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Final Thoughts

Lesson 85 from: 28 Days of Portrait Photography

Sue Bryce

Final Thoughts

Lesson 85 from: 28 Days of Portrait Photography

Sue Bryce

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Lesson Info

85. Final Thoughts

Lessons

Class Trailer

Day 1

1

First 2 Years: The Truth

1:23:37
2

Teaching 2 Photographers in 28 Days

1:10:45
3

Rate Your Business

1:05:08
4

Year One in Business

1:00:34

Day 2

5

28 Challenges

1:21:39
6

Fear

1:04:07
7

Price & Value

1:10:17
8

Checklist, Challenges, and Next Steps

26:35

Day 3

9

Day 1: The Natural Light Studio

38:09

Day 4

10

Day 2: Mapping Your Set and Outfits

1:54:32

Day 5

11

Day 3: One Composition - Five Poses

35:49

Day 6

12

Day 4: Flow Posing

49:31

Day 7

13

Day 5: Posing Couples

55:55

Day 8

14

Day 6: Capturing Beautiful Connection & Expression

40:47

Day 9

15

Day 7: The Rules - Chin, Shoulders, Hands

56:24

Day 10

16

First Weekly Q&A Session

1:00:15
17

Day 8: Rules - Hourglass, Body Language, Asymmetry, Connection

28:39

Day 11

18

Day 9: Styling & Wardrobe

40:50

Day 12

19

Day 10: Shooting Curves

48:40

Day 13

20

Day 11: Posing & Shooting - Groups of 2, 3, and 4

28:46

Day 14

21

Day 12: Posing & Shooting Families

28:36

Day 15

22

Day 13: Products & Price List

56:53

Day 16

23

Day 14: Marketing & Shooting the Before & After

41:20

Day 17

24

Day 15: Phone Coaching & Scripting

52:56

Day 18

25

Second Weekly Q&A Session

1:02:21
26

Day 16: Posing Young Teens

43:02

Day 19

27

Day 17: Marketing & Shooting - Family First Demographic

33:14

Day 20

28

Day 18: The Corporate Headshot

1:05:43

Day 21

29

Day 19: Glamour Shoot on Location & Shooting with Flare

53:56
30

Photoshop Video: Glamour Shoot on Location & Shooting with Flare

11:06

Day 22

31

Day 20: Photoshop - Warping & the Two Minute Rule

1:22:22

Day 23

32

Day 21: Posing Mothers & Daughters

42:22

Day 24

33

Third Weekly Q&A Session

1:31:41
34

Day 22: Marketing & Shooting - 50 & Fabulous Demographic

1:04:00

Day 25

35

Day 23: Shooting into the Backlight

58:22
36

Bonus: Shooting into the Backlight

06:52

Day 26

37

Day 24: Marketing & Shooting - Girl Power Demographic (18-30s)

39:17
38

Photoshop Video: Girl Power Demographic (18-30s)

1:07:21

Day 27

39

Day 25: The Beauty Shot

46:32
40

Bonus: Vintage Backdrop

04:54

Day 28

41

Day 26: Marketing & Shooting - Independent Women Demographic

49:40

Day 29

42

Day 27: Sales & Production

54:30

Day 30

43

Day 28: Posing Men

52:19

Day 31

44

Bonus: Pricing

42:32
45

Introduction

11:36
46

Photography, Style, Brand, and Price Part 1

1:06:49
47

Photography, Style, Brand, and Price Part 2

47:24
48

Marketing Part 1

38:01
49

Marketing Part 2

1:12:04
50

Money: What's Blocking You?

