508: Helen Schryver – How to book profitable holiday portrait photography sessions

PhotoBizX The Ultimate Portrait and Wedding Photography Business Podcast

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area.

Today's guest, Helen Schryver, was featured in episode 466 of the podcast, where she shared that her average sales had more than trebled, and business continues to grow.

That, plus the fact she lives and photographs in the UK, which we're continually hearing is one of the most demanding markets, led to me reaching out for that initial interview.

Listen to that one if you want to learn about Helen's excellent lead magnet, selling wall art and how she's making terrific sales.

So what prompted today's interview?

I saw an email from Helen advertising mini-sessions in Paris!

I followed up — asking how that went, and she replied…

I ran a lead ad for free Mini Sessions in Paris and made over £3000 in sales.

This is from 21 mini shoots (20 mins each) over three mornings in Paris in October. I'll be doing this again in the spring!

After emailing my list, I booked a ‘vacation shoot' with a London family in Puglia, Italy (I didn't run any ads or post on social media for this one). They spent £1700 after their shoot.

I had other families interested in other locations, but the dates didn't work out. I'll do this again next summer and organise it all earlier.

Oh, and whilst planning my trip to Puglia, I also booked a job photographing some ‘behind the scenes' and social media content for the Agriturismo I stayed at, which brought in an extra £1000, which was an unexpected bonus!

Once again, that was enough for me. I'm rapt today that Helen is back for this episode, where she shares everything you need to start booking profitable and fun holiday portrait photography sessions for yourself.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

• The reason Helen started doing vacation mini sessions
• How Helen started getting bookings for destination mini sessions
• Helen's target clients for her holiday mini sessions
• How to schedule mini sessions in a different country while still enjoying your holidays
• How to find the best places to shoot when scheduling vacation shoots
• Helen's lighting and shooting style
• Using model call ads to look for potential clients
• Using Facebook Ads to announce photo sessions
• How to handle outdoor sessions when the weather changes constantly
• How to respond to leads from the model call ads for mini sessions
• Restrictions to consider when travelling to a different country to do free shoots
• Pricing your holiday family portrait sessions
• Helen's booking and viewing appointment process
• Having a repeatable mini-session format in different countries
• How long before you leave for your trip should you run your ad
• What to do differently when running new mini sessions
• Why Helen prefers to book weekends for her overseas mini sessions
• Finding potential clients in your email list
• Why Helen prefers vacation shoots during the mornings
• Signing up with Google forms to schedule bookings
• Agriturismo… what is it?
• How to charge for impromptu commercial photography sessions while travelling
• Photographing day-in-the-life sessions while on vacation

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re a premium member, you should have received an email with links to your version of this interview – the full-length and more revealing version where you hear the absolute best tips and advice from every guest.

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, get access to a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

I send the same email to everybody and in that email I gave them the photography package pricing. – Helen Schryver

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access and instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable and build friendships with other pro photographers with similar motives to you – to build a more successful photography business.

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Helen shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business due to what you heard in today's episode.

I won't attempt to book anything on a weekday, and just leave it to the weekend mornings for shooting. – Helen Schryver

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Helen or if you want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the biggest search engine for podcasts, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google, and you can leave some honest feedback and a rating which will help both me and the show, and I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast and email me your keywords or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Here are the latest reviews…

★★★★★ Great Podcast for ALL photographers!

Via email from Robin Steward on March 13th who is based in the UK and focuses on creating candid wedding photography in Somerset and surrounding areas.

Realising that my website needed a spring clean, I attended the ‘Build a Photography Website that Works' course led by Jeff Brown.

I found this course and the follow-up notes to be super beneficial. Not only is my knowledge of what Google is now after updated, I also have lots of actionable ideas to work on.

Jeff's presentation of real, example websites was invaluable in helping me visualise what was being said.

It was also useful to look beyond ‘traditional' approaches to photography websites by refocusing on what clients (and Google) actually want to know and need.

I highly recommend this course.

Thanks, Robin.

★★★★★ Love this idea!

Via Castbox by Atlanta alternative, quirky and inclusive wedding photographer Cindy Brown, in the USA on march 20th, 2023.

Regarding episode 319 featuring Elena Blair – How to introduce profitable school portraits to any photography business… Such a brilliant idea!

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Helen Schryver Website

Helen Schryver on Facebook

Helen Schryver on Instagram

Episode 466: Helen Schryver – Work less and make more by tripling your portrait photography prices

Episode 465: Ally Stuart Ross – Using photography competitions to successfully launch a total business rebrand

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening, and thanks to Helen for sharing her thoughts, ideas and advice on building a successful travel portraiture photography business and attracting your ideal clients who love you and what you do… while being able to travel and explore the world!

NOTES FROM HELEN…

I realised I should have mentioned when you asked about editing that I use Imagen AI for everything now, and after a few months of consistently uploading my revised edits to tweak it, it's SO good!

For the Paris photography sessions, I did some masking of subject/sky (for the rainy shoots, the Eiffel Tower was barely visible ), but most pics were good to go straight out of ImagenAI.

Also, an update if it's useful — I just booked out my second weekend of shoots in Paris (in April) – 14 free Mini Shoots and one 2hr Family Shoot (this one was a previous Paris Mini client, and I booked this shoot from my January Giveaway campaign, the one where I send out actual printed Gift Certificates).

The leads were just $0.40 each this time! I only spent $57 in total. I'm booking a May weekend now too..

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew

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