Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area.
Dan Milnor of www.shifter.media is a photo book and creative evangelist. He loves photography but rarely does it for paying clients – which he says, has led to a more rounded, interesting and better life.
He spent 25 years as a full-time photographer, mainly shooting documentary work for newspapers, magazines and clients.
In 1997 he quit photography. In 1999 – he was talked into coming back to work as a photographer. In 2010 – he quit again, this time, for real.
Today, he works for Blurb – the print-on-demand bookmakers.
He lives in New Mexico – one of the United States with his wife, where he rides bikes, explores and continues to work on his own documentary projects and create books that potentially – no one will see or care about.
I stumbled across Dan on YouTube while rediscovering my passion for photography and to start shooting more for myself. He's a breath of fresh air, full of positivity, even though, he will potentially go against everything you've heard from any other guest I've interviewed.
One thing I'm sure about; this is a conversation you may need to hear about pro photography today.
Fingers crossed, this interview will be a positive experience for all of us.
Here's some more of what we cover in the 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 interview – the full length and more revealing version where you hear the absolute best tips and advice from every guest.
If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, get access to an amazing back catalogue of interviews and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.
Plus special member-only interviews.
I'm not shooting for the audience. I'm selfish. I'm shooting for me. – Dan Milnor
You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. There are also FB live video tutorials, role-play interviews and special live interviews happening in the group. You will not find more friendly, more motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.
Seriously, that's not all.
In addition to everything above, you'll get access to and instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable and build friendships with other pro photographers with similar motives to you – to build a more successful photography business.
What is your big takeaway?
Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Dan 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 today's episode.
I think that there's a much, much deeper, greater point out there than just pressing the button and trying to make great pictures. – Dan Milnor
If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Dan 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 mean more interviews and ultimately a better show.
Print just cuts through the noise. – Dan Milnor
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 keywords or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to.
Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has made a difference to you and your photography business.
Photography Pricing Masterclass
Join Mindset and Photography Business Coach, Johl Dunn as he coaches you on how to create the perfect price list for your business. A price list built to increase your profits by naturally leading your client to your preferred products – no matter your sales experience.
This will be a live training session via Zoom on Tuesday 25th August at 7 am – Australian Eastern Time. You can find your local time here.
The early-bird pricing of USD$97 includes:
- Access to the live training
- Access to the lesson recordings
- Private FB Group for course members
- A one-on-one call to discuss your pricing with Johl
- FREE access to any future iterations of this course
- Your specific questions answered
- Real tactics to implement and start using right away
- Implement with no more to pay for anything
- Suitable for portrait AND wedding photographers
- Member-only recordings with photographers having followed Johl's pricing strategies
If you've ever wanted to have a formula and guidance to rejig your pricelist so it makes sense to you and your clients, is built for profitability and sustainability, and naturally leads your clients to the products you want to sell… this training is for you and presents unbeatable value for early-bird registrations.
For more details and to sign up, click this link —>>https://photobizx.com/pricing
An interview with the Pet photographers Club
I was recently interviewed by pet photographers, Caitlin and Kirste of the Pet Photographers Club, where we covered the topic of utilising video in your photography business.
In their show notes, they say…
Hands up if this is you:
You know that you should be doing more video in your marketing. ?♀️
You might have halfheartedly attempted a few Instagram stories or maybe even a Facebook live, but you just feel so awkward talking to the camera. ?♀️
You keep hearing about how video marketing is the way forward. The all-powerful Algorithm loves video, potential clients connect with you via video, video advertising is so powerful – THE LIST GOES ON! But still, you keep putting it off because it’s also really overwhelming and you’re not really sure where to start? ?♀️
SAME!
That’s why we’ve brought photography marketing expert Andrew Hellmich back to the Pet Photographers Club show. Andrew has been successfully using video to grow and market his photography business for years, and he’s now teaching other photographers how to do the same with his Daily Vlog Challenge.
We were so impressed with everything that Andrew taught us in this episode that we both personally enrolled into his next challenge! Tune into Season 6, Episode 5 of the Pet Photographers Club to hear Andrew share some of his best Video Marketing tips – this is an episode you won’t want to miss!
Check out the interview here: https://www.thepetphotographersclub.com/podcast/0605
PhotoBizX Daily Vlog Challenge – Earlybird pricing is now available
Why utilise video in your photography business? The number one reason – to make a personal connection with our prospective client, faster than ever before.
You can do this with video on your website, email replies with video plus advertising and retargeting with video.
There is no faster way to make a connection than you talking to your clients via video.
If you generally book most of the clients you meet with face to face, imagine building that bond earlier in your process and before other local photographers. It'll mean more bookings for you. Fantastic right? As long as you can be yourself and make the same kind of connection you do in person. And you can!
Want to learn how to get comfortable being yourself on camera?
This Challenge will get you there.
The improvement and transformation in members videos has been extraordinary as we add something new to focus on throughout each module – from lighting, framing, eye contact, intro and outros – all with daily prompts.
Everyone involved is getting daily feedback, and it's easy to see the fun we're all having as we progress.
The next Challenge is starting soon! Click the link and add your details to get involved: http://dailyvlogchallenge.com
The way it works
- Watch the daily video (with topic/Challenge included) uploaded into a separate post each day – excluding weekends.
- Record your video reply and upload into the comments for that unit.
- Once your video is uploaded, leave comments or constructive feedback (if requested) on at least 2 videos from other participants.
- Wait for feedback on your recording and implement suggestions into your next Challenge.
That's it, as simple as that. 
Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:
Advancing Your Photography with Dan Milnor on YouTube
Eric Labastida Dispatch on Shifter
Daily Vlog Challenge registration
Thank you!
Thanks again for listening and thanks to Dan for coming on and sharing his thoughts on surviving and thriving as a creative photographer today. And importantly, staying true to your creative spirit, improving your skills and building a body of work your clients love and simultaneously, you're truly proud of.
Being creative comes with an inherent power that you have to understand and utilize without exploiting to really survive as a creative. – Dan Milnor
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
[…] to learn the article in its authentic location you may go to the hyperlink bellow: https://photobizx.com/dan-milnor-a-conversation-you-need-to-hear-about-pro-photography-today/and if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact […]