PhotoBizX The Ultimate Wedding and Portrait Photography Business Podcast
PhotoBizX is the number one photography business podcast for portrait and wedding photographers who want to attract more clients, charge what they’re worth, and build a thriving business. Hosted by Australian Master Photographer Andrew Hellmich, this weekly interview show features the world’s most successful and inspiring photographers and industry experts. Andrew’s relaxed, curious interview style draws out incredible depth and honesty, and each episode delivers real strategies, stories, and systems you can implement immediately.
Episodes
684: Lucas Z – Why Photographers Making Good Money Still Have No Money
Lucas Z is the founder of The Big Split and has spent more than a decade running a photography business in Aspen, Colorado.
Despite having a successful business and good money coming in, Lucas found himself $25,000 in credit card debt, behind on taxes, with no real savings or assets — and at one point calculated he was spending 99.5% of everything he made.
That experience led him to develop The Bi
683: Gabi Kline Leon – How to Build a Photography Business Averaging $6,000 Per Client
Gabi Kline Leon is a pet and equine photographer who built her business around a very different idea — she doesn’t see herself as simply a photographer, but as a commissioned photo artist.
That mindset has helped her build a low-volume, high-value business where clients regularly spend thousands, her average sale is around $6,000, and one client spent $50,000 across multiple sessions and finished
682: Myriam Ménard – The $20K Wedding Photographer Who Doesn’t Chase Marketing Trends
Myriam Ménard has built a 17-year wedding photography business around something many photographers are moving away from — real relationships, intentional curation and knowing exactly who she wants to work with.
Based in Montreal and photographing weddings across Canada and Europe, Myriam charges up to $22,000 CAD for local weddings and starts at €12,000 for European destination weddings. Yet her a
681: Richard I’Anson – From Wedding Photographer to a 40-Year Travel Photography Career
Richard I’Anson has spent 40 years building a photography career that has taken him to more than 100 countries and all seven continents.
In this interview, Richard shares how he went from shooting weddings and portraits to becoming one of Australia’s best-known travel photographers, why those early years were crucial to his success, how the stock photography market has changed, and why photography
680: Brian Levin – Creating $500,000-Looking Videos for $5,000
AI-generated video has moved well beyond the strange hands, extra fingers and obviously fake imagery most photographers remember.
In this interview, filmmaker and Warthog AI founder Brian Levin explains how businesses are now creating photorealistic video content without cameras, actors, large crews or traditional production budgets.
Brian shares how AI is turning still photographs into convincing
679: Melody MacDonald – How to Handle Difficult Photography Clients Without Losing Your Cool
Before becoming a full-time photographer, Melody Macdonald spent more than 20 years working as a 911 dispatcher, where staying calm, listening carefully and communicating clearly were essential.
In this interview, Melody shares what photographers can learn from high-pressure emergency communication, especially when dealing with upset, disappointed or demanding clients. She explains why telling som
678: Marcin Rafalowicz – How to Build a Custom ChatGPT for Your Photography Business
Most photographers are using AI for culling, editing or the occasional social post.
Marcin Rafalowicz believes they’re barely scratching the surface.
In this interview, he explains how to build a custom ChatGPT trained on your voice, your business, your pricing, your clients and the work you want to be known for.
The result is less generic content, faster marketing and an AI tool that becomes more
677: Mycah Bain – Building a Team, Buying Back Your Time and Growing to $340K
If you've ever wondered what it would take to build a photography business that keeps growing without you photographing every session, this episode is for you.
Mycah Bain has spent the past 15 years building a studio that's now generating around $340,000 a year across weddings, branding and portrait photography, supported by a team of photographers and virtual assistants.
In this interview, Mycah
676: Joanna Kilgore – How to Build a Photography Business Anywhere
Joanna Kilgore of Jolee Art & Photography has rebuilt her portrait photography business from scratch in multiple new locations — and managed to become known fast each time.
In this interview, Joanna shares how she adapted when organic social media stopped working, why networking became her biggest marketing advantage, and how everyday conversations in shops, cafés and local businesses have led
675: Kim Jongen – Turning Viral Dog Photos Into Wall Art, Stock Sales and Coaching
Kim Jongen of Mother Puppers Studio is back on the podcast two years after first sharing how she became one of the most recognisable dog photographers in the Netherlands.
