How Outdoor & Natural Light Photographer Bridget Wood Got To A $5k+ Sales Average (Re-Release)

Summary

The Portrait System Podcast: How Outdoor & Natural Light Photographer Bridget Wood Achieved a $5k+ Sales Average (Re-Release)
Hosted by Sue Bryce Education
Release Date: July 5, 2025

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Introduction to Bridget Wood’s Journey

In this insightful episode of The Portrait System Podcast, host Nikki Klosser welcomes Bridget Wood, a successful family photographer based in Brisbane, Australia. Bridget shares her transformative journey from struggling with low sales to achieving an impressive sales average of $5,725 per session. Her focus on outdoor and natural light photography, particularly celebrating motherhood, sets her apart in the competitive photography industry.

Finding Her Niche: Celebrating Mothers

Bridget emphasizes the importance of making mothers feel celebrated and seen in her photography. She explains how her approach centers around the mother, ensuring she is the focal point of every session.

Bridget Wood [03:45]: "I get that a lot from mothers being like, my head's cropped off or my eyes were shut and they just had no idea. So, yeah, I think a lot of motherhood is already invisible. So just to kind of help bring them to the center is something really lovely because they're always putting everyone else first."

Building a High-Value Offer

Bridget outlines the five main components of her high-value offer, which have been pivotal in elevating her business:

1. Identifying the Dream Client: Understanding the intimate details of her ideal client allows Bridget to tailor her services effectively.

2. Unique Brand Positioning: Sharing her personal story and why she does what she does helps eliminate price shopping and fosters deeper connections with clients.

3. Customized Client Journey: From initial consultations to in-person sales over Zoom, Bridget ensures a connected and personalized experience for each client.

4. Exclusivity: By focusing on serving clients who truly value her work and maintaining a niche, Bridget justifies her premium pricing.

5. Delivering on Promises: High-quality editing and a meticulous post-production process ensure that clients receive images they are truly passionate about.

Bridget Wood [27:03]: "And I can charge these prices, which then allow me to have a Lightroom editor, a Photoshop editor. So by the time that my client has received their image, it has been edited by me, by my Lightroom editor, by my Photoshop editor."

Overcoming Pricing and Self-Worth Barriers

Bridget candidly discusses her initial struggles with pricing her services appropriately. She admits to starting by offering free sessions and gradually increasing her rates as her confidence grew. A pivotal moment was attending Sue Bryce’s WPPI Talk in 2016, which addressed fear and self-worth, helping Bridget realize that her mindset was hindering her business success.

Bridget Wood [14:05]: "I didn't believe on some level that I was even worthy of receiving this money. I wasn't good enough."

She highlights the importance of aligning one's pricing with the value provided and overcoming internal blocks related to self-worth.

Effective Marketing Strategies

Bridget employs a multifaceted marketing approach to attract her ideal clients:

• Testimonials and Referrals: Approximately 40-50% of her business comes from word-of-mouth, bolstered by detailed and specific testimonials that address potential clients' pain points.

• Social Proof and Publications: Getting published in reputable magazines and working with influencers enhances her credibility and attracts higher-end clients.

• Flash Sales and Targeted Ads: Periodic flash sales and strategic use of Facebook and Instagram ads help in maintaining a steady stream of leads.

• Customized Client Communication: Offering a nurture sequence through email helps in building a relationship with potential clients from the outset.

Bridget Wood [43:20]: "I really believe in passing it on to another photographer. I don't have that mindset that there's not enough room for all of us. I really do think we should be more of a community."

Editing Philosophy: Enhancing Natural Beauty

Bridget maintains a natural editing style, ensuring that photos remain authentic and true to the moment. She collaborates with professional editors to ensure high-quality, magazine-ready images without over-processing.

Bridget Wood [33:48]: "I do keep my editing supernatural and I don't want it to ever look photoshopped. That's like my number one aim is for it not to look photoshopped."

Client Selection and Maintaining Boundaries

Understanding the importance of serving the right clients, Bridget practices selective client intake. She refers potential clients to other photographers when their needs don't align with her offerings, fostering a supportive community and ensuring that every client receives the best possible experience.

Bridget Wood [52:48]: "I really believe in like, yeah, how you kind of come at your work will then reflect in your work, if that makes sense."

Practical Business Insights and Offerings

Bridget provides detailed insights into her pricing structure and package offerings, demonstrating how a well-defined portfolio and service offerings can attract higher-paying clients. Her packages range from $1,900 for digital options to $7,000 for comprehensive packages that include albums, prints, and gift vouchers.

Bridget Wood [29:25]: "My session fee is $550 xgst. So that's just this tax that we put on top of everything in Australia. And my individual Images start at $295 and go up from there."

Inspiring Quotes and Personal Philosophy

Bridget shares her favorite inspirational quote by Nelson Mandela, which underscores the impact of personal growth on others:

Bridget Wood [50:11]: "As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Advice for Aspiring Photographers

Bridget advises new photographers to clearly define their values and build their businesses around them. She encourages embracing the word "no" as an opportunity rather than a setback, emphasizing the importance of aligning business practices with personal values to ensure long-term success.

Bridget Wood [50:49]: "Get really clear on what your values are in life first and then build your business around that."

Conclusion

Bridget Wood's episode on The Portrait System Podcast offers a comprehensive look into building a successful photography business through niche specialization, effective pricing strategies, authentic client relationships, and maintaining high-quality standards. Her journey serves as an inspiring roadmap for photographers aiming to elevate their craft and achieve financial abundance without compromising their values.

