Motherhood Anthology: Photography Education for a Business You Love

Many photographers post reels to the same small group of followers every week and wonder why their reach never grows. Instagram's trial reels send your content to people who have never seen your work. TMA community manager Ali Payne explains how she uses them to test ideas, grow her audience, and book sessions for her own photography business.

In This Episode

What a trial reel is, where to find it, and the setting to check before you post

How testing different on-screen hooks on the same clip can change your results

What realistic trial reel numbers look like and how to measure performance fairly

How to decide whether a reel is meant for photographers, potential clients, or current followers

Why a niche reel that brings in followers can do more for your business than a viral one

Three ways to hold a new viewer's attention: show your camera, use location keywords, and give a clear next step

How AI tools can help you review your insights and plan your next round of reels

Trial reels reward steady, low-pressure experimentation, and Ali makes a clear case for posting often and adjusting as you learn. She closes with a challenge to post one trial reel this week and share your results with her on Instagram at @themotherhoodanthology. If you want ongoing support as you grow your business, join the 800+ photographers inside The Motherhood Anthology Membership.

BTS Mini Course: https://membership.themotherhoodanthology.com/offers/9HuL447o/checkout

ANNUAL EVREGREEN offer: https://membership.themotherhoodanthology.com/offers/iiza3hSs/checkout

TMA BTS STARTER KIT FREEBIE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lhWKUP-JZ-87RyD7sTKWTJ9GNELAAJrg/view?usp=sharing

Connect with TMA:

Website | Membership | Courses: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.themotherhoodanthology.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Free Community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Kim:

Site: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kimbox.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/kimbox ⁠⁠⁠⁠

If every pricing conversation you hear seems to assume you've already switched to IPS, this episode is your permission slip to step back and ask a better question. Katie Lamb, Director of Education at The Motherhood Anthology, unpacks why the pricing model you choose was never the real driver of profitability, and what actually is.

Topics Covered

Why the "IPS vs. all-inclusive" debate is a false choice, and the full range of pricing structures (hybrid, collections, tiered packages) that exist between the two

What IPS genuinely does well: emotional context, no sales ceiling, and meaningful tangible products for clients

Why revenue is not profit, illustrated with a side-by-side of two $2,500 clients whose hours and cost of goods sold lead to very different hourly rates

The three math mistakes that quietly erode profitability under any model: skipping your cost of doing business, giving away what makes your work valuable, and ignoring how much time each client requires

Why lowering your time investment per client is a legitimate profitability lever that deserves the same respect as raising prices

How to find your minimum per-session number, and how to choose the pricing structure that gets you there in a way that fits your market, your clients, and the business you actually want to run

You don't have to abandon a model you love because someone else earns more with a different one, and you don't have to adopt IPS to be taken seriously. You do have to make the math work. This episode gives you the framework to run those numbers with clarity instead of comparison.

Connect with TMA:

Website | Membership | Courses: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.themotherhoodanthology.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Free Community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Kim:

Site: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kimbox.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/kimbox ⁠⁠⁠⁠

What does it actually take to feel confident walking into a family session? In this episode, guest host Suzy Brown, a Chicago family photographer nearly two decades into her career, sits down for a real, unscripted coaching call with TMA member Kailey, a photographer just six months into taking on clients. The questions Kailey asks out loud are the same ones photographers are still wrestling with 10 and 15 years in.

Topics Covered

Why the first 30 minutes of a session feel awkward for almost everyone, and the simple walk-in-the-door approach that dissolves the wall for you and your families

How to handle the family member who does not want to be there, and why setting the tone before you lift the camera changes the whole session

Whether you can show up as your full self on your business account when you do not feel like your own ideal client, and how sharing "from a scar, not a wound" attracts the people who want exactly you

Why an exceptional client experience will outperform pure artistry financially, and what that means for photographers early in their journey

The mindset shift Kailey reached at six months in that many photographers take decades to find: you do not have to be perfect, and imperfect work is often the work families treasure most

When to use a pre-session Zoom call in your booking process, and how a 15-minute conversation gets families on board before you ever arrive

This conversation is a reminder that the people side of photography is learnable, that the pressure to be perfect is what stands between you and the work you want to make, and that none of us have to figure this out alone. Press play to listen in on the full coaching call.

