From Engineering to Editorial: Mike Glatzer’s Journey from Involuntary Volunteer to Full-Time Photographer
Can you please share a brief history about your photography business? What motivated you to start this venture?
I got started because I was volunteered involuntarily!
I began with sports and wildlife photography before dabbling in portraits and headshots in college while pursuing my engineering degree. Coming out of college, I decided to focus on sports and wildlife and do the occasional portrait session.
In 2013, my cousin was getting married, and without asking, she told her family I’d be her wedding photographer. Six months before the wedding, my aunt mentioned how excited she was that I’d be the photographer. After a minor heart attack, I reached out to a local wedding forum and asked to get some second shooting experience.
Luckily, someone took a chance on me, and I got three weddings under my belt before capturing my cousin’s wedding. The rest is history! I photographed weddings for about six years before transitioning fully to portraits and headshots.
I’ve always loved my full-time engineering career, and photography was my creative outlet while adding some extra dollars to my savings. I plan on transitioning to photography full-time in the next few years because I love the freedom and ability to choose that comes with being a freelancer.
What kind of challenges did you face when building up your portfolio or setting up your studio? How did you overcome these challenges?
Time has always been my biggest challenge regarding my portfolio. There aren’t enough hours in the day when you also work a full-time job. That really limited me to shooting in the evenings or on weekends, and when you’re doing natural light-based projects, that really narrows your options.
It’s one of the reasons I started pushing primarily flash-based photography—I could shoot anywhere and anytime and still get the results I wanted. Otherwise, I had to develop robust systems and processes to run the business ‘for me’ while I was client-facing.
For instance, that meant investing in CRM software (I use Dubsado) with automation and workflows so I could send contracts, invoices, reminder emails, schedule appointments, and track where a client was in their experience at any given time with barely any manual inputs.
I also use Zapier to link my client workflow in Dubsado with other software to help automate various items (like sending thank-you cards or adding people to my email list). When I got busy, it was finding retouchers to outsource my editing. Anything that could automate or reduce the touchpoints for running the business so I could focus more of my time on being client-facing and taking more pictures!
Could you describe the early days of your business? What were the initial reactions and feedback you received?
It was easy, haha. Everyone thought I was wonderful because I was cheap. I wasn’t charging proper industry rates, so clients got tons of images for a low cost. I didn’t have to be a fantastic photographer to match that perceived value, and weddings were an easy launching point.
Once I knew how to light a dark reception venue, I could be an editorial photographer and capture what was in front of me since there was already a flow to the day and ‘what next’ already had an answer. Additionally, weddings are easy because there’s a natural, existing push for clients to pursue a photographer.
Marketing is straightforward—do a kickass job for a couple, and they’d recommend you to a handful of their friends who were also already looking for a wedding photographer.
My style has always been more editorial—capturing what’s there and trying to tell a story. I also loved dramatic lighting because of my years performing in musical theater. This made my work different from a lot of other photographers because it wasn’t all golden-hour, natural-light portraits. That served me really well in standing out from other photographers.
How did you manage to grow and expand your business? What strategies did you use to attract more clients?
Word of mouth was tremendous at the beginning. I got a lot of new work from there—but I also had to consistently improve my skills as a photographer to warrant that. Additionally, I invested in an SEO course and rebuilt my website and blogging strategy. Currently, 70% of my leads come from organic Google search. That’s free, passive advertising!
Additionally, I always knew I wanted to work smarter, not harder. That meant raising my rates and offering physical products that people wanted to buy so I could shoot the same number of clients per year but still increase my revenue and profits.
This also follows along with improving my skills as a photographer. If you’re going to charge luxury prices, you have to take some damn good images. Not only that, but you have to offer an excellent experience. Clients must love every step of the process, from inquiry to session to delivery.
I use my friends as test subjects whenever I want to tweak my process or client experience. Does this elevate their perception of value, or does it lower it? I had to optimize for maximum perceived value at every stage of my business so my clients felt spoiled, loved, and like they were getting fantastic art.
Finally, I had to be different. There are lots of amazing photographers out there. Clients routinely tell me, ‘Your work is so different and amazing from everyone else I looked at. You were the only photographer whose images matched my vision.’ By having a unique lighting style with flash and bold colors, I could separate from the rest of the market and find clients who wanted to work with me specifically, which made marketing much easier.
How has your business performed financially over the years? Can you share some milestones or achievements in terms of revenue?
It grew consistently until I was doing about $40k a year revenue before COVID hit. That’s been my revenue limit with my current pricing and availability. I could grow it further if I didn’t have a full-time job, though! After experimenting with higher prices without “adding value” and getting pushback, AKA fewer clients or lower sales averages, I’ve hit a plateau.
