Ever wonder how some photographers are making $2,000 to $10,000 per session—while you’re still waiting for inquiries to trickle in? It’s not about location, gear, or running ads. The difference is simple: they’re spotting life moments and showing up as the solution.
So if you want to stop chasing clients and start booking them with confidence, hit play and enjoy the episode!
The Secret: Life Moments Drive Sales
When life shifts, emotions rise—and that’s when people are most willing to invest in meaningful artwork. The 17 Clients Framework teaches you to identify these transitional moments and offer photography as the gift they didn’t even know they needed.
Real-life examples of high-emotion moments:
- Adoption finalizations – Years of waiting celebrated in wall art.
- Teen struggles – Empowering sessions to rebuild self-esteem.
- Blended families – Portraits that unite and affirm a new family.
- Empty nesters – A final portrait before the kids fly the nest.
- Aging pets – Capturing final memories before they’re gone.
- Multi-generational families – Photos that span decades of love.
You’re not selling photography. You’re solving a problem your clients haven’t even verbalized yet.
5 Steps to Use the 17 Clients Framework
1. Shift Your Mindset
Stop waiting for clients to find you. Start looking for people in life transitions who need what you offer.
2. Use the Framework to Identify Opportunities
Look at your circle—friends, family, social media contacts—and match them with life events:
- Starting a family
- Moving homes
- Kids’ sports milestones
- Divorce and fresh starts
- Loss, healing, or growth
3. Make Your Contact List
Open your phone. Scroll your social feeds. Get curious. Who do you know in transition?
4. Connect First, Sell Later
Build a relationship first. Ask about their life. Be genuinely curious. Then, when you’ve spotted the need, casually plant the seed with an empowering story or idea.
“I did something like that for a client and it really helped them feel like they were starting fresh.”
5. Be Committed, Not Attached
You’re offering a service from the heart, not pitching. Whether they say yes or no, you’re building goodwill—and often, they come back later.
A $15,535 Story from One Idea
One of Sarah’s students, a single mom and brand-new photographer, booked a $15K+ order simply by listening. She suggested a session for a woman going through a divorce—and transformed her new space into a healing home with wall portraits of her adult children.
She didn’t sell photography. She offered hope.
Final Thoughts
This framework gives you the confidence to take action, even if you’re brand new or in a new town. No more waiting. No more awkward sales tactics. Just real conversations that create real impact—and real income.
You’re not “just” a photographer. You’re the one who sees what they can’t. Let’s go share that gift.
RESOURCES
- Go from Hidden to Hidden to Hired this Season: Get the Formula
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- Join Our Facebook Group: We Are Portrait Photographers
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