In this follow-up interview, Kim shares what has changed since the early days of viral attention, media coverage and being booked out. She talks about reducing the number of clients she photographs each week, raising her prices,
674: Su Kaye – From $81k to $175k by Believing in the Photography Experience You Sell
Su Kaye of [www.sukaye.com](http://www.sukaye.com) is a UK-based family and dog photographer with decades of experience, a reputation for creating unexpected pet portraits, and a business built on client care, confidence and constant evolution.
In this interview, Su shares how she moved from family portraiture into dog photography, grew her business from £61k to £132k, lifted her average sale, and
673: North Sullivan – Building a $10M+ Portrait Studio Business
North Sullivan of www.thephotostudio.com.au has spent over 40 years behind the camera, shooting some of Australia’s largest advertising campaigns.
These days, his focus is portrait photography — but what he’s built is far from a typical portrait business.
We’re talking about a studio business with close to 80 staff, reported turnover upward of $10 million, and — at the time of recording — more tha
672: Alex Vita – Why Photographers Need to Be Picked by AI, Not Just Ranked by Google
Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Alex Vita of www.foregroundweb.com helps photographers turn their websites into enquiry machines. He’s worked on hundreds of photography websites across more than 25 countries — building them, auditing them, and showing exactly what’s working… and what’s costing photographers enquiries. I first interviewed [...]
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671: Vincent Pugliese – Build a Photography Business That Creates Freedom, Not Just Income
Vincent Pugliese built a successful wedding photography business with his wife, Elizabeth, and in under four years used it to pay off all their debt — including their home.
But the more interesting part is what happened next.
They walked away from the business.
Not because it failed, but because it had done what they needed it to do.
In this interview, Vincent shares why more bookings and more rev
670: Ryan Erickson – $315K from Mobile Pet Photography, Instagram Ads and Market Events
Ryan Erickson is back on the podcast after first appearing in episode 587, and a lot has changed.
His mobile pet photography business in Colorado grew by 50% last year, hitting $315K in revenue — with much of that growth coming from 42 in-person market events, Instagram ads, and same-day in-person sales from inside his custom-built photography trailer.
But this conversation isn’t just about growth
669: Stacey Rolfe – 80% Returning Clients… Without Discounts or Sales Calls
Most photographers are chasing leads.
Posting, boosting, tweaking captions… hoping something sticks.
Stacey Rolfe built a business doing the opposite.
Instead of chasing new clients, she built a system that brings people back—year after year.
Last year:
75–80% of bookings were returning clients
25–30% came from referrals
And the rest? Mostly warm leads
No ads. No pushy sales. No complicated funnel
668: Shawn Black – Boudoir Photography Business, Pricing & IPS Strategy
Shawn Black built one of the most successful boudoir studios in the US — photographing over 125 clients a year and generating close to $450K in revenue at its peak.
But when bookings dropped by nearly 50%, it forced a shift in how he approached marketing, sales, and client experience.
In this interview, Shawn shares what’s changed, what’s no longer working, and how he’s adapting to keep his busine
667: Johl Dunn – Marketing Isn’t the Problem With Your Photography Business
Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Johl Dunn of www.johldunn.com will be familiar if you’ve been listening for a while. He’s been on the show before… and so have many of his clients. He’s featured in our predictions episodes and delivered training on pricing, lead generation, and [...]
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666: Tracy Goodwin – Why Your Voice Is Costing You Clients (And You Don’t Even Know It)
Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Tracy Goodwin of www.captivatetheroom.com is a voice expert, coach, author, and podcaster who’s spent nearly 30 years studying how we use our voice… and what really happens when the pressure is on. She believes your voice is the most powerful — [...]
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665: Art Streiber – Why Clients Trust Him With Million-Dollar Shoots
At the level Art Streiber is working… photography isn’t the hard part.
Managing expectations.
Handling pressure.
Making sure everything comes together when it matters.
That’s the real job.
This interview pulls back the curtain on what clients are actually paying for — and why most photographers are focused on the wrong things.
