Brandi Nellis makes you smile. She also might make you jump, swing, dance, run, hang upside down or stand on your head, but you’ll be smiling the whole time.

This Austin based photographer has been shooting pictures since she was a kid and started her first professional studio eleven years ago.

She has a way of looking at the world with a different eye, a definite attitude and a dash of genius!

POUNDS: What inspired you to become a photographer?
BRANDI: Like a lot of photographers, photography has been a hobby and a passion since I was a little girl.  I knew from an early age that I wanted to own my own company and work for myself. Bottom line, what really inspired me to become a photographer was that I wanted to make money doing a job that I absolutely love.

POUNDS: What’s the best thing about it?
BRANDI: The best thing about being a photographer is that exact moment when you know you just got “the money shot.” I can call the shot every time.

POUNDS: How has your idea of “being a photographer” changed since you’ve been in business?
BRANDI: To be “a photographer” sounds so easy and fun. “Let’s go take some photos!”  However, I learned quickly that I had to be a marketing director, an accountant, a Photoshop and social media guru, a delivery and pickup driver, a video maker and oh we can’t forget, a comedian during the shoots. Yes, my idea of “being a photographer” has TOTALLY changed since I’ve been in business!

POUNDS: Has being a mom changed your way of shooting?
BRANDI: Yes, being a mom has helped me to relate to kids so much better and easier.

POUNDS: Tell us about your branding strategy.
BRANDI: I wish I had a great answer or 12 step program for this but I don’t.  I get ideas in the most random places and times…in the middle of the night, driving in my car, the shower and most recently watching the weatherman! Most of all, I really just want my photography business to be different and offer some fresh ideas.

POUNDS: Do you have a sort of “mission statement” about your photography business that makes you want to leap out of bed each day?
BRANDI: First of all, I NEVER leap out of bed.  I am not a morning mama! I don’t have an official mission statement but if I had to give one off the cuff I’d say I want to give clients happy, colorful & quirky imagery that they can cherish for life.

POUNDS: Where do you hope to be in ten years (yeah, we know, the beach!)
BRANDI: The beach is right! I guess 10 years from now I’d love to own a jazzy little studio with a really fun team of employees.

POUNDS: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given about business?
BRANDI: One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was that you don’t have to go out and spend thousands of dollars on new equipment to be a good photographer.  A good photographer can build a business on average equipment. I know because I have!

POUNDS: What do you tell young people today who come to you and say, “Gee I want to do what you do?”
BRANDI: Follow your dreams.  You can be anything you want to be.

There are a lot of organizations out there vying for your attention and your money. Local, state, regional, category specific, sub category, the list goes on and on. Why choose the Professional Photographers of America (PPA)? What’s in it for you?

We took our questions to Eric Anundi of Eric John Photography . Eric has been a member of PPA since 1997.

“I remember joining specifically for the Indemnification Malpractice Coverage ,” he said.

This program covers photographers against malpractice lawsuits. Can you imagine losing a digital file from a wedding? “ If I were to be sued for any reason, PPA would appoint and pay for local attorneys to represent me and pay for all damages awarded to my client,” Anundi said.

PPA has one main focus, to help photographers. It is the largest nonprofit association for professional photographers in the world. PPA is in 54 countries and has been around since 1880. It is the industry’s most powerful organization.

PPA offers a wide variety of services including education, discounts and copyright assistance.

“I love the copyright assistance,” Anundi said. “ In this day and age, copyright questions can be answered with precision by PPA staff.”

“We are a member of Studio Management Services (SMS) which has turned our business around,” he said. SMS gives members of PPA access to financial and business services designed to fit individual studio needs. Business advice from top consultants, bookkeeping services, live and online seminars are all included in SMS. This member benefit alone can get a new business off on the right foot as well as help an established studio that needs a tune up.

Business is largely based on perception. Professional associations create a level of comfort for clients. “I love the ability to use the PPA logo on my website and brochure which really states that I am a true professional,” Anundi said.

What’s in PPA for you? The answer is clear. Membership in PPA is one of the best investments you can make in your business!

Photography has always embraced women and women have always embraced photography. The first professional woman photographer, Antoinette de Correvont, took aim in 1843. Although photography has always been an equal opportunity field, women seem to have made a distinct mark on the industry. Margaret Bourke-White was the first Western photographer allowed into the Soviet Union back in 1930. Diane Arbus rocked the world with her stark, truthful portraits in the ’60’s. The last twenty years have seen portraiture taken to an entirely new level by Annie Leibovitz.

Today, more than ever, professional photography is filled with remarkable women making remarkable images. Kelly Moore Clark is one of those women. From the opening image on her website it’s apparent this is not your average gal. Think Patti Smith with a camera. Her work is beautiful, edgy, artistic, innovative and a little quirky, just like Kelly.