49:15
51

Bonus: The Folio Shoot

52:29

Day 32

52

Photo Critiques Images 1 through 10

23:11
53

Photo Critiques Images 11 through 27

25:01
54

Photo Critiques Images 28 through 45

30:19
55

Photo Critiques Images 47 through 67

36:47
56

Photo Critiques Images 68 through 84

23:22
57

Photo Critiques Images 85 through 105

36:01
58

Photo Critiques Images 106 through 130

34:49
59

Photo Critiques Images 131 through 141

13:45
60

Photo Critiques Images 142 through 167

25:27
61

Photo Critiques Images 168 through 197

29:13
62

Photo Critiques Images 198 through 216

25:51

Day 33

63

Identify Your Challenges

35:06
64

Identify Your Strengths

22:16
65

Getting Started Q&A

22:54
66

Rate Your Business

31:29
67

Marketing Vs Pricing

33:26
68

Facing Fear

23:45
69

The 28 Day Study Group

15:02
70

Selling Points

40:35
71

Interview with Susan Stripling

18:03
72

Emotional Honesty

29:09

Day 34

73

Sue's Evolution

18:36
74

28 Days Review

15:14
75

Student Pitches

11:28
76

28 Days Testimonial: Mapuana Reed

09:02
77

How to Pitch: Starting a Conversation

37:28
78

Your Block: Seeing is What You're Being

35:30
79

Your Block: Valuing and Receiving

37:09
80

Building Confidence: Your Own Stories

20:45
81

Building Confidence: Your Self Worth

36:05
82

Pitching An Experience

34:16
83

Pitching An Experience: Your Intentions

18:15
84

Pitching An Experience: Social Media

30:14
85

Final Thoughts

24:35

Lesson Info

Final Thoughts

Jennifer Thoreson, Jennifer Hudson was her, Jennifer Thoreson was her married name, yeah. Jennifer Hudson was-- She just got married, like a year ago? Was it even a year? Wonderful man, and it was so neat to go and do her workshop and the gift she gave me was the word restoration, everything that it means. I'm an overgiver. I tend to overdo everything, and it's so lovely to not feel guilty about stepping back and learning to receive more. I also get sent lots of incredible gifts. People from my audience send me gifts, like to CreativeLive, they're just, I just get here and there's a gift here. The most beautiful crown by Bella Crowns, is it? I don't know. An actual crown for, to like wear on your head? Unbelievable. Oh, I've seen them on your photos. I'll take a photo of it. Cool. And post it obviously, and so I get the most incredible gifts, and it's so wonderful just to try and receive them and remember that sometimes, if I don't blog for three weeks, I'm not upsettin...