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Where to Find Bridget Wood:

• Website: Bridgetwood.com.au
• Instagram: @BridgetwoodPhotography

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Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this summary, consider subscribing to The Portrait System Podcast for more inspiring stories and actionable business insights from successful photographers around the globe.

Transcript

[Nikki Klosser]

Hey there, it's Nikki Klosser and I want to let you know about an awesome free giveaway for people on our email list. If you haven't already, click the link in our podcast description or go to theportraitsystem.com signup to get on the list. If you sign up, you'll get a free posing 101 PDF to jumpstart things. It's an epic PDF, so you'll definitely want to get this. Also, just by being in our email community, you'll get deals, sales and information about any of our upcoming events and activities. So head over to theportraitsystem.com signup and and sign up. Today you're listening to the Portrait System podcast.

[Bridget Wood]

You don't have to be the tortured artist, the struggling artist. It doesn't have to be like that. And if you put the right foundations in and like, learn the right way from the beginning with the actual system and use processes and you can make it so much quicker.

[Nikki Klosser]

Welcome to the Portrait System Podcast. I'm your host, Nikki Klosser and this show is here to help you succeed in the world of photography and business. To help you learn to become financially free, doing what you love and so much more. With over 1 million downloads, countless photographers have taken what they've learned from both our episodes and from theportraitsystem.com and they have grown their businesses, quit their day jobs and are designing a life of their dreams. We keep it real and share stories about the ups and downs that come with running a photography business. You'll hear real life stories of how other photographers run their business and you'll learn actionable steps that you can take to reach your own goals. Thank you so much for being here. And let's get started. My guest on the Portrait System this week is Bridget Wood. Bridget went from a place of lack to a place of abundance and she talks with us all about how she has done this. Part of this was a really powerful talk that she heard Sue Brice do many years ago. Bridget is a family photographer in Brisbane, Australia and she mostly does her photo shoots outdoors with natural light. She has worked her way up to a sales average of $5,725 and she is just doing so amazingly well. All right, let's get started with Bridget Wood. Hi Bridget. Welcome to the Portrait System. How are you?

[Bridget Wood]

I am so good. Thank you so much, Nikki for having me today.

[Nikki Klosser]

I'm really, really excited to talk to you. I think this will be, I think this will be really, really Great for our listeners, particularly for those. Well, I mean, it would be beneficial to everyone, but particularly for those who don't have a studio or, you know, don't shoot like, quote unqu. Of glam style.

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah.

[Nikki Klosser]

So before we get into, you know, how you got to be this successful photographer, will you tell people where you live and what you do primarily in your business?

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah, sure. So I live in Australia, if you can't tell by my accent. And I live in the hills in this little place called Talabudgera. I don't expect anyone to know where that is, but it's on the Gold coast, so it's 15 minutes to the beach. And the type of photography I do is really portrait photography, specializing in motherhood. So even though I do family work, it's always about the mother. Like, I really make her feel celebrated and seen.

[Nikki Klosser]

Okay, well, I like that because obviously mothers are usually the ones taking the photos just on her phone or whatever of the kids. And I can't tell you how many photos I have with my husband Dan and our kids. Not very many of me and the kids.

[Bridget Wood]

I know. And I think sometimes you'll be in this moment and I'll be like, oh, this is such a beautiful moment. Can you just take a quick photo? And they like, bum, bum, bum, done. And you look at it, you're like, that is not what I felt like in that moment.

[Nikki Klosser]

No, totally.

[Bridget Wood]

I get that a lot from mothers being like, my head's cropped off or my eyes were shut and they just had no idea. So, yeah, I think a lot of motherhood is already invisible. So just to kind of help bring them to the center is something really lovely because they're always putting everyone else first.

[Nikki Klosser]

Now how do you make that happen? How do you make sure the mothers, you know, are the focal point?

[Bridget Wood]

I guess it's like throughout the process, I mainly am dealing with the mother. So I really try and get that connection early on. And I think that's part of having a high value offer is that connection piece. So I will talk with her on the phone and then I will do a style consultation with her where we'll go through her outfits and all through that time and how I educate her with what I send out about how to prepare, what to wear. It's always kind of telling them to put themselves first. Like, this is about you and your family. Like, we want to show not only who you loved, but how you loved. And in order to do that, I always try and say, like, okay, I want you to choose your Outfit first and then we can work everyone else in. And then on the day it's just about kind of getting them all to connect and be present. And I don't know, I just kind of. That's how it happens.

[Nikki Klosser]

I love how you do that with the outfit. Just doing my own, our own family photos. A couple months ago the photographer ended up bringing me a dress because everyone else in my family was dressed and I had a couple options but I didn't love any of them. And she was like, don't worry, I have dresses for you. And I just put myself last. It wasn't even.

[Bridget Wood]

I didn't even.

[Nikki Klosser]

It was hard to even think about what I was going to wear. I was just trying to get everyone else together. So it's interesting that you say that. Yeah.

[Bridget Wood]

And so the reason I do that is I also did the same thing for my family photos and I remember I had like nail polish I hadn't taken off my fingers. I didn't get a chance to wash my hair. And I was like, no, this is not what the whole experience was meant to be about. Because then I felt self conscious during it and I didn't bring the best version of myself. I was worrying about everything. So I really try and get them to prepare early and then we have that style consultation where we go over the outfit so they have to kind of have it ready by then.

[Nikki Klosser]

Mm, yeah, that's really smart. It's like you're just forcing them to, to put themselves first and make it happen if they want to do the photo shoot.

