I feel lucky, excited, nervous and happy to welcome Jonas Peterson back to the podcast for the one hundredth episode! Jonas is one of the most sought after destination wedding photographers around the world. His work is heartfelt, true and recognisable. In this episode, learn how to use storytelling through your photography for impact and uniqueness.

Unique storytelling is how Jonas’ style is mostly described and it’s something that he practices and teaches around the world. It’s exactly what he does and what makes his wedding photography stand out.

Here’s some more of what we cover:

• 
  
  
• How much marketing Jonas does to secure his wedding bookings
  
• What Jonas does to attract wedding clients
  
• What keeps Jonas motivated to do his job well
  
• How Jonas handles his bookings and client meetings
  
• How to nurture relationships with clients
  
• Jonas turns up to almost all wedding shoots without meeting his clients prior
  
• How to make your clients feel comfortable and not be intimidated
  
• Jonas feels he had his best work done in 2014 despite meeting clients less
  
• Shooting less allows you to be more focused with your clients and be yourself more
  
• How to handle clients who have big expectations after seeing your portfolio
  
• To get local bookings, stop posting only epic weddings photos
  
• You will book the type of people that you show on your websites
  
• You need to be very aware that what you put on the blog is what you’ll be shooting next year
  
• Finding the right amount to charge and still attract the right clients for your business
  
• Pricing
  
• Is luck and timing required for success as a wedding photographer
  
  

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 episode where you can hear lots more content from where we dive deeper into some of the earlier topics plus some new ones that I pushed hard for that include:

• 
  
  
• Learn what Jonas would do to re-brand his business today
  
• Hiring a branding designer vs searching for free D-I-Y tips in Google
  
• Where should photographers invest their time and energy when they have a new branding
  
• Stop thinking that wedding photography has a template that you should strictly follow
  
• The importance of listening and being observant of your client’s needs when photographing their wedding
  
• What kind of photos you need to show on your blog
  
• What is it about the storytelling that makes Jonas passionate with his work
  
• Telling couples what to do is not allowing them to tell their story but yours
  
• The real story telling starts by listening and that’s where you’ll get your story
  
• Learn what Jonas wishes he knew when starting his business
  
• The importance of having a structured business
  
  

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know what your biggest takeaway is – what is the one thing that you’d like to implement or learnt from what was shared? Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

If you can’t emotionally engage with your weddings, you become a wedding machine

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

If you’d like an easy way to show Jonas your thanks, and support for the show at the same time, click the link to create a tweet and automatically show you’re listening: http://photobizx.com/tweet

Voicemails, Emails, Shout-outs and Thanks

In this episode I shared a couple of emails and voicemail messages from listeners and I’d like to make special mention of and say thanks to:

Paul Duane of Paul Duane Photography in Ireland

Alan Moyle of Photobat in Melbourne Victoria

Lee Jones (who had me very worried while playing his voicemail) of Phi-Tography in the UK

and Deb Smith of Deb Smith Photography for her totally rewarding (for me) email below:

G’day Andrew

After reading your email, I just had to sit down and reply.

I want to tell you how your podcast has made a difference in my year. This was the first year I went out on a limb and sub-leased a space within a hairdressing salon for my own little studio. It was a slow start but it’s proven to be a great success! I decided to invest in some targeted resources that would “make my ship go faster” as Sue Bryce would say. One of these was your podcast. I listened to it most weeks on my way to a weekly mentor workshop with a professional photographer here in Adelaide.

There were many bits of gold I picked up that were new, or reinforced things I’d heard before but decided to try here and there. Here is what stands out:

- One big influence was Steve Saporito The Portrait Doctor. He convinced me in the interview to invest in ProSelect and display what I want to sell – albums, image boxes, wall art. I was also impressed with Matt and Katie’s advice about in person sales and have had some very good sales successes in the past three months.

- I also had a question addressed by Steve and Matt in the QandA podcast which was very cool!

- I finally got into Instagram and found I really enjoyed it! I want to focus more on this next year. I was amazed to hear how influential it is now.

- I tried the Competition Box strategy and it worked great!

 – Partnering with vendors.

 – Outsourcing editing- I was impressed with Min Wye’s experience (ep 90) and decided to try Lavalu for outsourcing my wedding editing.

- Video and youtube – Made my first video with iMovie and my iPhone and plan to do many more

- Shooting my first 10 weddings free. As recommended by an Aussie wedding photographer. Next year = paid bookings with a $2000 – $5000 pricing range.

- Tave Software management – recommended by a pet photographer. I’d be finished now without Tave.

Anie – Yervant’s wife – first impressions, styling your studio like a beautiful apartment

Google Adwords – trialling this for six months and have already had one lead for a meeting on Friday. From today I’m testing to see if publishing my price list is better – i see i’m getting a high bounce rate on my website.

I couldn’t pinpoint the names of some of the photographers from my list so I’m going to revisit the podcasts in January and work out who said what!

It’s not an exaggeration when you say the podcast will take your business to the next level. You’re spot on when you say that implementing the advice will really work. It does, but you really have to put the work in.

Mostly I want to express how grateful I am for someone as generous as you. You’re so genuinely enthusiastic and your interviews are real and heartfelt. I love that, because listening to you Andrew reminds me that being in business doesn’t have to mean being a sleazy pushy salesperson! And this is the only way I want to do it, feeling that I’m making a different in people’s lives. 

Thanks for the book gift. I downloaded it straight away and can’t wait to get stuck in!

Cheers, hugs and all the very best for you and your family in the New Year.

Deb Smith xoxox

Are you a NEW listener?

Ive been trialing a new marketing idea for the podcast with hand written letters to wedding and portrait photographers in Seattle, Phoenix, Sacramento, Tacoma, Salt Lake and Denver areas. I’d love if you are the recipients of one of my letters to let me know you’re now listening to the show.

Simply shoot me an email at andrew@photobizx.com to say hi, I’d love to hear from you.

Kristen Kalp’s – Business Blitz Course

Kristen Kalp from episode 92 of the podcast is about to kick off a new online course to help with your photography business. There are early bird prices available for the first 100 people to sign up at $199 after which, the price will increase to $499.

If you downloaded Kristen’s book “Go Your Own Way” and loved what you heard on the podcast from her, this course may be exactly what you need to kick-start 2015.

You can find more details by clicking here: Business Blitz

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

Jonas Peterson Website

Jonas Peterson PhotobizX Podcast

Jonas Peterson on Facebook

Jonas Peterson on Instagram

Jonas Peterson on Twitter

Jonas Peterson on Pinterest

Jonas Peterson Destination Wedding: Kenya

Jazzy Connors

Jenny Packham

Yervant Zanazanian

Jerry Ghionis

Marcus Bell

Business Blitz with Kristen Kalp

Follow Andrew on Instagram – http://instagram.com/andrew_hellmich

Thank you!

Thank you again for listening to the show and thanks Jonas for being an awesome guest!

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, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

The post 100: Jonas Peterson – How to Use Storytelling Through Your Photography appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.