g anybody. It's okay. I can just take the time to relax a little bit and rejuvenate, so I can then bring a shoot to you that you're actually interested in. I wrote this because I thought it was really, really funny. It's called The Teeth The Lips The Top of the Tongue. I was watching a movie the other day, and when you practice drama, they teach you to do the teeth, the lips, the tip of the tongue, the teeth, the lips, the tip of the tongue to practice speaking, and I thought what better way to remind you to practice your daily pitching? The teeth, the lips, the tip of the tongue, the teeth, the lips, the tip of the tongue. It's to warm up your mouth. An actor warms up before they act. A singer warms up their voice. Somebody who's pitching in marketing, they need to warm up their pitch. Warm it up, go home and practice. Say it loud in the shower until you can say it confidently with 100% belief. Find what your superpower is. Add that to your pitch. Make it strong. You can do that. I say this in every CreativeLive, every CreativeLive I've ever done. Please stop bitching and moaning on Facebook. Get out of your own way. Okay, get out of your own way. I know how hard it is to identify your own blocks. You can come and work through them with me if you want. I'll take you through your money values, your body blocks, your relationship blocks. I'm happy to do that if that's what you want, but please acknowledge that there's a block first and then daily practice to get through it. I'm so proud of you. That's something I don't get to say very often. I've noticed on Facebook and Twitter, everybody calls me the ass kicker and the bitch slapper and the girl who, oh, I needed a wake up call, or I needed to get my butt kicked by Sue Bryce, and I started to think, am I that mean, you know, like am I, were people gentle with me when I was trying so hard to make an income? I don't remember anybody being gentle with me. I feel very much like I dragged myself through it, so if I come across like I'm a butt kicker, I'll tell you why. When you have been through a blocked life, where you were emotionally blocked, where you were physically blocked, where you were blocked in your stepping forward with your confidence, with who you are, with your money. When you've been through all those blocks, and you've broken through them, I don't remember the person I was back then. I just remembered I couldn't get out of it. I don't remember why I believed or didn't see the way through it. I just remembered not, that there was no way out. I don't remember the moment where I suddenly had money just appear. I do remember the moment, but I don't remember what exactly shifted other than me yelling out to the universe that I would walk my path, remember, and lying a bit, crying for three days. I made a promise to daily practice myself out of the hole I was stuck in. Then I made a daily practice to walk towards the career that I really wanted and to be confident enough to speak publicly, to talk to people, to just be brave enough to walk up to people. I daily practiced that. I made a daily practice to lose 100 pounds, and I'm one pound off. I don't know how that happened. I think back, and I'm like, it seems really easy now. I don't remember that took me eight years. Didn't take me eight weeks or eight months. Well, you worked really hard. But I don't remember working hard. I only remember that I'm here now, and then I think, well, when people say, but I can't change it, I look at them and I go, you can change anything. And when I say you could wake up tomorrow and you've already made a shift. You could wake up in eight years, and it would be different, but trust me, eight years is just like tomorrow. One really cool thing I just thought of that would be a great practice is just your self-talk. If, like, just one time a day, you could switch your self-talk, and when you say something horrible to yourself, if you could just try to make a practice of repeating the same sentence over, completely opposite. Yep, positive affirmation, and nobody does it better than Louise Hay. You know, I love who I am. I love what I am. I love what I've created. I love what I bring to the table. I am worthy, I'm worthy of love. I am worthy of giving love, and then give it to other people, 'cause then you get it back. I feel like that is, yeah. That is it. Now, (sighs) daily practice. If there was anything that I could, I feel like the luckiest human being alive on this planet, I swear to God, but I feel like everybody is worth a journey of making something better in their life, like everybody is becoming to me now. I don't look at someone and say they're stuck there. I look at someone and say you, they're becoming. They're gonna come free of this. Never give up faith that somebody can turn around and just walk out of something, they can. Some people choose never to, but I've seen it. People do change, they can change. They can learn and grow. It's slow and it's hard, but you can change anything. Just work out what you wanna change first, and then start the daily practice towards doing it. That's all you've got. Great. I mean, that's why I love you so much, and I wanna thank you so much. I've got so much gratitude for you because I remember, you know, when I was watching the video of you giving Jill the trip. I really hadn't heard of you at that point. I was just, this woman is amazing, this is unreal. So I started researching, and 28 Days happened, and I said, this is cool. Like I've gotta get into this, and from that point on, it's fundamentally changed my life because I didn't even know how I can get into it, but in a real nutshell is I have systematically made decisions that aren't just photography, but fundamental life, daily decisions that are all aligned with the same goal, so once you have your core values set which is your self-love, and you have your goal out there, it's amazing how every little decision, if it lines up, it's just one step out, and that's why, I told you, for me, gifts are weapons, and so, when I first met you, I brought you a gift, and it was the hardest thing for me to do because, I mean, I told Nicki about it. It's like, God, I just, my big fear was like, that can't be a weapon, like, you know, you have no idea. It was a very impossible thing. So I just love you so much because in two years, from just meeting you and then going through 28 Days, this has been fabulous, and you are all awesome. I mean, it's just amazing, and I actually applied for the original keynote, didn't get it, and then I can't even believe I'm here because this is something that I've like manifested in my brain as being in, I posted on Twitter about it, it's like heaven. This