photography mentoring
WITH NINA MACE
welcome
Build the photography business you have always dreamed of
Building a photography business from the ground up that both supports you financially and speaks to your passions might seem like a daunting project. As a highly qualified and well-respected photography mentor and trainer, I have the skills and experience to help you get there.
I’m recognised throughout the industry (both UK and abroad) as one of the very best people to turn to for photographer mentoring and I was even named as top Professional Photographer Trainer in the UK by The Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographer. I’ve helped hundreds of photographers with passion grow their brands, find their ideal model in their chosen industry and clear a path towards running a small business in a way that works for them.
Who is photography mentoring for?
There is certainly a time in your photography journey where group training is very valuable but you may have found that you wish to have more 1 on 1 time to really hone your skills, find YOUR style and build a business using your vision. This is where photography mentoring can really accelerate your learning. Think of me as a trusted advisor who has been in your shoes with my own photography business. Because of its bespoke nature mentoring can work for photographers at any stage of the their journey
You may be an aspiring photographer
You love photography and maybe you are working in another industry but you would love to make your passion a full time job
You may be in the middle of your career
You have found your style and now you need support to refine your skills and grow your business in a way that works for you
You may be an experienced professional
You might want to focus on some really specific areas for growth or take that next step so you have a constant flow of ideal customers
I want to help expand your skill set, fulfil your creative potential and build a meaningful living as a photographer. Our mentoring sessions can focus on :
Shooting
We will work to identify your photography style and vision and then shoot together to create portfolio images that you love! My speciality is outdoor family photography and I can teach you everything I know about light, composition and posing naturally. Shooting alongside one another helps to clarify how YOU wish to work and what you love on an outdoor shoot.
Editing
Editing is a fundamental skill for photographers and I can teach you Lightroom and Photoshop and even help you to create your own presets and actions. I edit in a colourful clean style but I have the knowledge to support you in finding your editing style – mentoring is all about you and your vision and taking everything I have learnt to create your story.
Business & marketing
For fifteen years, I was a brand and marketing manager which has proved incredibly helpful when branching out on my own. I’ve built a reputation for offering honest, effective advice and being generous with the skills I’ve accrued over the years. Social media, SEO, websites, Facebook and Instagram advertising are all areas that I know very well and I can pass this knowledge on.
Creating a mentoring package that’s just for you
Choose from 1, 4 or 12 sessions
I have options to suit all needs from a 1 hour power hour, to quarterly sessions or a 12 month package.
Online or in person
I am based in Camberley, Surrey (UK) and mentoring sessions can take place in person or online depending on what we plan to cover
Flexible hours
On the quarterly and 12 month programme, you can combine your 1-hour sessions into longer days – you have total flexibility
Pay as you go
On my 4 and 12 month programme you can pay as you go accessing monthly payments to help spread the cost
Free content
Those photographers on my 12-month programme get first access to mini courses and free content such as my Facebook advertising for photographers course. My mentees are also the first to be asked to assist and second shoot.
Goal setting & tracking
Each mentee is given a Trello board where we summarise the tasks and goals every month and track progress. This makes being accountable much simpler
” I’ve been through every twist and turn that a photography business can experience and there’s very little that I haven’t navigated. So when it comes to mentoring your business, I have a wealth of knowledge that’s yours to utilise.”
Photography Mentoring Options
1 hour online
A BESPOKE ZOOM SESSION TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS
Targeted session to cover any of the following areas:
Branding, Social media planning, pricing, website review, finding your ideal clients, family shoot reviews and portfolio reviews.
£199
2 hours
SHOOT WITH NINA
Would you like to come on a family shoot with Nina and be trained 1-2-1?
Choose from outdoor locations including a lake, forest or urban. Camberley area or travel to your location if you are within 15 miles.
£399
3 x 1 hour sessions
3 HOURS ZOOM TRAINING TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS
Pre Purchase a 3-hour block of Mentoring to be used over a 12 month period.
Sessions can be used 1 hour at a time or grouped together depending on the subject area. We can cover shooting, editing, business or marketing.
Save £50 by booking a block of 3 sessions
£549
12 months
THE COMPLETE PROGRAMME TO ACCELERATE YOUR BUSINESS
12 months of bespoke mentoring to cover ANY subject (shooting, editing, business & marketing).
1-hour a month (these can be combined at any time to create longer sessions)
PRIORITY BOOKING ahead of other mentoring sessions
Paid Quarterly saves £400
£499 a quarter
Do we sound like a good fit?
Please complete the form below and I will be in touch to discuss mentoring options.
P.S. By completing the form you are not committing to booking just to have an open chat with Nina about what she offers 🙂
Chat with Nina about photography mentoring
Join the hundreds of photographers who have already seen their photography business bloom under Nina’s guidance
Have questions about Photography Mentoring?