[Bridget Wood]

Exactly.

[Nikki Klosser]

Now you had mentioned you have this sort of high value offer type thing.

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah.

[Nikki Klosser]

And you have a very high sales average. But I know you didn't always have a high sales average in this kind of high value offer. So will you just kind of take us back to when you first started in photography and what that looked like for you?

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah, definitely. So I started photography. I don't have one of those stories where it was like. And I was with my grandfather and we used to develop film in the dark room or anything like that. It was in 2011 and I woke up one morning. I'd been to university. I had gotten a degree in Spanish and international business because I had just come back from living in Costa Rica for a year and I thought, oh, how can I continue this holiday? I haven't used that degree. But I woke up one morning and was like. I can only describe it as like. It came as like a flash. It was like, you should become a photographer. And I was like what? And I do get things like that from time to time. So I was like, okay, I'm just going to explore this idea a little bit more. And then I think the next day my friend who was a journalist at the time, she was like, hey, there's this photography course up in the mountain. Would you like to come? And I was like, okay, I have to follow this. So I went to that course and I just loved everything about it and then walked away being like, I think I'm going to become a photographer. I was so naive about the photography world and I definitely did things the hard way. So I went and studied it at TAFE for a little bit, but then it was really disorganized and there were a few of us who were really serious about it. We all dropped out and we're actually the ones who went on to become photographers.

[Nikki Klosser]

But is that a school that you went to?

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah, sorry, TAFE is like, it's called like a certificate for. It's not a university, it's more like a, like a school, a college. Okay. So I started there and then started to shoot weddings, which I don't shoot weddings anymore. And then I quit my job and was like, I'm a photographer, everyone. And had nothing to go to, no backup plan, and was so surprised that nobody knew about me, no one wanted to book me. And so I actually had to go back and get a part time job and I ended up getting a job with a magazine as a photographer. And then I built up until I couldn't sustain both anymore and took the leap then. But it did take me a really long time to get to that place.

[Nikki Klosser]

Okay, so you were doing just kind of client work and then also with a magazine.

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah, so this magazine was. It was in Brisbane, I was living in Newcastle, so that was like a two hour flight away. And I had again just said to my husband, you know, I think I just need more experience. I would love to work for a magazine. I think I would get so much experience that way. And then I went on to Facebook and my friend was like, we need a photographer for this magazine she worked at. Does anyone know anyone? And I really didn't have the skill set yet, but I thought, thought I did. So I got the magazine masthead and photoshopped like my photos into it and then put the masthead of their magazine over the top and like sent in all my images. And they were, it was just a really creative application and they were like, no, we respect that. You're hired. Can you start Monday? And Wow. That was like. I think on my second day, I was photographing the prime minister and, like, really, it was like sink or swim. And I definitely had a lot of tears in that those first two weeks. But it also gave me the biggest learning curve for the technical mastery, because I think you can go to schools and learn online, but actually, like, clocking up the hours really does help with that.

[Nikki Klosser]

Right, right. Okay. So you were. You decided you were done with that and you wanted to just stick with regular client work.

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah, So I think it was a quite. It was a really intense job. Like, I would have sometimes 8 to 10 photo shoots per day for the night. It was like I would be, like, speeding around town trying to get to the next one. It was quite chaotic, but so it just wasn't really sustainable. And then I fell pregnant, and I knew I couldn't do that work, and I was ready to kind of spread my wings. I had no idea that family photography would be my genre yet I was still shooting everything and anything, trying to just. I was taking real estate jobs, jewelry jobs. Like, anything I could get my hands on, I would just say yes to. And it wasn't until I had my daughter and I was looking for a family photographer, and I wasn't so interested in the studio kind of style. I really wanted something a little bit more organic and natural and showed those in between moments of motherhood, but where I still felt really beautiful at the same time. And I found there was either like, the full studio or full documentary. And at that stage, there wasn't really a lot of in between. And then so I just started photographing myself and my friends like that. And it kind of just went from there. Wow.

[Nikki Klosser]

Okay. Now, when we were talking earlier, I think you said your sales average is over $5,000, right?

[Bridget Wood]

Yes. So it's currently 5,725.

[Nikki Klosser]

Oh, wow. Wow. Okay. So. So how did you. Because you didn't start charging that straight away.

[Bridget Wood]

No, I was charging. I think I started, like, for free. I would just be like, I would do this for free every day. And then obviously, everyone knows that wears thin. And then I went to. I think I went to, like, 150, then I went up to 350, then I went up to 800, and then I went up to 1650. So I first came across sue when it was in 2016, and it was at her WPPI Talk, and it was all about fear. And it really, like, sucker punched me in the gut because at that stage I was kind of at a point where I Was like, do I throw in the towel with this photography thing? You know, it was getting to the point where I felt like I was trying so hard and I was always striving and never arriving and I didn't know the next step to take. I kind of knew that I had the potential, but I wasn't sure where to go or what to do. And I, I think I was in a bit of a lack mindset. And she really called you out on that. And it was then that I had the, like, the penny dropped, that it was me that was getting in my own way and I was responsible for the success of my business.

[Nikki Klosser]

Now, Bridget, I feel like a lot of people listening might be feeling that same way, just like, ah, I'm just, I'm trying and I'm trying and it's just, it's not working. And if you think back to that time period, do you feel like it was that you just weren't raising your prices? Maybe you were working too much? You know, what was it that. I mean, I know the mindset is there and I know that you needed to get out of your own way, but I want you to just paint a picture of what you were doing back then that wasn't working.

