S15E12 | This is how to start a profitable pet photography business with Diane Gollowitzer
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It’s been just over a year since today’s guest launched her pet photography business. She spent 2022 learning all about business and hit the ground running in 2023. She’s proof that actioning what you learn is the only way to meet your goals. Tune in to today’s episode to hear all about the marketing strategies that worked and didn’t, to get this pet photography business off the ground for England-based photographer, Diane Gollowitzer of Dogs in Focus Photography.
If you are looking to see who has recently walked the path you’ve just stepped onto- today’s episode is for you.
We covered:
Starting a photography business without knowledge of photography
Why Diane quickly realised she needed to re-brand her pet photography business
How starting a new business is just like dating!
Following your passion and aligning your business with your values and desires
IN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
How Diane filled her first few months in business with paying clients
Christmas Markets and the difference the audience can make
Giveaways as a training ground
Selling gift vouchers
What Diane would do differently next time
Other marketing avenues Diane has tried
Diane Gollowitzer
Dogs in Focus Photography, Canada
Diane is an international award winning dog photographer, Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CDTI), and dog first aider. She lives in Winchester, UK, with her partner and our two pups, Dougal the Scottie and Deedee the Irish Terrier. Diane has a special interest in photographing nervous/anxious dogs and dogs wearing a muzzle.
Transcript
If you are looking to see who has recently walked the path you've just stepped onto, today's episode is for you. It's been just over a year since today's guest launched her pet photography business. She spent 2022 learning all about business and is the proof that actioning what you learn is the only way to meet your goals.
Tune into today's episode to hear all about the marketing strategies that worked and didn't to get this pet photography business. Off the ground, but before we get into that, I just wanted to let you know really quickly that the course mentioned a few times is the pet photographers club business foundations course.
For this week only, we have a listener bonus for you to save 20 percent for that 12 week course. Just head on over to the show notes for more information.
Welcome to the pet photographers club. Tune in as experts share their insights to help grow your business with higher sales, creative marketing, and kick arse business strategies. Now onto the show.
Hello and welcome to season 15, episode 12 of the Pet Photographers Club. I'm your host, Kirstie McConnell, and today I'm chatting with Diane. Gollowitzer of dogs in focus photography. Welcome to the club, Diane. Hi Kirsty. Thanks so much for having me. Thanks for joining us today. I'm pretty excited to have you on the show today.
It's a bit of a treat, I think, for the listener to have somebody that is maybe closer to they are as the audience in their stage of business. So you've only been doing pet photography for a little while. We'll get into the details in a second. And You're kicking goals. I know that because we just caught up when I was in London.
And yeah, I just think it's really interesting to share your story and, and maybe let the listener know they're not alone and, and take some, yeah, some tips for, you know, what, what has been working for you, what you've tried and hasn't worked. Just a nice, raw, honest interview today. So before we get into all of that Diane, just tell the listener where you're based and maybe.
Include a bit of your backstory, you know, how you got into photography in general, what it was you were doing. Before, just specialty, or still now, and when it was that you switched into pets? Right, so I'm based in the UK, at the moment in Winchester, Hampshire. And we bought our first camera in 2018.
Because we had a business idea, which was photographing motorbikes on the roadside. So we had this idea that bikers cannot take images of themselves. And as my partner is a passionate biker, he was like, I would love a picture of myself on my bike. And I'm sure everyone else would love that too.
So we had this business idea. We asked someone a professional photographer what camera we should buy. We bought a 7D Mark II and a 70 to 200 millimeter lens, a 2. 8. And that's how we started our business. We didn't know anything. We didn't have a camera before. We did not have photography experience.
So it was like really, really into the deep end and yeah, that business is called Biker Picks UK. It's still in business. I still do that although my focus is shifted on dogs. And it's because I already had my dog Dougal, who's a lovely Scottish terrier. He's just the best. So because I had this really expensive gear, I was like, why not, why don't I take pictures of my dog?
And I started to do that. I really quickly Got into that. I find some resources, some early resources like the Pet Photographers Club the Hair of the Dog Community and and during COVID, Charlotte and Craig started the Unleashed Education. So I just got into it and got better and better and enjoyed it much more than the motorbikes.
So, Yeah, I start, I started one business, one photography business just before COVID. But after COVID So I never really kicked that off, but after COVID I rebranded and now I'm back I'm dogs in focus photography. All right. We have to unpack all of this because I know the listener is going to be like, wait, you bought a camera.
You already, like you started a business, bought a camera and you were off. You weren't a photographer at all, which is quite the opposite of what most people do. You weren't even. A bike, a biker, are you, you don't ride for you? No, no, no. I'm I'm not I'm, I'm a pillion, but I'm not a biker. Okay. So this is so cool.