Unless I change something in my offering or take on more shoots per year, my numbers have been pretty consistent. I’m happy with these numbers, considering I only spend about 12 hours a week as a working photographer on average.
What are some key lessons you've learned along your entrepreneurial journey? Is there anything you would do differently if given a chance?
Time is the most precious commodity, and assigning value to your time is crucial to success. Most people fail because they don’t value themselves enough and get burnt out from all their efforts. Outsourcing is painful at first, but it’s necessary to grow the business without infringing on the rest of your life. I wish I had invested in CRM software earlier because the year I had ten weddings, ten engagement sessions, and 20 portrait sessions while working a full-time job was awful.
Word of mouth is also the single best marketing tool in your arsenal. My goal is to have my leads be 80% referral-based. That’s durable long-term with leads that are already pre-qualified and who already trust you. That’s priceless!
Lastly, know your cost of goods! You can only charge appropriately if you know how much it costs to run your business and your life! Once I figured this out, I immediately raised my prices because my photography business was losing money!
This calculation helped me grow my business and made working with clients much easier. If I want to do free work or discount my work, I know how much I can give away without losing money on a shoot. This makes me feel good because I’m being helpful/charitable without hurting myself financially.
Are there any tools or software that have been particularly useful in managing and growing your business? Give us a list of what you use in your kit.
Absolutely, here are the software and tools that I use for my business:
Software
– Dubsado (CRM)
– Zapier (links random software tools to automate tasks)
– ClickUp (Task management software for all business-related to-dos)
– Aftershoot (Culling and basic retouching)
– Retouch4Me (Photoshop retouching plugins)
– Pinterest (mood boards, prop sourcing, posing inspiration, and more)
– Keywords Everywhere (Chrome Extension that makes SEO keyword research for blogging a breeze)
– Later (social media post scheduler)
Tools
– Tethering with TetherTools via Capture One during shoots so sessions can be collaborative with clients
– Off Camera Flash (shoot anywhere, anytime, with control)
– SEO (I learned from Fuel Your Photos to dominate Google Search rankings)
– Wacom Tablet for editing with shortcuts and a more natural, painting feel
Could you recommend any books, resources, or mentors that have significantly influenced your business journey?
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If you want to learn Flash, check out The Strobist blog. David Hobby no longer posts new content, but it’s one of the greatest resources for learning all the nuances of off-camera lighting I’ve ever read.
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I’m an avid listener and premium member of the PhotoBizX podcast. Andrew interviews incredible humans with challenging questions, and the associated Facebook group is probably the best I’ve ever been a part of. He also has many guests who teach outstanding classes.
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Johl Dunn is an incredible photography business and mindset coach. Working with him was tremendous.
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Any posing resource by Sue Bryce or Lindsay Adler has been stellar and worth every penny.
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Atomic Habits by James Clear is an incredible book about building habits and systems for every aspect of your life to improve it routinely or just do the thing you’ve been wanting to but haven’t.
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It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work & Rework by Jason Fried will challenge your approach to day-to-day activities and help you spend your time efficiently and effectively.
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UnMarketing by Scott Stratten was a refreshing take on customer experience and how to market without trying.
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Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller really helps you frame your unique selling proposition to market and attract clients.
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Words Can Change Your Brain by Andrew Newberg revamped the way I approached conversations. His key emphasis is that your lived experiences are different from others, which means they value different things and assign different meanings to words than you. So, how do you communicate with those people to respect those differences while maintaining your own? It’s fascinating.
What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who wish to start their own photography business?
Here are some words of wisdom that I live by!
- Networking is painful but worth every minute.
- Figure out the value of your time and cost of goods to determine when it makes financial sense to outsource and how much to charge clients!
- Don’t be afraid to say “No.” Saying yes to a bad client means saying no to a good one!
- When a potential client tells you “No” to your services, that means they don’t value your work, which is different from your work not being valuable! You can’t force someone to value your offering – they either do or don’t, so don’t waste time trying to convince them.
- Play, practice, and experiment often. Take time to try new things, push yourself, and create just for you. Doing only client work will burn you out. You have to keep it fresh and entertaining! You’ll also grow your skillset when you play around, which you can leverage for more business.
Mike Glatzer is a skilled photographer who transitioned from engineering to a flourishing photography career. Initially starting with sports and wildlife, he eventually specialized in portraits and headshots. His unique editorial style, influenced by his musical theater background, sets him apart. Mike plans to transition to full-time photography soon.
About Mike
- Country: United States
Specializes in
- Creative photography, Headshot photography, Portrait Photography
Quote
Don't be afraid to say "No." Saying yes to a bad client means saying no to a good one!