• Reinventing Photography Schoolhouse – A journey
    Many years ago (1997) I started holding photography seminars in Phoenix AZ. It was just for fun. Got to meet people, learn some things and socialize. Little did I know what it would grow into over time. A couple of years later it grew into one of the first online...
  • The Future of Professional Photography
    The Future of Professional Photography - and how to survive it. This has been a wild roller coaster ride for me, and most likely yourself as well if you've been a pro photographer for very long. DSLR cameras, long the standard of the professional photographer have plummeted in sales. Many...
  • Pro Photography and the Disruptive Business Model
    Pro Photography will never be the same. Our industry, like hundreds of others has been turned on its head by technology and shifting consumer needs and wants. So change is required and if there was a new mission for Photography Schoolhouse would anybody care? So many people have left the...
  • Get your Photo business back on track with this Blue Ocean Strategy
    When I read W Chan Kim’s and Renee Mauborgne’s book “Blue Ocean Strategy” light bulbs went off in my head. They NAILED IT. This is a good read and you can get it at Amazon.com. They don’t talk about the photography business, but business in general. But believe me when...
  • Concerned about sales for your Photo Business? You should be.
    When professional photography is your primary source of income, we're always concerned about sales. Which is usually not the reason we got into photography to begin with. I think it's safe to say most photographers would rather be shooting than marketing. After all, we only make money when we shoot....
  • Maybe you’re not doing the Wrong Thing – You’re doing the Thing Wrong
    We're faced with many decisions when we run a business. Not a day goes by that you don't have to choose one thing or another. And none of us have a crystal ball so we're never entirely sure if we're making the right choice or not. Needless to say, our...
  • Best thing I did all Month for my Productivity!
    My workflow computer is my livelihood. I've always tried to keep it running as best I can with constant updates and so on. But after the upgrade to Windows 10 I definitely noticed a slow down. It got worse and worse and was driving me nuts. The big problem was...
  • A new Business Model for Pro Photography is born… and It’s about time
    These past few years we've all struggled to deal with all the changes in the industry. And have there ever been a lot of casualties along the way. There's always been a churn rate to the professional photography business. Years ago, even when the industry was stable photographers came and went....
  • How to get clients in the door with a Selfie Contest
    We all know that social marketing is king. But there's so much hype and mis-information from companies trying to get you to pay for their advice, it's not always clear on how to build your business page and following. About a year and a half ago I started a new "test"...
  • Here’s a problem. You get the clients you advertise for.
    Are you attracting the wrong kind of clients? When building our photography businesses, we often sell our work for very low prices with the idea of gaining market share and clients. There's a few obvious reasons why you don't want to do this. But what should we do instead? How do we find the...
  • How To Construct an In-Studio Shower Scene
    I've tried many times to get a great "Shower Shot" for models, but most normal showers don't really have the room or the safety to pull off the lighting as you would want. So finally, I decided it was time to build an indoor studio set that created the shot...
  • Photographic Success – Are you thinking about this right?
    I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how photographers are achieving success in our industry today. Specifically, I ‘m referring to the group of us that are wedding and portrait photographers. Is it skill, attitude, equipment or ingredient X? As I read over posts from various industry gurus, I notice...
  • OK Photographers. What is it exactly that we sell again?
    A guy walks into a hardware store and asks for a drill bit. What is it the customer wants? - He wants a hole. We get so wrapped up in products and things that often we forget what it is our customer wants - memories. The debate about prints vs...
  • Give your inner writer an audience
    Write for Photography Schoolhouse today Yes, we're looking for you!. Your skills, knowledge and talent. And so are thousands of our members. We're looking for articles of all types from beginner, intermediate, or all pro on all aspects of photography. You've learned a lot over the years, here's your chance...
  • Why Professional Photography is poised for the best comeback in a Decade
    There have been so many changes in professional photography in the last decade, it’s no wonder photographers have been confused about their future. We all know the reasons. I myself have questioned the future and been both the victim and the benefactor of these changes. I’ve been a photographer most...
  • Meet Jenna – PSH Senior Bootcamp Model
    I want her - Warne said to me as we were going over models for the senior  bootcamp. So we opened up our checkbook and booked her flight to Phoenix. The 5' 9" powerhouse model is a rising star in the fashion scene having worked all over North America, for...
  • Does your week have a Hump Day or a Jump Day?
    We hear it all the time. "Well at least it's Hump Day". The week's almost over. Thank gawd. I've been hearing this for decades and it went in one ear and out the other until one day a thought struck me. Instead of Wednesday being "Hump Day", why don't I...
  • Proper Composition in a Digital World
    Those of us that shot medium format film cameras were used to composing our shots for traditional print sizes i.e. 4×5, 5×7, 8×10, 11×14, 16×20, 20×24 etc etc. Mamiya and Bronica supported what they called the “Ideal Format” cameras which were typically 6×4.5cm or 6x7cm. Hasselblad was always 6×6 cm,...