One-on-One Photography Coaching

FOR BEGINNER PHOTOGRAPHERS & FOOD BLOGGERS

My one-on-one photography coaching is mostly for those starting out as headshot, portrait, or family photographers, as well as food bloggers who know a lot about food but perhaps less about photography.

Photography Coaching for Beginners

WHAT MAKES ME A QUALIFIED PHOTOGRAPHY COACH FOR BEGINNERS?

I’ve been a professional photographer since 2007.

I bought my first DSLR in April of 2007 and have been working professionally ever since. For 17 years, I’ve taken headshots of over 1,000 individuals – everyone from actors to writers to corporate executives. I’ve worked primarily in New York City, with stints in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Burlington, VT.

Vermont Comedy Club, March 2017

I’ve photographed hundreds of events, families, engagement sessions, performances, parties, weddings, and more.

I’m highly experienced with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, having used both for over 15 years. I’ve personally retouched or edited every photo on my site. I’ve never hired editors and I don’t use presets.

Thanks to my photography career and all that came before it, I have decades of experience communicating with clients and interacting with a variety of people in a wide range of settings.

I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way, and I know how to spot potential issues before they arise.

I’ve probably been in your shoes.

WHAT YOU GET WITH ONE-ON-ONE PHOTOGRAPHY COACHING

My one-on-one coaching sessions will allow you have a live, private conversation with me either in person or over Zoom about any area of photography you’re struggling with.

These can last 20, 40, or 60 minutes depending on your needs. Anything requiring over one hour is best to be split into more than one session.

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN WITH ONE-ON-ONE PHOTOGRAPHY COACHING

I want these sessions to be entirely personalized to you. This could involve looking through your website or photos and discussing possible adjustments, talking about the best ways for you to find clients and build a portfolio, or taking you through my editing process in real time.

Examples of topics we could cover:

  • How to shoot in manual mode

  • Which lens is best for which situation

  • Exposure, aperture, ISO, and other camera settings

  • Lighting and composition

  • How to find clients as a newer photographer

  • Portfolio building and curating

  • Website critique

  • Editing in Lightroom

  • Retouching in Photoshop

  • Copywriting for your website and social media

PHOTOGRAPHY COACHING IS FOR YOU IF:

  • You consider yourself a beginner or early intermediate photographer

  • You don’t yet have a website or are in the early stages of creating one

  • You’re still learning how to use your camera

  • You’ve been shooting for under a year and hoping to build your business

  • You’re still building a portfolio

  • You’re unsure of the best way to communicate with clients before, during, and/or after sessions

  • You need help with editing and/or retouching

PHOTOGRAPHY COACHING IS –NOT– FOR YOU IF:

  • The next step in your photography career is to build a six-figure business

  • You’re well beyond learning camera and editing basics and are looking to scale your business or hire associates

  • You’re a wedding photographer hoping to break into the luxury market but unsure how to do it

  • Please know these are all worthy goals, I just might not be the best person to coach you at this time!

WHAT DOES ONE-ON-ONE PHOTOGRAPHY COACHING FOR BEGINNERS COST?

In these early stages of this part of my business, I’m keeping rates on the lower end compared to what I’ve seen others offer, simply because coaching is new territory for me.

My rates may increase at some point, but I will always give at least one month’s notice before doing so.

Payment is due in full before each session. You may also book several sessions at once.

20-minute coaching session: $45

40-minute coaching session: $90

60-minute coaching session: $130

WHEN ARE YOU AVAILABLE?

My one-on-one coaching sessions can take place when convenient for both of us. I’m usually available every day of the week. Note that I’m located in the U.S. Eastern Time Zone and will likely only be available between 9:00 AM ET and 8:00 PM ET.

 

Photography & Writing for Food Bloggers

If you’re a food blogger who wants more help than a coaching service, I can provide both writing and photography for your blog.

I have 17 years of professional photography experience and am adept at matching photo styles to already existing photos. I do this with many of my corporate headshots where the tone, lighting, and composition have to match headshots on the company website.

I also have extensive experience as a blog and article writer, most recently as an SEO writer for a marketing agency.

Let me know what your needs are – I’m happy to provide a free consultation over FaceTime or Zoom to see if I’m the right fit!

    • I’ve worked professionally as an SEO writer. Recently, I’ve written several dozen articles (under a pseudonym) for Finixio Ltd., a London-based marketing agency. Topics ranged from cryptocurrency to lifestyle to travel. My main objective was to incorporate a list of keywords into each article. I’ve learned how to naturally insert keywords into writing in a way that makes the text flow easily and not feel “keyword stuffy.”

    • I’ve been a pitch deck writer. Several years ago, I had a full-time job writing pitch decks for Sharp Entertainment, a NYC production company. I crafted multi-page documents (with photos and graphics) of new series ideas to pitch to networks. An important part of my job was to capture the voice of each network (Food Network, Bravo, Discovery Channel, etc.) in my writing, so I am adept at modifying my writing style to suit whichever blogger I’d be writing for.

    • I’ve written hundreds of blog posts. I started a food blog, The Frugal Spinster, over the pandemic and wrote a bunch of recipes and posts before photographing people started taking over my life again. I’ve also written a couple hundred posts for my running-focused blog, as well as articles for my photography blog.

    • I was a comedy writer. I spent about a decade writing and directing sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in NYC – in addition to dozens of late night packets. While food blogging isn’t exactly sketch comedy, I do have extensive experience writing humor, which can be used as much or as little as needed in food blogging.

    • I wrote an op-ed for the New York Times after the death of my mother which, I assume, is not a food blogging pre-requisite, but I was proud to write a piece worthy for their publication.

    • It’s in my blood. My father was an English teacher and my mother taught ESL and wrote poetry, so I’m a stickler for grammar, spelling, syntax, and all things language.oes here

    • I’ve been a professional photographer since 2007. I’ve photographed thousands of individuals and hundreds of events, families, and many other things (take a look around my site for examples!).

    • While I was building my food blog, I studied the niche of food photography, watched countless tutorials, and worked tirelessly on the craft.

    • I understand how to use both natural and artificial light, composition, food styling, editing and advanced retouching, and efficient workflows.

    • I’ve been using Abode Photoshop and Lightroom for over 15 years.

    • Nikon D810

    • Nikon 50mm f/1.4

    • Nikon Micro 60mm f/2.8

    • Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8

    • Nikon 20mm f/2.8

    • Two speedlights

    • Two white umbrellas

    • Silver, gold, and white reflectors

    • Wooden, white, gray, and black food photography boards (in the process of purchasing more options for this but would love to see what the needs are first)

    • Savage brand paper backdrops: white, stone gray, studio gray, thunder gray, bone, mocha, black