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How to Be a Luxury Photographer in Any Style · Luxe & Legacy Podcast

• 0:01
  Welcome to the Lux and Legacy Podcast.
• 0:03
  I'm Marie from Marie Elizabeth Photography.
• 0:06
  And I am Amber from Light Live in Photography.
• 0:09
  We created this show for photographers who are ready to run a luxury business with clarity, intention, and elevated artistry.
• 0:19
  Each week we uncover the strategies behind high level brands from shooting and styling to client communication, to marketing, to designing heirloom products that increase your value.
• 0:30
  If you want to attract aligned clients, produce, work with a recognizable aesthetic and build a business that supports the life you want, this podcast will guide you there.
• 0:42
  Let's dive in.
• 0:43
  Hey, guys.
• 0:44
  Today, we want to talk about something we've been thinking about a lot lately because of certain messages we get in our DMs asking, why am I not booking? I don't really understand."
• 0:55
  So there's lots of elements to why a photographer might not be booking as much as they want.
• 1:01
  A lot of it has to do with client experience or marketing, one of the main foundational levels can sometimes be your actual portfolio and what clients are visually seeing two seconds that they land on your Instagram page or your website.
• 1:20
  I know that some people think, "Oh, luxury is only one specific aesthetic," light and airy, neutral dresses, fields, and perfect sunsets, but that's not always the case.
• 1:33
  Yes, that's what Marie and I both happen to love.
• 1:38
  We have a very soft, often pastel and ethereal type of aesthetic, but that aesthetic doesn't have to be the case just to be luxury, right? So today, we wanna talk about some different types of photography that can also look luxury and attract luxury clients, but be completely unique on their own.
• 2:05
  However, this...
• 2:07
  there's also elements that will scream budget.
• 2:11
  So in each category, you can either look expensive or budget, but there's lots of different categories for photography.
• 2:19
  you can pick what you're most passionate about, what lights you up, and that's the number one thing.
• 2:25
  But you wanna have Instagram, an Instagram feed that clients go onto, and if they love that certain style, like whatever it is, you want them to say, "Wow, this is the photographer I want.
• 2:38
  I have to book this photographer."
• 2:42
  There can be so many different styles for luxury photography.
• 2:46
  You can go documentary.
• 2:48
  That's really in right now.
• 2:50
  Some luxury photographers are bold and editorial.
• 2:53
  Some are super playful and have lots of movement.
• 2:57
  Some are dark and moody.
• 2:58
  Some are minimalist.
• 3:00
  When I first entered the luxury scene, I thought the only way was the light and airy, minimalist, you know, fields look, and that is not the case.
• 3:11
  You can have your own distinct style and charge luxury prices.
• 3:18
  Yet, there are some photographers who try to be luxury, and when you look at their photos, they appear amateur or budget.
• 3:30
  So, today we're gonna go into the why behind that okay.
• 3:36
  Exactly.
• 3:37
  Let's break it down.
• 3:38
  Okay.
• 3:40
  So obviously the style that's closest to Marie and I's would be an ethereal, romantic style with natural skin tones, beautiful light, and just kind of an overall feel that's very feminine, elegant, very expensive, flowy dresses, glow, quiet motherhood moments.
• 4:06
  Those type of images really reflect the feeling that we both happen to love yeah, and I am attracted to this ethereal romantic style because it's what I love in my real life.
• 4:21
  I love romanticizing life, and I love homes with old architecture.
• 4:26
  I love traveling.
• 4:28
  I love Jane Austen.
• 4:29
  And so because that's who I am, I'm naturally drawn to this style.
• 4:35
  And when the style is done well, I think it translates as incredibly timeless and emotional.
• 4:43
  However, it can be done poorly.
• 4:47
  You have to be careful for overexposing images.
• 4:51
  So I see a lot of photographers who are trying to be bright and airy, but they just bump the exposure.
• 4:57
  And so highlights are overexposed.
• 5:01
  It just doesn't look natural.
• 5:03
  Sometimes people use a little too much haze.
• 5:06
  I personally love using haze, but I'm intentional about when I use it, and I'm consistent in other areas, so that way it doesn't look like it's not supposed to be there.
