Expanding Your Portrait Photography Business
In the two previous interviews, Sue Bryce discussed how she began her career with only a dollar fifty and shared her wisdom on learning to value yourself and your work. In this final interview, Sue talks about how she markets herself, and also provides some amazing tips on how to manage your business.
Marketing Yourself In Portrait Photography
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Calling Clients For Portraits
Having had a career in portrait photography for more than 20 years, Sue explains that the difference between wedding photography and portrait photography is that clients will contact you and the studio for weddings, but the business contacts clients for portraits. This is one of the reasons why she doesn’t bother using SEO on her website.
“You search for a wedding photographer, but you don’t search for a portrait photographer.” -Sue Bryce
Showing Them Their True Self
As in any field of work, it’s important to find the core value in what you’re doing. Sue’s driving force behind her work is considering each photograph as an opportunity to immortalize a moment for a family, thus producing a product that’ll be priceless for generations to come.
“Do I value myself as a portrait photographer? Hell yeah!” -Sue Bryce
As the interview progresses, Sue explains that maintaining and establishing a deep relationship with your clients is just as important today since we’re constantly living in a digital age.
Offering Exceptional Service
“The hardest thing is really speaking with confidence and value in yourself… I will not only assume that I’m the best portraiture photographer you’ve ever had, the one that looks after you financially and delivers the product on time with good service. You will recommend me to all your friends and family. And that you will also come to pick up your portraits and buy me a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne, for the sheer thank you of working together.”
Being a photographer myself, I’ve realized that the clients only truly remember two things: who’s in the photo and what their expression looks like, and how the clients felt when you as the photographer captured the image.
Sue explains that offering that level of service and connection is the most important thing about being a portrait photographer. She understands the value of being able to create a legacy of families through her artwork and treating her images as a gift that records the maturation and growth of families and individuals throughout their lives.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading and watching this part III interview with Sue Bryce. I hope you guys enjoyed this interview series! Please subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay tuned for more amazing content and interviews.
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Amazing interview with tons of value. Thanks so much for doing this.
love sue, i always have a good time listening to her.
Liking how she assumes … Confidence is so key in meeting with potential clients, presenting yourself to other vendors, “working” a wedding show, etc. And it’s so true that clients mostly value their expression and the ability to feel through their images … and relive their day, session, etc.
Probably, the best quote I like is “I stop time”. That’s what we do as photographers.
I’ve photographed two historic occasions: the final Space Shuttle launch and the final Space Shuttle landing. Seeing Atlantis launch was my second final launch that I saw. I didn’t have a camera with me for the first final flight that I saw, but I remember the visual of Apollo slowly climbing the sky, the audible rolling wave of thunder, and the sensual feeling of the ground shake and rumbling of my internals of the last Apollo launch (US half of Apollo/Soyuz).
I worked with a guy when I was in Iowa and Jim would send family Christmas postcards to us. It was so neat to see him and his wife and their kids growing up over the years. Of all the cards we’ve received, theirs were the most treasured because they were personal and not some generic Hallmark Christmas card.
Love me some Sue Bryce! Great interview and a great portraits!