Steadman Uhlich
Anybody with a camera can claim to be a professional photographer.
The real distinction comes from whether they act like a professional, deliver like a professional, and can make a living at it.
Steadman’s “Going Pro” coaching and mentoring is designed for those who are considering working full time in a professional role.
Whether the “Pro” will work from their home or only on location…
Or for those considering the move to a “brick and mortar” studio.
This is like having a highly successful and experienced Professional Photographer, Studio Owner, Art Gallery Owner, Artist, and Business Consultant in your corner as a coach and mentor!
Please contact Steadman for discussing this level of mentoring and consultation. It only takes a few minutes conversation by Free First Introduction Call (a free consultation). Here is your chance to blow your own horn, make a friend, and possibly gain a mentor who will help you become more successful and satisfied with an exciting career.
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Going Pro: How to become a successful Professional Photographer
The Basics of Business
At this level the emphasis is on business decisions you can make that will strongly influence your success.
Here you learn how to make a difference, how to make an impact, and how to make money.
More than just making a profit, it is about making a living as a professional.
Learn how to balance work and life. There are upsides and downsides to any career.
Are you really prepared?
What have you done to prepare to work as a Pro?
What could you do to better prepare yourself if you have not started yet?
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I will share with you my thoughts on starting a successful photography business that is truly a reflection of you and your creativity.
You won’t be getting “canned” advice on how to duplicate someone’s business model, look, feel, style, equipment, pricing, or success.
I will help you find your own success.
I will be there with you as a guide and show you why you do not want to be a “cookie cutter” photography business.
If you want “cookie cutter” success (and all the limitations that come with it) then this is not the place for you.
If you are interested in learning both the creative and the business aspects of high-end portrait photography, this is your opportunity.
This will help you launch your career in portrait photography.
This is a limited time offer based on my availability while I am working on my book projects and involved in research.
This is a unique way to tap into expertise simply by picking up the phone.
You can further your career.
More easily and quickly reach your goals.
This is One-on-One guidance from a professional who has had extraordinary success on multiple levels.
This can vary from just a few hours, to a comprehensive long-term career coaching, depending upon your investment in yourself.
This is for someone who is committed to excellence and wants to work in the “high-end” portrait field, or wants to elevate their work and income from the “mass market” to the “custom market.”
You have to have a passion for great images and people photography.
There are no magic bullets to success in business.
But, there are things you can do that may “jump-start” your business.
There are things to do, and things to avoid.
You will learn how to gauge your success, how to avoid pitfalls, how to market yourself, and how to grow a business and profits.
You may need to re-define yourself and your business. I can help you with that.
If you are just starting out, I can help you avoid some of the mistakes most people make.
It is far better to prepare, than it is to wing it.
Some mistakes emerging professional’s make could cost them their reputations (priceless) their business (replaceable but devastating), and their family financial security (priceless).
Don’t make that mistake, if you can learn how to prevent it.
There is a lot to handle when just beginning a professional photography studio or business.
It takes much more than desire and talent. It also takes “business sense” and a lot of energy.
To be better than the common competitor, you are going to need a lot of things that you cannot buy from a photography store.
I have a different perspective than most photographers. You can tap into that and add my perspective and experience to your thinking.
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From Small to Big
We can talk about many things from the Big Issues to the Small Details including:
- Your style or styles. Do you have one? Do you have many? Which is better?
- Your web presence
- Your brand. Do you have a distinctive brand? How do you know?
- Learn how to brand your business.
- How to identify and market to your best choice for prospects.
- Sales techniques for maximizing how much your clients will spend.
- Policies you should have in place to avoid costly errors and mistakes.
- What you should buy and what you should not buy.
- How to keep your costs in line with your business plan.
- How to plan for the unexpected.
- Ideas for self-promotion.
- Ideas for printing.
- Selling Canvas Prints
- Boosting Profits
- Ideas for complimentary product sales.
- Issues related to Copyright
This is just a short list posted here. The possible topics are almost endless.
It is a smart investment for you to have a guide.
Otherwise, you may miss the most important things while being distracted by the less important things.
Remember, time is money.
Can you afford to waste time searching for answers, or extricating yourself from a pit (mistake) you have fallen into?
This is the area where you can save many thousands of dollars. Those dollars may be critical to your success.
My Sincere Simple Suggestion: Rather than buy more gear this year, buy more ability and knowledge.
