Hey there PhotoBoss!

So the holiday season is right up on us and if you are like 90% of other photographers, you are wondering if you should have already come up with some holiday promotions, or how to market them effectively. 

Here are my thoughts on holiday promotions, if I may.

1. Discount is a 4 letter word. 

The thing about discounting straight out (Book NOW for 20% off!!) is that it plants a seed in the client's mind that your work is not worth a premium price, and that you are open to changing your prices. There are ways to offer holiday urgency without subconsciously devaluing your work.  Such as...

2. Use this as an opportunity to offer limited edition sessions.

Holiday sets? Exclusive Locations? What can you do to create something they can't get somewhere else and only run it for a short window. 

I am personally not a big fan of mini sessions, but if priced right, this is a great time to offer something new and different. If you are going to do...

Many of you have heard me talk about the old school apprentice model, where artists studied for years under an experienced photographer, or commission painter before ever daring to strike out on their own. 

These years provided the opportunity to see behind the curtain and learn both what to do, and more importantly what NOT to do. This saved lots of wasted time and effort on the student's part. It also saved many people from quitting or venturing out into full time practice altogether, because they determined that it was, or was not, the life they really wanted to pursue. 

With the digital revolution came a lower barrier to entry and BOOM...photographers everywhere! No longer was it a requirement to spend years under the tutelage of a studio owner in order to start a photography business. 

But with this change, we as an industry lost the expectation that we as artists/business owners should find someone to show us the ropes. We are having to make the expensive...