Raw Portraits – Mitzi Starkweather

Diversify your offerings by learning how to create “Raw Portraits.” Mitzi Starkweather’s course reveals how to create an accepting space for clients to come just as they are for liberating, transformative photographs that are fully authentic and un-retouched.

Learn how to craft a fun three-part photoshoot with Mitzi’s guide to directing clients through a nurturing and emotive experience that will result in powerful images. You’ll also get tips on lighting, gear selection, marketing, and pricing, so raw portraits can become a profitable part of your business.

What You’ll Learn In Raw Portraits

Intro

Raw Portraits is about your creative journey as a photographer who loves to see clients light up because you have documented them through the lens of love. Even if you are already offering fully styled glamour portraits, you can add raw portraits to bring even more value to your brand. When you shoot in a stripped-down way, you have the potential to improve your craft, including lighting and posing, and your client connection can also get a boost.

Mitzi recommends also taking self-portraits in this style, so you can lean into your own discomfort about your appearance. As Teri Hofford says, “There’s no judgement in curiosity,” and when you approach yourself and your clients in this loving, tender way, what you’ll find is profoundly transformative healing for yourself and for your clients.

Creating Connection

In this lesson, Mitzi shares how she came to offer “As I Am” sessions in addition to her fully stylized “Luxe” sessions. As photographers, our vocation is to see the beauty in others and reflect it back to them. We do that in glam shoots, and it’s equally important to offer shoots where people can show up just as they are.

Mitzi reveals her process for learning to accept ourselves through self-portraiture that enables us to show up in a judgement-free way for our clients. In embracing imperfection and breaking the rules, we can create an accepting space for clients to relax and be themselves. In this lesson, Mitzi also shares how she prepares clients for her raw, un-retouched shoots, the 3-parts to each session, and how she creates a positive, loving reveal session.

Lighting & Gear

Mitzi delves into the critical role of lighting and camera equipment in crafting emotive portraits. She shares her personal approach to selecting and using gear, from lens choices to lighting setups. Mitzi emphasizes the importance of understanding the tools at your disposal, encouraging experimentation and adaptation to find the perfect combination for each unique session.

This lesson offers insights into how the placement of just one light can dramatically alter the mood and focus of a portrait. Mitzi’s guidance is grounded in the philosophy that the technical aspects of photography should not overshadow the connection with the subject, but rather enhance the authenticity of the moment.

Pricing & Product

Mitzi tackles key business elements of portrait photography, focusing on creating value-based pricing and selecting impactful products. She emphasizes the importance of treating raw portrait sessions with the same esteem as stylized shoots, sharing insights from her own experience to maintain high sales averages. Mitzi advises on product selection, encouraging photographers to choose items that resonate personally, as this passion translates into sales. This lesson covers practical aspects of pricing transparency, the psychological impact of package structuring, and the significance of storytelling through products, equipping photographers with the skills to price confidently and curate a product line that reflects their artistic vision and meets client expectations.

Marketing Raw Portraits

When it comes to raw portraits, it’s important to let the images speak for themselves. They are emotive and connected, and they express just how powerful the experience is better than anything else can. In this lesson, Mitzi explains the best way to build a portfolio of raw images so that you’ll have images for your marketing. She also tells how to gather the all-important testimonials that will be the backbone of your marketing copy. Additionally, she shares more details about her client prep guide and how you can adapt it to be uniquely yours.

Then I talk about marketing from your WHY (and no matter what type of portraits you love to do you will be inspired by this talk!)

Directives & Prompts

In raw portraits, we’re doing more than just having people “act natural.” The photographer needs to lead their clients on an emotive journey where they feel safe, supported, and like they’re doing a great job. In this lesson, Mitzi shares her quick reference guide for directing clients through a raw portrait photo shoot. She shares how she pays attention to how clients feel comfortable in their bodies and what conversational topics can be a point of connection with them. She shares prompts that bring out natural postures and movements, that explore their emotional repertoires, and that keep the shoot fun and silly while also creating the space for deeper expressions.

Full Shoot

In this lesson, Mitzi brings us through a complete portrait photography session. She guides photographers through each phase of the shoot, including setting up the environment and her preferences for lighting, backdrops, camera, lens, and props. She takes us through her initial client interaction as well as how she directs and gives prompts in each of her three setups. Emphasizing the importance of authentic client engagement, Mitzi provides techniques for creating a relaxed and trustful atmosphere, crucial for capturing raw and emotive portraits.

Instant Reveal

In this lesson, Mitzi guides a client through image selection, demonstrating how her reveals emphasize self-love and authenticity. She also outlines her approach to pricing and products, including storybooks and digital files. In addition, Mitzi shares the discreet way she implements payment plans, ensuring photographers can sensitively handle financial challenges. Central to this lesson is how to create a comfortable environment for clients, fostering an atmosphere of genuine self-acceptance and expression.

Conclusion

Mitzi reviews key points from the course and offers guidance for how to push farther into areas that may have raised doubts and questions for you. She offers prompts to help you come to a deeper understanding of how to build a raw portrait experience that you truly love. When we align with our passion, letting go of self-imposed barriers and limitations, we position ourselves to provide a client experience that is truly honoring and transformative. This is the energy that can shift the culture and the world by bringing more love into the art you create and into your clients’ lives.

More courses from the same author: Mitzi Starkweather

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