We were lucky to catch up with Cyndie Patri recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cyndie, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

I think the biggest challenge is fellow photographers not charging enough for their talent and time. There is this notion that taking pictures is just clicking a button and a lot of photographers starting up don’t feel comfortable asking for a livable wage. A lot of these emerging photographers charge as little as possible, and then sadly cannot sustain their business for long. I would love for all of us to take into account all the work that is running a photography business; and instead of trying to charge very little to get customers, focus on service. The better service we give, the happier our clients will be.

Cyndie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Cyndie Patri. I’m a professional photographer who focuses on both client and commercial work.

I decided to enroll at an institute for photography because honestly, I was bored and wanted to learn something. I’ve always leaned to the artistic side, so photography seemed like a great option.

During my classes I fell in love with portrait photography; and after I graduated, I decided to look for workshops and portrait-focused classes to extend my knowledge of portrait photography.

I’ve been a professional photographer for nearly a decade now and I’m still in love with portraits.

My business is divided between client work ( individuals, family, headshots) and commercial work.

For my client work, I offer a customized experience. There are various steps in the booking process, mainly to get to the root of what my clients need. I’d say individuals or families booking my services, are people who want to treat themselves to a full-service experience. That means planning and executing their vision of how they dream their portraits would look like, designing wall arrangements that compliment their homes, making sure their wardrobe is on point, making sure to guide them when it comes to posing, and guiding them when it’s time to choose their portraits.

I would say commercial work is a little bit easier since usually companies already have a clear idea of what they want. If they need help with that, I work with a creative director whose job is to plan and make sure the company’s vision comes to life.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Always charge for your time when you have experience.

Truth is when it comes to this business you have to keep showing your work. Especially if you want more commercial work.
So sometimes it’s necessary to get together with fellow creatives and do a collaboration. No money is involved.

The last time I did it, thanks to the model I was working with, a company contacted me wanting to hire me for some images they needed. They had seen her images and asked her who the photographer was, so that’s how they found me.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I would say both word of mouth and surprisingly Instagram.

I think the key is to share as much as you can, and throw something a bit unusual every once in a while. While it’s true that most people just want to “collaborate” when they message on Instagram, I’ve also found my clients there. People wanting the type of service I offer and who are willing to pay for what they want.

And word of mouth referrals have been super important to my business as well. When you focus on service, your clients are going to be happy and they’ll mention you to anyone who listens.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cyndiepatriphotography.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/cyndiepatri
• Facebook: facebook.com/cpatriphotography