About the Suzy Brown

Suzy Brown is a family photographer based in Chicago with nearly 20 years behind the camera. She has built her career on transforming family photos from a dreaded obligation into an experience families look forward to, and today she teaches other photographers how to lead family sessions with confidence. Suzy will be TMA's guest educator this November, going deep on leading a family session no matter who shows up or what mood they are in. Find her on Instagram at @simplybysuzy.

Connect with TMA:

Website | Membership | Courses: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.themotherhoodanthology.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Free Community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Kim:

Site: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kimbox.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/kimbox ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Ever wonder what actually goes into those breathtaking styled sessions you see other photographers pulling off? In this episode, Ali Payne sits down with TMA mentor Marie of Marie Elizabeth Photography to get nosy about her Becoming Styled Sessions, an afternoon of four fully styled shoots she opened up to fellow photographers. From a nautical romance session on a sailboat to blue Portuguese tiles in a historic farmhouse kitchen, Marie shares how one small detail can grow into an entire creative vision.

In This Episode

What a styled session actually is, and why it is far more achievable than most photographers assume

Why building at least one styled session a year keeps your creativity fresh and prevents your work from going on repeat

How styled sessions play the long game for your business, bringing in client inquiries years after you shoot them

Marie's process for planning a session from one simple idea, like a scarf, a location, or a feeling, into a complete mood board

How to stretch into trends while keeping the core of your brand intact

Leading a room of photographers: giving attendees creative autonomy while holding your vision

Why a styled session event is the perfect low-lift entry point if hosting a workshop or retreat feels intimidating

Whether you are dreaming up your first solo styled session or feeling called to invite other photographers into your vision, this conversation is proof that it all starts with one simple idea. Press play and get inspired to create something just for the joy of it.

About Marie

Marie is a motherhood, newborn, family, and maternity photographer serving DC, parts of Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Now in her tenth year of business, she taught for 13 years while building her photography business on the side before going full time nearly five years ago. She is a TMA mentor and the creator of the Becoming Styled Sessions.

Website: https://marie-elizabethphotography.com/home/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marie.elizabeth.photo

Blog post: https://themotherhoodanthology.com/styled-session-for-photographers/

Marie's Becoming styled session waitlist: http://marie-elizabethphotography.com/waitlist-the-becoming

Connect with TMA:

Website | Membership | Courses: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.themotherhoodanthology.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Free Community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Kim:

Site: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kimbox.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/kimbox ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Kim Box has said before that spotting talent is one of the few things she'll claim to be good at. This week, she gets to prove it. Katie Lamb, longtime TMA mentor and educator, has officially joined the team as Director of Education, and the two sit down to talk about what she has already built, what members have been asking for, and where TMA education is headed next.

In This Episode

Why Katie said yes, and what a dedicated education role makes possible that no one person can do alone

The redesigned member dashboard: seven years of education, now searchable by topic, mentor, and need

The shift from selling information to delivering results, and why "less, but better" is the goal

What it means for a membership to feel like home, from the community to the education library

The education members are requesting most right now, including behind-the-scenes sessions, Fresh 48, product-based business transitions, and CRM workflows

How the community itself has become one of the most valuable parts of the $49 membership

A peek at what the team is exploring for members who want smaller groups, accountability, and support beyond the basics

Katie's vision is simple: you focus on the art you're making, and TMA makes sure you always know what you need to know. If you're already a member, she wants to hear what you're stuck on. That feedback goes straight into what she's building. If you've been thinking about joining, enrollment opens quarterly, and you can add your name to the waitlist at themotherhoodanthology.com/photography-mentoring/.

Connect with Katie Lamb

Katie Lamb is a photographer, educator, and longtime mentor inside The Motherhood Anthology, now serving as TMA's Director of Education.

Website: https://www.katielamb.com/

Instagram: @katiebethlamb

Connect with TMA:

Website | Membership | Courses: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.themotherhoodanthology.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Free Community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/themotherhoodanthology ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/themotherhoodanthology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Kim:

Site: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kimbox.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/kimbox ⁠⁠⁠⁠