I mean, first of all, you, yeah, you just decided that this was a way to make money and you did, you made it happen. You and your partner is your, your business partner as well, right? Yes. Yes. Yes. And okay. So then you had all this fancy gear, as you said, and started photographing your own dog. And then, you know, you've kind of transitioned into that.
So first of all, you said that there was a a pet photography business that you started before COVID and then you rebranded and now you're. Doing something slightly different. So which way did you try to start your pet photography before COVID? Before you did the rebranding, what did that kind of business model look like?
I always wanted to do the same business model that I do today, the in person assess and this this high end thing. The reason I I didn't like my first business was because of the name. It was called dog snaps and I didn't like it because it doesn't have that luxury feel to it.
And yeah, there were the main reason was the name that I wanted to rebrand, not, not, not the structure of the business. So, okay, so you've kept the same structure and everything, you just rebranded, basically. Yeah. And I learned a bit more about business stuff. I did your business bootcamp and yeah, and I, I made it better.
Okay. Okay. So do you think that if you had have kept that name? You could be doing, offering the exact same as what you're offering today and you would be able to get clients or do you really think like looking back now, do you still believe that it would have been impossible to have a luxury brand with that name?
Oh, that's a really interesting question. Because I really, I'm really conscious about the words that I'm using. I fear that snaps. wouldn't be aligned with what I'm, I'm doing and what I want to convey to my customers and potential customers. So I, I, no, I don't think it would be work the same way.
And it would be as good as I, as it does now. I have to agree. And that's quite interesting because often I hear myself or I I'm telling people like business name is. Not important. Like don't worry about, you know, spending all this money on rebrand and all this kind of stuff, just get to work. But actually in this situation, I have to agree, but it's because it's a visual, I mean, snaps the word snaps already.
First of all, it's not just that it's kind of bringing down the quality of photography as art, you know, it makes it more like hobbyist click thing. Also snaps when you're talking about dogs, doesn't really align either. It sounds a bit like. Like I'm picturing like a snappy dog, you know? And so I think that was smart of you to, to decide to, you know, change that up before you got too far along your business actually.
Yeah. Yeah. No, I think too. I think the main reason that I, I, I was thinking along those lines is because my other business is called biker pics. And for that the main thing was because Bikers are passing us on the road and our and it was really important to be short. And how do you say that?
Really like easy to remember. So I think I was still like stuck in that mindset when I was thinking about the name and I'm glad that I decided to change it. Yeah. So, okay. Fast forward to now, you're running these two businesses parallel to each other with completely different business models.
So you just made it, you just scratched over a little bit, like briefly then, but your motorbikes, you're standing on the side of the road, taking photos. Do people, just explain for the listener, are people booking in in advance? Are you collecting their details? Is it like the road is closed off? How does that work?
Just give us a bit of a quick overview of how that business works so we've got a comparison point. Yeah, nothing like that. So the road is open to the public. It is always at a public road. Everyone. can pass us. They don't have to book. We don't have a way to collect any data. So people are passing us.
They see the sign on the car or on the bike. So that's why it's really important to have a short and really memorable name. So they just passed us, passed us. And after Within about two, three days, the pictures go online and they can go on our website and buy the pictures of themselves.
So we have already quite a big followers, so they know that we are there. We have like 40, 000 followers on, on Facebook, 16, 000 on Instagram. And I just checked our mailing list and it's like 11, 000 people subscribed. So. Then bikers do know about us and sometimes I see questions in different biker groups.
Oh, do you know who was taking pictures here and there? And then other bikers direct them to us. So it works quite well because we are the biggest company who do, who does this in the country. So we have photographers all over the country. At the moment, we have seven, different photographers. We have someone in Scotland, in Wales.
Midlands someone who travels all around and some people who just go out as and when, because we don't require them to do a certain amount of dates. So that is really most opposite that you can get to what you're doing with Dogs in Focus. Yes. I mean it. If this was not a pet photography podcast, I would be like drilling you more about that business because I'm honestly in awe of what you guys have created.
I mean, 2018, you launched that and already, I mean, since even a few years ago, I know you were busy like that, like you just described turning over a good profit and everything, but that's not what we're here to talk about today. I just wanted to kind of give the listener a bit of an idea for. You know, the, the two polar opposite businesses that you're running that are not linked to each other whatsoever.
And then they've got a completely different business model and both are kicking goals. And I think that's really interesting. All right. So let's move into dogs in progress. Your goal with that business was to photograph pets because you. Love it, right? Yes. And yeah, obviously photograph pets and shift more towards pets.
And yeah, yeah. Just provide a better service to to people and and to pet owners than I would do with, with like a different business model, like, like my graphics. For sure. Okay. So when you first started out with this this business, which was, you know, branded differently, but it was the same concept.