[Bridget Wood]

So I think to back then and it kind of does feel like a long time ago and in another life, but it was so many different things at once, I believe. So there was the pricing, obviously I would look at other photographers in the area and if they were more experienced, I thought, how dare I even think of charging more than them? So I would keep my prices really low, even though I knew that they probably weren't even covering my time. And then the other thing was that I, because I was priced so low, I didn't have the capacity to outsource a single thing. So I was wearing every hat in the business. So I think, you know, you were the bookkeeper, you were the assistant, you were the editor, you're the person who does the marketing, you wear all the hats. And eventually that kind of takes you out of that zone of genius, which is when you're in front of your clients with your camera connecting. And for me that's when I felt that real sense of flow and the other stuff needed to happen. So it was just this being spread so thin. And I think a lot of photographers starting out also, especially in the family photography business, they're mothers and they have a lot of other commitments as well and. Or they have a day job that they can't. It's just a side hustle at that stage. So that was a major part of it. But I actually did implement Sue's prices in 2016, but it still didn't work for me because I hadn't uncovered the major block which was my self worth. So I didn't believe on some level that I was even worthy of receiving this money. I wasn't good enough. So until I kind of went and did a lot of work on that and I think I had like, I did have a kind of like a nervous breakdown crisis, call it, whatever it is, and I kind of then had to rebuild everything back up and start to honor myself and my time in order to provide a better service, in order to get the better jobs. And it was this slow step by step process. So I think the self worth piece is the bit that Sue's talk from WPPI really resonated with me the most is that desperation that I was coming from. So I was like just refreshing my inbox, waiting for an inquiry and even if they weren't the right fit, I would still do the job. And it wasn't aligning with my values in life or the reasons why I started photography.

[Nikki Klosser]

Right. Well, you had said something that just because you felt like you were new ish in the industry, you know, and newer to photography, that you couldn't be charging industry standard pricing. And I feel like, I think a lot of people are there, you know, and might feel that way as well. But I was just. I interviewed Kate Douglas recently, She's a boudoir photographer and, and she was kind of feeling the same way at the beginning, but now she's only had her business for three years and like a lot of her clients spend like $7,000. So I don't want people to think that there is this threshold you have to cross like 5 years, 10 years, 15 before you can start. Like you can do it now. You know, as long as you have a strong portfolio built, you provide a great service, you can do it. Right now it's all up to you and it's all on you to get past the fact that oh so and so charges less than me. Oh, they won't pay it in my. All of the things that we hear, the excuses after excuses, I mean, would you have ever thought in your town or did anyone tell you that you couldn't charge, you know, $5,000 in your town?

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah, I definitely had a bit of a like block around the money part of it. And to think that I could even be getting $5,000, it seemed crazy, like how Dare I dream that big? Like what, what kind of photographer do I think I am? All of that kind of thing. And you're absolutely right. I don't think you have to take that long and arduous path to get there. And that's something that I teach in my mastermind to my students is like, I went that hard way. But it really doesn't have, you don't have to be the tortured artist, the struggling artist. It doesn't have to be, be like that. And if you put the right foundations in and like learn the right way from the beginning with the actual system and use processes and you can make it so much quicker and yeah, you'll be there before you know it.

[Nikki Klosser]

Totally. Okay, so let's go back to, you know, you said you have this kind of like higher value offer and I think that providing the experience like I mentioned and providing a great service is part of raising your prices. So let's talk a little bit about that and how you, one, how you raise your prices and two, what's your current offering?

