Katie Lamb – The Art of Business

The Art of Business by Katie Lamb is a self-paced video course for family, newborn, and portrait photographers building the foundations of a photography business. Its six modules move from defining success and understanding the industry to legal structure, marketing, pricing, and boundaries.

Attorney Paige Griffith of The Legal Paige co-teaches the US-focused legal module. The course also includes a printable workbook, templates, a pricing calculator, and a bonus client-experience e-book.

Photography business skills you’ll build

• Master defining success on your own terms with a strengths exercise
• Develop a framework to analyze photography trends without chasing tactics
• Learn US legal structure with Attorney Paige Griffith of The Legal Paige
• Apply seven marketing avenues to build a recognizable photography brand
• Build pricing with a real-numbers calculator instead of gut feel
• Implement boundaries that protect time, energy, and creative output

Course materials and printable resources

The six self-paced video modules are accompanied by a printable workbook, with worksheets that support the lessons. Downloadable materials include PDFs and spreadsheets.

The six named templates help photographers assess trends, examine their strengths, gather client feedback, work through pricing, arrange model calls, and communicate contract delivery. The bonus printable e-book, Creating a Share-Worthy Client Experience, focuses on the client experience.

• Trend Assessment Tool
• Strengths and Weaknesses Exercise
• Client Feedback Template
• Pricing Worksheet
• Model Call Template
• Contract Delivery Email Template

The six modules

The curriculum follows a sequence from personal business priorities through the practical decisions and routines needed to bring a photography business plan together.

1. Defining Success

Begin by examining your strengths and defining what success means to you. The module also considers foundational questions business owners can answer before scaling.

2. The Industry

Study a framework for assessing photography trends and the behavior of your target market. The aim is to make more considered decisions about trends rather than follow every new tactic.

3. Business Formations, Taxes, Contracts, and Money Management

Katie is joined by Attorney Paige Griffith of The Legal Paige for a US-focused look at business foundations. Topics include LLCs versus sole proprietorships, insurance, bookkeeping, working with a CPA, contracts, and a CRM workflow.

The legal and tax material is educational and is not a substitute for advice from your own attorney or CPA.

4. Branding and Marketing

Develop a brand identity and explore seven marketing avenues for making your photography business recognizable and distinct. Melissa Arlena of Picture Perfect Rankings contributes material on SEO.

5. Pricing and Profit

Examine three pricing structures and use the real-numbers pricing calculator to work with actual costs. The module also addresses discounts, upsells, and mini-session strategy.

6. Boundaries and Putting It All Together

The final module addresses protecting your time and energy, setting goals, and combining the work from the previous five modules into a cohesive business plan.

About Katie Lamb

Katie Beth Lamb launched her photography business in 2008 and has operated a Dallas-Fort Worth studio for more than 17 years. She holds a BFA in Fine Art Photography from Baylor University and has documented ministry and orphan-outreach work in China, Rwanda, and Europe.

Co-photographer Cheyenne Secrist has worked with Katie’s studio since 2015. Katie has also been featured on the Tografy blog and The Milky Way podcast.

Frequently asked questions

Who is The Art of Business for?

The course is designed for family, newborn, and portrait photographers, including solo studio owners and photographers developing their business foundations.

What materials are included with the course?

The package includes six video modules, a printable PDF workbook, six PDF templates, a pricing calculator, and a bonus PDF e-book. Spreadsheet materials are also included.

Does the course teach in-person sales?

No. It covers pricing structures, discounts, upsells, and mini-session strategy rather than in-person sales-room procedures or scripts.

Is the legal material specific to the United States?

Yes. The business formation, contract, and tax material in Module 3 focuses on US law and is co-taught by Attorney Paige Griffith.