How to Use AI & Instagram to Grow Your Photography Business with Michelle Gifford

In the final episode of season 2, I'm sharing the story I haven't fully told before: how I went from working as a dental hygienist to building a full-time photography business that allows me to be more present with my family. I'm talking about postpartum depression and anxiety, leaving a career I worked incredibly hard for, investing in mentorship when it scared the crap out of me, and the months when I genuinely wondered whether my photography business would ever work. I also share how learning SEO changed everything. After optimizing my website for Google, inquiries began coming in consistently, my business exploded in one year, and I eventually expanded into photographing clients in southern California. This isn't a story about everything working perfectly. It's about moving forward before you feel ready, investing in support, working through imposter syndrome, and refusing to give up on the business and life you want. If you're trying to become a full-time photographer, grow your photography business while raising a family, or build a business that doesn't depend entirely on Instagram, this episode is for you. Links and resources Learn about The Booked PhotograpHER mentorship SEO Tips for Photographers: 5 Website Mistakes to Avoid Marketing for Photographers How to Do Keyword Research for a Family Photographer Flodesk for Photographers If this episode encouraged you, please send it to another photographer who needs to hear it. Sharing the podcast helps it reach more women who are building businesses, raising families, and wondering if they can really make this work.

What if the career you worked so hard for… wasn't the one you were meant to keep? This week on The PhotograpHER Podcast, I sit down with the incredibly talented Rebecca Hunnicutt to talk about what it really looks like to build a photography business that fits your life, not the other way around. Rebecca Hunnicutt is a lifestyle photographer specializing in joy filled environmental portraits of children and families based in Portland Oregon. She also takes modern personality filled portraits of today's contemporary kids at multiple Portland area preschools. As an educator Rebecca teaches photographers how to use composition and color to transform ordinary locations into extraordinary images. We cover: ✨ Leaving a successful career to pursue photography full-time ✨ Finding your unique photography style (instead of copying everyone else) ✨ Creativity, composition, and developing your artistic eye ✨ Building a business while raising kids ✨ The mindset shifts every photographer needs to grow If you've ever questioned whether you're "good enough," struggled with comparison, or wondered if it's possible to create a profitable photography business that gives you more freedom, this episode is for you. 👇 Tell us in the comments: What's one thing that's holding you back in your photography business right now? Rebecca: Instagram Rebecca's Courses Jaime: Instagram Website + Mentorship Info

What happens when you realize the career you've worked so hard to build no longer fits the life you want? In this episode of The PhotograpHER Podcast, I sit down with photographer, educator, and podcast host Nikki Closser to talk about the realities of leaving a stable career, building a photography business from scratch, raising a family, overcoming burnout, and creating a business that supports the life you actually want. Nikki shares her journey from school social worker to full-time photographer and educator, including the mindset shifts, pricing lessons, confidence struggles, and business decisions that helped her build a thriving photography business. If you've ever questioned your pricing, battled imposter syndrome, worried about charging what you're worth, or wondered whether investing in yourself is really worth it, this conversation is for you. In This Episode We Discuss: ✔️ Why Nikki left her career in social work to pursue photography ✔️ The signs of burnout and knowing when it's time for a change ✔️ Building a photography business while working another job ✔️ The power of mentorship and investing in education ✔️ How a CreativeLive course changed the trajectory of her career ✔️ The incredible story of meeting Sue Bryce ✔️ Pricing mistakes photographers make early in business ✔️ How to confidently raise your prices ✔️ Understanding your cost of doing business ✔️ Why charging more can create a better client experience ✔️ Dealing with objections and pricing pushback ✔️ Overcoming imposter syndrome as a photographer ✔️ Networking strategies that helped grow her business ✔️ Personal branding photography and standing out in a crowded market ✔️ Balancing motherhood, entrepreneurship, and life outside of work ✔️ The importance of community, accountability, and support as a business owner Whether you're a photographer looking to raise your prices, grow your confidence, or build a business that feels aligned with your life, Nikki shares practical advice and honest insights from more than a decade in the industry. Connect with Nikki 🌐 Website: Nikki Closser Photography & Education 🎙️ Podcast: The Portrait System Podcast 📸 Instagram Connect with Jaime 🌐 Website: Jaime Bugbee Photography & Education 📸 Instagram: @photomarketingcoach Helping photographers build websites that attract dream clients, rank on Google, and generate inquiries without relying on social media. Leave a review! Thank you!