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah, sure. So I did raise my prices, like I said early on, not early on, but I raised them and then I went back down because I still didn't have all of the components of that high value offer under my belt. So what I would say that there's five main components to a high value offer that I teach about anyway. And that is the first thing is you need to know who your dream client is. So like, how well do you actually know the person that you're trying to photograph? Do you know what keeps them up at night? Do you know their pain points when it comes to family photography? Like why haven't they had one? Or what are they most scared about during that process? I want you to know whether they sleep on their side or their back at night or whether they scrunch their toilet paper or fold it like I'm talking. I get to know my dream client that intimately so that she becomes like a real person. And you know yourself. Like when you go into a room and you're at a big party and, and there's one person and you're having like a really great conversation over on the side, you can often connect with them at a deeper level than if you're at like a group setting trying to have that same conversation. It would be a completely different dynamic. And I think that's what so many photographers do with their social media, their website. They try and speak to everyone in a group setting, whereas if you just focus on like that one person and you develop them in your head like as to, I gave mine like a name. And you'd pretend like all of your copy, you're just writing to them. Suddenly it just becomes so much easier. And it also becomes a lot clearer to the person on the other end. And that doesn't mean that you can't service many different dream clients. But if you just have that one really strong kind of foundation of who your dream client is and what their main problem is, I think that's a really important step in like having a high value offer because then you can customize it to them, right? And then the second piece is like your unique brand position. So what is it about you? What is it about working with you that's so different to working with any of the other photographers? How can you share some of your story or your why? So I know there's that famous Simon Sennett quote that people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. And I think I might have butchered that quote a little bit. But that's. There's a TED Talk on it as well. That's really powerful. So I would say go and watch that. And because when you're trying to show parts of yourself, you're taking the price shopping out of it. You're saying, come and work with me, because you're working with me. And this is what I offer and this is what working with me is like. Rather than I've got a special for this price and this is how much I charge and it's like $50 cheaper than down the road. Like it just takes that price shopping war out of it. And the third piece is a customized client journey. So. So how can you connect with them in a way that helps them feel seen? Like I always say connection where it counts. So people don't like to be bothered. Like, people are very busy these days. Like if you can automate a particular process that makes the booking experience flow a lot easier and it's easier for your client. Do that. But make sure you don't drop that connection piece. Because that is one thing that I was doing before when I was charging a lower price is I wouldn't meet them until the day. Sometimes I would only correspond on email. I wouldn't even know them. Like I would be meeting them for the first time and then I would just send the gallery and that would be it. Whereas now it's a much more connected process. I value their time, they value that I'm giving my time to kind of walk them through the whole process. So by the time the shoot comes, I've already connected with them twice. We have a rapport. And then obviously the in person sales, which I do over zoom, that really finishes off that connection and they value you being there. And the best part is you also get to see their experience of their family and you get to see them see their photos for the first time. And you also get feedback as to like what photos people are resonating more with. And you learn so much about your client during the process as well. And you build that relationship so that they, when the next year comes around and they're looking, thinking about, okay, it's time to get some more family photos, they've already got this beautiful relationship with you, so it's easy to like book back in with you. Absolutely. The fourth piece is like that exclusivity. So I don't want to serve everyone and anyone anymore. And trying to say on your website like you do 50 different genres can be really confusing for your client that's coming and just wants this one thing. So. So I don't think it's bad. If you do want to shoot, just say you want to shoot weddings and families. Is there a way you can separate that out so that when the family photo, when they're looking for a family photographer, you look like that's your niche and you're an expert in it. And I think that's a really like key piece. And also the price, like I will say to my clients, I'm definitely not the cheapest out there, but if you read my testimonials and if you see that I've been published in Vogue and Conte Nast Traveler and Elle and all of these things, that also gives this. I think that social proof is a really large part of being exclusive. And I'm not saying like, you can't sit with us exclusive. It's more just I only want people who really valued photography. I only want to serve people who really value what I'm doing. And then the fifth piece, and this is, I think, something that a lot of photographers might drop the ball in and that is like, are you actually solving their problem? Are you actually delivering what you promised? If you promise this luxury experience and these beautiful images, like, did you actually do that?

[Nikki Klosser]

Right, right.

[Bridget Wood]

And I can charge these prices, which then allow me to have a Lightroom editor, a Photoshop editor. So by the time that my client has received their image, it has been edited by me, by my Lightroom editor, by my Photoshop editor. And we've had that's like six sets of eyes on it. Oh, sorry, not set. There's three sets of eyes. And I just think I treat every image as though it was going into a magazine, as though it was really being part of their legacy. And when I speak to other photographers and looking back at my own experience, when I was kind of just taking the photos, sending the gallery, I would just skip through images, be like, oh, I'll just include that one because I can't color it and maybe the family will like it. And it just devalued, I think, for me anyway, the final product. So now going through that process, my clients are actually just walking away with images that they are obsessed with that they just, they love. It's like the highest quality of your work that they're taking away. So it also is great when they're then speaking about it to friends or showing it on social media. They're also representing your brand in that time than if you included like, I don't know, an unflattering photo just because the kid had a cute face, but the mum's going to hate it.

[Nikki Klosser]

Hey, just a quick break to tell you that since you're here listening, you have access to a really great offer for our listeners only. We have a special promo code you can use to get 50% off the cost of membership. Just go to the portraitsystem.com or click the link in the description and use the promo code PODCAST50 to get 50% off of a membership. We rarely discount membership, so this is a big deal. As I hope you already know, the membership is how I and so many guests on this podcast reached our success and it gives you access to countless amazing videos, an awesome community, and all the tools you need to build a massively successful business. So use the Code podcast for 50 now to join the community and to start building the business of your dreams. I'll see you there. Now let's talk a little bit about what you do offer as far as pricing and packages.

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah, sure. So my session fee is $550 xgst. So that's just this tax that we put on top of everything in Australia. And my individual Images start at $295 and go up from there. And my digital packages start from $1,900 and go up from there. But basically my 10 image collection that comes with the prints is $3,200. And then I have a $7,000 package which comes with like a little album and prints and a gift voucher to use at my Print store and a voucher to bring them back for their session next year.

[Nikki Klosser]

Okay, and what comes in that package that the one with the 3,000, would you say? 3,200?

[Bridget Wood]

3,200. So that just comes with the images. And they also get a 7 by 10 print of the images as well.

[Nikki Klosser]

How many images come with that one?

[Bridget Wood]

10.

[Nikki Klosser]

Okay, 10. So and that's. You said that's your starting package.

[Bridget Wood]

I have digital only options as well because I love printing, I love people having prints. But I also, I'm not the type of person to have like 70,000 prints up in my house. I would love a couple. And so I really value the photo album books. I think like the style of my work kind of lends itself to that more storytelling. So I do include the digital only options. And I just say to my client, like, have you printed your wedding album yet? Okay, I'm surprised how many of them say, no, I haven't. It's actually on a CD or a USB somewhere. And I'm like, okay, well then maybe you should look at the option where you get the photos printed because it's all done for you. But if you're the type of person that is super organized, you love making photo books, you understand where to get it printed, by all means, go and print it yourself. So I just give them that option because I was just getting asked a lot about the digital images and I just price it also I think then shows the value of having the digital image option there. For example, it's to get 10 digital images. It would be well to get eight digital images. It's 1,900 so it is more affordable for people. So some people might be like, I just want the extra images, I can deal with the printing later. I kind of wanted to make it accessible to everyone depending on what their needs were.

