In a genre where it can be difficult to get permission to share the photography she likes to create for her clients, Selena has had to get creative in the way she attracts business. Amongst her strategies are client information nights and networking with professional service providers that have similar values and opinions when it comes to natural births. Selena shares in detail how and why these are working so well in her business.
“For me, it's not about the time away from my business, it's not about the cost of my time for those meetings. It's more important for me that clients feel comfortable having me in that birth suite on that big day.”
Regular listeners to the podcast will have heard Selena in a past episode… but only briefly. She had just won the highest scoring print at the recent APPA print awards in the inaugural birth category and she was a ‘tad' excited in that interview! She went on to take runner up in the category that day at the 2014 APPA print awards held in Sydney Australia.
Here's some more of what we cover:
I'm not sure if you'll ever photograph a birth, I doubt I'll ever have that chance again. I expect, if you're a male listener, chances are, you won't be photographing too many births in your career either. It's interesting then, to think how many things Selena shared in her interview that I can apply to my wedding and portrait business. How about you? What did you hear that can be applied to what you're doing in your business?
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 implementable content from where we dive deeper into some of the earlier topics plus some new ones that I pushed hard for that include:
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 have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below.
If you’d like an easy way to show Selena your thanks, and support for the show at the same time, click the link to create a tweet and automatically show you’re listening: https://photobizx.com/sue
The Resources Page
Remember the ever expanding resources page that has a listing of products, programs, hardware, books and directories mentioned in each episode of the show. If you’re looking for something that a guest has mentioned on a previous episode but just can’t remember who or what it was – you’ll find it listed in order on the resources page.
iTunes ratings, reviews and Shout-Outs
Each week before recording the podcast I check iTunes for any reviews and each week I’m excited to see what you’ve had to say about the podcast. This week I was blown away to see two fantastic reviews! Thanks you so much to:
Jamie from Jamie and Natalie Photography in Colorado Springs in the USA
Jared Lindsay of jaredlindsay.com
Sincerely, thanks so much for your ratings and reviews, I appreciate the time you’ve taken and it’s a big help for the show. It’s these iTunes reviews that make a big difference to the podcast being ranked well and found in the iTunes store. If you have the time and are happy to leave an honest rating and review, head over to iTunes.
Don’t feel your comments have to be long, involved or gushy, an honest opinion is all I ask. Don’t be shy about leaving your business name in the review either – that way I can add a link in the show-notes and show my appreciation with a proper thanks and a Google loving back-link to your website.
Also, a big shootout to Kara Whaley of Kara Whaley Photography and Design for her lovely emails, support and catalyst for the start of todays episode.
Do You Have a Question about Your Business or Marketing?
If you’d like to get in touch, ask a question or make a suggestion for the show, you can email me andrew@photobizx.com, find me on Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewhellmich or on Facebook at https://photobizx.com/facebook – I’d love to hear from you!
This weeks question cam from Ahmad of Knight Image Photography who asks:
I have a question relating to my WordPress website and wanted to see if you had any insight.
Blog post vs webpage: Is there a general consensus which is more effective for SEO when putting up web content?
If I have a collection of 7-10 images from a recent shoot and want to share them on my site, am I better off creating a post on my WordPress blog or creating an actual web page?
I answered Ahmad's question in detail during the episode and included the following advice:
A post or a page will have the same weight for SEO purposes (if they contain the same content) but they are used for different purposes on your site.
A “page” would be used for major menu items on your site like; weddings, portraits, commercial, about us, contact us etc.
A “post” on the other hand is mainly used for smaller chunks of content or information about a subject. For example, you may have a series of posts about different wedding venues in your area, another on choosing the perfect wedding gown or getting the most from a rainy wedding day etc, etc. Posts, would also be used for short articles about weddings you've photographed, why you prefer one location over another etc.
You could have all this wedding content on your one wedding “page” but it would be way too long and visitors would never be able to find anything and would need to scroll and scroll and scroll to find what they're looking for.
For your 7-10 images: it depends what you are trying to say or do with them. If they are to tell a story or teach your visitors something, write a “post” and use those images to illustrate your story or advice.
If they are simply great photos, you might add them to you wedding gallery “page”.
You might add them to your wedding page to add some visual impact.
You can see, it really depends why the images are for. I'm guessing though, you’ll be using them for a blog post.
To make things easier to find on your blog, you can create “categories” and assign a category to your post to make them easier to find. Remember too, posts can be assigned more than one category.
You can see examples of all this on my sites – http://impact-images.com.au and http://impact-blog.com.au
Light Blue Studio Management Software
No real updates for the implementation of Light Blue this week because Linda has been too busy with wedding edits, and coordinating shoots and other studio jobs. Now that she knows there is a dedicated segment on the podcast, I reckon that'll be the catalyst I need to see the software seamlessly integrated into my business.
I'll be back next week with another update on her progress… I hope.
Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:
Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA)
The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
Light Blue studio management software
Equipment
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 for Canon SLR Cameras
That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!
If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, I’d love for you to tell another photographer about it – it could be in a Facebook Group you’re a part of, a photography forum, with a photographer friend or on twitter.
If you do have a twitter account, simply click here: https://photobizx.com/tweet or use the share buttons below.
Thanks and speak soon
Andrew
Unique episode indeed. Not sure if I could pull it off though. Selena seems like a super cool photographer who is perfect for this genre
Thanks, Andrew anf Selena!