We nabbed Kelly for a little Q&A recently.

POUNDS: What do you think female photographers bring to the photographic party that may be different from male      shooters?

KELLY: I think women have the ability to relate to their subjects, especially their brides. Personally I know how I want to be photographed, so I am constantly mindful of my client’s best angles and all the small details. Everyone has a best side and I feel like I take the time to find it.

POUNDS: What inspired you to become a photographer?

KELLY: I actually didn’t mean to become a photographer, It just happened.  I had a boyfriend that photographed for our college yearbook and I thought, “Hey, I could do that!‚Äù Keep in mind I‚Äôd never  even owned a point and shoot. I talked the yearbook into hiring me. I bought a Rebel (the film kind) took a class that summer on darkroom photography, the rest is history!

POUNDS: Has becoming a mother changed the way you see things through the lens?

KELLY: I think it’s made me more confident in my decision to not photograph children. Give me a bride or a model any day! I want someone who I can control, and kids are tough! I respect child photographers more than ever!!

POUNDS: How do you keep your photographic edge?

KELLY: Keeping balance in my life, and not working too much keeps me excited about when I do photograph. I think the number one reason a person can be uninspired is from being burned out. Also, constantly trying new techniques keeps me excited about what I do.

POUNDS: What do you think attracts women to photography?

KELLY: I think there are many reasons women are getting into photography.  With the digital age, it’s easily    accessible.  Many women are staying home with their children, so photography is something they can do to earn a living.  I also think both women and men in general think that photography is the “cure for the common cubicle”.  It’s has the appearance of being the dream job. Many people are sorely disappointed to realize that running a photography business takes up more time than their old full time job!

POUNDS: Tell us about the Kelly-Moore bag. What was the Inspiration?

KELLLY: I began sketching and dreaming about coming out with a bag of my own 3-4 years ago.  When I got pregnant with my daughter, Posey, it was put on hold for a while.  About a year ago, it resurfaced, and I began pursuing it pretty passionately. My inspiration was the fact that I couldn’t find a bag to wear while shooting that was both fashionable and functional. I‚Äôm so excited about the future of this brand! I’m hoping to come out with many more styles and colors in the next year.

Be sure to check out Pounds on Facebook or Twitter to find out about our special give-away from Kelly at WPPI!

For more on Kelly: http://www.kellymoorephotography.com/

Our sales executive, Sean Roach, who joined us nine months ago, was a newbie at Imaging this year.  “It was huge and it was great,” he said. “Photographers were looking for something new and we had a great response to our Chromalux and metal products.”

“The highlight of this years show were the three great speakers in our booth giving great information to others,” Roach said. Pounds hosted Eric Anundi, past president of the Professional Photographers of Oregon, Lewis Kencheloe, President of the Professional Photographers of Texas and Carrell Grigsby, PPA Photographer of the year in 2008.

“Tradeshows are a terrific opportunity to hear great ideas from our customers and get perspective about products that will help them. Building personal relationships is what it is about!”

Roach learned something else at Imaging USA. Look at the map.
“It took me about 20 minutes to walk to the tradeshow from my room. On checkout day I found a short cut that could have had me there in under 10 minutes.”  Newbies!

Want to keep up to date with changes at Pounds Labs? Pounds workshops offer a large range of topics including items like, insight on new products, how to speed your ordering in PROS, making your own templates for custom posters, calendars and more. With your feedback you can determine what the topics will be.

Most all meetings are presented with the aid of GoTo Meeting, giving you almost the same experience you would get in a live in person workshop but without leaving your studio or home.

Open line Friday is offered at least once each month. It gives everyone the opportunity to ask questions and kick around new ideas for marketing, website use, online sales, press books and much more. Need help creating and saving sports or school packages in PROS?  —-  or is monitor calibration something you need to worry about? Let’s discuss it and see if we can determine what you need to accomplish your goals.

For a complete month by month view of available workshops, simply go to the Pounds Labs web site and select community at the top and calendar on the left. If the current month is not displayed, you may need to select the correct month at the top of the calendar. If any of the workshops are of interest, make a selection and register. There is no fee and no commitment.

Think again. Why do you suppose thousands of photographers make time in their busy schedules each year to attend not just one but several tradeshows? Seasoned veterans and newbies alike flock to Imaging USA, WPPI, SPA and countless other shows. Last year WPPI’s 29th annual Convention and Tradeshow drew over 12,000 attendees and 365 exhibitors.

Tradeshows keep growing in popularity. They’re a lot like the mall on Christmas Eve; big, full of excitement and a lot of fun. If you haven’t been in awhile, you’re missing out. If you’ve never been, it’s time to give one a try.

