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Todd Muskopf of Muskopf Seniors and The Classic Beauty Project shares exactly how a personal project photographing retro glamour styled shoots in the 1940's and 50's genre is leading to a whole new side of his photography business in it's own right. In the interview, Todd reveals every step he's taken and how you can apply the same strategy and take a photography project to viable photography business.

Todd was trained as a fine art painter and has shown and sold paintings through galleries for over 20 years. He taught Art in school for 13 years before discovering photography as a business and went full time in 2009 with a focus on high school senior portraits.

In 2014 he kicked off The Classic Beauty Project which is exactly what we explore in this interview.

Here’s some of what we cover:

  • The transition from school teacher to having his own photography business
  • Fine Art Photography and the lack of business opportunities today
  • Earning more from photography than teaching and painting
  • How to sell fine art today
  • What kind of photography is the biggest earner for Todd?
  • The high school seniors photography market and business
  • Affiliating with schools for your high school seniors photography business
  • Why you should only select certain schools to market your photography business
  • Who are the real clients for senior portraits and how do they find a photographer?
  • The efficiency of a website which answers almost all clients questions including pricing
  • Senior portrait prices and inclusions
  • Minimising overheads by working from home gives you the opportunity to lower prices
  • Why you need to consider your true audience when designing your website
  • Utilising your website to answer client questions before the phone rings
  • What to do when clients ask for digital files
  • Will having expensive albums cut profits for your business?
  • Why Todd created the Classic Beauty project
  • Finding inspiration from glamour photography
  • How a glamour photography hobby became an avenue to empower women and celebrate their life
  • How to make a hobby generate income while staying true to your passion
  • How many glamour photography sessions Todd does in a year
  • How to manage two photography niches with ease
  • How to find models for his beauty or glamour photography projects
  • How to utilise Facebook ads effectively for finding volunteer photography project participants

Todd Muskopf 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 lots more content from where we dive deeper into some of the earlier topics plus some new ones that I pushed hard for that include:

  • How to recognise your limits and determine the right time to start charging for your photography
  • How to move from free project to charging for your photography successfully
  • Why keep your photography project out of sight from your regular photography clients
  • Why you need to consider existing client reactions to your photography projects
  • When you should separate two different business photography niches
  • Discovering untapped markets can lead to business opportunities
  • How to find clients for your preferred niche
  • The one catalyst which allowed Todd to kick off his business and start attracting bookings
  • The pros and cons of attracting client bookings through Facebook ads
  • What type of Facebook Ads Todd uses for his marketing which continue to produce
  • Steps that convert Facebook ad campaigns to client bookings
  • When is the right time to inform your project participants that an up sell could be waiting for them
  • How to avoid triggering up sell fear from clients who book for free photo sessions
  • Why it is alright to photograph a client for free even when they express no intention to buy?
  • How to use photo tagging on Facebook to widen your market reach
  • Why you should encourage your clients to share their photos from your Facebook page
  • How to encourage sales when a client doesn't purchase from free sessions
  • Why you should impose restrictions when accepting participants for your project
  • Where Todd sources the clothing his models wear
  • How to deal with women's fear limits when photographing glamour photography sessions
  • Are clients allowed to bring a chaperone during glamour photography sessions?
  • Are women given free reign to choose their style of shoot?
  • Why Todd prefers clients having light make up for glamour photography shoots
  • Why the use of foundation make up can be a bad thing for glamour photography
  • The best thing Todd has done for his business
  • How many pieces of clothing should you have to start your own glamour photography business
  • Setbacks Todd experienced with his photography business
  • How to handle an unhappy client or a complaint
  • The struggle with switching from free shoots to charging your clients

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

The one thing that I think is a real limiting factor is fear itself. A lot of women are worried that they won't be able to pull it off – Todd Muskopf

Plus, access to a members only Facebook group where you'll 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 cooler, more motivated and caring photographers online.

Todd Muskopf Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know what your biggest takeaway is – what is the one thing that you’d like to implement or learnt from what was shared? Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

I had an inkling that there was a market there that is untapped – Todd Muskopf

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

Todd Muskopf 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 and your name like Wilson has below.

Invaluable Resource

In iTunes by Wilson Lau Photography from Canada on March 10, 2016

Photo Biz Xposed is an invaluable resource to wedding and portrait photographers of all levels.

Andrew interviews photographers from different walks of life, and varying locations which means there's something for everyone. I personally like to listen to the podcast while I’m editing photos. Some of the best information I’ve gotten from the podcast is when I did my own research into the topics that were discussed to find resources, such as courses that other photographers are offering.

If you subscribe to be a premium member you get to join a private Facebook group with the rest of the premium members and it’s just a wonderful community that's full of support.

Andrew is also one of the nicest guys, with a big heart and it's evident from listening to him talk that he is dedicated to your success.

Highly recommend this podcast!

Todd Muskopf Photography Podcast

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

Todd Muskopf Website

Todd Muskopf on Facebook

Todd Muskopf on Instagram

Muskopf Photos on Facebook

Classic Beauty Project

The Classic Beauty Project on Facebook

Myrna Loy

To Mary – with Love (1936 film)

Ann Sothern

Ann Sheridan

Clarence Bull

George Hurrell

Greta Garbo books

Joan Crawford books

Mary Jane “Mae” West books

Model Mayhem

Photoshop

The Professional Photography Forum

Equipment

Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras – Fixed

Logitech G13 Programmable Gameboard with LCD Display

Todd Muskopf Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thank you again for listening to the show and thanks to Todd for coming on and sharing so much about your business and the Classic Beauty Project.

Limit what you give to the clients until they give you what you need – Todd Muskopf

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