At this level you will be expected to know how to use your digital camera in manual mode and to have a good understanding of the basics of photography such as aperture (f-stop) and shutter speed and Depth of Field (DOF).
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“You should be a professional.”
Have you ever heard that?
If you are like most emerging or starting professional photographers, you are entering into the profession because you like to be creative, or someone said “you should be a professional.”
The hard fact is: this is a business.
It is vitally important that you pay attention to the business side of things, as well as work on creating.
Running a business requires a different set of skills that are sometimes weak or missing entirely in most people. While you may be putting your heart and creativity into the artistic side of your business, you’ll be putting your hard-earned savings and funds into the business side. That represents a possibly large financial risk.
Amateurs have more fun and flexibility!
Professionals have more headaches , demands, and responsibilities!
Did those two lines above surprise you?
Offend you? Shock you?
They should not. It is the truth.
This does not mean that I am going to dissuade you from becoming a pro. It simply means you need to know the full story and it is easier to learn that by talking with someone who has experience, than it is to learn on your own.
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Practical Advice from Steadman Uhlich
Here is a real-world example: When it comes to the business start up, most emerging professionals struggle with how much to charge and how to develop their own pricing within their market.
Most people don’t know where to begin.
They may ask their friends (who are probably also clueless). They may ask their family (who may have always searched for the cheapest photo package for their kids). They may ask a local pro (who may not reveal the truth). They may try to “sneak” a look at the local pro’s price list (if it is not public). They may even ask complete strangers with made up names and unknown skills or experience on some internet forum.
Out of desperation, they may try to copy the pricing of other local photographers.
These methods could be the worst thing you could do!
Decisions you make will have a direct impact on your success and your finances. It may even be the most critical decision you make and may determine the viability of your business.
Pricing for Profitablity!
How do you know if you’re charging too much?
How do you know if you’re charging too little?
Should you charge less than or more than your competition?
You need to make sure that you’re charging enough to be profitable. So that you can grow your business. You need to have the confidence that your pricing is appropriate and working for you and not against you.
I can show you that you may be cheating yourself out of profits.
I can show you how to have more confidence in your own pricing.
There is so much related to this issue. I can’t describe it all here. But believe me, this is one of the most important issues for you to discuss with me.
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Business Beyond the Dream
One day you make the decision to start a business as a photographer. You invest everything you can in equipment, gadgets, and perhaps even a brick and mortar studio.
Then it hits you. Now what do you do?
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There is MUCH More to come in this space or section of this site. Check back regularly. Or sign up for our Email Newsletter on the Contact Page.
If you have ever thought or dreamed of Going Pro, this is the place you need to know and check.
If you are already a “pro” to some degree or level (either Emerging, Semi-Pro, Part-Time, Full-Time, or Established), this is the area you should check.
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How can I help you?
My Role as Your Mentor
The most important thing I can do is inspire you to look at your photography differently and to challenge you to consider new ways of making photographs.
From this, you will find new creativity inside yourself and new inspirations in the world around you. When that happens, you will feel the Power of WOW as the world becomes a place full of creative possibilities. That is my ultimate goal.
In addition, I can provide you with valuable advice on how to avoid common mistakes and how to make better photographs.
On this site you will find many pages that will tell you about many more ways I may be able to help you. Look for the blue Related Posts links at the bottom of this page for more information.
Steadman Uhlich
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Insight is the Goal
One of the things I keep in mind when mentoring other people is my goal to make the lesson something that they “own” and understand fully. I want the mentee to understand the reasons and “see” it so clearly that it becomes something they will retain and value. This comes by sharing how I see their images or work and comparing how THEY see the work and THEIR vision. We discuss things. We compare their intent and their preliminary result (such as a raw image).
Then by use of questions the mentee will discover things for themselves. This may then be reinforced by examples and variations.
Choices are discussed.
Options uncovered.
Creativity unlocked.
The result is often an insight for the mentee.
In some cases this takes only a few minutes to “see” and understand a conceptual or visual difference, or to learn a new way of looking at the subject or a new technique.
In many cases this breakthrough can take just a few moments or even seconds!
When that “AHA!” moment occurs, it is stimulating and rewarding for both the mentee and the mentor. This shared discovery moment can be something that helps a photographer or artist break out of a box and make progress in fulfilling THEIR vision.
Steadman’s Simple Truths:
“Gear is easy to replace or change and can be changed in minutes.
Good habits take time and repetition to develop.
