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Skype Interview with Joe Abenheim

Lesson 26 from: Think Like a 10K Wedding Photographer

Scott Robert Lim

Skype Interview with Joe Abenheim

Lesson 26 from: Think Like a 10K Wedding Photographer

Scott Robert Lim

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Lesson Info

26. Skype Interview with Joe Abenheim

Lesson Info

Skype Interview with Joe Abenheim

Joe is ah, good friend of mine. Um, joe, how long have we known each other? Two thousand two thousand eleven that's. All a couple of years ago. So we met. I was doing a mentorship in san francisco, and at the time he was living in san francisco. Now, he's on the east coast. Andi, I did this monthly mentoring program there, and and so we developed a relationship then. And you know what I like about job? Just get starting in l a, but chills a guy about going big or going home he's going to do it he's going big and he's going for it. And that's what? I really appreciate about his approach. And you can tell because he's only been doing this business for a couple of years, but he's having a lot of success. Ah, lot of success where he's booking ten thousand dollar weddings and he's doing it in a venue that I've never even spear e inst before and he's going to get into that. But before we get into that, jill, can you tell me a little bit about how you got into this whole photography thing? Ye...

ah, I started in early nineties, you know, high school photography, film days, that kind of stuff, and I did that for a good ten years and I took a break for about ten years after that on every star I get to times of ten slightly before meeting you I went back into a that was I just wanted to teo lance keep or like a macro photography and add another patient's for that so I was like I need to find something different and well living in some logs I found michelle nicole photography's plug and I studied that was right after the paris two thousand eleven workshop that you posted and uh I looked at her photography and saw the changes that happened during the year that she was in a mentorship with you and yeah and then I called up I saw that you were having a workshop in san francisco two days later on there was the first class of the year long mentorship program that you were hosting and yeah, the rest is history let's talk a little bit about your content and why you you feel like you're imagery is able to attract that ten thousand dollar client what's so special about it I think I think the imagery is I think a very modern slash fashion approach tio my wedding photography more than most that I learned from you and other mentors that I follow the past couple of years and most of my clients look at this photography and they feel they feel something in it like us you know I can artsy tired clean image that that they can relate to and that's that's the important part is is having your client related your photography because otherwise the association between you and the client doesn't work in and into being up for or mashed, if you will. So so it's very important to kind of screen your client and be true to who you are, and I'm not trying to bend, you know, to to accommodate a client that wants a particular style. So you kind of producing a style, the fashion ford style that is actually you you like that on dh, then through that imagery, you're creating some sort of emotional response from your client and that's. Another point that I'll get to later is that every sale had your client. You have to move your client emotionally before you'll make any sale. So if your work doesn't create an emotion that you're not going to get a sale, and I think clearly you're doing that, tell me, okay, so now I know a little bit about your style, but tell me actually, okay, so how do I how did you do it in two years? And you're booking ten thousand dollar weddings, the world wants to nil what your secret is, uh, well, I'm gonna be a brutally honest it has almost nothing to do with photography. It has it has a little bit to do with it I mean, obviously your you know your imagery has to be it has to be on par, but ninety percent of it has to do with your branding in your marketing and the type of products that you offered to defines so you can't go around ofthe rain uh, you know, bottom of the barrel albums and you know, in that kind of service is that you need you need to christ, dude, I mean, this is not sorry your products need to be eyes like they have to reflect the quality of the client that you're going after right? It is exactly like you can't go teo teo lou anytime get they you know get a target quality and bag over there something that's you know that's why it's just just like you know, houston behind your brand for your strobes and you will guarantee that if something goes wrong you will fix it on it's just the same same thing here. If anything happens, these albums are you know that I offer are guaranteed if anything goes wrong you know I stand behind my products and they will not find this, you know, to any of my competitors that's kind of like the luxury branding concept where there ah lot haier like, for example, I think bmw started this where is bmw said well, if you buy our car, yeah, it's a lot more expensive than other cause, but we're going to give you five years service and don't have to worry about it, so you're at you're doing that value add through the service and a lot of high end people upscale people time is important, so if they know that they don't have to go back and forth getting their album fixed and you'll do a forum, that means a lot to them. Yes, exactly. I worked with right from the start, actually, like almost a few months after started your mentorship program. I worked with a company called reason who worked on with me on my trending. So they worked on the name one charge, joe. And then from there we moved on to all the products, so from these see it, but from these metal business cards like laser cut on dh all the way tio these, uh enormous, you know, out signature collections. So it's a beautiful album, it's I mean, it just screams luxury, and this thing weighs like fourteen pounds it's ah, okay, so so the products, the products matter a lot and everything from from the way you dress to the way you present yourself to your client eyes all part of this whole got the style so you do uh you got the content where your imagery was good because you've