• 5:16
  Sometimes I see photographers just get too trendy with this.
• 5:22
  They might just photograph with a specific trend of clothing, and then it starts making the photos look dated and not at that luxury level or overly posed.
• 5:38
  So you want to have your clients feel very natural and authentic Yeah, I agree.
• 5:45
  And again, this has to come down to what you are super passionate about creating.
• 5:52
  What types of images really give you that creative spark? So even as a, a kid and a teenager, I was...
• 6:01
  I didn't do photography, I just was an artist, and I would draw of strong women with create, like, big floral headpieces, and I had lots of paintings like that in art shows.
• 6:14
  so that, divine feminine and kind of that goddess light has been a big influence in my life, and so that's kind of where my comes in.
• 6:24
  And I also love just old European paintings of Mm-hmm.
• 6:28
  gardens and baskets of flowers and those things.
• 6:31
  So you see all that weaved into my photography work.
• 6:36
  but again, this doesn't have to be for everybody.
• 6:40
  And if you're gonna do a light and airy look, like Marie said, it has to have a full understanding of lighting and not just super bright photos that are overexposed.
• 6:55
  You have to understand cropping and composition and not be just quick to...
• 7:03
  Not changing your edits so that the image of what it looks like in person is completely different.
• 7:09
  So if you were to see my straight out of camera, it actually looks really close to the final edit.
• 7:17
  So I'm exposing for skin tones correctly.
• 7:20
  I'm doing my Kelvin.
• 7:21
  I, my light in the background is there.
• 7:23
  That's not faked.
• 7:25
  way the greens look, it's pretty similar, but I try to give it a little bit of a filmy tone to it, but not change what's actually there too much.
• 7:34
  It looks pretty close.
• 7:36
  So just being more intentional will make it look more expensive.
• 7:41
  Being luxury and ethereal in this style often also has to do with the styling.
• 7:48
  So if you have clients in, like, a striped shirt and cargo pants versus a client wearing a much more expensive luxury flowing dress, it can really affect the price point for this style.
• 8:08
  I think if you have what we're gonna talk about next, which is a more documentary storytelling type of vibe, then that can really fit within that aesthetic more Right.
• 8:20
  So next is documentary family photography, which is really big right now and is beautiful in its own way.
• 8:27
  So documentary family photography is often associated with in-home sessions.
• 8:34
  They're messier, and what I mean by that is it's not traditional.
• 8:41
  Everyone is framed perfectly.
• 8:44
  You might see a person in the foreground, you know? So it's not like traditional composition a lot of times.
• 8:54
  There's often a big highlight on emotion, definitely really natural posing, lots of movement, and very much in the moment Yeah, and the thing is about that, it has to feel like a real moment.
• 9:14
  And I love that you mention, I think one of the, the best things about that type of style is the layering in the foreground, of using actual people in the foreground that are completely blurred out, and then the focus is intentional on a certain subject in the family, and the compositions are really interesting there.
• 9:34
  The emotional tie-in is really, really strong.
• 9:38
  The storytelling elements are really, really strong.
• 9:41
  And where people sometimes go wrong with that is they're like, "Oh, I'm just documentary," but then what they're showing is looking at the camera or, like, just simple compositions in locations that are maybe just not very interesting, but they were trying to just make it look natural.
• 10:00
  Like, "This is just you guys.
• 10:01
  You guys just do your thing."
• 10:03
  people don't know what to do, and they look awkward.
• 10:06
  So really having a lack of understanding of posing and how the lighting works, how your compositions can be more interesting, lack c- can make your, your feed look more budget, more amateur.
• 10:22
  Whereas your intention is to be really natural and documentary, but that still requires understanding posing and having kind of some visions and ideas of what you want to create.
• 10:36
  And then, yes, seeing the moment when it happens and being able to, say, move in and crop to that really interesting moment at the right time.
• 10:46
  And that comes from experience, too, don't you think? Like, sometimes people just wanna stand back and get at that one distance and get the looking at the camera shot and just edit it really naturally, and they will call that documentary, and that's actually not really what's going to attract clients to that, in my opinion.
