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The Pet Photographers' Journal

The Pet Photographers' Journal

By: Ina J Photography
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Summary

 Welcome to The Pet Photographers' Journal, a practical and unfiltered podcast for talented pet photographers ready to build a business with more purpose, passion, and profitability. I’m Ina J, a pet photographer who turned my side hustle into my full-time career. In this podcast, I share exactly what I’ve learned and actually applied in my own business. We talk about pricing, mindset, marketing, client experience, and sales, without feeling pushy. Some lessons I picked up from others but I always tweak things to work for me and I’ll tell you how you can too. I overshare sometimes but in the best way possible because I believe in learning from real-life experiences not just theory. Whether you’re just starting or scaling to five-figure sales this show is your behind-the-scenes guide to pet photography business success.Copyright 2026 Ina J Photography Art Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Your Next Busy Season Is Being Decided Right Now

    Your Next Busy Season Is Being Decided Right Now
    May 2 2026

    I'm recording this right at the start of my busiest month. Sixteen sessions in May. And almost every single one of them was booked from campaigns I ran back in January and February.

    That gap between when the marketing happens and when the bookings land is the thing most photographers miss. And it's exactly what this episode is about.

    If you're in a busy season right now and you're not thinking about what happens next, or if you're staring at a quiet calendar wondering how it got this way, this one is for you.

    In this episode:

    • Why the feast and famine cycle is not about how hard you're working (and what it's actually about)
    • The 4 to 6 week marketing lag and why your empty calendar is never about now
    • What a National Love Your Pet Day giveaway brought in, including one client who spent $6,000 and another who spent $3,980
    • Sharon Canovas's story: how a stunt performer in Hamilton, Ontario went from scrambling for bookings to a fully booked spring by planning her whole year in December
    • The one action to take this week, depending on your season and hemisphere

    Resources and links mentioned:
    • The Pet Photography Marketing Systems Workshop starting 14 May 2026 7:30 AM AEST (13 May 2026 5:30PM ET): https://www.inajphotography.com.au/the-pet-photography-marketing-systems-workshop
    • Sharon Canovas's episode: From Overwhelmed With Marketing to Fully Booked for Spring Listen on Captivate | Listen on Spotify

    Your one action from this episode

    Write down your next peak booking window. Count back four to six weeks from that date. That's when your marketing needs to start. Not when the season arrives. Not when your calendar starts looking quiet. Now.

    💬 Join the Pet Photographers' Collective

    If you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.

    Inside, Ina shares:

    ✨ Practical marketing tips

    ✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts

    ✨ Free resources to help you grow

    Connect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.

    Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1

    ✨ Want to Be Coached Live?

    Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29

    📲 Connect with Ina

    Instagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo

    Email: ina@inajphotography.com

    Free Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit

    Mentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Hiding Behind the Camera: The Subconscious Reason Photographers Avoid Visibility with Marissa

