BECOMING AN ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER
PHOTOGRAPHER EDUCATION BY NICOLE DAACKE PHOTOGRAPHY
You’re Here!
I’m Nicole, and I am an elopement photographer based…well, nowhere! I split my time between Pennsylvania, the Northwest, and a sprinkle of everywhere in between. My business is truly based nowhere as I’m shooting all over the US, and internationally here and there. Typically, I’m photographing about 20 elopements a year - wedding days that all look wildly different, yet equally beautiful. I’ve been photographing elopements for 5 years now, and each year, I find myself creating better systems, streamlining workflows, being more intentional with my time, working to live, not living to work, yet falling more and more in love with this job.
I started mentoring other photographers back in 2019, with the simple purpose to help others achieve their version of success, and live a life they are excited about and deeply fulfilled by. I’m stoked you’re here and hope that I’ll be able to do the same for you and your business!
I’m here to help you design a life you love, and build your business around it, so that they both thrive.
So, How’d You Get Here Nicole?
I was that person who changed my major about 6 times in college because I was interested in SO many things. I took a single business class, hated it, and decided that business was one major I could take off the list of “might be neat”. Well, isn’t it funny how life happens. Fast forward to graduating with a communication + international studies degree, I started applying to jobs that I was already dreading before even hitting the application submit button.
About 3 months after deciding I was going to start a business, I discovered a photographer (shout out to Robert Hill!), who was hosting a workshop in Iceland and needed models. At 3am, I submitted the application for myself and my boyfriend (without him knowing - ha!) and figured it was a long shot, but worth a try. Two months later, I found myself in Iceland modeling + participating in a workshop all about destination weddings and elopements.
That week changed my life forever
Not only did it completely open my eyes up to a niche of wedding photography I didn’t know existed (adventure weddings, what?!) and felt much more connected to, but it gave me an in depth foundation of what I was going to need to do to create a successful photography business. I photographed my first wedding a week after getting home from that workshop, and had already decided that elopements were the direction I needed to go. I spent the rest of that year and a bit of the next one, traveling as much as possible on a shoestring budget, photographing as many strangers as I possibly could between sunrises and sunsets, and building the portfolio and brand I wanted to create.
With a few more workshops under my belt, many books read, podcasts listened to, YouTube videos watched, one on one coaching and mentorships, and a little trial and error, it started to come to life. By the next spring, I was booking elopements and by the end of that year, I had my first 6 figure year. Since that year of 2018 when it all came to life, my business has grown, shifted, pivoted and evolved into an intentional one that allows me to a live a lifestyle that I love. My business grew quite quick, and I attribute 50% of that to the education I sought out and 50% to working really really hard to implement it and make it happen.
Starting and growing my business is one of the best things I’ve ever done for and in my life. It’s allowed me financial freedom, fulfillment, the ability to live life on purpose, time and the schedule to do the things I love, and it’s allowed me to connect with couples + create an incredible experience for them on one of the most special days of their lives.
I WANT TO HELP YOU DO THIS TOO
S0 WHY IS EDUCATION IMPORTANT?
Starting and running a business is scary, uncertain, confusing, risky, and a rollercoaster of defeating and thrilling. It also can be freeing, exciting, wonderful, fulfilling and inspiring. I started, and continue, to mentor photographers with the goal of helping them be intentional about designing their lives and envisioning their version of success, and to help them create a business that allows that to happen. Whether it’s wanting to pivot into elopements from traditional weddings, wanting to start a photography business from scratch, wanting to have accountability, wanting to streamline and clarify your workflow, attract your dream clients, gain confidence in how to sell your services or anything else, it all plays a part in getting you closer to living the life you started this business to live. Education is the #1 thing that accelerated my businesses growth. It’s a crucial way to skip past the trial and error and get straight to the success, and I’m here to help you achieve that, no matter where you’re at.
“I absolutely loved my mentorship with Nicole! She was so attentive to our time together and was so detailed and in depth about the subjects I wanted to learn more about! It really helped me lay a fantastic foundation within my business that I could be confident about! She gave me practical action items and made our zoom calls fun! I felt like I could literally ask her anything and she was willing to share! Her mentorship’s are definitely worth 100% worth it! “
WHAT CAN WE TALK ABOUT?
Nothing is off the table when we work together! I am an open book and truly will talk to you about whatever you’re curious about, but here are a few things that are popular topics and frequently covered:
SEO (this is how I get 80% of my inquiries)
Pivoting from Traditional Weddings to Elopements
Website strategy
Client communication
Inquiry form + response emails
Consult Calls
Pricing and Price Guides
Creating workflows + client experience
Marketing
Blogging
Branding
Finding your why
Camera Settings
Getting started with a photography business
Pivoting to education
Editing in Lightroom + Photoshop
Setting up styled shoots and building content
Selling with confidence
Goal Setting
Elopement Planning
Getting Permits
Creating timelines
Location Scouting
Selling Albums + Prints
Traveling for Elopements
Literally anything else
Let’s Do This - What Are My Options?