How did you know that? The version, the business model that you use for your biker pics wouldn't work for this other than the fact of, you know, you can't stand on the side of the road for a dog, but I mean, you could go to dog parks and you could do the same thing effectively. So how come you didn't just copy and paste that same business model, which, you know, works.
Honestly, I learned so much from your podcast that I knew that it wouldn't be feasible on the long term. And that's, that's actually the reason I'm not doing like, Well, I'm not normally doing agility competition or other type of dog competition because I don't want, want to just do the same thing ever again.
I want to build sorry, I repeat this. So I don't want to do the same thing that I do with bikes. I just don't want. to just give a quick snap. I want people to have proper artwork of their, their dog. I want them, I want to give, give them real service, and I really want them to have artwork on their wall.
It's, first of all, it makes me happy seeing my artwork bringing joy to people. It's just something I can never, never get used to. With the other business model, we don't even know our customers. Normally some, some of them are kind enough to send us a message or tag us on social media, but normally we only know about them if something goes wrong, which is like really, really not good for my soul and for my ego.
And it's really tiring. mentally. So with, with dogs with dogs with the dog business, it's very different. I have all this positive feedback. People are loving my images. Even if they said that they can't afford me, they are just like, I know you are worth it, but I can't afford you, which is fair enough.
And And it's still like a good feedback because I know that I'm going into the right direction. Yeah, so there is this thing that people say with, with, with commodity and it's really, really I find it to be true. So with the, with the bike photography, it is It's a really it is a really cheap service and people just have all kinds of problems and all kinds of complaints and and it's really, really exhausting.
It sounds like, it reminds me like of dating. If you've had this kind of bad experience in the past. Or, or an experience that didn't really align with your values, then the next time you're ready to go dating again, go on a date again, you make sure that that next person is not, doesn't have the same qualities as the first one.
Right. Yeah. And you've kind of done the same thing. You, you're still running that other business because it's profitable, but. You know, what elements of it you like and don't like, and mostly sounds like you just like the money. And so, you know, you've looked at the other elements, dissected it and decided, no, that's not what I want to do in this new business.
And then in the new business, you've looked at what brings you joy and you've centered it around that. And this is a recurring thing that I actually hear among pet photographers. And it makes sense. I mean, we go against like, you know, the common industry advice and the common, I mean, now pet photography is more common, but.
It wasn't until very recently and here we all are just like, yeah, I want to photograph dogs, you know, so it totally makes sense that it's common, but I also think it's important. I mean, if you don't enjoy what you do, what's the point of being self employed? Because it is hard work a lot of the time, right?
Yeah, the other thing is that the biophotography is, is, is really, really lonely. Yeah. People say that being an entrepreneur is really lonely, but standing on the roadside like six hours a day and then editing, then pushing everything online without even talking to anyone. I can't really imagine anything that's, that's lonelier than that.
And Going back to what you said, that I only enjoy the money, it's not 100 percent true because I I do enjoy the editing side of things, so unlike other people who are doing this, we are still shooting raw, so I do editing Basically, I do our editing. My partner cannot edit at all, and and I, when we first started out, I really enjoyed social media.
It was much easier in 2018 building a really good social media platform. So we are, we, we are really strong. We were really strong on Facebook and Instagram, but it's just got harder and harder. Got lowlier and lowlier and going out with, with dogs and rolling into the mud with puppies is definitely much more fun than standing next to a road to wait people to just pass us on bikes.
Yeah, I can totally hear that. And you're right. I mean, we, we all do say that entrepreneurship, if we want to use that word, it can be lonely, but that's, what we do is nothing compared to what you would just. Describing what you're doing with the other business. So I can totally understand why you wanted, you know, something that's a bit more fulfilling for you and a bit more, you know, getting you out into the world as well.
Totally Diane, I want to dive more into what it is that you're offering with dogs in focus, how you go about Getting clients that do want to spend that money. But I'm going to save that stuff for the members. So let's wrap up part one now, before we do that, can you just let the listener know how they can, or where they can find you?
So they can find me on all the socials. I mean Instagram and Facebook it's dogs in focus photography. And my website is dogs in focus photography. com. Perfect. And as always, I will have the, the links in the show notes. If you miss anything just head on over there. It is the pet photographers club.
com slash podcast cast, sorry, podcast slash one five one two since this is season 15 episode 12, that's it for part one of this episode, if you're a member of the club, you can continue listening to part two in the member zone or via your private RSS feed in your favorite podcast. I don't forget if you're not a member yet, you can join today is just 10 bucks month club membership includes loads of perks and bonus content like the second half of this interview.
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