In this edition of Ask the Photo Business Coach, I break down what you need to do (and how long it takes) to make it in the photography industry. Take a look at the steps I lay out in this video.

In this edition of Ask the Photo Business Coach, I take the mystery out of a call to action. It’s a frequently misunderstood term, and it’s crucial to your success. Learn how to maximize your marketing with an appropriate call to action.

In this edition of Ask the Photo Business Coach, I share some advice on how to find paying jobs in places where you least expect them.

In this edition of Ask the Photo Business Coach, I share some advice on highlighting your achievements in a high-impact biography for your website.

In this edition of Ask the Photo Business Coach, I share some tips and tricks for photographers looking to maximize social media in their marketing efforts.

Editor’s note: Carl Costas is a Sacramento-based photographer specializing in photojournalism. He is a former staff photographer for the Sacramento Bee. In his first video on visual storytelling for Black Star Rising, Carl discusses the importance of building rapport with your subject.

In this edition of Ask the Photo Business Coach, I share my single best tip for negotiating your fees for photography jobs. Trust me: it works.

In this edition of Ask the Photo Business Coach, I share three keys to marketing success for photographers, including developing a clear value proposition, putting your clients’ needs first, and — most importantly — never giving up on yourself.

It’s great to have a passion for photography, but that alone won’t pay the rent. Unless you can get equally committed to the business side of the profession, your photography is doomed to remain a hobby or source of supplemental income. In this video, I offer some tips on how to get focused on developing your business.

In this video in my series on wedding photography marketing, I share advice on how to get exposure in local media to build awareness and earn new clients for your wedding photography business.

Before hiring you to document their wedding, most couples want to know more about you than the quality of your work and how many ceremonies you’ve shot in the past. They want to get to know you as a person.

In this edition of Ask the Photo Business Coach, I answer the question, “What’s the truth about photography contests?”

If you’re stressed out because of all the work you have to do, you may be missing an opportunity. Perhaps it’s time to grow your photography business. Even if you’re unable to pay for help at first, you do have options. This video can help you get started.

More and more wedding photographers are using Facebook and Twitter today, but relatively few are taking advantage of other useful social networking sites, such as Digg and StumbleUpon. In this video, I look at ways that you can leverage these sites to market your business.

Did you know that Facebook is the No. 1 way that many wedding photographers are reaching brides today? If you’ve been reluctant to include social media in your marketing strategy, watch this video. Getting started is not as difficult as you think.

In this edition of Ask the Photo Business Coach, I answer the question, “What are the most promising new opportunities for photographers?”

In this video in my series on creating a wedding photography website that sells, I share tips on how to turn traffic to your site into bookings.

In this video in my series on creating a website that sells, I discuss how to make customer testimonials work harder for you, how to organize and display your wedding packages, and more.

In this edition of Ask the Photo Business Coach, I discuss the importance of followup and why keeping promises is so critical to success.

In this video in my series on creating a website that sells, I discuss creating an “About” page that will attract brides to your wedding photography business.

This is the first video in my series on creating a wedding photography Web site that sells. In this post, we address search-engine optimization and generating free offers to capture email addresses and other information from your site’s visitors.

In this edition of Ask the Photo Business Coach, I answer a question that many of us have this time of year: How do I plan for a prosperous and fulfilling 2011?

I hope everyone had happy holidays. Now that you’re back to work, I’d like to share some ideas on building your wedding photography business by offering “free gift with purchase” promotions.

In this video in my series on wedding photography marketing, I offer tips on using e-mail and article marketing to grow your wedding photography business.

In this video in my series on wedding photography marketing, I offer tips on creating promotional videos to sell your services online and generate more bookings.

In this video, I discuss why it’s important — and also good business — for photographers to give back to their communities. I also solicit your ideas for giving back, during the holidays or any time of year. I encourage your feedback.

In this installment of “Ask the Photo Business Coach,” I offer a simple answer to an oft-asked question: “What makes a great photo?”

In my last couple of installments of “Ask the Photo Business Coach,” we’ve discussed issues such as photographers who complain all the time, and how to stay positive in a negative environment. On Thanksgiving, I thought it might be nice to take a step back and focus on the things we can all be grateful for.

In my last video, I offered advice on how to target high-potential prospects for your wedding photography business. In this post, we discuss three simple ways to book more business.

In my previous videos, I offered tips on using auxiliary lighting and natural light for outdoor portraits. In today’s post, we discuss the use of colored gels to create striking backgrounds for your photos.