Todays guest is beauty, fashion and fetish photographer, Peter Coulson and he answers one of the most asked questions he faces when talking with other photographers; how to find my photography style and get a following.

It's one question I was looking forward to hearing the answer to after checking out his website and seeing the constant stream of striking images flow through my Facebook feed daily! Peter's style and imagery is such a standout that it lead to my intro at the start of the interview and a request for you to check out his work before you continue to listen.

Here is my intro to Peter Coulson

Before I interview any guest, I head over and check their website and blog, read what I can about them to get a sense of what they do and what they're about.

When I visited Peter's website earlier, my first reaction was holy crap, I am not a good photographer.

I've never done this before but I want you to pause the podcast and go visit his website right now.

Come back after you've had a good look around.

Seriously, go and have a look!

If you're reading these show notes before hearing the interview, check some of his images below but make sure you see more of his work on his website: www.peter-coulson.com.au

“I specialise in beauty, fashion and fetish Photography. Mixing a range of styles and fusing the latest fashion trends with my personal conceptual reflections. My images are strong, sensual and mysteriously elegant with a twist of my screwed up sense of humour.”

Here's some more of what we cover:

  • Why you as the photographer should be putting everything into your creative shoots to create the vision you have for your photography
  • As you expand your portfolio with creative shoots for yourself, why it's important to still deliver photos that your subjects will also want for their portfolio
  • Peter's love of social media as a marketing tool and how he uses it to great effect
  • The benefits of shooting subjects with a broad social media footprint for you, them and any of the services involved in the shoot
  • Why and how Peter uses Instagram as a teaser before going deeper into his marketing
  • How Peter is able to run a successful and busy studio with great rates if most of the creatives in the fashion world don't like his style
  • Exactly how you can discover your own style in a matter of weeks without even taking a photo
  • How you can improve your photography and hone your style
  • What you should do when you see a new photography or technique appear or take hold
  • Common mistake of photographers and why it's crazy to run a business based on up-selling
  • How you can think out of the box but within the box of your clients
  • Finding your uniqueness is the simplest way to remove any competition with other photographers
  • The danger of not having multiple income streams as a wedding or portrait photographer in todays market
  • Why Peter religiously posts 5 times a week on his Facebook Page and why you need to be doing something similar for your online presence
  • Using Facebook insights to get better reach to your target audience
  • Why posting more than one photo from a shoot is doing more damage to your marketing and branding than you know
  • What you need to be adding in each of your Facebook posts that feature your photography

Following this interview, I wonder if you'll be thinking more about the images you make, the style you're shooting and if you'll be able to describe your photography in a way that Peter can about his:

“I specialise in beauty, fashion and fetish Photography. Mixing a range of styles and fusing the latest fashion trends with my personal conceptual reflections. My images are strong, sensual and mysteriously elegant with a twist of my screwed up sense of humour.”

With a sense of direction like Peter has, it's difficult to imagine any photographer failing at what they do. I'm guessing, but I think with that sense of direction, I don't think you'd care about who and how many people don't like what you do because you'd be creating something from the heart. Isn't that what we all set out to do when we got into this photography thing?

Peter Coulson photography marketing strategies

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:

  • Unlimited usage rights of your photography and who you should give them to and why
  • Peter's exact social media strategy – this is where and how he gets the majority of his work and we cover it step by step
  • Tumblr isn't one of the most popular social sites available so why does Peter still preach about its goodness for his business
  • Peter attracts 10 enquiries that lead no where every day, learn why he's so happy about it
  • Often your clients won't select what you think are the best photos from a shoot. Peter shares how you can really use those images for maximum effect in your marketing strategies
  • Why Peter suggests that you work for free in some cases
  • A strategy for portrait and wedding photographers to get noticed and build a following fast

Peter Coulson photography marketing strategies

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 Peter your thanks, and support for the show at the same time, click the link to create a tweet and automatically let him know you're listening: https://photobizx.com/tweet

Check out this episode of the Ready Steady Pro podcast

You may remember I interviewed Michael Rammell, now known as “The Spreadsheet Guy” in episode 27 of the Photography Business Exposed podcast. Since then, Michael has started his own podcast – Ready Steady Pro, where he hosts round table discussions and interviews guests.

Last week I heard episode 16 where he interviewed David DuChemin in what I think was one of the best podcast episodes I've heard. A lot of what David had to say resonated deeply with me and really got me thinking about my own photography.

Following the interview, I felt compelled to check out more of what David talks and writes about on his Craft and Vision website and purchased a couple of ebooks.

Check out the interview if you haven't already and see if David has the same affect on you as he did me.

Peter Coulson photography marketing strategies

Send in your questions for Matt and Steve

Last episode I mentioned I'll be having both Steve Saporito and Matt Ebenezer (of Matt and Katie Photographers) back  on the podcast to answer YOUR questions.

I've started to receive some questions but am looking for a lot more. This is your chance to ask a photography business related question that specifically applies to you and your business. Do not miss this opportunity to hear two different points of view from two different experts in the field of photography.

Steve, better known as the Portrait Doctor is a working studio transformer who knows his stuff when it comes to turning a studio into a profit making machine.

Matt and Katie have been one of the most popular interviews I've done on the show and are working photographers and workshop hosts.

I'll collate the questions and ask both Matt and Steve the same questions on different episodes to get a different perspective from both. Neither of them will have heard the others answers. It should be fun.

Peter Coulson photography marketing strategies

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 five fantastic reviews! Thanks you so much to:

Brett Ginsberg, a Melbourne based photography of http://www.creatography.com.au – love the first photo on your home page!

Alex Wardey from the UK – sorry Alex, I'm not sure of your website to link to

Batarang 9 from the USA – you have to let me know your real name so I can say a proper thank you.

Baggy Snaps from the uK who I believe is Steve Bagness of http://stevebagness.com

Jose 0127 from New York – you have to let me know your real name so I can say a proper thank you.

Gavin Haworth from http://www.gavfoto.com in the UK – who not only left a review but joined the Premium Membership as well.

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.

Photo Biz X iTunes Reviews

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.

Get in Touch or Leave a Voicemail Message

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!

Peter Coulson photography marketing strategies

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

Peter Coulson Website – http://www.peter-coulson.com.au/ or http://www.koukei.com.au/

Peter on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/petercoulsonphotographer

Peter on Instagram – http://instagram.com/petercoulson

Peter on Twitter – https://twitter.com/_petercoulson

Peter on Tumblr – http://petercoulson.tumblr.com/

Hasselblad H5D-50 Medium Format DSLR Camera (Body)

Hasselblad 100mm lens

Zeiss 135mm f2 lens

Zeiss 55mm f1.4 lens

Disturbia Clothing

Peter Coulson photography marketing strategies

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