Mentorship is in my opinion, the best + most effective way to skip the trial + error of figuring out a business, and get straight to the good parts as we work one on one with you on exactly what you’re needing help with. I offer three types of mentorship:
3 Month Mentorship
Details:
This three month program is designed to take your business to the next level. We will work together for 3+ months with biweekly calls to deep dive into your business and grow it in multiple areas.
In the beginning of mentorship, we’ll get clear on where your business is at and where you want to take it, create clear goals, and move through the three month program working directly towards those goals.
Typically during this mentorship we have the time to cover a multitude of topics (SEO, marketing, pricing etc) but these calls are catered completely to you and whatever you want to talk through.
What’s Included:
bi-weekly hour long calls
Recordable sessions so you can rewatch as much as you need
Access to all of my guides, templates, and resources
Weekly homework + to do lists to keep you on track
Ability to go session to session at a discounted price once the 3 months has ended
One Time Call
Details:
If you just need a single call to work through a specific topic or two, this is for you. The one time call will give us time to tackle any area you’re feeling like you need some one on one help with, have questions on, or something you’re interested in, without having to commit to a three month partnership.
What’s Included:
90 minute zoom call
Recordable session so you can rewatch as much as you need
To do list to keep you on track and give you actionable items to take with you
$750
1-on-1 In Person Workshop
1-on-1 workshops are designed to get us out in the field and practicing in person. If you’re struggling with posing, shooting, finding good light, location scouting etc. the 1-on-1 workshop allows us to get together in person, photograph a couple, and gives us the space to let me walk you through step by step what I’m thinking about when shooting a session.
We’ll meet up before the session at a coffee shop, cafe or an airbnb, where you’ll have 90 minutes to have a mentor session (similiar to the One Time Call), where we can chat through any aspect of your business you’re struggling with or need guidance on. After some discussion, we’ll head to our shoot location, meet up with a couple, and photograph a styled session for 90 minutes. During this session, I’ll work with the couple as I normally would, allowing you to see my workflow and approach to photographing elopements + adventure sessions. I’ll explain my though process + approach as I go, so that you start to see why I choose different locations, what I’m looking for with light, what my settings are at, how I’m posing a couple etc. We’ll go back and forth directing our couple, and you’ll walk away with a ton of info, a whole new outlook on photographing sessions, and a full gallery of images that you can market with!
What’s Included:
90 minute in person mentor session
90 minute adventure session with a real couple, organized by me
Action items to do list to take with you + keep you accountable to implementing what you’ve learned
These sessions are only bookable in alignment with my pre-existing travel dates.
$3000
HAVE ANY OTHER RESOURCES FOR ME?
PRICING FOR PROFIT ONLINE COURSE
Heck yeah! I have my course Pricing for Profit, that is a complete guide to all things numbers in your business. It includes hours of video content that cover things like:
How to price yourself (pricing calculators included!)
How to pay yourself
How to be a rockstar at selling
Selling albums + prints
And literally SO much more
It has it’s own whole page - so check it out below!
INQUIRY REFERRAL PROGRAM
If you’re after elopement inquiries, this is for you!
I generally an average of 2-3 inquires daily, which results in an average of around 65 inquiries per month, or 750-800 a year that are pretty exclusively for elopements, intimate weddings (25 or less) and adventure sessions.
Seeing as I travel for all of my work, I take on a pretty limited amount per year, comparatively to that number (this year I'm shooting 20 elopements which is my happy spot!). But as you can see, I've got a lot of inquires that I can't take on, which is why I have my referral program!
The referral program is set up in a “subscription” type of way, where you will have the opportunity to subscribe to three months at a time.
How it works is pretty simple - every inquiry I get that I’m not able to take on, I will refer to you and the three other subscribers for that three-month period.
Details:
3 month commitment
4 available subscription slots per month (I limit it at 4 so that each couple isn’t getting a million names, and there is a much higher chance of the couple actually heading to your site and booking you!)
Referral to all inquiries that I am not available for via email
Text to all couples confirming they've received the referral email
Mega hype up of how amazing you are and what you specialize in! (You will get the opportunity to send me over a 1-2 sentence bio that describes who you are, what you’re an expert in and what your specialties are!)
First priority to resubscribe at the end of your 3 months before it goes to the waiting list
Recap email to you at the end of the month with the names/locations of all the referrals I sent your info to so you can compare with your inquiries!
$400/month
“Being a part of Nicole’s Inquiry program has been an absolute game changer for me! Every month inquiries would continually flow in and as long as I was able to get to an initial consultation call, I’d more than likely book the couple inquiring. Having backend things in place like a CRM, website, and social proof of your business has made the transition into taking an influx of clients smooth. So, I’d definitely recommend having those things taken care of prior to joining her program. Getting a recommendation from Nicole already puts you in a good place once couples reach out, so the final piece of the puzzle is getting on that call and letting the client know they’re in good hands. I’ve been a part of the program for 3 rotations now and have increased my booking rate by 50%! If you’re like me and are having issues getting eyes on your website and are still growing your online presence, then I highly recommend joining Nicole’s program. It’s been a blessing for me and has given me the confidence to know that I can be a full time photographer and I’m capable of providing couples with amazing photography experience.
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