[Nikki Klosser]

Okay, and that makes sense. And then on average which package? So I know you said you have the digital only and then the one with the print comes with is like 3200. And then how does it go up from there?

[Bridget Wood]

So I have a 15 image one, that's 3750. And then I have the most popular one. Well, I say it's most popular, but it's actually not anymore. But I need to update my pricing PDF. So that's the 4800XGST and that's 20 images. And then I have one above that which is 25 to 30 images and that's 5200 XGST. And then I have my top package, which is $7000, and I've been selling a lot of that recently because they get like a proper album. They get the gift voucher, the thousand dollar gift voucher towards the next shoe, and they get a Slideshow and a $5,000 print voucher.

[Nikki Klosser]

Oh, nice. Yeah, that's great. Very cool. Okay, so I want to talk a little bit about one. I know you said the experience is all about the mother and the connection and that sort of thing and you know, you're making sure that the mother always looks best in the photos and that, you know, like. Talk to me about your editing process. Is it. Do you do quite a bit of editing or do you keep it really natural? Like how does that work with your style?

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah, so because I am, my style is very natural and we're out in nature, I do keep my editing supernatural and I don't want it to ever look photoshopped. That's like my number one kind of aim is for it not to look photoshopped. I just want to enhance what's already there. So, for example, if I'm doing anything on the skin or like retouching, I will always reduce the opacity down to at least below 50%, sometimes 30, 40%, so that it does still, it still retains them. I always say it has to be more them than Photoshop, but I do do stuff like things like, you know when you're holding a baby and you're looking down at your shoulders, like just like if you're breastfeeding or if you're like a mum picking up kids all the time, your shoulders naturally kind of really tight and they come up right? So I will gently drop the shoulders and the same with when I will guide them if they're, I'll just say to them, okay, so you know, when you're looking down at your baby, it's very cute and it's a lovely moment, but if you could just push your chin out slightly to elongate, like, I'll do some of it like that because it's hard to Photoshop some of that stuff in post, but I definitely do Photoshop. And I went, I really battled with this for a little bit because I was like, I. How do I. Where do I go with this in terms of like, I really want to celebrate the real moments and the real beauty and everything like that.

[Nikki Klosser]

And.

[Bridget Wood]

And it wasn't until I got my family photos back one time and I was like, oh my gosh, look at my bags under my eyes. Oh, look at this. And I realized that had it been done really naturally I would have this beautiful image that I would be, I would put up on my wall, I'd be proud to kind of pass on. And I just wanted to give that to other women.

[Nikki Klosser]

Right, right. Okay, so. And instead of doing a ton of editing, you're doing more of like helping pose and create the moment and that sort of thing.

[Bridget Wood]

I definitely do edit. Like, that is like a large part of it, but it's always done in a way that I feel is quite minimal, if that makes sense. So I have a Photoshop editor. That's all she does. And I. So I will pay her a few hundred dollars for editing every shoot. And I, I show the product edited. So I know a lot of people won't edit until they pick their images, whereas I. It's part of, I think, finishing that experience. Like, I wouldn't. It would be like for me if I had finished half finished a painting and then was like, here you go. To me, I feel like I need them to see the final product in order to fall in it and buy it, rather than me saying, okay, I'm going to take those away now and fix them. Because it just has a different energy behind it for me personally.

[Nikki Klosser]

Right, right, Gotcha. I'm kind of the same. I'm similar with that. Like, I never want someone to look at my, the photos and be like, oh, that's totally photoshopped. But at the same time, you know, I have clients who want me to fix things, so I do. It's up to them.

[Bridget Wood]

Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Nikki Klosser]

Okay, now let's talk about marketing. How are you getting, you know, obviously you market to, you have a niche. You know, you're, you're a family photographer who focuses on mom. So how are you getting that message out there and how are people finding you?

[Bridget Wood]

So I definitely use more than one, like, stream of marketing, which I again think so many of us relied solely on Instagram or solely on referrals, or solely on. I think it's definitely like a multi tiered approach. So the testimonials and referrals are a large kind of factor. For me, I would say that's about 40, 40 to 50%. It's just, oh, you photograph my friend and I need to book you in. And I think a large part of that is getting the really great testimonials. And I do that by breaking it down for them and saying, hey, if you loved your experience, could you answer the following questions in your testimonial? Of course you don't have to. And it'll be like, why were you afraid of getting family photos? Like, what was the experience? Like, what was the result? Like? And so in the review, rather than just having something that says, like, she was amazing, I loved it, they actually break down the pain point. And they say, I haven't had family photos before. And I was really nervous about how we would go or how my little ones would behave. But Bridget made the experience so relaxed and enjoyable. And then the hardest part was like picking the images because you will love them all. And so they kind of really educate other people looking about the process. But also people buy things to solve a problem and all because they have a pain point. So if your testimonials are kind of addressing that, I think it's. They're more likely to resonate with it and then want to book you. So that's one of it. The social proof is another really big thing. So doing personal work, getting published in magazines if you can, or working with influencers who have a bigger reach than you, or doing shoots that you would say, really sum up your dream client. So if you don't have the portfolio that you want, like to attract the clients that you want, then you need to create it. And if you have to do that for free or that, in my opinion, is completely worth it because you grow where you show. So if you're showing. So I will never show a photo of my clients all perfectly looking at the camera. It doesn't mean that I won't ever take one of those shots, but I don't want to attract the client that is looking for that when they come to my profile, my website. So I really use my social media and my website to show kind of the edges of the portfolio boundaries where you can be a little bit more creative so that they know, okay, I love her natural style. I love her effortless style. But it would be the same for if you're in a studio and you really focus on like the creative shoots where like the dresses are flying and everything like that, you wouldn't then show just a normal headshot if that's not what you want to attract in right then.

