4 Tips to Help You Increase Boudoir Photography Income

Have you ever joined a photography Facebook group where tons of photographers talk about their seemingly never-ending stream of five-figure months? 

I’m guessing so. I’d also guess that you might have even thought to yourself, “I wish I could do that too. I want to increase my income” a few times. 

Well, what if you could do that (and more) while working just four days a month? You’re probably thinking “No way” right?

Umm…yes way! It’s totally doable. I made $35,000 with less than 30 hours of work, which breaks down to roughly $1,167 an hour (and with only 15 sessions). Pretty nice little paycheck for a boudoir photographer, right? 

But this is not an overnight success story. It took a lot of preparation to get here. And today, I’m going to show you how I increased my boudoir photography income so you can, too. 

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Tip #1: Create a Photography Pricing Guide

One of the first things I did that helped me grow my business was building a photography price list that sells itself. Using this means I don’t have to feel like a used car salesman at every ordering session. 

This list helps me hit my sales average goals each month by helping me know what, exactly, I need to make. 

I broke down my sessions into packages that help clients see what it’s going to cost, with full transparency. No spending time adjusting per client. No run-around. Those are my prices, period. 

Plus, doing it this way gets me smaller sales, sure, and it also helps me make those larger ones that keep me at my desired average. People can feel comfortable knowing there’s a pricing option available for them but also go straight for the big packages if they want.

Tip #2: Maximize Days Spent in the Studio

I already told you I had 15 sessions to hit my goal, but I have to tell you — I did those 15 sessions in only 3 days. I photographed five on the first day, seven on the second day, and three on the third day. 

When I do my sessions in this way, I like to schedule the heaviest days in the middle so that it didn’t feel heavy. And, of course, having a super light day on the last day made things run a bit easier. 

I know that sounds like a tight and intense schedule, but setting it up like this lets me work really hard one week a month, then have three weeks off, essentially. When I maximize my time in the studio, it pays off!

Tip #3: Streamline Your Ordering Days

After my long haul weeks, where I spend three days IN the studio, the fourth day is when I have my photos ready to go for sale on the day after those back-to-back sessions. 

I cull and prep my sessions for sales in less than ten minutes, from start to finish. Typically, I’ll start out with 150 photos (which is a nice, steady number that keeps you from overshooting and saves LOADS of time), and am able to edit fairly quickly (including removing duplicates, color correcting, etc.). 

I try to cull sessions in the evenings of the actual sessions so it’s done and ready to go for my ordering session days. 

And the more you do it, the faster this will become. I’ve been able to streamline my process to make each ordering session last only about 30-45 minutes. In the beginning, it did take me longer. So hang in there!

Tip #4: Put Your Marketing Strategy on Autopilot

Honestly, I don’t have to do much marketing throughout the month. I’ve set up my strategy to where my leads feel nurtured and know me really well, which leads to a lot more conversions than trying to push constantly. 

I don’t have to spend hours on consult calls talking them into booking. I don’t have to plan my day around calls, hoping they actually show up, and I let them feel comfortable knowing that they can book when they’re ready. 

And when you’re working in a field like boudoir photography, it’s really important that clients feel safe and comfortable coming to the studio.

Create Leads With THIS Strategy And Increase Boudoir Photography Income

Many of my leads come by way of organic traffic. Yes, that is still possible in 2023 (if you can believe it). If you need help getting in front of the right people (aka, your ideal clients), so you can start making a profit from your boudoir photography business, I’ve got just the thing.  

My FREE PDF, 5 Tips To Book Clients Without Facebook Ads, will show you exactly what a free organic marketing strategy looks like for photographers and how to get started using it right away!