Photo Fuel

Discovering what you were created to create with Morgan Williams

Developing a family photography business is rarely a straight path. Like most careers, it’s likely that there are some steps that are calculated and some that take us completely by surprise. That’s what happened to my guest on the show today, the lovely Morgan Williams, based out of Raleigh, North Carolina.
 
She focusses on in-home photography with families and newborns and teaches other photographers how to create the work they were created to create, but before she could do that for others, she had to figure out how to do it for herself.
 
In this conversation we talk about how and why she made the switch from almost exclusively photographing weddings to exclusively photographing families and newborns.
We also dive into what it’s like to build a business while raising babies and I believe that every time an artist that gets a little more real with what that looks like in their own story, the more we all collectively sigh a little relief in camaraderie knowing we are not alone. 
 
 
Links discussed: 
Preserving everyday magic: in-home family photography group coaching program
Flourish retreat and mastermind (a 6 month mastermind designed to show you how to discover your unique creative purpose and flourish in all areas of your life!)
Lit up course (in-home lighting course)
Family posing guide(a guide to creating authentic family imagery)
 
// Connect with Morgan //
Website: morganwilliamsphoto.com
Instagram: instagram.com/morganwilliamsphoto
Morgan's podcast: Life in Full Frame
 
// Connect with Leah / /
Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
Instagram: @fireflyphoto_leah
The Big Picture Workbook: https://www.lofirefly.com/bigpicture
The Firefly Letters: https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter

Website Work

If you have “work on my website” on your to-do list for this quarter or this year, today's Photo Fuel is on point for you. 
Whether you’re looking to improve it, working with a designer, using a template, or DIY-ing the whole darn thing, in this episode we’re talking through 2 major mistakes I see photographers (cough, me too!) make when tackling this project and what to do instead to prep yourself for an enjoyable and effective website glow-up. 
 
// Links Mentioned in this episode //
Right-track audits: https://www.lofirefly.com/righttrack
Showit code for 1 month free: https://account.showit.com/r/firefly // or code firefly at checkout
The Big-picture workbook: https://www.lofirefly.com/bigpicture
 
 
// connect with Leah // 
Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
Instagram: @fireflyphoto_leah
The Firefly Letters: https://www.lofirefly.com/education
 

Connecting with clients by owning your story with Mary Catherine Wickman

When DC photographer Mary Catherine Wickman posted on instagram about her fears around being 35 and a family photographer without kids, her followers rallied around her in support, encouragement, and their own stories of relatability. In this episode, we talk about that caption - why she shared it, what happened, and what she (and all of us) can learn from it. 
 
Read the post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3AsIgNOcUj/
 
We also touch on: 
The way our vulnerability helps us connect in deeper ways with out clients and other photographers
The “age ceiling” in family photography and how we’re finding it’s a complete myth
The sacrifices of going from part time to full time
What it’s like to look around at what you’ve built and say ‘this is good.’
The value in participating in non-photography-related creative mediums
 
// CONNECT // 
Mary Catherine Wickman : www.marycatherinephotography.com | Instagram: @marycatherinephoto
 
Leah O'Connell:
Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
Instagram: @lofirefly.com 
The Firefly Letters : https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
The Big picture workbook: https://lofirefly.com/bigpicture
 
 

Resetting inspiration in your personal life (when you don't feel like shooting)

What do you do when you're being hired to make family photos, but you don't feel like picking up a camera? When you don't feel inspired by making photos of your own family? When you feel tired or bored with life but you're preaching about joy in little moments and soaking up the precious people you love? The natural burnout of parenthood and relationship has a unique way of seeping into our work as family photographers because the two are so closely intertwined.
In this episode, I’m going to share 3 things I practice to get re-inspired by my own life - and they have nothing to do with taking pictures. 
Ironically, they often lead to an ignited passion for photographing again and a realignment in my personal life with my contentment, delight, and art that spills over into my work. 
 
+ ((17:40)) 6 practical experiments *with* your camera that you can try to introduce play and get awake to your love for photographer again. 
 
 
// Links and sources mentioned //
Wildly Creative Life Podcast // When you don’t feel like creating anything: 
Wildly Creative Life Podcast // Can’t find any motivation: Try this instead
Book Rec: Do less: A revolutionary approach to managing time and energy for ambitious women 
 
Rachel Larsen Weaver’s self portrait guide
 
Artifact uprising:  15% off orders with code FIREFLYPHOTO15
QT Albums: 20% off first order with code FUEL20
 
The big picture workbook: https://fireflyphotography.myflodesk.com/bigpicture
 
// Connect with Leah //
 
•The Firefly Letters - https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
•Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
•Mentoring: https://www.lofirefly.com/education
 
 

Marketing, Privacy, and Social Media with Morgan Miles

Todays episode features a must-listen conversation for every family photographer! Morgan Miles is my guest and not only is she an incredibly talented family photographer, she is a full time marketing professor and studies consumer psychology at San Diego State University where she’s been teaching for over a decade. She has incredible insight into the growing trends of marketing in general and how it uniquely applies - at one point she brings up how she can’t think of another career that has the same marketing challenges as family photographers, and one of the reasons for that is privacy.
 