Bad habits can stick with you a lifetime IF they are not identified, recognized, and corrected.
Insights can make a difference in seconds!”
Steadman
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How do you value learning?
The value of what you learn may be “priceless.”
Steadman’s guarantee:
If I can not offer a suggestion that could improve your photography or help you avoid image weaknesses in the future then there is no charge for the time we spend together.
In short, if I don’t see something I could improve or if I don’t offer you a suggestion for improvement, I will not charge you for my time!
You won’t find a better guarantee than that.
Steadman
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Imagine.
Imagine how valuable that call will be to YOU if we can uncover a solution to your problems.
Imagine what you might learn from having a highly successful professional photographer and fine artist and successful art gallery owner with 25 years experience look at YOUR photo and give you a private discussion of YOUR photo.
Imagine how proud you will be when YOU learn how to make photos that make people say “WOW!”
Imagine how you will feel when you see YOUR Black & White images look like classic B&W photos you have admired all your life.
Imagine how satisfied you will feel when YOU learn how to make your own images look better using simple steps you will remember and be able to use again and again.
Imagine how you will better enjoy YOUR hobby or profession even more if you find ways to overcome obstacles to your skill improvement or your creativity.
Imagine how much more confident YOU will feel in the future when you learn how make better photographs.
Imagine the time you could save and the frustrations you could avoid if you find ways to make better images with simple solutions.
Imagine how your family or clients will respond when they notice the improvement in YOUR photography!
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Steadman’s Method
1. When I teach or mentor or consult with photographers around the world, I use a method I call a Live Voice+Visual Dialog™ on a phone call.
Some people mistakenly think this is just a phone call. It is far from that!
This service is based on both of us sharing a dialog or conversation at the same time as we view your photos together!
We will use BOTH Voice and Visual communication at the same time!
That is not the full story.
You will need to try it to understand and to experience the great difference for yourself!
All communication is by live voice call (a phone call or Skype call).
In short you must call me and speak with me to use this service. No emails. No chat. No PMs. No text messages. No typing. No writing. It is easier and much better this way for many reasons.
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Why does Steadman use Voice calls instead of email or text messages?
Simply because I can tell you many things in a phone call that I will not type and and things I cannot write as effectively.
It is much easier and better and faster as a means of communicating.
It allows us to have a deeper level of communication.
It is more friendly, more natural, and reduces the anxiety or intimidation you might naturally feel when consulting an expert about your photos.
It is more fluid and more immediate in response, so you don’t have to wait and wonder while waiting for an email or text message.
It is a better way of communicating meaning and subtle comments.
It is much more personal and more “human” than email.
It is much more FUN for both you and me!
It is the BEST way to communicate (aside from a real face to face meeting).
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What if this call is international?
I provide a truly global service via this site.
I have clients or mentees and photographers I am helping who are truly located around the world.
I communicate with them all via my special method of Live Voice+Visual Dialog.™
My method helps them all accelerate their learning and quickly improve their photography!
Please read below in this post.
You will find much more information about how I communicate with other photographers around the world in many languages!
If you speak English fluently, I can tell you more information and more clearly and more quickly than I can type. I can tell you more because I will have a “Live and Real Time” dialog or conversation with you. The difference between writing and speaking is considerable. You will see and understand on your first call why this is much better than a written comment or critique on a forum.
If English is NOT your first language or if you are concerned about using English because your use of English is NOT fluent or you may feel inhibited in any way from using English, please read down below in this post. I provide help in 18+ languages in addition to English, so I may be able to help you.
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2. You will not be called by me!
I do NOT call outbound. You will call me when YOU are ready to speak about your photography.
This is so you can be assured that you will NOT be disturbed at a time that is inconvenient for YOU or your family or your work.
You call me by using your phone or Skype.
You may even make a long-distance or international call for FREE if you use a Skype to Skype (VOIP) call so there would be NO long distance phone charge to you.
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Is English a foreign language for you?
If English is not your native language, but is your second language, then you will find it much easier to communicate using my Live Voice+Visual Dialog™ communication method.
There is no need for you to worry about misspelled words or poor grammar or accent.
I will help you and you will find it easier to express yourself clearly.
If there are any questions, it is easier to get clarity because we will be talking in a dialog. If you ever need to ask me a question to clarify something you may not understand, it is very easy because we are in a dialog, with real-time live communication connecting us.
I have Global Operating Hours (Hours of Availability) that fit YOUR schedule around the globe!