[Nikki Klosser]

Right.

[Bridget Wood]

The other part of it is I do run flash sales maybe once a year, sometimes twice. And that is really popular because I do have a following of engaged kind of viewers, I guess. And they wait for that flash sale where I discount my session fee to like $99. And that comes down from 550. So they get that. So that's been good. And I have found this year that you do need to put some spend behind it in Facebook or, sorry, Meta, which is Instagram and Facebook, that I will do targeted ads from time to time if I'm feeling like I need to. So I always do, like awareness ads first and then conversion ads after that. So just getting people to know who they are. I have a nurture sequence. So people sign up to a free guide, like your guide to amazing family photos, and then it puts them through in a nurture sequence where they get to know me. They get. And for those of you listening that don't know what a nurture sequence is, it's basically just a series of emails that they get in exchange for signing up to your free offer. So you get their email address and then you're in their inbox from that time on. So there are a few of the things that I do for marketing, but I'm not really. I don't really do a great deal apart from that. Like, I'm not really. I'm at a stage where I don't need to go networking or things like that. It kind of just comes in naturally. But I used to do gift vouchers and giveaways, and that really helped me kind of extend my following. And I was surprised with the competitions that I would still make sometimes $2,000. Even when they had won a competition, I would say, you get a $5,000 shoot. So they would walk away with obviously whatever images they wanted within that price range. But often they would want to buy extras.

[Nikki Klosser]

Yeah, that's great. Now, going back to the testimonial, something you said, I think that's very important is that you're not just asking someone, you know, write me a testimonial. Or do you think you could leave me a review? If you help the give people suggestions, ask them specific questions that they could answer for you in their testimonial, it's going to be so much more effective.

[Bridget Wood]

Yes.

[Nikki Klosser]

So that was just a side note. I think it's really smart to ask people specific questions and things to put in their testimonials. And then as far as marketing goes, I mean, I'm glad that you brought up that there are multiple things you do, and sometimes it takes that. I mean, some people, you know, it just makes sense to do multiple different things so that you have leads coming in in different ways and you don't have to go crazy on all of them. But sometimes it really helps to do a little bit of social media, you know, a little bit of, you know, asking for, referrals or what did you say? Paid Facebook ads and, you know, Instagram. And there was something else that you said. Oh, getting published in magazines, like all of these things start to add up after a while.

[Bridget Wood]

So, yeah, yeah, I think that brand association is a really. That really helped me justify raising my prices. Because when you go onto the website, you're like, oh, she's worked with this brand or. And that kind of positions you as an expert in your genre. So, right. Even if you start out small, like there's so many publications for photographers, even if it's like your local magazine to start with and then you can use that to kind of get you your next kind of job. Be like, oh, I was published here. And one thing that I could just say on that is when you are approaching an influencer or a brand or someone that you want to pitch to or work with. So when I pitch to this publication in Australia called the Grace Tales, which is this beautiful platform for mothers, you don't just go, hi, I love your site. I would love to work for you. If you ever need a photographer, don't forget about me.

[Nikki Klosser]

Right.

[Bridget Wood]

You have to be of value and you have to respect that, the exchange that is taking place. So whenever I go to work with a brand, I will always say A. I will make sure that I actually follow the brand and I'm up to date with everything that's going on. If it's someone that you want to photograph, like support them, like buy their book, do whatever it is that they, that you can do to kind of lift them up and then come at it with a solution. So for the Grace Tales, for example, I went to them and said, hi, I've got this person that I think would be a great fit for your profile. I can photograph her in the next two weeks. This is where you can find her and see what she's about. Do you think it would be a good fit? Would love to make it work, keep it short, but really, like, make it so easy for them to say yes. Because you've already gone and thought about the whole concept, you've thought about everything. They just need to go, wow, this person wants to work with me and give me this content of this person that I don't have access to, like if you're in a different geographic location, for example, so that can be a really great way to get a foot in the door. And I think the same with your pricing. It's that small barrier to entry. So for your clients, like, what's the smallest barrier to entry? For them. So you know that once you get them in front of your camera, you're going to do a great job and you can deliver on your promise. When you're at that stage, then what is the smallest way that I can make them commit to working with me? So that might be having a cheap possession fee so that you know that once you get them in front of you, you can do your magic. And the same goes for working with brands like, what's the smallest barrier to entry? And how can I make it work? Yep.

[Nikki Klosser]

I love it.

[Bridget Wood]

Love it.

[Nikki Klosser]

Well, I appreciate you sharing all of this. This has been really, really great. And, you know, it's just always interesting to hear. Cause I think sometimes people think, oh, you have to have a studio and you have to, you know, shoot a certain way, but you don't. I mean, you've used the same business model, just photographing families, not in a studio, you know. So, yeah, it was great to have you.

[Bridget Wood]

I remember sue saying, if you don't have a studio, do you even have a business? And I was like, I do have a business, and I'm going to show her that I can do it.

[Nikki Klosser]

She's changed her tune about that, that's for sure. But awesome. Well, I do have a couple other questions that I always ask at the end of each episode. Okay, so the first question is, what is something you can't live without when you're doing a photo shoot?

