The Portrait System Podcast: Episode Summary

Title: Sue Bryce on Valuing Your Work and Increasing Your Income (Re-release)
Host: Nikki Closser, Sue Bryce Education
Release Date: December 23, 2024

In this empowering episode of The Portrait System Podcast, host Nikki Closser engages in an in-depth conversation with renowned photographer Sue Bryce. Together, they delve into the critical aspects of valuing one's work, refining pricing strategies, and expanding income streams within the portrait photography business. This summary captures the essence of their discussions, enriched with notable quotes and actionable insights.

1. Introduction to the Episode

Nikki Closser sets the stage by highlighting Sue Bryce's expertise in portrait photography and business management. She emphasizes the episode's focus on helping photographers achieve financial freedom by doing what they love, sharing:

“Sue has some empowering words of wisdom about valuing what you do so you don't have to be burning yourself out, just charging next to nothing for your work.”
[02:22]

2. Understanding Different Business Models in Photography

Sue Bryce shares her journey of exploring various genres before honing in on glamour photography, illustrating the importance of finding one’s passion:

“I revived an old genre from the 80s. Glamour was gonna be my thing. I was intently focused on it.”
[04:52]

She underscores that photographers should experiment with multiple genres—such as newborn, maternity, weddings, fashion, and editorial—to discover what resonates most with them. Sue advises:

“Choose the genres you love in that style. What's the avatar here? Are you trying to attract senior girls? Are you trying to attract boudoir? Are you trying to attract couples?”
[06:00]

3. Valuing Your Work and Pricing Strategies

Transitioning from wedding photography, Sue discusses the common misconception that only weddings can be highly profitable. She challenges the industry norm of underpricing portrait sessions:

“I think people stay in weddings because they don't see themselves being able to charge $2,000 for portraits.”
[11:03]

Sue emphasizes the importance of perceiving the true value of one’s work. She advocates for creating comprehensive packages that include not just digital images but also consultation, education, and additional services:

“The value is not in the printing. The value is in the making of the image.”
[12:11]

Moreover, she stresses that a professional shoot, enriched with consultation and premium services, justifies higher price points:

“I expect a professional photographic shoot to be between $600 and $1,200... the experience itself is around 4 to 5 hours.”
[12:11]

4. Building Systems for Client Interaction

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around establishing a robust system for client consultations and interactions. Sue outlines a multi-touchpoint approach to ensure clients feel valued and informed:

“The sale should be the third or fourth touch point of your client.”
[20:35]

She elaborates on the importance of pre-shoot consultations via phone, Zoom, or email to build rapport and set expectations:

“If you can connect on the phone, on Zoom, on your computer, over email... they will already like you by the time they're walking into your shoot.”
[22:28]

Sue shares her technique of waiting for clients to express excitement, ensuring they are emotionally invested before the shoot:

“I wait until they say, 'I'm so excited.' I know they're gonna show up. I know they're gonna pay.”
[22:46]

5. Overcoming Self-Doubt and Building Confidence

Sue opens up about her personal struggles with valuing her work, revealing vulnerabilities that many photographers can relate to:

“People kept telling me I was overpriced, and I couldn't sell my work. It took me a long time to break through the sickness of seeing my value.”
[17:03]

She emphasizes that confidence stems from consistently practicing and refining one’s systems:

“Emotional mastery involves self-confidence. You only gain confidence by talking the talk, walking the walk, and actually doing the work.”
[54:28]

Sue advocates for self-awareness and emotional mastery as foundational elements for business success.

6. Exploring Multiple Revenue Streams

Diversifying income is a pivotal theme. Sue highlights various revenue streams beyond traditional portrait sessions:

• Personal Branding: Catering to influencers, CEOs, and industry leaders.
• Product Photography: Especially relevant during the pandemic era.
• Stock Photography: Despite being competitive, there's a demand for diverse and quality stock images.
• Digital Products: eBooks, magazines, PDF guides, podcasts, and videos.
• Fine Art Images and Products: Creating and selling fine art photographs.

She provides real-life examples of photographers successfully navigating these streams:

“Paula Brennan flipped her business to focus exclusively on personal branding and now earns more as a personal branding and marketing content photographer.”
[31:25]

Sue also mentions innovative companies like Tonal Co, which focuses on diverse stock imagery, illustrating the untapped markets within stock photography.

7. Final Advice and Key Takeaways

In wrapping up, Sue consolidates her insights into actionable steps for photographers aiming to elevate their businesses:

1. Choose a Style and Genre You Love: This passion will drive your business forward.
2. Identify Your Demographic: Understand who your ideal clients are.
3. Create a Systematic Client Interaction Process: From initial contact to final sale.
4. Value Your Work Appropriately: Develop packages that reflect the true worth of your services.
5. Diversify Revenue Streams: Explore various avenues to maximize income.
6. Invest in Self-Development: Build self-confidence and emotional mastery to enhance business interactions.

Sue concludes with a motivational message, urging photographers to embrace their unique paths and remain authentic:

“You can be whatever you want to be as long as it's authentic to you and you believe that voice and you have some content to share, you can have an audience.”
[73:17]

Nikki echoes this sentiment, encouraging listeners to take actionable steps daily and rely on the comprehensive resources available through Sue Bryce Education.

Notable Quotes

• On Valuing Work:
  “The value is not in the printing. The value is in the making of the image.”
  [12:11]

• On Building Confidence:
  “Emotional mastery involves self-confidence.”
  [54:28]

• On Systematic Selling:
  “The sale should be the third or fourth touch point of your client.”
  [20:35]

• On Authenticity and Diversity:
  “There is stock that does not exist right now that we could be creating.”
  [31:47]

Conclusion

This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for portrait photographers striving to enhance their business acumen and financial success. Sue Bryce's candid discussions and practical advice provide invaluable insights into valuing one’s work, optimizing pricing strategies, and diversifying income streams. By implementing the systems and mindset shifts discussed, photographers can transform their passion into a lucrative and sustainable business.

For more detailed strategies and educational resources, listeners are encouraged to visit soubreaiseducation.com.