is just an amazing creative community, so anyway, back to campaign, right? So, anyway, I'll shut up. Oh, you were right on campaign, Debry. You just keep on going there. (panel laughing) Look, I look at it like this. I built my business. I was a photographer that made no money, right? I could've gone my whole life being a working photographer, making amazing images. I woulda got noticed, I woulda won awards, but it wasn't until I went out on my own that I realized I had no self-value, 'cause I couldn't make money. So I was like wait a minute. I make money as an income, as a wage, but like make money like a business and sustain it, and it wasn't until I did that that I realized that oh, I have no self-value, none. And I've got a few blocks, and these are my blocks, or here comes a confidence block, here comes an emotional honesty block, here comes a physical block, here comes a relationship block, here comes a, and next minute, I'm on this freeway, just getting hit with debris, and it is full-on, but I started to grow through each hit, and then I realized when I was teaching glamour photography, you start out teaching posing and lighting and Photoshop, but really what you're teaching people is in order to make an income and sustain it, you actually need to change some personal things. What Debry thinks, teach someone self-value, like how you have for me, is priceless. My husband sees it, I see it. I wake up everyday loving my life, and wow, what a gift you give. You know, what a gift. Through a photography workshop. You know, who would have known that this little photography workshop on CreativeLive called 28 Days would change my life. You know, so first-- And I had to do the work though. Oh yeah. That's the thing. You gotta lotta work baby. Some people are like oh, Sue mentored you, so it's super easy. No, I did the work, I learned from 28 Days, and Sue hasn't taught me anything that isn't in 28 Days. Right. Yeah. But I had to do the work. You did a lot of work. And God, I busted my ass, you know, and I'm still. It's hard, but it's so rewarding, and anyway... Awesome, far from the beat everything that you've accomplished too. What about you Mapuana? Do you think two years later that you'd be sitting here? That you? I think that I, at that time, when we did the first CreativeLive, I feel like I had hoped to be here, but it was something I felt that it was so far off, like I just want a studio, I just wanna get a good makeup artist, I would love to just find clients, and now that it's happening, you know, it's amazing, but I'm with Nicki with what she said about everything that what you have taught me, it's all in 28 Days, but yet I still have to do all of the work. You still have to push through it every single day, and people do say these comments, like oh, you're so lucky 'cause you know Sue. I know Sue, but everything that I know is also on 28 Days. It's all in there. Just so we're clear, too, for the people who do know that when we, when you come to LA, we catch up, and that both Nicki and Susan come and stay with me and hang out with me as a personal friend. When I'm not being Sue Bryce, I'm just Sue Bryce the friend, like they have to be a component where I'm not talking about self-development and photography business and life and just hang out with me like a normal person does because otherwise, it sucks the life outta me, so my friends know when to just be my friend, so I love that everyone probably thinks we talk about that stuff all the time, and we do. We talk about it a lot. We do talk about it a lot, but we talk about life change more than we talk about-- No, we do, that's absolutely true. Like 'cause I'm-- That's absolutely true. You know what they say about having your true purpose come through in your conversation? I always talk about it. What is the conversation you're having on a daily basis even without being paid that you could be having through your work, and bettering yourself, making money, accepting, receiving, walking your true path, true purpose, life for self-development. I am a walking, talking cult of self-development. I have that conversation with strangers, with waiters, with random people on the street. Where do you wanna be? What do you wanna do with your life? Oh, let me tell you how to free yourself from that. Like I walk, talk, and speak it. It's only, (laughs) if you can find that's my superpower, that's my purpose, if you can work through your values and purpose, you're home and housed. You know, I just really mirror many of the things that you said and how much, you know, we admire what you've done in 28 Days and beyond. I must admit that I am very positive thinking and I have and I set goals and I wish I shoulda taken a picture of it, but I did have on my board I will meet Sue Bryce in 2014, and I feel, you know, I know I'm not your target market, so I said, I'm not, I can't really get her to photograph me, but I will get you to photograph my wife one day when you get to New York, and I set that goal more of experiencing this, this amazing feeling that you unselfishly give to everyone, and it is true. You're absolutely amazing and somehow, just out of your pores, comes out the love, and I think that's what it is. I bought a camera when I was 14, and I spent $1,000 when I was 14. I saved for over a year. Life took me in different directions. Horrible things, great things happened through my life, but now, all the way at the age of (clears throat) 40 plus, I've circled back around and think that after, you know, two and a half, three years of watchin' and building and building, I finally took the foot out of the other, sort of corporate world, and said I have to do what I have meant to have done since I was a young man, and I thank you for that. Awesome. Thank you. Another thing is I feel like, I remember you having the confidence that I could do this, and I didn't have the confidence in it myself, and I thought, really, you think I can do this? And you looked me in the eye and said, 'You can do this, and this is how you do it." And then I was like, okay, well if she believes I can do it then maybe I can do it. But sometimes it just takes that confidence that you give us for us to believe in it, is what I feel like. Commission. Yeah. As long as we're all complimenting Sue. (panel laughs) I'm just gonna go. I feel like I'm kind of in therapy right now. I have something that I would like to say-- You're the greatest. To you Miss Bryce. (panel laughing) One thing about 28 Days that I will say, and being part of this and seeing the effect that it had on so many people. And I've had so many students come up to me and say, this is just photography, why is this doing this to me? You know, but it's not just photography. And Mapuana, you just said that, perfectly, you summed it up, because Sue, in 28 Days, you tell people exactly how to do it. This is the business I've built, I've worked for years. Here it is, it's a complete map, it's a total guide in how to have a successful photography business. Doesn't have to be glamor, it could be anything. I'm gonna use yours for my video business. It could be for anything. But you combine that with the self development. So it's twofold. It's you can do this, and you teach people how do you believe that you can do this, and you give them the map of the business. That combo is amazing. If all of us could have that combo for our own businesses, you're giving something back in self development or teaching them what your lesson is in life, and you're giving them a map on how to do something. I couldn't believe reading those testimonials. I put them on my blog this morning, I'm gonna go back and read them. I started crying reading them, Nikki cried reading them. It's interesting because I get emailed stories, essays, long, long stories, life stories, life changing thank yous for the last two years, I read them and I'm just blown away by it, and it's such a cool thing. What an amazing thing to have thrown back at me and to read. But you know, I feel like the biggest hurdle is is you don't hear what's going on inside other people's heads, we think we're alone in this. You're not alone in your struggle. You're not alone in your lack of value, you are not alone in your fear, you are not alone in your climb, and you're going through a lot of the same stuff that thousands of other people are also going through. And that maybe our client is going through. Yep. And also-- That's awesome. And so it's what you said with the story you related to me about jumping down the hole. You know, that's one of the things that's, I'm really grateful to you. You're holding out a, that's why I called you my Statue of Liberty, you're kind of holding the line up. But I guess, sorry, I'll chime in in a little bit more. You know, I feel like there's a lot of people in this world that don't need this message, but there's more that do. And my biggest fear when I was teaching didn't come up until 28 Days, which was 18 months after my first, no, 28 Days was 13 months after my first CreativeLive. Which was such a huge workshop in itself, because we relaunched glamor photography to the world. And our photographers. The first one, you mean. (affirms) Yep. So 13 months after the first one, I'm doing this comprehensive workshop, and I wanted to do that talk about fear. And prior to Karen announcing it, Karen Ross in Vegas, I was standing there off camera, and I just suddenly felt all of this fear come into my body. I thought, I'm about to say some stuff that a whole lot of people are not gonna wanna hear. And people are gonna think I'm a fruit loop. So I can either stand up and just tell them what's in my heart, and people are gonna slate me for it. Or I can just be honest and say, this is what I feel. And I tell you, I've not regretted that decision, not one iota, not any negative has come back about that talk, I only get the, I see your talk, I watch it regularly, it saves me, it wakes me up. And I was just like, you know, I felt like putting that talk out there was the biggest experience of my life. And it wasn't. It was amazing how many people understood it. And I was like, oh, I'm just talking about something nobody talks about. You know, everyone says, just do it, just do it. Well it's not a Nike ad. Just do what? I can't do it, I'm crippled by fear. (panelist laughing) (sighs) Anyway, what next? I think we have to finish. Yeah, we do have to finish eventually. Yeah. Do you wanna talk a little bit about what you're doing next? What's coming up for you, please, just so people know? I'm going to Clickin Moms Click Away conference. I met the Click Away girls at WPPI two years ago, and loved what they were doing. They asked me to keynote at their conference, and I'm going to do a really great presentation there on the 11th of September, in Salt Lake City. Sweet. Other than that, I'm shooting up until then. And then I get to go home for two days to spend with my puppy, and I'm coming back for Photo Week. I've got some cool stuff for Photo Week. I get to sit on a panel, and voice my opinion. (laughs) I get to host a critique, other people critiquing images. I get to teach about some more marketing and Animoto and video, because I just, I'm breaking it down to the most simple marketing, cost-effective that you could imagine, and I'm teaching people how to do it 'cause I'm so sick of people saying they can't afford it, they can't afford it, they can't afford it. So I'll teach you how to do it myself. I get to work with Felix again on fashion posing. So basically making an ordinary girl move and look like a fashion model. And for those of you that are shooting fashion models, directing fashion models to look like really good posers. I could teach posing until the cows come home. And then-- We've seen you do it. And then for the rest of the year I am working on self development, you know, to me, I wanna do the self development workshop because I just feel like we need to uncover more. And I wanna do more in-person stuff. I mean, I get to spend the day with these six people and that's it, you know? Yeah. They go home and then it's up to them to do the work, and... I'm really looking forward to hearing more about that. Yeah, yeah. I'll be following your social media to find out more. Yes! I'm all over the social media, Erin. You know, I'm not gonna apologize for pictures of my puppy. She is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life. She's ridiculous. And I post, I try to post very few pictures of her because I don't wanna look like one of those crazy dog people. Wait a minute, did Sue Bryce just say she tries to post very few pictures of her puppy? I do, I only do like one a week now. What? Because I'm so worried that people will think I'm off-campaign. Bring on the cookie monsters. I've got so many cool things, I'm so behind in my blogs. I've got, sitting on about 33 shoots. I'm backlogged, building my new website, I'm always in progress. You are. So, you know. Well we're lucky that you came. I got more, there's always more. Looking forward to it. Well, today's been great. I learned definitely some new statements that are gonna just stick with me about pitching my work, and I got a lot out of today, so I hope all of you guys did too, and I know from all the tears that have been cried in this room that people have gotten a lot out of it as well. So thank you for coming back. My pleasure.

