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Tales, techniques, tricks and tantrums from one of the UK’s top portrait photographers. Never just about photography but always about things that excite - or annoy - me as a full-time professional photographer, from histograms to history, from apertures to apathy, or motivation to megapixels. Essentially, anything and everything about the art, creativity and business of portrait photography. With some off-the-wall interviews thrown in for good measure!
Episodes
Thursday Jul 07, 2022
EP125 You Set Up The Sale In The Shoot (Not The Saleroom)
Thursday Jul 07, 2022
Thursday Jul 07, 2022
In this week's episode, I am talking about how we set up the sale in the shoot - not in the salesroom; the salesroom is where we close the deal. I love this process, and it works, too: happy clients, great images and consistent (and high-value) sales. Perfect.
Also, this episode is kindly sponsored by Pioneer Eneloop Batteries. Once again, I am extolling the virtues of replacing all those single-use batteries with eco-friendly, long-life rechargeables. I did the same thing last year and enjoyed using the batteries (and charger) so much that I went out and bought a complete set of them. The Zoom recorder I used for this episode has Eneloop Pro batteries in it. Love them.
You can get them on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3utOdzg
Also, I get carried away and end up chatting about the new headphones I bought - brilliant things! Was always jealous of Sarah's AirPods Pro that I bought for her (https://amzn.to/3upRhMH), so as I headed off to work in Ibiza a few weeks ago, I bought some Sony equivalents. Life-changing. Seriously. Life-changing. Podcasts, Spotify, and even watching Netflix while I'm retouching, I love these things.
Again, these are available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3AxhjRT
Enjoy!
Cheers
P.
If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry.
PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!
If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.
Saturday Jun 04, 2022
EP124 Our Job Is To Make Memories
Saturday Jun 04, 2022
Saturday Jun 04, 2022
Well, I'm back in the shed for this episode - love the acoustics in here. Also, the peace and quiet as no-one disturbs me.
This week's episode is inspired by an email we received from Bob and Sylvia (two of our lovely listeners) who described how they dragged out their wedding album and what they felt when going through it after fifty years of marriage.
Enjoy!
Cheers
P.
If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry.
PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!
If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
EP121 Portraits Are Portraits, Even If They’re Corporate
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
I think I may have mentioned this before, but I LOVE creating portraits. The past couple of days have been all about headshots - part corporate, part creative branding. Either way, these are just portraits.
And that is something that I cannot stress enough: if you're a portrait photographer, creating cool, engaging headshots is no different to creating fine-art portraits - and you get to meet some incredibly interesting people along the way.
When you're designing your photography business, it is worth remembering that there is more than one way to generate revenue if you have a talent for capturing portraits!
During this episode, I mention the workshops we've introduced here at our studio. Details of these can be found here on our website.
Enjoy!
Cheers
P.
If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry.
PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!
If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.
Sunday Nov 14, 2021
EP115 On Why Mirrorless Is About To Come Of Age - The Nikon Z9
Sunday Nov 14, 2021
Sunday Nov 14, 2021
So it's Sunday as I both record and write this and I'm having a frankly chilled day. Not that this is in any way your worry, but I thought I'd tell you.
This episode is a rebuttal of my own grumpy podcast (EP113) when I seem to have spent most of it muttering about my Z7ii and how it isn't quite there yet. Well, this one is the other extreme - here are the reasons I think mirrorless and, by extension, the Nikon Z9 is about to come of age. If the spec of the Z9 is correct (I don't have my hands on one yet - it's ordered and paid for but could be a while) then this camera won't just be the pinnacle of mirrorless as we know it, it will be the start of a whole new generation of cameras and capability. Seriously.
I also give a shameless (and, just to be clear, unpaid) plug for the wonderful institution that is Grays Of Westminster - simply the best Nikon shop in the world. I should add, I don't know if there are other dedicated Nikon shops in the world. I don't care if there are: Grays would still come out on top. It is truly like Ollivander's Wand Shop in Harry Potter. But with lenses not wands. And customer service that is every bit as personal.
If you're curious they can be found at https://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk/ and they also have a fabulous range of 2nd hand kit in their online store.
Enjoy!
Cheers
P.
If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry.
PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!
If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.
If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?
Friday Nov 05, 2021
EP114 On Why The Studio Is NOT A Dull White Box
Friday Nov 05, 2021
Friday Nov 05, 2021
When I first set out in this crazy, camera-carrying career, I had mixed views about working in the studio - I much preferred being outside in natural light with the environment as my backdrop. Over the years, that changed as I realised much of my cynicism was partly because I didn't understand it and partly because many of those who had taught me didn't excite me.
Now? Well, now I think of studio portrait photography as some of the finest, most inspiring imagery you can imagine.
In this podcast, I try to explain why.
Enjoy!
Cheers
P.
If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry.
PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!
If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.
If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
EP113 On Moving To Mirrorless
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
Switching to a mirrorless system was always going to happen - SLRs (and their requisite mirrors) are slowly heading the same way as film, dark rooms, Black Forest gateaux, prawn cocktail and sandals with socks. Though I happen to love Black Forest gateaux. And film. And the darkroom. Prawn cocktails and sandals with socks, well they can stay in the history books!
Anyway, James Keen DM'd me on Instagram and asked for an update on my move to mirrorless and so, while clattering my way home in the Land Rover from a perfect Oxfordshire wedding, here are my thoughts. With a few rattly sound effects in the background just for authenticity.
Enjoy!
Cheers
P.
If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry.
PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!
If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.
If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?
Monday Jul 19, 2021
EP109 On Why Being Busy Creates Energy All Of Its Own
Monday Jul 19, 2021
Monday Jul 19, 2021
Cheers
P.
If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry.
PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!
If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.
If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?
Friday Jul 09, 2021
EP108 On Treating Each Client Like They're You're ONLY Client
Friday Jul 09, 2021
Friday Jul 09, 2021
Have you ever stood back and thought about how you feel when your suppliers forget that, while you may be one of the thousands of customers to them, they are the ONLY supplier to you? It has always irritated me that companies forget themselves and send out blanket messages that remind me that I am just one of their masses, yet another annoying customer - possibly the worst message you can possibly receive.
The asymmetry of that relationship between a client and a company is really at the heart of customer service: making sure that your clients feel truly unique is one of the keys to a successful business.
Enjoy!
Cheers
P.
If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry.
PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!
If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.
If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?
Saturday Jun 19, 2021
EP107 On The Importance Of Polished Shoes
Saturday Jun 19, 2021
Saturday Jun 19, 2021
As a kid, I hated polishing my shoes. Every week, on a Sunday evening before school, I would be sent out, brushes in hand, to put some shine on my trusty (and boring) Clarke's shoes.
These days, I do it religiously before each and every wedding. And I do it willingly.
In this episode, I muse about that and why such inconsequential details matter so much.
Enjoy!
Cheers
P.
If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry.
PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!
If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.
If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?
Sunday Jun 06, 2021
EP106 On Taking Pride In Everything You Do
Sunday Jun 06, 2021
Sunday Jun 06, 2021
In this episode, sponsored by Panasonic eneloop Pro Rechargeable Batteries, I am pondering on the difference between being 'proud' and 'taking pride' in everything you do. A subtle but important distinction - particularly if you're British and have been brought up that pride always comes before a fall!
Some ideas about how to get around that familiar feeling of not wanting to brag about your images - tell the client how amazing they look instead! Much more comfortable for us Brits and has the added bonus of making the client feel great too!
Enjoy!
Cheers
P.
If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry.
PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!
If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.
If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?