Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area.
Laura Babb of www.babbphoto.com started like plenty of other wedding photographers – she photographed a friends wedding, loved it and wanted more. She built up to a stage where she had to quit her day job to keep up with the photography work and was soon shooting more than 40 weddings each year and has since taken on an associate shooter.
50% of her weddings are in London and the rest all over the UK and Europe.
Then last year Laura decides to launch the SNAP Photo Festival, the first event of its kind in the UK after being inspired by a similar event in the USA.
My initial thought after some research was why stretch yourself so thin if the wedding photography business is doing so well. Why not continue to focus on what's working and what you love? Is the money, the fame, the challenge, is the photography getting boring, do you love the pressure or like having no spare time?
I was rapt when Laura agreed to be interviewed for the show and answer anything I could throw her way to better understand what makes her tick. Is there more to life than the photography business?
Here’s some of what we cover in this interview:
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.
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 Laura, 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 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.
What is your big takeaway?
Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Laura 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.
You can always take inspiration from other people even if what they do is completely different from the way you work – Laura Babb
If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Laura or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.
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.
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 was a swing away from the usual and instead of talking to a photographer, we were lucky enough to have both Paul and Kate of Atkins of Atkins Pro Lab with us.
The Atkins photography lab is celebrating their 80 year anniversary which makes them Australia's oldest professional photo lab, run by a third generation husband and wife team. Although based in Australia, they service photographers from all over the globe because Atkins is the only lab in the world printing on handmade cotton rag sheets, something they developed with their devotion to real fine art printing.
It is really important that photographers look for what works for them in terms of their own branding and their own marketplace and then really pitch something to that. – Paul and Kate
The interview is available here: TPX18: Paul and Kate Atkins – The Real Fine Art Photography Printers
In the interview, Paul and Kate mentioned a special offer for listeners… 20% off your first order with Atkins Pro Lab. Simply mention the podcast to take advantage of that offer.
Peter Hurley is teaching around the world in 2017
If you're shooting headshots and want to improve what you're doing, there is no better teacher on the subject than Peter Hurley.
I just heard he is travelling the world presenting a series of workshops from the USA and Canada to Europe and Australia. More details are here: https://headshotcrew.com/workshops
And if you'd like to hear the interview I recorded with Peter, you can find that here: https://photobizx.com/Survive+and+Thrive+as+a+Headshot+Photographer+Peter+Hurley
I also have an interview lined up with one of Peter's right hand men in the business and a fantastic photographer in his own right coming up soon. If you have any specific headshot type business related questions you'd like me to put to him, let me know: andrew@photobizx.com
Facebook Ad Promo Course is almost ready
I get more emails and spend more time helping listeners with their Facebook Ad Promo after the three interviews with Bernie Griffith than any other topic. For good reason…
These ads are responsible for more leads, bookings and sales than any other kind of marketing or advertising right now.
Because the topic has become more in depth as premium members try, modify and share their results, tweaking as they go… the strategy has become so much more involved.
Now, instead of only applying to portrait photographers, there are systems that will see you booking weddings, newborns, couples, families and any other kind of session using the strategy.
Because of all the interest and the different options available, I've created a course form the collective content on the topic. It's almost ready for release and if you'd like to be notified when it is, add your details here: https://photobizx.com/comingsoon
Once the course goes live, there will be a substantial discount for listeners. Get on the list by letting me know your details (click the link above to add them) and I'll be sure to let you know what's happening. In the lead up, I'll be sharing aspects of the course that will improve your ads out of sight, even without the course! Again, get on the list to get that free training.
Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:
Win Free Wedding Photography with Laura Babb
The Bijou Bride by Alexandra Merri
Peter Hurley Headshot Workshops
FB Ads Course – Add me to the waiting list please
Thank you!
Thanks again for listening and thanks to Laura for coming on and sharing her thoughts and ideas on building a profitable photography business and maintaining a great lifestyle at the same time.
I really believe in community and kind of having networks of people that you can reach out to for advice – Laura Babb
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
Hi Laura, I love the idea of creating a Facebook group where wedding pros can help each other. I’d love to start one in my area. I tried joining the London one you mentioned but it’s been a week and I’ve not heard anything so I guess it’s because I’m not based in London. I wanted to see what sort of things are discussed in the group. My concern is no-one will want to talk and reveal anything if all their competitors are in the group. How do you overcome that? Or, should I make it more of a mastermind group and just have one supplier from each wedding vendor category? Any advice on making the most of a wedding pro networking group would be great. Thank you for sharing.
Replied above 🙂
Hi Daniel. I am not involved with moderating the London group any more but I know they deal with hundreds of requests so it can take some time to be approved. In all of the groups I’m in, almost all of which have people who are technically my competition as members, there is a spirit of openness and a willingness to help each other out. I am pretty much an open book when it comes to how I run my business and I haven’t found any detrimental effects in sharing that information. In fact supporting other photographers means they refer work to me, which is brilliant. That said a mastermind group could be good and you could probably have an associated blog, which you all contribute to, which would drive traffic your way. Good luck with it!
Thanks Laura, I’m actually pretty relaxed about sharing with competitors, I just worry I’ll try and start the group and people won’t want to contribute as they’ll be worried. I’m trying to get access to one so I can see how they got the ball rolling.