We recently connected with Peggy McCartha and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Peggy, thanks for joining us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

Photography is a high-skill profession. To become a successful professional photographer, you need more than just a camera and talent. You also need training along with business, marketing, and communication skills if you want to run a successful photography business.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I have had a passion for photography my whole life and have been fortunate to have always been able to make a living doing what I love. In the 34 years I have been a professional photographer, I have seen my industry go through a lot of changes. I believe my willingness to adapt and change is one of the reasons I have lasted this long, or maybe it is just that I am stubborn. During the pandemic I found myself doing a lot of consulting and teaching over Zoom. Knowing that we live in a digital driven world where often our profile pictures are our first impression on the world. Wanting to help my clients make an impactful first impression led me to create a program designed to help them identify what they needed and help them to get images that can be one of the biggest parts of their marketing strategy. People from all over the world were booking sessions with me because they the value in this information. Then I thought, why not teach photographers to do what I was doing. That idea has now turned into a 26-course program that teaches photographers the skills they need to help their clients. At the same time, they are learning how to run a successful photography business. Maximizing their business, building their brand, getting networking and follow-up skills as well as increasing their knowledge and skills of photography, understanding how to use the powerful psychology of camera angles, lighting posing etc.
I’ve always felt like when photographers help other photographers to grow, it’s a win for the whole industry. My dream is to help thousands of photographers around the world learn how to create a thriving business that will allow them to live the life they always dreamed of.

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

I was always taught that if you work hard, you will get ahead. Well, I learned, probably the hard way, that this is just not true.  Is running a business hard work? Of course, but just because you work hard does not mean you are going to get ahead.  You have to work smart.   You have to understand that running a business takes business skills.  Running a photography business is still running a business. If you only rely on your talent and skills as a photographer, you will never reach your full potential. I have been a professional photographer for over 34 years, I have had my own studio for 28 of those years but for the first couple of decades, to be honest, I was not running a business – I was running a hobby! When I think of all the money that I left on the table out of ignorance of the basic business practices, it makes me want to cry.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I would imagine that anyone that does the same line of work for a long period of time sees it evolve and change. I feel like my industry has probably changed more than most. I started my career with film. I was one of the first professional photographers I knew to make the switch to digital in the early 2000s. Then, in 2008 a couple of things happened almost at the same time. One, the economy crashed and people were not spending the extra money to get family portraits taken like they used to, and two, DSLR cameras were affordable for the average person to buy… oh and don’t forget, soon after that, everyone had a camera in their cell phone that they carried in their pockets. People use and view images differently than they used to, but that hasn’t diminished my love or respect for photography, I just keep pivoting and keep creating. I mean, think about it, I sell time travel… I capture people’s most important moments and emotions and allow them to go back to visit that moment in time anytime they want to. I have the most amazing and fulfilling job. I think that is why I am so passionate about helping other photographers to succeed in their photography careers.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.HeadshotStrategist.com
• Instagram: @HeadshotsByPeggy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggymccartha/
• Youtube: youtube.com/c/HeadshotsbyPeggy/
• Other: TikTok @headshots_by_peggy

Image Credits
Headshots by Peggy