• 11:09
  I think that you have to be a little bit more on the creative side if you're gonna do that style, and be really good at giving prompts and direction to get people to connect and have fun and be playful in the moment.
• 11:26
  Yeah, you nailed it.
• 11:28
  You have to be creative with getting those interactions, so your posing needs to be good.
• 11:33
  You are not just sitting back and letting things happen completely like you're not there.
• 11:39
  You're part of that creative process with your clients.
• 11:43
  And so you need to be creative with your posing and the, using the light intentionally to highlight a sweet moment, and using crops and composition to draw attention.
• 11:53
  Those are all really important skills to master in the documentary style Okay, next is the bold style.
• 12:03
  It's more dramatic and very visually confident Yeah, and this style is so different from me, 'cause I'm very into very soft colors and soft light.
• 12:17
  But this style can feel incredibly expensive too, because it has a really strong point of view, and it's gonna stand out to clients who love bold patterns and colors and movement.
• 12:30
  So I think there's definitely a ton of clients who are into this style.
• 12:34
  They're probably the people who really love bold patterns.
• 12:37
  They love lots of graphic design and funky things.
• 12:42
  So there's definitely a clientele for it that is willing to pay a lot of money for that as well.
• 12:49
  But again, you have to make sure your clients are not overly posed, overly cheesy, not feeling stiff, that they're...
• 12:57
  You're understanding light.
• 12:58
  And even when you have people show up in whatever they want, I still think it's a good idea to coordinate with them and, and say ahead of time, like, "Hey, you're gonna wear whatever you want, but send me some outfit combination ideas," and we can kind of play with how they, they look together.
• 13:21
  having just a little bit of coordination, nothing matchy-matchy, especially within this style.
• 13:26
  They w- they want funky, they want unique, they want bold.
• 13:29
  But still, having that eye and being able to help them style well will make a lot of difference, and people are willing to pay more when you'll help them with that.
• 13:40
  So with a bold, colorful type of photography, that can lean different directions as well.
• 13:48
  Often it'll be kind of a cinematic documentary of style that really has a lot of storytelling, and it, it doesn't matter so much what they're wearing as much as really providing a feeling or a mood or a presence.
• 14:07
  And it has a lot more deep, rich colors.
• 14:12
  There's a lot more use of dark shadows or bold color in, in the feed.
• 14:19
  And it kind of stands out as much more rich and intense.
• 14:24
  Yeah.
• 14:25
  So I, I think colorful is becoming really popular now because there have been so many people who have been very minimalist with colors, you know, and stayed with all neutrals for years and years and years, and all these photographers are ready to play with color.
• 14:41
  And I play with color here and there too.
• 14:44
  And when I first started doing it, I was like, you know, I know how to style neutrals and florals, but I don't know if I know how to style for wearing color.
• 14:54
  And so I do think you have to make it intentional with if you're going to have someone in a bright color, having everyone flow well.
• 15:04
  So incorporating, like one of those, I have a styling book that's like color combinations.
• 15:12
  That's very helpful.
• 15:13
  You can look color combinations up online too.
• 15:16
  But you wanna make it look like everyone chose this for a reason, and not people just threw on whatever they were, had in their, in their drawers Yeah, and the overall feed needs to flow together.
• 15:28
  So I wouldn't recommend you try a bold aesthetic with, like, a dark black background and a red dress into a feed where there's also very light and airy, bright light in the background, and they're wearing a flow, ethereal, neutral dress.
• 15:46
  It just can be really jarring and confusing to clients if they're, you're seeing two totally different styles in the same feed.
• 15:53
  So picking the one style is the most important element.
• 15:59
  The next style is an editorial luxury photographer, and this style is usually fashion inspired.
• 16:08
  There is strong posing, very clean lines.
• 16:12
  It's more dramatic and very confident.
• 16:16
  And I think that, I was just telling Amber, I feel like some of the poses she does with her clients look very editorial to me.
• 16:22
  It's a lot of a woman looking at the camera in a power pose, whether that's tilting their chin up ever so slightly so it looks like they're looking down at you, like, from this position of power or, you know, this feeling of strength.
• 16:39
  And it's this, also this idea of, like, taking up space in the, in the photo.