Where else will you find hundreds of vendors gathered under one roof ready to tell you about products that have not yet hit the market? Staying ahead of the curve in a creative industry is essential in today’s economy. Your customers expect you to be up to date and offer the latest products.

Where else will you find workshops and seminars that will help you grow your business?  Head back to your studio with cutting edge knowledge, skills and information that will increase your profitability.

Where else can you network with people from all over the country? Sharing information and exchanging ideas leads to solutions and better ways to move your company forward. Networking in person is a great deal more effective than social networking. Make new friends, new contacts and watch your business expand.

Where else can you listen to industry leaders who can provide insights into trends, market forces and business strategies? We all need inspiration and motivation. Just one insight can change the way you look at your business model and lead you in an exciting new direction.

Tradeshows are a major educational opportunity. They present you with new ideas, stimulate creativity and challenge you to think out of the box.  Make 2010 the year you
invest in your business by sampling a tradeshow or two!

Marketing has taken on a new life with the advent of websites, social networks, blogs and the ability to post video. It’s become more creative, so it’s actually easier than ever for you right brainers!

“Our website is our  #1 marketing tool,” Michelle Stevens said. Stevens and her husband Justin own Artistique Photographie based in Tualatin, just outside Portland, Oregon.  Stevens was named Wedding Photographer of the Year in 2009.

Their website layout is elegant, yet warm and inviting. The home page is divided into three sections; Weddings, Blog and Portraits. The blog is front and center.

“We’ve been blogging for about three years,” Stevens said. “The greatest thing about blogging is how searchable the content is.” The studio has booked weddings simply by adding the name of a venue into the title of their blog. “The important thing is to put both the ceremony and reception venue, as well as the city and state in your blog title,” she said.

Social networking has been an instrumental part of Artistique Photographie’s marketing plan. “Facebook is a huge part of our marketing strategy,” Stevens said. “ I don’t think there’s any studio that should not be using Facebook as a part of the way they reach clients.”

Stevens always pulls one or two photos from a session and posts them to a client’s Facebook page. This creates “teaser” photos on their wall and of course those photos are posted wearing the studio logo. This creates a buzz, getting the client, their family and friends excited about seeing the rest of the photos.

“Last week I received an email inquiry from a bride who saw our images on her friend’s Facebook page,“ Stevens said.

That is the entire point of social networking. Your work speaks for itself and the social networking machine is doing all the heavy lifting. You have no direct mail printing costs, no postage, and no expensive print media advertising.

Stevens’ primary focus when marketing her studio comes down to four avenues: the website, the blog, a Facebook presence and online bridal sites.

The studio has a few more marketing strategies that work exceptionally well to demonstrate their talents. They’ve created a gallery that showcases wedding details, something that is often overlooked. Most photographers show details but few make it a point to bring attention to the fact.

“Brides spend a ton of time on the details and they want them captured,” Stevens said. “One big thing about marketing is that even though you know that you do something and think it’s a given, it isn’t necessarily so. You really need to show all the aspects of how you capture a wedding to make sure you’re covering what is important to each bride.”

The last important piece of Artistique Photographie’s marketing plan is one that engages the viewer and allows them a peek behind the scenes. Stevens had Ambient Sky Studios shoot a video about the photo shoot experience. “People buy experience as much as they buy physical products,“ she said. “We wanted to show what a shoot with us is like. We are very lucky to know some amazing videographers who create cinematic wedding movies so the quality of the video is great.  Networking with professionals in other fields like this is critical to being able to come up with different ways of marketing.” Stevens had a huge response from the video and reposts it periodically to keep it close to the top of their blog.

Heading into the New Year, it’s impossible for a studio, serious about marketing, to discount the value of a website and blog. The cost of creating and maintaining a website is negligible and blogs are free. Social networking is simply a form of communication

Whatever you do, start with a website first. It’s the most important piece of any marketing plan. Stevens has plans to rework their website for even greater search engine optimization. “ If you come up on the top of a Google search and you have an amazing website, you really shouldn’t have to do any more marketing!”

Here’s why. Photography is a competitive business. Whether you specialize in sports, seniors, portraits or weddings, new photographers appear in the market place daily. For every seasoned photographer who knows running a successful business is not a piece of cake, there are ten more grabbing the latest camera, printing business cards and slapping a magnetic sign on their car doors eager to take business away from you. These new photographers have websites, you can bet on that.

The web has changed the way we do business, completely and forever. When was the last time you used the yellow pages to find something? Can you really afford to be complacent?

Here are the primary reasons why you need to have a website.

•    Establish credibility
•    Increase visibility
•    Showcase talent
•    Hold the attention of a prospect long enough to turn them into a client.