Joey Joiner
Thanks Joey, that is such a lovely thing to say!
xx Selena
Yeah, I’m not sure we’ll see many male photographers in this genre Joey, but great to see such a specialised area of photography gaining some traction as a business model for the right photographers.
Hi Andrew
The beginning of this podcast really resonated with me atm. You just nailed something that I was experiencing, talk about timing. I was laying in bed last night thinking of lighting, poses, exposure for an up and coming shoot that I have, I was excited but just couldn’t turn off. I look for to this up and coming interview on separating your business and personal life or what ever it may be I’m sure it will be good.
Oh and how about Selena just dropping that bomb shell that she had a miscarriage during a shoot omg I couldn’t imagine anything worse.
Andrew
Working on finding a guest for that episode Andrew – stay tuned.
I was shocked too when Selena brought up that story. Talk about committed! I thought I did all right covering a wedding the day my second son was born but Selena trumps me!
Thank you for the amazing shout out Andrew! Your fantastic advice and gentle critique for our website has put a fire under us to make the experience better for our clients. This podcast keeps blowing our minds.
Thanks again,
Jamie
My pleasure mate – love your progress!
What an amazing lady! I loved that she made up her mind to follow that new direction and followed her heart.
That its paid off for her is inspiring in itself.
Id love to have my next birth photographed, but I usually feel like a whale. I dont know how comfortable I would be in front of the camera during such a crazy time. That she can create that bond with her clients so they are comfortable and capture such beautiful images is so awesome.
Thanks for you lovely words Te!!
To be honest, a good photographer will make you look gorgeous not like a whale – I mean that is our job after all! Some Mums certainly do worry about this and I tell them to leave it up to me to worry about. Its all about angles, composition and lighting. And even in a documentary situation like a birth, a good photographer can still achieve this. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you’d like to talk about it further xx
<3 Selena
Thank you so much for this episode Andrew! And thanks to Selena for giving such an open and informative interview. I have photographed a birth before and I loved it and would like to do more. The problem that I have is being available at a drop of a hat to be ready to photograph a birth (because as we know, babies will come at any time when they are ready). The reason for this is having to make sure my own daughter (who is 2) has care. My husband works full time and even though she goes to daycare 2 days a week, you cannot guarantee that the birth will happen on the weekend (when hubby is home) or on one of my daughter’s day care days. Even if I am called in the middle of the night, I would have to make sure that I was home before my husband left for work at 5:30am and this would not always be possible as you never know how long a birth will take. So I guess my question to Selena is how does she manage her birth commitments around her family? Thanks so much again for this excellent interview.
Love that you enjoyed this episode Lisa and I can see Selena has answered your question.
I hope you can find a way to be able to photograph more births if that’s what you want.
Oh yeah, make sure you link to your next birth session blog post I’d love to see it.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your comment and question!
To be honest, it can be challenging at times. My husband works a 9-5 job also and therefore I rely heavily on family and friends to be on call when I need them. I keep a list of baby sitters and work my way through them when I am called. In the event that they are unavailable, I also have a relationship with a local paid nanny service who I can call upon at the last minute. They have been great and are very understanding of my urgency. I’ve only had to use them once so far.
If that doesn’t work out, then I also have a couple of paid back up photographers with similar experience and skill who can attend on my behalf until one of my sitters is available and I can take over.
Thankfully I am yet to miss a birth (touch wood lol) and I am very blessed to have a lot of supportive people around me.
If birth is something that you want to do but doesn’t work for you right now, don’t write it off – maybe consider putting the idea on hold until your daughter is in school? No one could blame you for that 🙂 Birth Photography is a growing field and I don’t forsee that it will be going anywhere anytime soon!
<3 Selena
Hi Selena,
Thanks for your reply, as I always say it’s never easy being a working mum! I think that birth photography for me will be put on hold for a while, until at least my daughter is at school. We have a brand new hospital opening near where I live and I’d love to be their preferred photographer! But with no family up here I think that it would put too much stress on me, worrying about whether or not I would make it to a birth…… maybe I could be a c-section birth photographer! Here is the link to the lovely home birth I photographed (you have to scroll past the maternity photos): http://lisahuelin.com.au/category/birth/
Wow Lisa! I love the emotion in your birth photos… Especially that photo of Christian covering his face. How special.
Talk about niching down, a “c-section birth photographer” 🙂
Love the look of your website.
Just beautiful Lisa!!!!
Home births are favorites of mine because they are usually so calm and serene! I love the idea of a C section photographer lol. Unfortunately though with most hospitals still getting used to the idea of birth photography it is still very touch and go whether a photographer is permitted into the theater. It’s not impossible though and if that’s what you’re after, I recommend that you work to introduce yourself to the hospitals in your area so they can get to know you. The better they know and trust a photographer, the greater the chances 🙂
Otherwise, don’t give up on the idea. Babies will continue to be born forever and there will be plenty available when you are ready to commit fully 🙂
♡ Selena
I am excited to listen to this podcast! Birth photography is my absolute favorite to document, having documented over 30 births thus far. Pricing and marketing is a struggle for me though, so it’s something I will be working on for 2016!
Oh wow, sounds like you’re doing great if you’ve already covered 30 births Laura.
Hope you picked up some good ideas from Selena.
She’s super nice and very approachable too – if you have any follow up questions, fire away here or get in touch with Selena – I know she’d be happy to hear from you.
As far as other birth photographers, who in your mind is the best of the best?