• 16:43
  So again, that powerful feeling Thank you.
• 16:49
  I would say I love editorial posing.
• 16:52
  I also love playful posing, which is what my, my course is called.
• 16:57
  But a lot of it is editorial, and inspired by fashion magazines a lot.
• 17:04
  I also love making women feel very powerful and beautiful.
• 17:08
  So that is definitely in my posing, and I try to make sure people feel something when they're not just standing there looking at the camera, but they're envisioning something.
• 17:19
  They're feeling powerful.
• 17:21
  And the angles are really important for me, i- in other styles, it, it might not be.
• 17:28
  They don't h- pay attention so much to the angle and the way the body is twisted, the shoulders, the chin, all of those elements.
• 17:36
  So editorial, basically it comes down to making it feel a little bit more like a fashion magazine, like more, more quiet luxury, kind of sensuality to it.
• 17:50
  And the posing is very, natural emotion, but still very conscious of the body and the shapes that are being made in the body Another type of editorial posing, I mean, there's different types of even within this category, right? Marie and I were talking about this feed that was mostly studio and black and whites and very fashion-y looking, looking maternity poses.
• 18:19
  But we describe that one as more of like a Scandinavian minimalism.
• 18:24
  So when I say that, you probably can envision it a lot better.
• 18:27
  Very minimal colors, very black and white and neutrals, and it's posed in a way that feels not cheesy, not, not stiff.
• 18:43
  They feel very relaxed, but each angle and movement is more intentional with that.
• 18:50
  So kind of a controlled minimal- minimalism.
• 18:54
  Nothing unnecessary in the frame, like no distractions, a very limited color palette.
• 19:00
  So some people absolutely love that style.
• 19:03
  And when I think of that style, I think of Northern European or, or people in New York would really love that style a lot of the time.
• 19:10
  So it also can be affected by where you live and what kind of bleeds into what you love and the looks that you love.
• 19:18
  So like Marie is very inspired by the location she lives in, and she has these gorgeous fairy tale-like old buildings that have really seeped into her overall aesthetic to kinda create this fairy tale romance vibe.
• 19:35
  In California, we really don't have buildings like that, but we have, where I am, a lot of farms, a lot of, nature spaces and fields, and we have olive farms, we have rose gardens, we have...
• 19:51
  So these are the type of things that inspire me and in my work.
• 19:56
  Okay, so the big thing is how do you differentiate between what looks more expensive and what looks budget? When are clients gonna go onto a feed and say, "Oh, that looks very cheap.
• 20:12
  I'm gonna see if she'll do my session for $200."
• 20:16
  Mm-hmm.
• 20:17
  when do clients who go to those expensive designer stores like Gucci, Prada, what are they looking for when they go onto a feed? Each one of those types can have a luxury clientele, but it just depends on their personal taste.
• 20:35
  However, are certain things that all luxury work has in common Yeah, and it's not like you need to be a specific style.
• 20:46
  You do not need to...
• 20:47
  There's not only one luxury photography style.
• 20:51
  It's more about refinement and intention, and we're going to dive into that Exactly So intentionality, you said the key word right there.
• 21:01
  I think intentionality might be the biggest one.
• 21:05
  It feels intentional to your own persona, your personality, what you wanna create from the passion that comes from within.
• 21:15
  Nothing feels random in your feed.
• 21:18
  Nothing feels like, "Oh, well, this client wanted me to do this, so today I'm this, and this other client wanted me to do that, so today I'm that."
• 21:26
  It's not being pulled in multiple directions by multiple people.
• 21:31
  It's not, it, it's not random.
• 21:34
  It's pulling from within your own artistic creativity and what sparks your joy.
• 21:42
  So that's the number one thing Yeah, and it goes back to making sure everything is planned.
• 21:50
  You don't want it to look necessarily like it's planned.
• 21:54
  It needs to feel effortless.
• 21:55
  And so a lot of people think that it is effortless, and it's not.
• 21:58
  So for example, back when we were talking about wardrobe with, like, a more colorful style, you can't just say, "Okay, everyone show up in bright colors."
• 22:07
  That's not going to work.