You may also call within a wide window of hours. My Global Operating Hours are 9:00AM (0900 hours) to 9:00PM (2100 hours) SEVEN Days a week. Those hours are based on Eastern Standard Time (New York City’s time zone).
I frequently speak with photographers living on the opposite side of the earth from me. It is not unusual nor is it inconvenient for me to speak with photographers in Japan, Australia, Pacific Islands, China, India, Europe, etc. I do this every week and even on weekends!
Don’t let long distances inhibit you from accessing the expertise that can help you improve your photography!
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Global Communications in English or Your Language (when possible)
What if English is not your first language?
What if your use of English is infrequent or limited?
What if you are not fluent in English?
What if your accent is strong?
You must speak some English to communicate with me, but you do NOT have to be fluent or your English could be “limited.”
English does not have to be your first language and you do not need a perfect accent. You do NOT have to be fluent in English. (see the testimonial letter down below).
I have studied 12+ languages other than English (my native language). I truly enjoy speaking with people from other countries, other cultures, and those who speak other languages.
I am accustomed to communicating with people who are using English as a second language. I regularly communicate with people who are from: Europe, the Middle East, Russia, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
I may be able to help you even IF your use of English is limited or IF you do not consider yourself fluent in speaking English.
Many people understand more English than they feel comfortable speaking. I understand that and why.
Many people who do NOT speak English frequently or fluently may feel inhibited about calling to speak using English.
Do not feel that way.
I am an expert in cross-cultural communication.
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I can help you and will do my best to communicate effectively with you in your language!
I may be able to help you by speaking to you in:
French
Spanish
Portuguese (Brazilian)
German
Dutch
Italian
Japanese
Russian
Swahili
Mandarin Chinese
Catalan
Norwegian
Swedish
Danish
Polish
Romanian
Finnish (coming soon)
Bahasa Malaysia (coming soon)
Bahasa Indonesia (coming soon)
Croatian (coming soon)
Serbian (coming soon)
Slovenian (coming soon)
Tagalog (coming soon)
So if you speak or understand one of those languages and some English or if you speak English fluently, we should talk!
I do not claim to be fluent in those languages (except English) and my accent in those languages may make you wince or laugh at times too. But I will try to help you in YOUR language as much as possible. I may be able to tell you (while speaking in one of those languages above) what I see that could be improved in your images/photos and how you could do it.
If you understand one of those languages and speak some English (even if not fluently), OR if you do speak English, you should be able to understand me and what I will be able to tell you about your photos that may help you improve your photography.
I will keep my comments simple, my speaking pace in English at a pace comfortable for you, and I will make Simple Suggestions™ you should be able to understand and apply even IF your use of English is limited. Read more about how this works on the Six Minute Solution page .
Steadman
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Please tell others about this site.
That will help us help and inspire more photographers.
Just click this share button below.
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If this is your first visit to this site,
I encourage you to visit and read the following page
as it will help orient you to this site and some
very special opportunities for you.
Start Here
You should. It could help you.
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If you are outside of the USA,
I encourage you to read the
Global Visitors Page
You should. It could help you.
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Learn About Steadman’s
Six Minute Solution™
You should. It could help you.
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Seven ways you can help other photographers and yourself too!
Have you heard of Karma? Do you believe in the Golden Rule?
Karma is the belief that all deeds can shape the past, present, and future experiences. In the West, this is sometimes expressed by the Christian concept of “you reap what you sow.” In short, do good to others and good may come to you. I truly believe that helping others helps not only them, but also ourselves in ways we often cannot anticipate. Each action of good you do, can make the world a nicer place. Do you believe in the Golden Rule?
1. Tell others about this site.
If you frequent photography forums and see a good opportunity to let people there know about this site, please do. Others who read your favorite forums or blogs may be looking for free lessons and inspiring photographs from which they can learn. Or they may be new to photography forum posting and need some guidance on how to learn more from getting critiques of their photos. Just direct them to www.photomentors.com.
This site is written to inspire photographers of all levels and help them have a better experience in photography.
We even have ten pages devoted to tips on how to have a better experience on a photography forum and those tips may help your favorite forum have better posts and more participation.
2. Please tell at least three of your friends in your community or social network about this site.
If you are on Facebook for example, you could tell your friends.They could be at any level of photography. Anybody who likes photography can benefit from the free lessons or from seeing the thousands of inspiring photographs from some of the world’s best photographers. PhotoMentors has things designed to be of interest to ALL levels of photographers from Beginners to Advanced Professionals.