    Hiding Behind the Camera: The Subconscious Reason Photographers Avoid Visibility with Marissa
    Apr 27 2026
    Why You Can't Make Yourself Show Up Online (It's Not a Confidence Problem) with Miss MarissaYou know what you should be doing. Post more. Show up consistently. Put yourself out there. And yet something keeps stopping you.In this episode, I sit down with Marissa, a personal brand therapist, coach, and former national TV hypnotist who works at the intersection of neuroscience, subconscious rewiring, and personal brand identity. Marissa has 20+ years in personal branding and marketing, degrees in PR, journalism, and applied neuroscience, and over 3,000 client sessions under her belt.What I expected was a conversation about branding strategy. What actually happened was something I didn't see coming. Midway through our conversation, Marissa turned the tables and started coaching me live, on air. She uncovered a belief I've been carrying since childhood and walked me through a guided subconscious practice that I'm still thinking about.If you've ever pushed yourself to show up online only to freeze, go blank, or find yourself doing literally anything else instead, this episode will give you a completely different lens for that.In this episode, we cover:Why visibility resistance is a nervous system and belief problem, not a confidence problemHow your core beliefs form between the ages of 0 and 7, and why they're still running your business todayThe "thick book" concept: how neural pathways shape your behaviour as a photographerWhat it actually means to have a personal brand as a solo photographer (and why you already have one whether you like it or not)Why the most talented photographers are often the least visibleA live guided inner practice you can use whenever you feel stuck showing upSmall, practical steps to start building visibility even if video feels terrifyingMarissa's final message for anyone who keeps getting in their own wayTimestamps:00:00 — Introduction01:30 — Marissa's journey: from shooting her first wedding at 17 to national TV hypnotist11:52 — The difference between confidence in your skills and confidence in yourself13:25 — Stripping back belief layers: how our core stories form20:00 — The "thick book" concept and how neural pathways shape your behaviour23:21 — Ina shares her own visibility block with coaching28:36 — Marissa challenges the belief that you need to be "better" than your clients32:00 — The live inner practice begins48:07 — Coming out of the exercise: how Ina felt53:49 — People buy who you are, not just your photos01:04:23 — What is a personal brand, really?01:15:09 — Practical steps when you're not ready for video01:22:13 — Marissa's final message: there is nothing wrong with youConnect with Marissa:Website: heymissmarissa.comInstagram: @heymissmarissaUseful resources:The Pet Photography Marketing System Workshop Waitlist (enrolment opens April 30th) - get a personalised video audit on your website, pricing or offer if you enrol to the workshop and you're on this waitlist.Add your name here: https://www.inajphotography.com.au/consistent-bookings-workshop-waitlist-pageFree Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit💬 Join the Pet Photographers' CollectiveIf you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.Inside, Ina shares:✨ Practical marketing tips✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts✨ Free resources to help you growConnect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1✨ Want to Be Coached Live?Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29📲 Connect with InaInstagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo Email: ina@inajphotography.comJoin the Consistent Bookings ProgramMentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 18 mins
  • How I Know What a Client Will Spend Before They See Their Photos

    How I Know What a Client Will Spend Before They See Their Photos
    Apr 20 2026

    How I Know What a Client Will Spend Before They See Their Photos

    If you've ever had a client ghost you after the session, or show up to their ordering appointment completely shocked by the pricing, this episode is going to hit close to home.

    Because here's the thing: the problem usually isn't the ordering appointment itself. It's everything that came before it.

    In this solo episode, Ina walks through her full client process from first enquiry through to ordering appointment, and explains exactly how she's consistently getting clients spending $2,000 to $4,000 even during a cost of living crunch, with more than half of those clients coming in as giveaway clients.

    The process is not complicated, but the sequencing matters. And most photographers are missing a step somewhere along the way.

    What's covered in this episode:

    00:00 Why clients get shocked at pricing (and what's actually causing it)

    02:30 How Ina's website is set up to educate clients before the consultation even starts

    06:00 What happens at the consultation, and why Ina spends most of it talking about the dog, not the pricing

    10:00 The one question she asks that tells her almost everything about what a client will spend

    13:00 How she introduces pricing without handing over a price list

    15:30 The questionnaire and pre-session planning call, and why both matter more than most photographers realise

    19:00 How she books the ordering appointment on the way back to the car after the session

    21:00 Two real examples from recent ordering appointments, including a $3,200 prepaid session and a client who doubled his own planned spend

    25:00 The key takeaway: the ordering appointment is not where the sale happens, it's where it lands

    Resources mentioned:

    Consultation That Sells Workshop Waitlist: https://www.inajphotography.com.au/consultation-that-sells-waitlist

    Free Consistent Bookings Audit: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit

    💬 Join the Pet Photographers' Collective

    If you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective — it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.

    Inside, Ina shares:

    ✨ Practical marketing tips

    ✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts

    ✨ Free resources to help you grow

    Connect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.

    Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1

    ✨ Want to Be Coached Live?

    Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29

    📲 Connect with Ina

    Instagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo

    Email: ina@inajphotography.com

    Join the Consistent Bookings Program

    Mentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
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