• 22:08
  You need to provide the color palette and guide them through the styling so that there is no, like, too matchy-matchy or too much contrast with patterns.
• 22:21
  And similarly, for the documentary style, let's say you ha- are like, "Okay, I'm gonna do this documentary pose," and you have someone in the foreground, and your focus is on someone in the background.
• 22:35
  But the moment or what you have focused on is not really anything and not much is happening, then that image falls flat.
• 22:44
  And it's not intentional.
• 22:46
  Now, if you, let's say, have some people in the foreground, and then there's a really sweet moment between a mother just leaning into her newborn, that is highlighting a moment.
• 23:00
  And that person in the foreground, it's kind of setting the scene, making you feel like you're peeking into their life.
• 23:06
  So that works.
• 23:08
  That's intentional.
• 23:10
  And next is restraint.
• 23:11
  It's like the opposite, right? And so we as luxury photographers use restraint all the time.
• 23:19
  So we are not trying every latest trend, or we're not going to clutter our photos with unnecessary things, do different editing styles, too many props.
• 23:34
  And it can be tricky because there are some trends that can enter the photography industry quite frequently.
• 23:41
  And I do like playing around here and there with some trendy things.
• 23:47
  However, I will only do that for a couple photos in a gallery, and I will make sure the rest of that gallery is classic because I know that's what's going to last Yes, definitely.
• 23:59
  And I think that curation is probably an important element to this.
• 24:05
  So don't wanna have, like I said, anything under the sun trying brand new things.
• 24:11
  It needs to feel really cohesive and have a visual balance, amazing composition, some emotion behind it.
• 24:20
  I think no matter what style you are, emotion needs to be part of it.
• 24:26
  Mm-hmm.
• 24:26
  can't be just looking at the camera with that blank stare or Mm-hmm.
• 24:30
  cheese.
• 24:32
  don't think that say cheese at the camera ever looks luxury.
• 24:38
  Like, don't ever include a photo on your feed where the family was saying cheese at the camera personally.
• 24:46
  Yeah.
• 24:47
  Okay.
• 24:48
  And going back to s- styling a little bit, I really think that styling is important.
• 24:56
  So for me, even though I'm the light and airy aesthetic, and that's what my clients are booking me for, 'cause they've seen so much of my work in my portfolio showing that aesthetic with soft pastels mixed with neutral colors.
• 25:09
  So that's why they're booking with me, so I don't ever feel like I'm pushing that on them.
• 25:14
  However, I do wanna make sure that my clients feel beautiful in the colors that they're in.
• 25:21
  So it is a collaboration of like, okay, what colors are flattering on you? What do you feel beautiful in? And then I can suggest pieces that go well together, and then suggest outfits for dad that look really good together.
• 25:36
  So my styling is definitely on the higher end of hands-on and making sure everything, even the shoes and the socks, look good for the photos.
• 25:47
  Mm-hmm.
• 25:48
  not everyone is that hands-on, but I do think that if you're showing really bad styling where o- one kid is wearing, you know, sneakers and jean overalls, and the mom is wearing a really fancy dress, and it just doesn't, like, fit together, that can affect the overall feel of your feed and look less expensive For sure.
• 26:15
  Also, things like your hair and makeup.
• 26:19
  So if your hair and makeup, and it goes back to intention, if it doesn't look intentional.
• 26:25
  Like I saw an image where it was a mom, and she was in a really nice dress, and the nursery looked nice, but her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, and it wasn't like a f- high fashion high ponytail, okay? And she was wearing these large hoop earrings.
• 26:45
  It did not fit.
• 26:47
  So it did not look tasteful what her earrings and her hair were doing, even though her outfit and the location did.
• 26:56
  So there does need to be a level of taste there when it comes to wardrobe, hair, makeup also location to a degree.
• 27:07
  Like, you don't want I mean, you literally...
• 27:09
  I photograph at some locations that I do edit out garbage cans.
• 27:14
  There's one location where it's the Washington Monument, and there's like a garbage can.
• 27:19
  I, I think it's a garbage can.
• 27:20
  It looks like one.
• 27:21
  And I edit it out in all the images.
