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

Jen Huang of Jen Huang Photography is a medium format film photographer based in the USA. Her photography style can easily be described as light, fresh, clean and beautiful. Nothing is overworked and every image I've seen from Jen could be a stand alone art piece.

In a time when photographers get told to succeed you must specialise for Jen, it's different. Her specialty is the look and style she creates, shoots and captures…. within her style, any subject is available and open.

Weddings, portraits fine art, travel, lifestyle all photographed in her beautiful style and all in a style that's in demand and clients are looking to pay handsomely for.

In this interview, discover more about Jen Huang, her business, her success, why it's so important to find your style and how to attract the right clients to you once you have.

Here’s some of what we cover:

  • As a film shooter, why use digital at all for wedding photography coverage?
  • Why Jen continues to use film majority of the time for her work
  • Will the cost factor of film be prohibitive to creativity on a wedding day?
  • Jen's approach to nailing that perfect shot in film
  • Jen's hit and miss rate for shooting moving subjects with manual focus lenses
  • How to market yourself as a film photographer when everyone else is using digital
  • Do your clients need to be aware you shoot film?
  • Will film photography be seen as a time waster for your clients?
  • How many frames Jen shoots during an engagement session
  • Jen's main source of income – teaching or photography?
  • How much are clients paying for Jen's photography?
  • How Jen gradually increased her pricing
  • How to find the right clients who are willing to pay the rates you charge
  • What Jen did to protect her business after implementing price increases
  • The right time to increase your pricing
  • What couples really want from photographers during their wedding day
  • What more can you do for your couples on their wedding day to exceed expectations
  • What is it that clients see in Jen's photography which leads to guaranteed bookings?
  • Getting your work published on wedding blogs to increase your online presence
  • How clients find Jen
  • How to choose which photos to share on your social media accounts
  • Why your branding should be treated as a lifestyle
  • How to find referrals for your photography business
  • Vendor referrals can be organic if you do this…
  • Treating your wedding planners as your salespeople
  • What is a workshop in a box?

Jen Huang Photography Podcast_018

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 and we dive deeper into some of the earlier topics plus some new ones that I pushed for and include:

  • Why Jen rarely meets her clients
  • Will there always be more profits with price increases?
  • What happens when film becomes obsolete or too expensive to be practical?
  • How Jen makes her digital photos look like film
  • How many rolls of film Jen uses for typical wedding day coverage
  • Jen's workflow for culling and editing her photos
  • Why Jen believe in keeping client's film negatives
  • The importance of setting up a client-based experience on your website
  • The best thing Jen has done for her business
  • How to find and create effective branding for your photography business
  • What Jen would do if she were to start over
  • Are there just too many photographers to be successful today?
  • How to handle the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) issue

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

Plus, access to a members only Secret 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 more friendly, more motivated and caring photographers online.

Jen Huang 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.

If you are going to increase your rates you have to take that gamble – Jen Huang

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

Jen Huang Photography Podcast

The NEW Photo Xperiment Podcast is live and available

Following the success and support shown by listeners after the experimental format of the recent interviews with Ian Weldon and Roberto Valenzuela, 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.

I don't think wedding photography should be trendy. I think it should be classic – Jen Huang

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.

Jen Huang Photography Podcast

Do you struggle with blogging – in particular the writing?

If so, I have the answer to your dilemma… Irresistible Words!

Long time listeners will have heard me mention this course before – I purchased and love it.

Jenika McDavitt from Psychology For Photographers is the creator of the course and was a guest on the podcast for episode 42.

P4P_Irresistible-Words_device-array_300x220Seriously, if you're sick of wasting time trying to write, struggling to come up with ideas or have too many to get down – check out this course.

Not only does Jenika help you to get started, she will teach you how to write in a way that's NOT boring for your potential clients.

The reason I'm mentioning the course today is Jenika is having a sale!

From Tuesday May 31 – Friday June 3 the price will be $199 (usually $249). 

There are only two sales a year, this is one!

If you want to transform your blogs, newsletters, Facebook posts, and sales language, have a look: https://photobizx.com/writingcourse

Jen Huang Photography Podcast

Want to Meet Up in Paris?

I'll be heading to France in July to see the Tour de France and ride my bike with a bunch of mates but have a few spare days at the end of July in Paris if you want to meet up?

I'll be free from the 28th – 30th July. At this stage I have no accommodation booked or any real plans except to go exploring with my camera.

If you're around or can be in Paris on one or more of these days, let's meet up for a couple of hours or more and go exploring together.

Alternatively, if you have any recommendations for me, things I must see, do, experience or photograph, please let me know in the comments area below or by email, andrew@photobizx.com.

Jen Huang Photography Podcast

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

Jen Huang Website

Jen Huang Art Website

Jen Huang Blog

Jen Huang Shop

Jen Huang on Facebook

Jen Huang on Instagram

Jen Huang on Pinterest

Richard Photo Lab

Jose Villa

Style Me Pretty

Xero

I just love the ability to roll the film, wait for it to wind, you know take one image per scene and really think about it and that's kind of the way that I am – Jen Huang

Equipment:

Contax 645

Carl Zeiss Planar T* 80mm f/2

Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/3.5

Canon EOS-1V

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3 MP Full Frame CMOS with 1080p Full-HD Video Mode Digital SLR Camera (Body)

Ilford Delta 3200 120mm Film 10 Roll Pack

Kodak Tri-X 400TX Professional Black & White Film ISO 400, 35mm, 24 Exposures

Jen Huang Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening to the show and thanks to Jen for coming on and sharing what you did – so many takeaways and you truly are an inspiration!

I am really deliberate about everything. Anything that you might question whether that was deliberate or not, is was definitely deliberate – Jen Huang

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