been mentored and you've produced some good work right then you've got these high end products that kind of matched the client that you're you're going too how do you meet the just run into them at you know the store or where how do you run into these people that can spend ten thousand dollars a wedding well it's a mix of different things a little bit of it has to do with you know advertise myself not the preferred vendor's list so I do get customers from their referrals from their elite on my pricing well I don't put my whole priceless online I do say that my prices start at x amount so they already beat out a lot of the people that that obviously can't afford my services from there I got facebook advertising on that also targets a very specific market of brides and and then the rest is bridal shows can you tell me how to maximize or how to attract that client at a bridal show so so again at the bridal show I mean essentially I see other photographers there you know they have a nice little couches and a little tv and stuff you're not there to sell coffee not a furniture tio you know you're there to sell imagery and this is what you two do you need to cover your walls with the most amazing photos, exotic locations and went out, which, you know, I got plenty of during winnings and during your workshops so so again, surround yourself with beautiful in victory put on display, your your top products, that it makes the clients when they go to another booth to look at the other vendor, they look at their albums and it's like, wow, that's crap too, right? So so you want to have that wow factor there and and once and then and don't don't put your flyers up, uh, don't given opportunity for people to just grab it, go, you need to talk to them and engage them and and see what response to get from them and that's it that's where you get the solid eat, and then you can hand off at that point your your packages and this palace or special that you're running during that show on and at the end of the show, email all the people that left very email's, very foreign keeping track, but that's basically it than I do about three or four of those a year. And yeah, like you said, the groom says, yeah, it's full speed or or not? Well, that's great, I mean, I'm really extremely proud of you, joe, and where you're going and I'm like, wow, that's amazing and congratulations to you I believe we do have a question from we do we just we just want to take an opportunity if you have time for this joe here to take some questions from the internet. People are really, really loving hearing from from you as somebody who who has learned from scott, one of the things I thought was cool. A lot of people are checking out your website on dh, which, again, is we can say it on air one sharp joe dot com dot com awesome. So first of all, people want to know what your dog's name is. My dog's name is cleo she's a great name and she's like sleeping right now. Just awesome people, people actually, in all seriousness, would love to know about whether you have dean atlanta. Whether you have a studio, did you say on def? Not where do you meet your clients and then continuing on with that? I'm love photography. Can you have a ten k wedding for wedding business working out of your home? Sasha living room well, I actually in my living room right now I'm in a pretty big studio space and about it's about twenty, three hundred square feet and my studio is on the other hand over there so I got a client waiting area got a tv over there we look at slide shows when they come in to look at their pictures I'll get the stuff all the products are over there as well so yeah so I do meet my clients here this is new prior to that pretty small apartment so I used to be my clients at starbucks and yes you can actually have thank a sales at starbucks most of my son's actually happened at the trade shows so that's uh that's why I made made most of myself thanks joe hey, jim here one more question from mallory rene can you talk a little bit about what you mean by presenting yourself to your clients? The question is how can we pass for fitting into a luxury class if we're kind of middle class and the advice on that uh well I have a terrible sense of style and I went teo I'm not I'm not scott can't can for what he did but I um I got this think of trunk space and they style me so I'm blessed I get the whole friend jax and so that's how fresh you know what? Joe is a pretty tall guy but one thing he's he's modest about his is imagery and things but he has a very good personality where he's going talk to anybody and I think that for him that he that works for him great he's very professional too so I think that works for him well as we love to do here at credible I've joe we have crashed your website everyone go check that out after we leave but no everybody you can check back again later as this is what happens we love it when it happens but when everybody goes to a site at the same time so joe thank you again determine the final words or questions joe is the one who helps me plan on light workshops and things that are so pure if you want to meet joe when you wantto meet kenna and jim then come to paris and we'll all be there now there are only eight spots like actually I do I do want to ask this final question because again it is a really a really good one from elsie who's saying that people looked at your website so you start at thirty for ninety five for your wedding's at and how do you how do you get to ten thousand then what do you how do you work with your clients to get from that base price to the ten thousand? So really what you're looking at my price is thirty five hundred includes a very basic album and absolutely zero er you don't get it, you don't get digital images or anything like that so you have to go out from there there's a middle package around the fifty, five hundred, and then there is a top package. I think around seventy five hundred on day after that, they're supposed to weddings and post engagement sales for products and that's, how you get to get there. Thank you, thank you so much. Tell us again, joe, where we can find you. Where can we follow you? We owe and on facebook as well, write these books, nash went charging and code five in our chat room. Who is a regular here? Wants to know if your dog, cleo, has a twitter handle on where wait for instagram. If it does, I'm not mentoring him anymore, all right?

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Master Flash Guide.pdf
Day 1 Segment 1 Best Job in the World.pdf
Day 1 Segment 2 Headshot & Posing the Groom.pdf
Day 1 Segment 3 Posing the Bride.pdf
Day 1 Segment 4 Posing the Bride & Groom.pdf
Day 2 Segment 1 Crazy Stupid Wedding Light.pdf
Day 2 Segment 2 Lighting Review Group & Dancefloor.pdf
Day 2 Segment 3 Wedding Workflow & Money Shots.pdf
Day 2 Segment 4 Starting from Scratch.pdf
Day 3 Segment 1 From 0 to 5K.pdf
Day 3 Segment 2 5K and Beyond.pdf
Day 3 Segment 3 Creating a Luxury Brand.pdf
Day 3 Segment 4 Seventeen Ideas to Change Your life.pdf

bonus material with enrollment

10 Percent Discount.pdf

Ratings and Reviews

mc
 

There are a few courses in CL that just keep giving - they exceed expectations - on numerous levels. This is one of those courses. For context: I am not a wedding photographer; i do not aspire to be a wedding photographer, but i saw a re-broadcast of this course and thought i have got to put the pennies together to order this as someone aspiring to be a better photographer. Here's why: The title: think like... In a lot of business and coaching approaches, the way to get better we're told is to be around people who are further ahead than we are - who are as close to where we aspire to be as we can get. Think Like a 10k wedding photographer is an invitation to get insight into how i'm already thinking in this headspace or where i'm not. is this course for you: If you're not already a 10k/wedding (or gig) photographer, there is likely something of value here for you. THE COURSE the course is v.grounded - from the ttitle again - that this is a course about photography as a business - and how to get to a place where one is thriving in that business. It's clear there are steps to getting up the ladder towards 10k, and Scott Robert puts all the milestones in to understand when to up prices, how to pace gigs, how to schedule weddings, how to start. But this course also excels at covering off what's included in creating an excellent wedding photography experience for a particular type of shoot: luxury, glamour, style. This is not documentary wedding photography - though the skills learned here can be applied in that space. Here - just take a look at the photos - people who want what Scott Robert Delivers want to be glamourous, exciting. And Scott makes the point - that looks "natural" but it's constructed, and so we have to know how to engage with people in order to construct these results. Thus the course offers Posing and Shooting techniques for photography - using natural and flash light using flash and video light posing men; posint women; posing groups how to get the checklist of wedding shots from dress to cake. And how to get the business. This course is worth the money just to get the tips for posing - you'll use them right away whether you're doing corporate shoots or what in the us is "seniors" portraits. THE KIT A particularly inspiring element of Scott's work is how minimalist the kit seems to be. No strobes; just speedlights. Lightstands and umbrellas. And small video light(s). Considering the shots he gets that seem so constructed, it's fantastic to see that they are constructed fundamentally with a set of modelling principles about the human form that work work and work. The BUSINESS As said the progressions for the business side to move from a starting photographer to a 10k photographer are clear. The detail is good. The motivation, unflagging. Participants who want to get there need to do the hours of practice. There are a couple people who have used Scott's methods to get from starter to 10k shooter so it's possible to see their path. - One who was a videographer mayn't be as inspiring because already pro etc, but it is cool to see a pro in video testify to the value even for him of scott's approach. LESSON the best advertisement is word of mouth you have to have the work to get that endorsement. Scott is the one person on CL where you'll hear him say he's not working on his social network particularly, but on the quality of his portfolio and referals within jobs to get the jobs - it's plainly working for him. For him, it's clear he wants to be regarded as the best photographer - not the best customer service that trumps adequate photography. THE INSTRUCTOR As other reviewers have commented, scott's attitude is amazing. He has a burning entrepreneurial spirit and a drive to be successful to support his family - which means getting to a point where he's shooting fewer weddings for more money in order to have more time with his people. Nice. No matter what area of photography you're in, there are insights to be gained from this course. Related Courses There are a lot of wedding photography courses on CL. The others i've seen are Wedding Cinematography, Doug Gordon Wedding Project, Master the Business of Photography (which turns out to be based in a wedding business) and Start and Grow your Photography Business (also based around weddings). These all have good things to teach. The biggest contrast to Scott's is Sal Cincotta's Business of Photography - in that course while there is a goal for his teams / shooters to be professional and get all their shots at the wedding and deal with the unexpected well - and there are great tips for how to cover your butt if there's conflict about being able to take a shot or who wants what shot - the focus seems to be way way WAY more on the sale in the studio and selling all kinds of prints. This is v.much the flip side of Scott's work where the focus is on getting the wedding (and why he actually likes 5k weddings more than 10k weddings - fascinating). For scott, it seems the 10k is about figuring out what the package is in terms of what's the difference between 10k vs 5k - and what you promise to deliver in that experience vs SC's focus on what are the materials produced that are worth that charge. And how the wedding can be used to hook people in for life - for portraits, baby photos, seniors etc. Kevin Kebota's class similarly has some nice stuff around bonuses vs discounts. I can see a very interesting panel discussion on pricing btwn sal, scott and kevin... For scott, it's not about shooting the lifecycle and getting money off prints: he does weddings - some engagement and boud. around that, but it's the Wedding that is the star - the quality and amazingness of the images - not the number and size of prints. Perhaps this is a weakness in the course not to go into that part of the deal - but i didn't find it so. What's great is that he has a dropdead line in the sand too: if you're doing X and you're not getting to Y by Z, do something else! fantastic. he even has a part time shooter plan. COol. He also knows how and what to outsource: so will you. He's also cool about how long it will to take to start making a real income. (and what's the difference between a 3k and 5k wedding?? you'll learn). Why would you buy this course? If you're a WEDDING photographer, shooting under 10k /wedding then this will be interesting - lots to learn about what's possible in a wedding context, and seeing examples about how "natural" can be constructed. If you're just considering weddings and want to understand what it would take to make a living or part time living as a photographer here IF YOU WANT TO LEARN ABOUT POSING -- there are lots of CL classes involving posing and philosophies of posing so why this one? 1: Robert is v.good. that simple: the way he's translated everything he's learned about posing into heuristics - in other words rather than memorising poses, you learn heuristics about what to set up for any shot to get more from it. Fantastic. 2. Posing in the context of a live wedding under pressure is a litle different than in studio 3. We see posing for different lighting conditions/contexts for an event - in this case a wedding. Powerful stuff. What's also cool in the demos is that you don't have him doing tethered shooting, but focusing on teaching posing and having the class learn it. That's cool too. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN LIGHTING - and not spend much on lighting kit and get great results this course is inspiring. INSTRUCTOR - v.engaging - doesn't suffer fools, i'm betting; expects committment to do the work to get to aspirations. EXCELLENT. heck i watched most of this with a friend who just found Scott so compelling, in particular how the posing section worked, it was just that engaging. hope that helps. good luck on your mission.

Kerry Sleeman
 

This is the best Creative Live Course I have purchased, well worth the Money! Scott is fantastic and has a lot of great advice! Even though I am not a wedding photographer I am a Boudoir Photographer and has given me a lot of ideas to help my business. ! Thanks Creative Live Amazing!

Student Work

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