• 27:24
  So there are things to, to keep in mind with that.
• 27:27
  You don't want clients in like a really outdated style of clothing if you're gonna be luxury because other potential luxury clients are gonna see that and be like, "Ew, mm, maybe that's not the photographer for me."
• 27:41
  Yes.
• 27:41
  I'm coaching this one gal who had, he, she had a session on her feed, the location was amazing, the edit looked great, it was beautiful beach at sunrise.
• 27:55
  But the client had not done her hair and makeup at all.
• 27:58
  You could tell it was a sunrise session.
• 28:01
  She had glasses on, just her hair just looked just like she rolled out of bed, kinda like no makeup, no style.
• 28:09
  The, the dress was super simple, plain.
• 28:12
  Like, you could tell it was maybe a $20 dress from Amazon.
• 28:14
  Like, it, the overall styling of the client, paired with kind of a lack of knowledge about posing at people's most flattering angles, I would say, and kind of a lack of emotion.
• 28:29
  like, "Redo that shoot at that location.
• 28:32
  I love the location, I love your edit, I love the lighting.
• 28:36
  But get a model in there or someone who's, who's going to get their hair and makeup done and look nice.
• 28:42
  Like, maybe reach out to an actual hair and makeup artist who is really good at doing their own hair and makeup so they can do it at 5:00 in the morning."
• 28:52
  Mm-hmm.
• 28:52
  that's tricky.
• 28:54
  Maybe you could share some tips for how you get your clients to go to a hair and makeup artist at 5:00 in the morning.
• 29:00
  But I told her, like, "Redo that shoot.
• 29:02
  Delete it," because it just made it, her, feed look cheap, even though it was nothing to do with her photography.
• 29:11
  It was everything to do with the styling and the lack of the hair and makeup.
• 29:15
  And people...
• 29:16
  At, at one of my retreats, someone asked me, "How do you get clients to get their hair and makeup done and shell out?" 'Cause that's, you know, if they're charging $500, a hair and makeup person is charging 300, to them, that 300 extra is a lot of money to invest in the hair and makeup.
• 29:36
  Mm-hmm.
• 29:37
  the photography, you know, sometimes people in that budget, they, they don't wanna pay for hair and makeup, basically is my point.
• 29:44
  So I told her, "You just have to only show people on your feed that have their hair and makeup done nice.
• 29:49
  If they don't, don't show it.
• 29:52
  Mm-hmm.
• 29:53
  it-" Yeah.
• 29:55
  And, you know, occasionally you're gonna get clients that are just really good at doing their hair and makeup, and might not need a professional, but it is not common.
• 30:06
  So you definitely want it to be tasteful, no matter how they get their hair and makeup done Okay So to sum this up, again, luxury photography, it's not about a specific style or aesthetic.
• 30:22
  You don't have to be Lionaire, you don't have to be documentary, you don't have to be editorial.
• 30:26
  It is about refinement and intentionality Exactly.
• 30:31
  And the goal isn't to copy someone else's luxury work to see how you can copy that dress, and copy that pose, and go to that same location.
• 30:40
  It's not about that.
• 30:42
  It's about creating work that feels unmistakably you, and then getting really masterful at that.
• 30:49
  I think the biggest takeaway is that luxury photography is not one specific style.
• 30:54
  It's the level of intentionality the passion behind the work.
• 31:00
  Because at the end of the day, what makes work feel luxury is not just the aesthetic, is not just color palette, it's the emotion, the consistency, curation, and the artistry underneath it all Thank you so much for spending time with us today on the Luxe and Legacy Podcast.
• 31:18
  We love being part of your journey as you build a luxury photography business that feels aligned and elevated.
• 31:26
  Be sure to follow us at Light underscore Live in underscore photography and.
• 31:33
  At Marie Elizabeth and if you enjoyed today's episode, we would be so grateful if you left a review.
• 31:40
  It truly helps other photographers.
• 31:42
  Like you discover the show and join this community.
• 31:46
  Make sure to join us next week.
• 31:48
  We have another conversation that's going to inspire and give you even more tools to grow your brand with confidence.
• We can't wait to see you then.
• 31:57
  Bye.