Class Materials

bonus material

Business Checklist
Keynote Part 1
Keynote Part 2
Posing Guide: Set Map and Outfit
Posing Guide: Flow Posing
Posing Guide: Couples Posing
Posing Guide: Curves
Posing Guide: Teen Posing
Posing Guide: Family Posing
Posing Guide: Over 50 Demographic
Posing Guide: Beauty Shot
Posing Guide: Posing Men
Workbook
How It Works
Styling and Wardrobe

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

I have purchased four of Sue's courses and love them all. I have learned so much. I found the lesson on connecting with people thru their eyes has made a huge difference in my photos already. Her before and after's made me cry. I want to be able to take these kinds of photos for my family and friends. I just love what she does. She is such a great teacher. I learn much better seeing things done, so this was the perfect choice for me to learn. I love Sue's humor, her honesty, her detailed teaching and sweet and wonderful personality. Her sessions will or should not disappoint anyone. It is the best money I have ever spent on self-help teaching. Thanks a million creative live. You GOTTA LOVE SUE!

katie
 

Pure gold. Sue Bryce is likable, talented, funny, and an amazing teacher. She calls you on your BS (your excuses for why you aren't succeeding), gives you business, posing, marketing, pricing and LIFE advice. The class is 58 hours long - and you spend the majority of it looking right over her shoulder, through her lens and watch her walk through many, many photoshoots. She verbally and clearly repeats several critical formulas for success so it's imprinted in your mind. Her advice is crystal clear and your photography will dramatically improve after this class. Before Creative Live, you'd NEVER have had the opportunity to shadow a photographer of her quality... hands down the best photography class I've ever taken.

JRomkee
 

I have just began this course and I am excited to see how following her model will help me to improve and get my business started. I have been through the first two days and there is lots of information to absorb and things to get in order before I begin the actual challenges. I am thankful that there are photographers out there who are will to reveal there secrets ad are truly invested in others improving themselves in all aspects of their life and not just their photography skills. Thanks Sue Bryce for your passion for empowering woman and your knowledge of creating and sustaining a business by being true to who you and commitment to the improvement of others! I am excited to grow myself and my business, I am confident this will be worth every penny! Were the templates for the email PDF included in this course

Student Work

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