Topics we touch on:
Predictions about the future of marketing with client images
How AI plays a role in safety concerns
The shift with clients requesting privacy on social media
Naming your own values and boundaries around sharing personal work and your own family online as part of your marketing
Managing consent and client expectations or request for privacy
Safety tips for respecting our clients and kids 
Ideas for sharing personal work if social media isn’t something you want to engage in at all
Defining your personal and brand voice with authenticity 
The power of education to accelerate your growth
 
// NOTES + LINKS REFERENCED //
Blog post - "Do I need instagram for my photography business?" 
Click photo mini classes -
Pew Research Article on privacy:
SAS survey: 
Enzuzo article on privacy statistics
 
Morgan’s bio: 
Morgan is a mom to two, a marketing professor, and a lifestyle family photographer based in sunny San Diego, CA. She studied art and photography in college but didn't pick up a camera again until she was pregnant with her first child and has now been in business for four years. She is fascinated by the complexity of the parenthood journey and seeks to capture it in a way that feels both beautiful and authentic.
// Connect with Morgan //
Website: https://www.morganmilesstudio.com
INstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganmilesstudio/
 
// Connect with Leah //
The Firefly Letters - https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
Big picture workbook (free) : https://fireflyphotography.myflodesk.com/bigpicture
Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
Mentoring: https://www.lofirefly.com/education
Private FB group for family photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/ 
 

The key ingredient to your success

85% of photographers quit within the first 2 years and a lot of those people don’t actually want to quit. I believe there’s one key factor that you’ve gotta have to succeed as a family photographer and it's totally possible or everyone. But it can't be taught and you can’t buy it and you can't make it... yet it’s the real bones behind your success in this field.
In this episode we'll touch on comparison, the real reason why we share our work, and how to build something you're actually proud of. 
 
// NOTES // 
Episode 5 - 6 shifts that helped me grow my photography business : https://shorturl.at/bqQSX
The Firefly Letters - https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
Lessons in Chemistry TV series - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13911628/
Big picture workbook (free) : https://fireflyphotography.myflodesk.com/bigpicture
 
 
// CONNECT WITH LEAH //
 
Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
Mentoring: https://www.lofirefly.com/education
Private FB group for family photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/ 
 
 

6 shifts that helped me grow my family photography business

A lot of times, when people share their business origin stories, we get the beginning hardship and grind then fastforward to the end when it all worked out and they have a happy healthy business. But there's a lot of the story that gets skipped and it's important to learn from both the hurdles and the shifts that helped that growth along the way. 
 
In this episode, I'll share the 6 major shifts that have made an impact in the growth of my family photography business over the last decade. Walk away with fresh ideas for an open mindset and avenues that could support and accelerate your ability to love what you do and how you do it. 
 
 
The Big Picture Workbook (10 prompts for better clarity and direction in your business) https://fireflyphotography.myflodesk.com/bigpicture
 
 
Other things mentioned in this episode: 
Sprout Studio (get 20% your plan with this link): https://www.trysproutstudio.com/?via=leah
Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/
The firefly letters: https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
My school photography page: https://www.lofirefly.com/schools
Episode 1 : Uncover your miission and values as a family photographer
 
 
Connect with Leah:
Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
Mentoring: https://www.lofirefly.com/education
Private FB group for family photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/
 
 

Betting on yourself

I recently got a question in my private facebook group about investing in your family photography business that I thought was worth pulling apart a little -
 
"How do you know what to invest in and if you can/should? Might be a question for a CPA but haven’t gotten to that level quite yet…Especially for newbies who aren't making a profit yet, investment in business is scary and a bit guilty feeling...at least for me"
 
This episode will talk about how "spend money to make money" doesn't quite cover the elephant in the room when it comes to investing as solo-preneurs. Look for insights on: 
-what to invest in aka types of education like online vs in-person, gear and tools, etc.
-when to invest
-how to gain confidence when investing
-the real cost of not investing in your business if you're serious about it. 
 
 
Connect with Leah: 
Website: www.lofirefly.com
Newsletter / The Firefly Letters: https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
Private FB group for photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
Email: leah@lofirefly.com
 
 

The Senses Checklist

As a family photographer, it’s pretty common to have a standard checklist running through our heads of the “must-have shots.” It might be something - each parent with each kid, kids together, individuals, etc...Those baseline must-haves are important, but how do we go deeper? I'm proposing a part 2 to the basic session checklists as a way to take it up a notch. If you're bored with the same old shots or are looking for a way to feel more creative while you're in a session, this is for you!
 
Mentioned in this episode: 
Helen Keller's article in the Hong Kong Standard: https://shorturl.at/BQZ37
 
Connect with Leah: 
Website: www.lofirefly.com
Newsletter / The Firefly Letters: https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
Private FB group for photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
Email: leah@lofirefly.com
 

Uncover your mission and values as a family photographer

What's the point? Why do you want to photograph families? What is the driving factor keeping you in this work? What keeps you coming back when it's hard and you want to quit? 
In this episode, we'll talk about
- why it's important to define your values
- how it can help you influence decision-making 
- a helpful exercise to drill down into what really matters and how you can use that knowledge to fuel more *fun* and excitement in all areas of your business
 
Mentioned in this episode: 
Origins of The 5 Whys Concept: https://www.mindtools.com/a3mi00v/5-whys
The Firefly Letters: https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
 
Mentoring with Leah : https://www.lofirefly.com/education
 
Connect with Leah:
Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
 
Private FB group for family photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/