Margot Judge first approached Wonderful Machine for help with her website and marketing. As a beauty and editorial photographer, she wanted to better resonate with the beauty and fashion brands she aspired to collaborate with. I was eager to start on this project with Margot and to utilize my years of expertise in creative coaching, guiding photographers to reach their full potential.
Creative coaching is centered around helping photographers identify their unique strengths, passions, and goals, and providing tailored guidance to achieve success. My approach involves focusing on each photographer’s individual needs and offering objective suggestions to strengthen their portfolio. My ultimate goal is to set photographers up for success and empower them to do the work they love.
Starting with the basics, I want to know what your objectives and your goals are. Then it becomes a collaborative effort – I provide suggestions of how you can get from point A to point B. This involves a mood board, pulling images from your dream clients and photographers. As well as a mood board of your favorite images from your site. Then we connect the dots.
In March 2023, I initiated the coaching process with Margot by reviewing her questionnaire and website, gaining valuable insights into her challenges and aspirations. Margot’s main concerns revolved around not being noticed by her dream clients and improving her online presence.
Drawing from my extensive background in working with brands, I offered valuable insights that helped Margot refine her approach to attracting clients. My perspective on how brands hire photographers and what they look for on photographer websites proved instrumental in guiding Margot in the right direction.
When I first looked at her website, the biggest thing that stood out to me was that her portfolio was displayed in a grid format with very small images. This approach is generally not very appealing to clients, specifically in the fashion and beauty industry. They prefer to see bigger, full-sized images to be able to highlight the details of their products. So while her images were good, the way they were being displayed to potential clients was making it more difficult for them to see what she does.
The second significant step in the coaching process involved assigning homework to Margot. Together, we brainstormed photoshoot ideas to build a stronger portfolio and fill gaps in her existing work. This task motivated Margot to take further action, leading to a collaboration with a designer to rebrand and redesign her website.
The creative coaching process yielded impressive results for Margot. Her work now shines boldly, reflecting her unique identity as a photographer. Although it is difficult to pinpoint concrete successes, the overall outcome of the coaching process has been undeniably positive, with Margot’s portfolio garnering admiration from industry professionals.
Overall, I believe that the project was a success and Margot agreed:
More than anything, you helped build up my confidence and fine-tune what I already had. I go into shoots now with a lot more assurance in who I am as an artist and photographer. Plus we completely changed my website and helped make it feel a lot more professional. I feel confident when reaching out to creative and art directors that I belong in the room.
In summary, Margot Judge’s creative coaching journey with me illustrates the transformative power of personalized guidance and support. Through a combination of insights, solutions, and hard work, Margot has successfully elevated her photography career and is well on her way to achieving her goals. This case study serves as a testament to the potential of creative coaching in empowering photographers to reach new heights in their careers.
Further Reading:
Specialty: Fashion Photography
Expert Advice: How to Build Your Web Presence
Expert Advice: Self-Assigned Projects
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