultimately marketing.

Franck is as passionate about his long term personal photography projects as he is about any client work and this, he feels, is the reason for his success and longevity in the business.

I am 100% sure that one day, wedding photography is going to be considered as fashion photography, as portrait photography, as war photography. It’s going to be considered as an art in itself – Franck Boutonnet

Check out the interview and learn more about a photographer who is working toward a legacy any photographer would be proud to leave behind.

The interview is available here: Frank Boutennet Interview

Jean-Laurent Gaudy Photography Podcast

Adelaide meet up for PBX'ers

Adelaide, Australia listeners, I'll be in your neck of the woods in a couple weeks time and am keen to meet up if you are. I've been chatting with local photographer and listener, Debbie Smith and the plan is to meet at:

Cafe Amore on Pulteney St Adelaide

Thursday 19th january at 3pm

Hope you can make it!

You can reach me on 0413 852 222 if you're having any troubles finding us on the day.

 

Jean-Laurent Gaudy Photography Podcast

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

Jean-Laurent Gaudy on Instagram

Jean-Laurent Gaudy Website

Jean-Laurent Gaudy Wedding Photography Website

Jean-Laurent Gaudy on Facebook

Jean-Laurent Gaudy on Pinterest

Jean-Laurent Gaudy on Style Me Pretty

Jean-Laurent Gaudy on June Bug Weddings 

Jean-Laurent Gaudy on June Bug Wedding Feature

17 Hats

Pixieset

Jean-Laurent Gaudy Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening and thanks to Jean-Laurent for coming on and sharing his thoughts and ideas.

You work for people but you work also for yourself. Try to photograph things that make you proud and happy – Jean-Laurent Gaudy

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