Is SEO dead? With AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and constant algorithm changes, many photographers and small business owners are wondering if the strategies they've spent years building still matter. In this episode of The PhotograpHER Podcast, I sit down with Claudia Tomina, founder of Reputation Arm and a Google Business Profile expert, to discuss what is actually happening with SEO, AI search, online reviews, and local business visibility. Claudia shares practical advice for photographers, service-based business owners, and entrepreneurs who want to stay visible online without getting overwhelmed by every new marketing trend. In this episode, we discuss: ✔️ Is SEO really dead or just evolving? ✔️ How AI search is changing local marketing ✔️ Why Google reviews matter more than ever ✔️ How AI uses review content to recommend businesses ✔️ The biggest Google Business Profile mistakes business owners make ✔️ What to do if your Google reviews disappear ✔️ How to handle fake or negative reviews professionally ✔️ Why citations and business listings still matter ✔️ The role of backlinks in modern SEO ✔️ How Reddit, social media mentions, and online conversations impact AI search ✔️ Tips for photographers who serve multiple locations ✔️ How to future-proof your business for AI-powered search Whether you're a photographer trying to rank higher on Google or a business owner navigating the rapid changes happening with AI search, this episode will help you understand what matters, what doesn't, and where to focus your energy moving forward. Connect with Claudia 🌐 Website: Reputation Arm 💼 LinkedIn: Claudia Tomina on LinkedIn 📚 Subscribe to Claudia's blog and newsletter for updates on Google Business Profiles, reviews, local SEO, and AI search. Connect with Jaime 🌐 Website: Jaime Bugbee Photography & Education 📸 Instagram: @photomarketingcoach 🎙️ Listen to more episodes of The PhotograpHER Podcast and learn how to build a photography business that gets found on Google, attracts dream clients, and generates inquiries without relying on social media.

What do you do when the kids aren't cooperating during a family photo session? In this episode of The PhotograpHER Podcast, I sit down with San Francisco family and newborn photographer Alyx Jones to talk about one of the biggest challenges photographers face: working confidently with children during family sessions. Alyx shares how her background in early childhood education has shaped her approach to family photography, helping photographers create authentic, connected images without relying on forced smiles, bribes, or perfect behavior. We discuss: ✔️ How to photograph children naturally ✔️ What to do when kids aren't cooperating ✔️ Building confidence during family sessions ✔️ How child development impacts photography ✔️ Preparing parents before the session ✔️ Working with shy, energetic, and neurodivergent children ✔️ Creating a calm session experience for families ✔️ Why connection matters more than perfection ✔️ Using family photography model calls to gain experience ✔️ The mindset shift photographers need when working with kids Whether you're a family photographer looking to improve your client experience or a photographer considering adding family sessions to your business, this conversation is packed with practical strategies you can use at your very next session. Alyx also shares details about her new education program designed to help photographers confidently work with children, understand child behavior, and create frame-worthy family portraits that clients will treasure for years to come. If you've ever wondered how photographers consistently capture genuine smiles, connection, and emotion during family sessions, this episode is for you. Connect with Alyx 📸 Website: Family Photography Education 📱 Instagram Alyx is a San Francisco family and newborn photographer who helps families create joyful, connected, and authentic images while making the experience feel relaxed and fun. Connect with Jaime 📸 Website: Jaime Bugbee Photography & Education 📱 Instagram: @photomarketingcoach 🎙️ Leave a review! Thank you! Enjoyed this episode? Take a screenshot, share it to Instagram Stories, and tag both of us so we can see you're listening! 📱 Alyx: @alyx.jones.photography 📱 Jaime: @photomarketingcoach