Education & Mentoring
for Photographers
You’re a Professional Photographer
which is a dream job…sometimes
Other times you wonder where your free time and sanity has gone.
Editing piles up, scheduling eats up your time. Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and the rest are all on the long list of things you “should” be doing.
When you’re busy it’s stressful. When you’re not busy it’s even more stressful because you’re worried about where the money is going to come from.
And the clients—some of them are delightful. Others you can’t make happy no matter how hard you try (and you tried really hard).
The good sessions and weddings are life giving, but the difficult ones drain you and make you wonder if it’s worth it.
“Raise your prices!” “Know your worth!” The gurus shout.
BUT, raising your prices doesn’t make the inquiries come in any faster! Now more and more clients are going a different direction because they can’t afford you!
The truth is there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to become a “successful photographer.” There’s no AI solution that’s going to fix the things about this work that drain you. If you were someone who liked doing things the way everyone else does them, you probably would be working a regular job. Instead you chose the narrower path: Owning your own business.
Let me be clear: there’s no perfect way to run your photography business.
You are a photographer because you were born to be an artist. You work for yourself because you value freedom.
There is a unique way to run YOUR business that is profitable, sustainable, low stress, and aligned with your values. I can help you find it.
Hi, I’m Libby
I’ve been a full time destination wedding photographer for 17 years
I’ve photographed weddings on multiple continents, make steady, good income. My dream isn’t to grow my business into a huge corporation, it’s to have a steady stream income from work that I enjoy while working less than full time hours and having near total freedom of schedule. It’s to be valued as an artist and sought out by amazing clients, which is the ultimate job security. It’s to spend my days doing work that I find meaningful and inspiring, and have leisure time to enjoy with those I love most.
I believe that this is what most of us independent photographers are actually chasing.
I’ve turned this dream into my reality and now, I want to help you do the same.
I can help you build a business that is authentic to your personality and works with your life, not a formula to regurgitate. I won’t teach you quick fixes that make you dependent on AI tools that just make you sound like everyone else. Instead, we’ll really help you build a business that contributes to your life more than it takes, and figure out how to make life and work that fill you with joy profitable.
Why Work with me?
There are plenty of photography and business coaches out there. Here’s how I’m different:
You’ll get help from someone in the trenches, not just guessing: I’m actually a full time destination wedding photographer—that’s still my primary income. I’m doing the same things you do every day.
I tried it so you don’t have to. I can help you get where you want to go faster. I’ve built my business from scratch and repeatedly refined and improved it over 17 years—I’ve seen many trends come and go and I know how to put new trends, technology, and strategies to the test, so you don’t waste time on things that don’t work for YOU.
I’ll help you Learn how to build a business, not a hobby. My business has always been the sole or primary source of income for my family. You can’t afford to be fooled by vanity metrics when your bills need to be paid.
I make 6 figures annually, I shoot around 20 weddings per year, at home and at stunning destinations, and I have done this consistently for a decade.
If you’ve relocated or are starting from scratch with your marketing, we can handle that too. I’ve moved my business to a new city and become successfully established in a new market. Twice.
I’ve photographed weddings in 28 states and 5 countries, so I understand that your specific location will have unique considerations, and I can also help you build a destination business.
I weathered both the aughts financial crisis AND Covid as a business owner. The plans we create together don’t rely on everything in the future working out perfectly.
If you’re juggling your business with parenting, I can help with that too. I have raised a child from age 2 to adulthood while running my photography business.
I can help you manage ANY difficult client situation. My background in Customer Service makes Client Communication—the trickiest and most frustrating part of the business for most photographers—my strongest skill.
I am an experienced copywriter and I have taught classes about finding your voice.
My advice is never one-size-fits-all. My lifelong interest in personality and psychology (including a social science degree) mean I lead with curiosity. I seek to understand you and your values before making recommendations.
Want to build a business you enjoy?
Not the life someone else wants—the life you want.
If you work with me, we’ll start by talking about your personality, YOUR likes and dislikes, YOUR parameters for the phase of life you’re in and what works for YOUR family. Then we start where you are now, and build processes that make your business feel like it fits perfectly into your life.
Inspiration, joy and ease are waiting for you.
How to work with me
One hour of mentoring with International Wedding Photographer Libby Dollar.
Mentoring session for the photographer who is looking for ways to make their business more enjoyable and streamlined without sacrificing profit or sanity. In one hour we’ll discuss any aspect of business you want to examine, and you’ll leave with actionable ideas to make your life more your own as your business thrives.
One hour problem solving session
1 hour zoom or phone mentoring session
We can talk about anything you want. (From the entire structure of your business, to how to manage a difficult client situation). We will figure out some steps you can start taking right away to make your business easier and more profitable in a way that’s sustainable for your life.
After you book, you’ll fill out an extensive questionnaire that I read before your hour starts, so we don’t waste your precious time getting me up to speed. If you’ve never worked with me before, this is a good place to start. $95
Six Month Business Transformation
Six months of one-on-one mentoring
Best for photographers looking to transform their business from top to bottom, raise prices, change marketing strategy, travel more, etc. or photographers in a growth phase who want support for multiple parts of their business and/or big hairy complex problems.
What to expect:
Month 1: Diagnostic—who are you, where do you want to go, what are your challenges? For our first month we hit the ground running with weekly meetings (zoom or phone your choice). I learn what you’re already doing, what’s working, what’s not, and then we create realistic goals for the 6 months we’ll work together that feel like you.
Months 2-6: We will cover the following concepts, typically one month each (Though the exact order and how much time we spend on each we will determine in our first month). Zoom/Calls every other week, plus email support as needed
Operations (How you streamline and simplify your daily work serving existing clients)
Offerings (Packages, pricing, policies, sales)
Website (including portfolio review and help writing copy)
Social Media & Free Marketing (strategies and the big “why” that helps you know exactly what to post and when)
Ads & Paid Marketing (including when and why to use paid ads)
THIS IS NOT A COURSE. THIS IS INDIVIDUAL COACHING. I will hold your hand and help you jump to the next level. $1400 total, or $250/month for 6 months
Monthly clients are also invited to “office hours” where I edit live and share technical photography knowledge and answer questions about editing, camera settings, posing, light, location selection and more.
Monthly Marco Polo Mentoring:
one on one advice delivered via the app Marco Polo. (This is for photographers who want personalized answers to their specific questions on the go) Record messages for me anytime day or night and I’ll get back to you personally. Best for ongoing support. (SPOTS ARE LIMITED) (Fine print: Send up to 30 minutes of questions every month—no limit on my reply time, I’ll answer the question thoroughly. Replies are sent weekly.) This is ideal for photographers who have completed the 6 month boot camp and want ongoing support, or photographers who just want a mentor in their corner to bounce things off of. $75/month, renews until you cancel.
Monthly clients are also invited to “office hours” where I edit live and share technical photography knowledge and answer questions about editing, camera settings, posing, light, location selection and more.
Client Conflict Response Builder
Got a tricky client and need help right now? This resource helps you keep your cool, keep your good review average, and keep your money. 10 pages of exactly what you need to handle your next tricky situation expertly. $14 Instant Download
When you get the email you’ve been dreading, how do you respond? This is my best advice on everything from getting yourself in the right headspace, to exactly what to include in your response and in what order. Because “the customer is always right” doesn’t work for small business owners. How to get a resolution that both you and your client are happy with.
Not sure what you need?
Tell me a little about you and what you’re facing, and I’ll get back to you asap. —Libby