Back in February, I came across a podcast called "The Portrait System Podcast." In each episode, host Nikki Closser interviews a big-time portrait photographer as they talk about how they got into photography, how they structure their business, where they are today, and everything in between. I was hooked.
A few episodes in, an event called the "12-Week Startup" was mentioned again and again. It was to start in early March and lead photographers from zero to having a photography business in three months. I already had a business going, but I figured, "What could I lose? I am impressed by the podcast so far. Let's see what I learn." I signed up. The first two weeks were fantastic. So much great knowledge. I was constantly changing and updating things.
And then COVID-19 happened. But I followed along and improved my business even if I couldn't put things into action right away.
The podcast and the program were part of Sue Bryce Education, an outstanding mentoring suite for photographers lead by the world-class portrait photographer Sue Bryce. After a few weeks of content, I was hooked again. Sue Bryce's model, style, and attitude resonated like nothing else I had come across since beginning my journey with photography. I owe so much of what I do today in my business to what I've learned from SBE.
Part of the SBE universe is an international portrait competition and conference called The Portrait Masters. TPM exists to recognize and accredit the best portrait photographers around the world. The process of accreditation is intense and challenging. I took my first steps towards accreditation by entering five images into the competition in July.
I am beyond excited to announce that all five of my images earned a Bronze merit, which means my portraits are recognized as professional status according to the panel of master photographer judges. I cannot wait to enter the next contest and to use this round of recognition to push and motivate to do even better.
Here's to the next step of the journey!
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