I posted the sales link to Salesographer on Facebook a few days ago and one photographer who took me up on it said this:

Hi Seshu, I followed your link to Salesographer. Bought it and really like his straight forward approach to pricing and sales!

You are probably wondering what Salesographer is all about. Fair question!

“Salesographer is a pricing and profit-boosting sales strategy for photographers lacking the cash flow mojo. You will learn pure, not-from-concentrate sales & pricing education that will take you step-by-step on how to price, present, and sell your photography, without feeling like a salesman.”

Yep, that's straight from the Salesographer website. I couldn't say it any more simply so I figured I would just quote from it.

This guide and set of step-by-step helpful videos were initially produced by Spencer Boerup (who went on to become the genius behind MagMod). Chris and Adrienne Scott, the folks behind the incredible Preveal iPad application bought Salesographer a few months ago from Spencer, as it complements their original mission to empower wedding and portrait photographers make a sustainable living through tools, applications and now resources.

One photographer asked me: “Have you used this Seshu? Did it change your business dramatically?”

Again, a fair question. Whether Salesographer is $74 (as it will be till April 28th, Monday evening) or $349, when it was first offered by Spencer, one absolutely needs to know whether a product, service or resource is going to help our bottom line.

So here is my response to that photographer:

“Yes, I have used it. I have adapted a great many of the steps included in this guide to make it my own process. In my experience, there is no cookie-cutter solution out there. One absolutely must adapt it one's unique business condition. What Salesographer does is give you a great foundation to begin to do just that. Also, I wouldn't be promoting it if I didn't believe strongly in this resource for photographers.”

My recommendation? Buy it before Monday and save some money. Read the guide. Watch the videos. Take notes. Put it all into action and then make a decision. If you are actively working as a photographer, you shouldn't have any trouble seeing whether this works for you or not. The Scotts are also offering a 30-day money back guarantee.

When you buy Salesographer now you'll receive:

90 minutes of video education

an e-book guide

access to a private community to discuss the teachings

a $50 gift card from ProDPI (the best printing lab I know)

a custom pricing sheet

a sales & order form that you can customize and use with your clients

a consultation form that you can customize and use with your clients

All this for $74? I think that's an incredible deal that you can't afford to pass up.

Give it a shot before April 28th because I know you are a savvy photographer who seizes opportunities like this to run your business.

If you have any questions, please holler below. I am happy to answer them to the best of my ability or ask Chris Scott to chime in. How does that sound to you?

I am thrilled to announce a new partnership between Tiffinbox and Inspire Photo Retreats.

After attending the annual gathering for the last three or four years, I was impressed by how and why the organizers emphasize fostering a community of photographers. Indeed, the very idea of working together came about because it was clear to me that Inspire's vision matched that of Tiffinbox; to inspire photographers by elevating their craft and business skills through education, practice and honest feedback.

What is Inspire?

Inspire is a retreat-style conference for professional wedding and portrait photographers. The conference is comprised of sessions on a variety of subjects, from business practices to shooting techniques, to artistry and personal vision. Inspire retreats are structured to enhance opportunities to foster deep relationships with other attendees, build community, and create a culture of ongoing peer-to-peer mentoring and support in our industry.

Inspire's Mission:

The Mission of Inspire is to invigorate photographers of any level with vision, ideas, and a community of support through intensive workshops focusing on vision, craft, and business.

The next Inspire Photo Retreats takes place in Portland, Maine, from February 9th through February 11th, 2015. Some of the speakers have already been announced. If you would like to submit a proposal to speak at Inspire, do so before the deadline on May 9th.

Curious to know what the Inspire Photo Retreats feel like? Check out these videos from 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

And, lastly, here is a slideshow of images by Kate McElwee, an awesome Boston wedding photographer.

What Can You Expect?

At past Inspire gatherings, I have really enjoyed speaking with the organizers and speakers who put their heart and soul into this intimate gathering. It struck me that we should record our conversations and make them available to you. So, while we are working on a slew of neat surprises between now and February 2015, I hope to part the curtain a bit through a series of co-branded interviews.

These short clips will give you a chance to better understand how you too can be a part of this inclusive annual gathering. I hope you will join me and Inspire Photo Retreats on this journey to improve your/our photography craft and photography business in a radically new way. For good measure, bookmark and visit the Inspire Photo Retreats blog as well so you don't miss anything.

Also, if you are an Inspire alum or considering attending in 2015, please sign up for my weekly newsletter in the blue box above! I have begun canvassing deep discounts on high-quality photography products and or services, just for photographers like you. Right now, the second you opt-in, you'll see a special 25% off code for Zack Arias' OneLight 2.0 lighting workshop. Look out for other such offers in your inbox!