What does a photography mentor do?
Working with a photography mentor can be incredibly beneficial to support you creatively and technically to become the best photographer you can be. A good mentor will be a photographer who has experienced that journey themselves and can pass this knowledge on to you. They will give you clarity over what to focus on helping you to avoid overwhelm not just with your photography style but also helping you to achieve your long term goals.
How do I reach out to a photographer for mentorship?
If you are looking to reach out for a photogapher to begin mentoring with them here are my top tips
1. Write down your goals. Have a list of what you are looking to achive for your photography and business. Make these goals SMART for example setting a time frame or volume against each objective. For example would you like to get a Gold with the SWPP by the end of the year? Are you aiming to book 6 family shootss a month within the next 6 months?
2. Have a budget
Photographers who mentor other photographers will charge for their time so consider your budget before reaching out.
3. Ask in the photography community for recommendations
If you are in any photograpy groups ask advice on who other photographers have mentored with and what results they have seen. A good mentor will be able to give you references of who they have worked with
Is it hard to find a photography mentor?
There are a lot of photography mentors but what is key is finding the right mentor for you! Again think back to your goals and what you are looking to achieve before you start looking.
Dive deeper into photography mentoring topics
THE LIST BELOW GIVES AN IDEA OF THE TOPICS THAT CAN BE COVERED ON MY PHOTOGRAPHY MENTORING SESSIONS.
- Portfolio review for your website/ socials
- Real family photoshoot critique to deliver a full shoot which your clients will love
- Getting your best images straight out of the camera
- Editing for real family photoshoots. Fast yet impactful ACR/ Lightroom and Photoshop editing to take your images from great to wow!
- On location, family shoots where we work together to deliver a full family gallery
- How to navigate social media (Google +, Facebook, Instagram) to drive more of the right type of customers
- Developing a marketing plan so you are clear on what to say and when
- Website visibility including basic SEO and blogging.
- Photography Pricing and products that work for your business model
- Raising your local visibility – How to become the most famous photographer in your area
- Branding – understanding what your brand looks like and how to bring this to life with language and design
- Facebook & Instagram Advertising. Learn how to create campaigns that actually deliver by using the right audiences and best creative possible
6 tips for finding the right photography mentor for you
There are a lot of fantastic photographers offering photography mentoring in the UK and after I have spoken to some photographers I have actually referred them onto another mentor who I feel fits their style and needs the best. Therefore, I thought it would be useful to offer my top tips on finding the best photography mentor for you:
- LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
The first question is whether you would like to meet your mentor in person or whether you would be happy to do the sessions over Skype. From experience, I find that Business & Marketing and editing Mentoring can work really well over Skype but for photography training its best to do this in person. Its also especially valuable if your mentor can travel to you so you can shoot at locations you plan to use again for future family shoots. Some photography mentors have a minimum distance that works within so to reduce any future issues with photographers developing the same style.
2. ASK FOR REFERENCES
Any great mentor will be able to give you details of people they have worked with and should be happy for you to contact them to discuss how the session went and what they felt they got from it. No amount of testimonials online can replace a real chat with a photographer who has worked with that mentor before.
3. CHECK THE MENTORS STRENGTHS MATCH YOUR NEEDS
Its human nature to be naturally better at some things than others – for example, my strengths lie with Business & Marketing and outdoor children’s photography. If a possible mentoree approached me about studio lighting and newborn photography I would direct them to some of my recommended partners shown below. This leads very much to tip 4 which is…
4. BE CLEAR ON WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHEIVE FROM THE SESSION
Work to set some SMART targets ahead of your session and let your mentor know what these are. All your chosen mentor wants is for you to get the most from your session so they more information you can give them the better. Try to quantify your objectives as much as possible. For example, you could say you want to review your online portfolio so you have more of a consistent style for potential clients OR that you want to target getting onto Page 1 of Google for your keyword within 6 months.
5. TAKE NOTES
You would be surprised how much you can cover in a mentoring session so try to take as many notes as you can and then work with your Mentor to put them into PRIORITY ORDER. A good mentoring session can leave you with an incredibly long to do list which can feel overwhelming so breaking it into manageable chunks is a good idea.
6. ASK ABOUT THEIR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS BEFORE THEY BECAME A MENTOR
Does your mentor still photograph and drive an income from photography? If not, and they have left photography, how successful was their business in terms of profit? I think it’s important that mentors keep one foot in the market, and are able to illustrate that they have made their own photography business a real success. I have seen real shifts in the market in the last 2 years (going into my 10th year in business) and that has enabled me to pass these insights onto my mentorees.
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