Photo Fuel Leah O’Connell

Todays episode features a must-listen conversation for every family photographer! Morgan Miles is my guest and not only is she an incredibly talented family photographer, she is a full time marketing professor and studies consumer psychology at San Diego State University where she’s been teaching for over a decade. She has incredible insight into the growing trends of marketing in general and how it uniquely applies - at one point she brings up how she can’t think of another career that has the same marketing challenges as family photographers, and one of the reasons for that is privacy.
 
Topics we touch on:
Predictions about the future of marketing with client images
How AI plays a role in safety concerns
The shift with clients requesting privacy on social media
Naming your own values and boundaries around sharing personal work and your own family online as part of your marketing
Managing consent and client expectations or request for privacy
Safety tips for respecting our clients and kids 
Ideas for sharing personal work if social media isn’t something you want to engage in at all
Defining your personal and brand voice with authenticity 
The power of education to accelerate your growth
 
// NOTES + LINKS REFERENCED //
Blog post - "Do I need instagram for my photography business?" 
Click photo mini classes -
Pew Research Article on privacy:
SAS survey: 
Enzuzo article on privacy statistics
 
Morgan’s bio: 
Morgan is a mom to two, a marketing professor, and a lifestyle family photographer based in sunny San Diego, CA. She studied art and photography in college but didn't pick up a camera again until she was pregnant with her first child and has now been in business for four years. She is fascinated by the complexity of the parenthood journey and seeks to capture it in a way that feels both beautiful and authentic.


// Connect with Morgan //
Website: https://www.morganmilesstudio.com
INstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganmilesstudio/
 
// Connect with Leah //
The Firefly Letters - https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
Big picture workbook (free) : https://fireflyphotography.myflodesk.com/bigpicture
Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
Mentoring: https://www.lofirefly.com/education
Private FB group for family photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/ 
 

85% of photographers quit within the first 2 years and a lot of those people don’t actually want to quit. I believe there’s one key factor that you’ve gotta have to succeed as a family photographer and it's totally possible or everyone. But it can't be taught and you can’t buy it and you can't make it... yet it’s the real bones behind your success in this field.
In this episode we'll touch on comparison, the real reason why we share our work, and how to build something you're actually proud of. 
 
// NOTES // 
Episode 5 - 6 shifts that helped me grow my photography business : https://shorturl.at/bqQSX
The Firefly Letters - https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
Lessons in Chemistry TV series - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13911628/
Big picture workbook (free) : https://fireflyphotography.myflodesk.com/bigpicture
 
 
// CONNECT WITH LEAH //
 
Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
Mentoring: https://www.lofirefly.com/education
Private FB group for family photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/ 
 
 

A lot of times, when people share their business origin stories, we get the beginning hardship and grind then fastforward to the end when it all worked out and they have a happy healthy business. But there's a lot of the story that gets skipped and it's important to learn from both the hurdles and the shifts that helped that growth along the way. 
 
In this episode, I'll share the 6 major shifts that have made an impact in the growth of my family photography business over the last decade. Walk away with fresh ideas for an open mindset and avenues that could support and accelerate your ability to love what you do and how you do it. 
 
 
The Big Picture Workbook (10 prompts for better clarity and direction in your business) https://fireflyphotography.myflodesk.com/bigpicture
 
 
Other things mentioned in this episode: 
Sprout Studio (get 20% your plan with this link): https://www.trysproutstudio.com/?via=leah
Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/
The firefly letters: https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
My school photography page: https://www.lofirefly.com/schools
Episode 1 : Uncover your miission and values as a family photographer
 
 
Connect with Leah:
Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
Mentoring: https://www.lofirefly.com/education
Private FB group for family photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/
 
 

I recently got a question in my private facebook group about investing in your family photography business that I thought was worth pulling apart a little -
 
"How do you know what to invest in and if you can/should? Might be a question for a CPA but haven’t gotten to that level quite yet…Especially for newbies who aren't making a profit yet, investment in business is scary and a bit guilty feeling...at least for me"
 
This episode will talk about how "spend money to make money" doesn't quite cover the elephant in the room when it comes to investing as solo-preneurs. Look for insights on: 
-what to invest in aka types of education like online vs in-person, gear and tools, etc.
-when to invest
-how to gain confidence when investing
-the real cost of not investing in your business if you're serious about it. 
 
 
Connect with Leah: 
Website: www.lofirefly.com
Newsletter / The Firefly Letters: https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
Private FB group for photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
Email: leah@lofirefly.com
 
 

As a family photographer, it’s pretty common to have a standard checklist running through our heads of the “must-have shots.” It might be something - each parent with each kid, kids together, individuals, etc...Those baseline must-haves are important, but how do we go deeper? I'm proposing a part 2 to the basic session checklists as a way to take it up a notch. If you're bored with the same old shots or are looking for a way to feel more creative while you're in a session, this is for you!
 
Mentioned in this episode: 
Helen Keller's article in the Hong Kong Standard: https://shorturl.at/BQZ37
 
Connect with Leah: 
Website: www.lofirefly.com
Newsletter / The Firefly Letters: https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
Private FB group for photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
Email: leah@lofirefly.com
 

What's the point? Why do you want to photograph families? What is the driving factor keeping you in this work? What keeps you coming back when it's hard and you want to quit? 
In this episode, we'll talk about
- why it's important to define your values
- how it can help you influence decision-making 
- a helpful exercise to drill down into what really matters and how you can use that knowledge to fuel more *fun* and excitement in all areas of your business
 
Mentioned in this episode: 
Origins of The 5 Whys Concept: https://www.mindtools.com/a3mi00v/5-whys
The Firefly Letters: https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
 
Mentoring with Leah : https://www.lofirefly.com/education
 
Connect with Leah:
Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
 
Private FB group for family photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/