If a piece of software is in beta, I usually wait for it to launch and only then post about it. That's probably because I have been burned before. An enthusiastic developer emailed me (now years ago) and told me about a program that on paper looked great but what I didn't realize was it hadn't found any funding and it wasn't even being tested. It was a bit of a pipe dream, but I was much too eager to announce it and so I did. Well, when it never came to pass, I looked a little foolish. But live and learn, right?

This time, though, I made very sure that the piece of software I was approached about was legit and it was being beta tested.

About a year ago, Daniel Usenko, a photographer based in Seattle, Washington, released two tutorials for wedding photographers (though after viewing them, I've to say that they apply to portrait photographers as well): The Perfect Shot & The Perfect Edit (use TIFFINBOX to get those at 50% off).

I get the distinct feeling that Daniel is the kind of guy who sees a problem and is off looking for a solution right away. Take a look at the clips on the page showing you both tutorials and I am willing to bet you'll learn something new.

Now, Daniel is tinkering with album design and wants to make that process fast and as painless as possible. I suspect it was a slow and agonizing for him personally and he figured out a solution. Well, that solution is called SmartAlbums. Check out the demos below:

The 1-minute version:

SmartAlbums 1-Minute Demo from Pixellu on Vimeo.

The 5-minute version:

SmartAlbums Beta Demo (5 min) from Pixellu on Vimeo.

This is still in beta, but Daniel tells me that it will ship in two to five weeks. In other words, by the end of this year! Sign up to beta test it here.

In the next few weeks, I am going to interview Daniel. Do me a favor please. Once you get access to this program, please use it. Then come back here and comment. What did you like about it? What could be different or better? Your questions will help me during my chat with him. So will you do that for me? This is where you beta test SmartAlbums.

Colin Breece co-founded ShootProof, an Atlanta, Georgia based company that is essentially an online image proofing solution for wedding and portrait photographers. Colin and his business partner Robert Swarthout are out to disrupt the current business model among online image proofing solutions. If you are using ZenFolio, Pictage or SmugMug, you may want to take a closer look at ShootProof.

Some of those other options charge you a monthly fee and a commission on any print sales. ShootProof levies absolutely no commission fees on what you sell. You get to keep 100% of your profits. There is, however, a set monthly charge depending on how many images you decide to store within the system. There are no contracts either. What's more, you get to customize the look of your gallery and online system based on your brand colors, logo and watermark. Wow!

Colin and I spoke briefly about the company, what it does for photographers and why it is significantly different from other online proofing solutions available in the market.

Full disclosure: This interview with Colin Breece was planned weeks before ShootProof decided to sponsor a special interview with entrepreneur/author/social media maven, Gary Vaynerchuk. I was really intrigued by how ShootProof approached online proofing: how they were more in sync with some of the best photo finishing labs such as ProDPI, Black River Imaging and Bay Photo Lab.

Incumbents are rarely disrupted by new technologies they can't catch up to, but instead by new business models they can't match. – Aaron Levie

The StudioProof Events Panel:

The StudioProof Orders Panel:

You see, often for working photographers like myself, our roadblock (or time suck, however you want to approach it) is getting those images to our printers and for those prints to reach our clients in a timely manner. If that's you too, give this chat I had with Colin a listen and sign up for an account (yes, they even offer a full-featured FREE account … crazy, huh?).

We talked about the application's integration with ShootDotEdit and their new mobile applications and how they in turn can bring more eyeballs to your galleries. We also talked about how ShootProof allows you to set your own prices and select the products that make your business special.

Got questions about ShootProof for Colin? Use the comment box below to ask. Don't be shy! Oh, also feel free to use “TIFFINBOX20” when you sign up and get 20% off for one year on any of the paid plans.

My friends at Photoshelter have packed a one-two punch by launching two guides about growing your portrait photography business.

Part 1 of the series will interest portrait photographers who photograph families, kids and high school seniors.

This one has tips from seasoned portrait photographers to target an audience, determine pricing packages, master people skills, and influence word-of-mouth referrals. Plus the guide has tips to:

– Build a portrait photography business from the ground up and grow a presence online.
– Capture a subject’s personality, read body language and be an expert storyteller.
– Demonstrate a unique style when shooting kids and seniors.

Learn more about this guide here.

Part 2 of the series is geared specifically to editorial and commercial portrait photographers.

Portrait photographers will get pointers to:

– Prepare for a shoot, including the top questions to ask before you arrive.
– Build connections with clients with great customer service.
– Impress photo editors with an exceptional online portfolio.
– Get smart about pricing and negotiating contracts and licenses.

The guide also contains interviews with some great portrait photographers, including Brian Smith and Jim Jordan, to get their tips on shooting killer photography, plus the secrets to great portrait lighting.

Learn more about this guide here.

After you download both guides, would you please come back here and let us know what you thought of them? What did you particularly take away from them and how will you deploy those tips into your portrait photography business. Inquiring minds want to know! Comment below.