Let’s be honest…I’ve made a bunch of mistakes over the course of my time as a photographer. I tried and failed in business, shooting, editing, and just about every other area I can imagine. Mentoring sessions are a chance for me to let you in on what I’ve learned over the years, both from my successes and failures. I want to share all the things I wish someone had told me when I was just starting out, stuck in a creative rut, or trying to make my business more profitable.
What your mentoring session covers is entirely up to you. These are 1-on-1 sessions, geared specifically towards you and your business. Once you book, we’ll chat about the topics you think would be most helpful and would like to cover during our time together. If you’re at a loss for where to start, here are a few areas others have found helpful in our past experience:
- Finding YOUR vision
- Natural lighting techniques
- Post-production workflow (aka not spending your life in front of the computer)
- Building your business
- Marketing/Branding
- Pricing
- Personal Work
- Getting published
- Finding your ideal client
- Client interaction
- Gear (finding what works for you)
- Portfolio review
- Anything else you want to talk about
Here’s what photographers Brian & Christina Shaw of Shaw Photography Co. had to say about their mentoring experience: “Mentoring with Mark was just what we needed to build confidence at a time when we were going against the grain and felt more than a little unsure of ourselves. Mark was kind, patient and an amazing listener. He was able to take a look at our business model from afar and give us encouragement and recommendations of how to proceed in a seemingly competitive market. The mentoring we received from Mark helped shape our business to where it is today. Mark was an open book sharing personal experiences, pricing and information guides, and other information that we couldn’t find elsewhere. He encouraged us to tune out from what others do and tune in to ourselves and a business model that works for us. After our mentoring session we felt like we left with a good friend we had known forever. Mark is a voice of reason and we plan to return to him for mentoring in the near future as we continue to grow and need a trusting and professional voice of reason from a colleague that understand the business. ”
I offer sessions online or in-person (when safe). To chat more, get in touch at [email protected].
