525: Michelle Wrighton – How to build a photography business in a low population area

PhotoBizX The Ultimate Wedding and Portrait Photography Business Podcast

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Michelle Wrghton of www.threeredponies.com.au is today's featured photographer. I stepped gently into this interview because I wasn't thinking it will be one of those huge success story episodes where the guest has struck gold with their business and is killing it.

I do believe, however, that's where this photographer and her photography business are headed.

She's based in Boyup Brook in Western Australia, 150km inland from the coast, with a population of about 1000. Her closest town is 30km away with a pop of 5k. She has a 3.5-kilometre dirt driveway to get to her home-based studio!

She knows she's up against it, based on her location alone.

Take one look at her website, though, and you'll see this is someone serious about business! Not only is the site beautifully laid out with stunning images of horses and dogs, her specialty… she also offers fabulous painted portraits.

You'll see multiple options of wall art collections on display, promotions for a limited edition book project, and a breed of the month competition. Dig deeper, and you'll find an active Facebook Ad campaign.

From what I saw, everything pointed to a successful business, and I couldn't wait to learn more about this remote and isolated photographer and how things are going after all the work she's putting in.

Here is the email from Michelle that became the catalyst for this interview…

Hi Andrew, I just wanted to personally thank you for all the help you have given me. A couple of months ago, I was ready to give up on the client side of my business (covid and health issues created a very long hiatus from private shoots) and focus on selling my fine art prints and products.

I'd even gone as far as cancelling business subscriptions, including my PBX membership, due for renewal later this year. I accidentally got locked out when I unsubscribed, but you and Linda fixed that and extended my membership.

That actually got me motivated again to try something completely different. I have always been on location, which meant travelling lots, sometimes 7-hour round trips, which was both expensive and exhausting. I'm 52 next month and want life to be a bit easier (I did some coaching with Mark Rossetto a few years ago…he thought I was mad for travelling ?).

So we decided to turn the self-contained cottage on our farm into a pet photography studio (I've done studio photography for horses and dogs, always on location).

I've never ever wanted a studio – or people coming on my farm for that matter – but now my hubby and I are really looking forward to the future and what it might bring (LOL cautiously optimistic that I can eventually find one client a week, in our remote rural location willing to spend $1000-1500 on artwork featuring their pet.

Sorry for the long book, but I just wanted to say thank you for inspiring me to take this next big step with my business.

We don't know how it will pan out given our location…but we have another backup plan nearly ready for selling stock/artist reference images, so if all else fails, I will do free shoots to get material for that along with my painting commissions and ghost painting for other photographers.

LOL, I will let you know how everything pans out in the future!

When we started down this path, I did the demographics, and there are 38k within a 100km radius; being rural, there are lower socio-economic groups and many farmers.

We are on 3.5km of gravel road, and people out here can be weird about travelling far (even though they will travel 300km+ to Perth).

I keep telling myself I only want one client a week, and I can work up to that over the next 12-24 months, so we will see how it goes.

Great place to live, but not so much to have a thriving pet photography business.

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

• Why start a photography business in a remote location
• A brief background of how Michelle started her photography business
• Michelle's target clients
• The best time to photograph horse portraits
• Do you need a business plan before moving to a different location
• Michelle's average sale
• What attracts clients to book a portrait session with Michelle
• Is a $120 sale worth the hassle of offering a photo session
• Does it really matter how much a client spends on portrait sessions
• Is drop shipping a viable option for remote studio locations
• What sets Michelle's business apart as a pet photographer
• Michelle's painted portraits and how long it takes her to create one
• Michelle's painted portraits process
• How should painted portraits be priced
• Michelle's pet photography book project
• Michelle's take on publishing prices upfront
• How to advertise book projects
• Michelle's reasons for preferring low-volume sales
• What is the meaning of success
• Dealing with hacked social media and Paypal accounts
• How Michelle's Breed of the Month competition works
• What is the most ideal way to pick competition winners
• Pre-shoot consultation process
• Michelle's shooting style
• When is the best time to talk about pricing
• Michelle's target demographic
• Preparing a sales spiel to discuss pricing with clients
• How to deal with social anxiety when running a photography business
• Utilizing ChatGPT to generate proper email/text responses
• Michelle's payment plans process
• How Michelle receives clients when doing photo sessions in her home studio
• Michelle's post-photo sessions process
• How to do a Zoom sales session
• Taking payments during Zoom sessions
• How to deal with clients who screenshot photos during Zoom sales sessions
• How to create passive income from your photography business
• How print-on-demand business works
• How to overcome moments when you want to give up on your photography business

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

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, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

You can't sell what you don't show. – Michelle Wrighton

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 from what Michelle 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.

It doesn't matter if clients spend $120 or thousands, they all get treated exactly the same as if they're going to spend $5,000-$10,000. – Michelle Wrighton

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Michelle 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.

I don't believe you just make major decisions based on one bad egg when everything has gone so well for everyone else. – Michelle Wrighton

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. Email me your keywords or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to them.

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.​

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

Three Red Ponies Website

Three Red Ponies Artprints and Giftshop

Three Red Ponies on Facebook

Three Red Ponies on Instagram

Three Red Ponies on Pinterest

Episode 282: Caitlin McColl – How to run profitable book projects for portrait and pet photographers

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening, and thanks to Michelle for sharing her thoughts, ideas, tactics, and processes on running her successful photography business in a low-population area in rural Australia.

Success to me is that six figure mark and I have come to the realization that I don't actually want the work that comes with that six figure mark. – Michelle Wrighton

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

Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew

The post 525: Michelle Wrighton – How to build a photography business in a low population area appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.