What’s in a Name?

The first step in the process is to get a domain name. This is the name that defines your website, like poundslabs.com. Domain names are inexpensive and yours forever, as long as you pay the annual bill. Check out Register.com or GoDaddy.com.

Doesn’t a “Host” hand out the appetizers?

No, but a web host will open the door for you. Host in web world means a company that opens the door to your site and gives it a place to call home. Try DogBark, GlowHost or GoDaddy.

Build it and they will come.

How do you “build” a website? Some web site hosts provide a web site builder.   All you need to do is click on a design you want and then add text and photos. There are many websites that give tutorials on how to build your own. Companies like Adobe Dreamweaver or MacWebsite Builder, offer packages of varying prices. You can also hire a designer who specializes in web sites.

What makes a “good” website?
•    Good layout and design
•    Easy navigation
•    Great content.
•    SEO friendly

Why am I doing this again?

•    Clients have 24/7 access to you and your work.
•    You’re global. Potential clients all over the world can now “see” you.
•    Targeted Marketing. Those two words alone make a website completely worthwhile.
•    It’s cost effective.
•    Your competitors already have websites!

If you’ve already got a website, stay tuned for Website 101.2 to make sure it’s really working as an effective tool for marketing your studio!

Eric John Photography specializes in fine portraiture and wedding photography. Eric John Anundi. and wife Shawna established their business in 1993 and have become one of the premier studios in Oregon. Eric has been the recipient of a Fujicolor Masterpiece Award and four Kodak Gallery Awards. He is a past president of the Professional Photographers of Oregon and has served on the board of directors of PPO for five years. The Anundis realize the importance of staying on trend both in their creative endeavors and in their approach to marketing. In January of 2009 Shawna began blogging as a key ingredient of their marketing strategy.

“I had heard over and over how important blogging was,” Shawna said. “I watched webinars through PPA and Marathon Press that talked about how to blog, what to blog and how to stay in constant contact with your customers.”  Shawna thinks it’s vital to stay in touch with existing customers, show potential clients their work and most of all to give visitors to their blog a feeling of knowing more about the Eric John family. “ So many of our customers have become our friends as well and we love to stay in contact with them.”

The Anundis had their web designer create the blog to match their website. “Consistency is key and you want everything to look the same so people recognize the “ericjohn” look,” she said. The couple use Blogspot. “It’s free and very simple to use, something you can do at home and your customers will love it.”

Shawna tries to post daily but when there’s a time crunch she has a great tip. “Do your blogging in on or two days for a long period of time and set the blog to post on different days”. The Anundis use the site to showcase their work. Although Shawna does write about specials and events they have going on they realize most people want to look at the photos.

It can be hard to measure the return on a blog but the Anundis have a counter to keep track of visitors and know that their blog gets a lot of traffic. “We also know our customers are always asking our employees when their son or daughter will be on the blog and how excited they are. It’s a great way for them to share these images with other
people and feel famous for a day!”

Blogging is an essential tool for photographers today. Staying in touch, by giving clients a sense of constant contact makes them feel special and involved.

“I don’t think you can afford to not blog or use Facebook,” Shawna said. “It’s what this generation is all about. Don’t be left behind!“

http://ericjohnphotography.blogspot.com/

According to Wikipedia “search engine optimization is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines” like Google or Yahoo. Good SEO means people find your website on the first page of Google, Yahoo or Bing and hopefully within the top three non paid listings on that page. Remember those first few listings on search engines are not free. People pay big money for that placement.

There are services specializing in SEO and they are available for a monthly fee. They will analyze your site and have engineers work on properly coding the right words that will be picked up and move your site up the “ladders” or lists that appear when you search for a company. These fees are often out of budget for photographers. In fact, they are often out of budget for most professionals!

Don’t panic. There are many ways to get good SEO.

Put your keywords to work. Keywords are words and phrases that are essentially short cuts to information a consumer needs.  Some of the keywords for the photography industry would be simply  “photography”, or your particular specialty, for example; “wedding photography”, “senior portraits” or “sports photography”. Make sure you use these phrases in your site, but don’t overuse them. Overuse has a name now, “keyword stuffing”. The search engines are on to this and it can end up harming your site. Balance is everything.

Hyperlinks are another good way to make sure you get good SEO. Hyperlinks are those words and phrases that you see within the text of the copy on your website or your emailed promotion pieces, highlighted in blue. They link to an external page or website.

Cross-linking to a site with good SEO will increase yours. For instance, your photography company is a resource service for a well-known event planning company. Potential clients like to see sources on the event planner’s sites. If you work consistently with an event planner, the beauty of hyper linking phrases and cross linking sites is mutually beneficial. It’s millennium marketing!