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664: Heike Delmore – Turning “Just a Headshot” into $5K Branding Photography Sales
Most photographers think the challenge is their pricing… or selling.
But after this conversation with Heike Delmore, it’s clear that’s not where the real shift happens.
Heike is taking clients who ask for “just a headshot”… and turning those enquiries into $5,000 sales — not by pushing harder, but by helping them see what those images are actually for.
Because when a client understands how their p
663: Blair deLaubenfels – What 10,000 Wedding Galleries Reveal About Why You’re Not Getting Booked
You don’t need better marketing.
You need better alignment between what you shoot… and who you want to book.
After curating 10,000+ weddings, Blair deLaubenfels has seen the same mistakes repeated again and again — and in this episode, she shares what’s really holding photographers back, and how to start attracting the right clients without changing your style.
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662: Martin Cheung – He Shoots 50 Weddings a Year… But Not How You Think
He’s booking up to 50 weddings a year… and says most photographers are focusing on the wrong kind of marketing. This one might change how you think about where your next booking is coming from.
The post 662: Martin Cheung – He Shoots 50 Weddings a Year… But Not How You Think appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and weddin
661: Emma Wise – How AI Is Changing How Couples Choose Wedding Photographers
AI is already changing how couples find and choose wedding photographers — and most photographers don’t realise it yet.
Instead of browsing directories and comparing dozens of options, couples are starting to rely on AI to narrow their choices down to just a few trusted recommendations.
In this interview, Emma Wise explains what’s happening behind the scenes — and why your biggest challenge moving
660: Drew Forsyth – From Small Portrait Jobs to High-Profile Commercial Photography Clients
What does it really take to move from smaller portrait jobs to high-profile commercial clients? In this interview, Drew Forsyth shares the mindset shifts, pricing lessons, and relationship skills that helped him make that transition — plus why he believes his biggest competition isn’t other photographers, but being forgotten.
The post 660: Drew Forsyth – From Small Portrait Jobs to High-Prof
659: Rebecca Schmidt – From $34k to a $3M Boudoir Photography Business in Just 3 Years
Rebecca Schmidt runs a boudoir photography studio that photographs 70–85 clients every month and generated $3 million in revenue last year.
Just three years earlier, she was a wedding and family photographer earning around $34,000 a year.
In this episode, Rebecca shares how she pivoted into boudoir, built a team of 14, filled her calendar with paid advertising, and stepped away from shooting to fo
658: Jo Lyons – $2,500 Average Sales from a Rural Pet Photography Studio
What if you didn’t need a high-volume photography business to make great money?
In this interview, Jo Lyons shares how she’s built a pet photography business around lifestyle, creativity and connection — while still averaging around $2,500 per client and landing sales as high as $6,500.
Based on a beautiful rural property in NSW, Jo has created a destination-style experience for dog lovers, using
657: Jo Menneer – From $800 to $2,250 Average Sale in Her Photography Business (Without Working Weekends)
Seven years ago, Jo Menneer was running a busy studio shooting both family and boudoir sessions — averaging around £800 per client.
Today, she’s working Monday to Friday only, shooting fewer sessions, and averaging £2,250 per client… with some spending five figures.
What changed?
Not her location.
Not the size of her studio.
Not even the number of sessions she shoots.
In this episode, Jo breaks do
656: Julie Comfort – Design a Client Experience People Can’t Stop Talking About
Everyone says, “Deliver a great experience.”
Almost no one explains what that actually means.
In this episode, I sit down with Julie Comfort — a former destination wedding photographer turned experience designer — to unpack what it really looks like to intentionally design how your clients feel from first enquiry to long after delivery.
We talk about why most weddings (and client journeys) start t
655: Richie Schwartz – Partner With Pet Businesses to Book 10–20 Sessions a Day
Richie Schwartz has photographed close to 100,000 pets over a 40+ year career — and he’s done it with a business model that’s simple, structured and unapologetically commercial.
In this episode, Richie explains how partnering with pet businesses allows him to book 10–20 sessions in a single day, run a tight 30-minute shoot → show → sell workflow, and keep pricing clear enough that buying feels eas
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In Conversation