[Bridget Wood]

What is something I can't live without? I would say, apart from, like, my camera, I'm really just a really simple kind of. I only have two lenses. I just have my camera, my backpack, and that is all I take on a shoot. So. So I think just. I'm going to be really boring there and just say, my gear.

[Nikki Klosser]

That's fine. Yep, no problem. Okay. Number two is, how do you spend your time when you're not working?

[Bridget Wood]

I live on a little farm, I guess you could call it. So we have a couple of acres out in the hills, and we made the tree change during COVID So we have chickens and goats and sheep and, yeah, a little border collie. So we spend a lot of time there, and then we also spend a lot of time at the beach.

[Nikki Klosser]

Oh, nice. Very cool. I love that you have a farm. That's so great.

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah, it is.

[Nikki Klosser]

It's so awesome. We kind of. Well, we have. I wouldn't call it a farm because we don't have any, like, livestock yet or chickens yet, but we're getting there slowly but surely. It's so great.

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah, I saw, actually, you have these beautiful wildflowers. They look amazing.

[Nikki Klosser]

Oh, thank you. They didn't. I have a lot to learn. They didn't grow as well as I'd hoped, but I did a lot of things wrong. But next year, like, I am already getting ready to prep my land for next year, so I am excited.

[Bridget Wood]

I'm gonna have to pick your brain about that when we're finished.

[Nikki Klosser]

I actually have a really amazing person I follow called Florette Flowers and FL o R E T Flowers on Instagram and her website. She is unbelievable. Huge wealth of knowledge. So I recommend her. That's who I learn everything from.

[Bridget Wood]

Awesome. I will check her out.

[Nikki Klosser]

Yeah. Okay. Number three is, what is your favorite inspirational quote?

[Bridget Wood]

Okay. I have quite a few that have, like, plastered up around my office, but I think this one by Nelson Mandela has been, like, really resonating with me of late, so. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. Wow.

[Nikki Klosser]

I love that. I feel like he has a ton of amazing quotes.

[Bridget Wood]

I know.

[Nikki Klosser]

Yeah. Very cool. All right, and number four is, what would you tell people who are just starting out?

[Bridget Wood]

I would say get really clear on what your values are in life first and then build your business around that. Because so often they don't align. And the other thing I would say is really get used to the word no and don't see it as a setback, but more as like, another opportunity to hear the word yes. Because sometimes it only takes one yes to change your whole situation. So that's what I would say. Yeah.

[Nikki Klosser]

So true. So true. And sometimes no means not yet. I like to think about that. Think about it that way, too.

[Bridget Wood]

Also, the power of you saying no can be really amazing. Yeah.

[Nikki Klosser]

Hey, you know, that's one thing. You mentioned this. This to me before, and we didn't. We didn't talk about it. Can you quickly tell us about when you get work that maybe isn't your ideal client or it's not going to work out or something?

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah.

[Nikki Klosser]

Do you refer that to other people or how does that work?

[Bridget Wood]

Yes. If it comes through in an email and it's clearly not in, just say it's an extended family shoot. And I've done many of these and they've been fine, but it's just not something that I'm focusing on right now. I will just say I don't do those at the moment, but try this person. And I will give another photographer's name. I do believe in passing it on to another photographer. I don't have that mindset that there's not enough room for all of us. I really do think we should be more of a community. And the other thing is, if I'm speaking to them on the phone and I know that it's not a great fit, I would just kind of stop it there. And either I'll say I don't have any availability at that time, which often is true because I do book out a few months in advance or I don't know if this is what you're looking for, you might be more suited to like somebody else. If I know that they shoot a particular style, I'll pass them on to them. But really saying it took me a lot of lessons to get there. And sometimes you still slip up. But basically when you know that it's not the right client, it often will end up being like one of those disaster shoots where I don't know, it will just. It'll rain and then they'll like be really picky with like. So it just ends up being like a really kind of forced process. And I also think, like, if I want to say no, then my energy behind that is that I don't want to serve them like to the fullest. So they are also not getting the best experience. They could get a better experience elsewhere as well. So I really believe in like, yeah, how you kind of come at your work will then reflect in your work, if that makes sense. Right?

[Nikki Klosser]

Absolutely. Absolutely. Okay, Bridget, where can people find you online if they're looking for you?

[Bridget Wood]

They can find me on Instagram at Bridgetwood Photography. So B, R I D G E T and they can also find me on my website, which is Bridgetwood.com au awesome.

[Nikki Klosser]

Well, thank you again. I appreciate everything. And yeah, I'll talk to you online soon. Hopefully we'll meet in person one day.

[Bridget Wood]

Yes. I'm actually coming to LA next year for some work, so I'm very excited.

[Nikki Klosser]

Oh, nice. I live very far from la, but yeah, you never know. You never know what could happen.

[Bridget Wood]

Yeah. All right, well, thank you so much, Nikki.

[Nikki Klosser]

Thank you. Bridget, thank you so much for listening to the Portrait System podcast. Your 5 star reviews really help us to continue what we do. So if you like listening, would you mind giving us a review wherever you listen? I also encourage you to head over to sue briceducation.com where you can find all of the education you need to be a successful photographer. There are over 1000 on demand educational videos on things like posing, lighting, styling, retouching, shooting, marketing, sales, business and self value. There's also the 90 day startup challenge plus so many downloads showing hundreds of different poses. We have to do checklists for your business lighting PDFs. I mean truly everything to help make you a better photographer and to make you more money. Once again [e-mail].