3. Click on one of the social bookmarking links in this page and let others know about this post or page or this new site.
Tweet your friends. Tell others you DIGG this site. Tell your Facebook friends. Look in the right column of this page and almost all pages on the site for the link that says “SHARE” and click on it to go a pop up list of bookmarking links. It is easy and fast. Or you can send an email to a friend through that link too. Here is another link so you can bookmark this page right now in two clicks of your mouse in three seconds.
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Please take three seconds now to tell others about this site. That will help us help and inspire more photographers.
Just click this share button below.
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4. Add a link to PhotoMentors site to your blog or site.
Or write a post on your blog about what you saw on this site. Did you see a photo that inspired you when you viewed a Masters of Photography Gallery here? Did you learn something about a photographer you had not known about before? Tell others about the thousands of photos by Masters of Photography found here. Remember, our focus is on providing free access to all kinds of photographs and information that will inspire photographers of all levels.
5. Save yourself time while also helping other photographers.
In the future you might come across a newbie or someone new to photography. They may be looking for inspiring examples of great photography or they may want some guidance. This site may help them have a better experience with photography too. You won’t have to type much to help them, all you have to do is simply post a link to this site and that may solve their problem with a couple of clicks of your mouse. Simply tell them to look for the section on Free Lessons and Tips. That helps them, saves you time, and helps me help other photographer learn. So, that is a Win+ Win+ Win.
6. Subscribe to the PhotoMentors mailing list for our FREE Newsletter.
Why? First because the newsletter will be used to tell you about Special Opportunities that may be very valuable to you. Some opportunities may involve substantial discounts on things photographers use. These will be “un-advertised” exclusive offers that may be as much as 50% – 70% OFF retail. Other opportunities are related to activities that may be for publishing images and other opportunities to learn or participate. The more subscribers the newsletter has will help us negotiate special offers and discounts from vendors that can then be passed on to you our readers.
It will only take a moment to add your email to the list. Simply fill in the simple Subscribe Form found on the right column of all pages here on the site. Look in the lower right column. The newsletter will keep you informed when we have special offers and opportunities for our friends around the world. You will also learn about exclusive discounts and other nice things.
Don’t worry about receiving too many newsletters or emails from us. We only send out the newsletter infrequently, but when we do, there will be something of value in it for you. There will be many valuable and exclusive things coming in the future, including great opportunities for photographers, so don’t miss this easy way to hear about it first.
7. Look around this site. Soak it in. Imagine. Be inspired!
You might find something else that interests you or helps you. In 2011 I plan to have hundreds of pages of freely accessible educational content, and 5,000+ inspiring photos by Masters of Photography, and dozens of free educational videos.
I recommend seeing the Site Map (Table of Contents) so you can easily see the long list of articles, posts, and pages listed by topics.
If you would like to see if I can help you as a mentor, then just give me a call using the Skype button or the phone number at the bottom of each Page.
Finally, do what you can to help others post their photos and also get comments and have a good time doing so. That makes the world a nicer place and gives us all more nice photography to see on the net.
Thank you for your help.
Steadman
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Your First Introductory Call is free, but what you might learn later is priceless!™
If you have Skype, simply click on the “Call Me” button below to make a free Skype-to-Skype call. Before you do, make sure the top button says “I’m Online” and is green.
If you don’t have Skype yet, you can download the free Skype software in minutes via the link below the buttons below.
Or, if you want to call using your own land-line phone or cellular phone, simply dial our Direct Dial number:
(646) 233-1511
Our phones are generally answered during our flexible Global Operating hours of 9:00AM (0900) to 9:00PM (2100) EST (New York City Time Zone). Feel free to call anytime within that 12 hour window, 7 days a week.
Call now. It is the first step to a new way of learning and growing in photography.
You will find our service begins with a friendly hello.
If we are not on a call with another photographer, we will be happy to speak with you. If you get our voicemail it means we are on a call with another photographer. In that case, simply leave a detailed message on our voicemail with instructions on how we should contact you. Most voicemail messages receive a call back within two hours, whenever possible. All emails are answered the same day, whenever possible.
If you prefer to send an email you may do that by visiting our Contact Page. Or by using the following email address:
steadman@photomentors.com
Most voicemail messages receive a call back within two hours, whenever possible. All emails are answered the same day, whenever possible.
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