Secret Of

INTRODUCTION TO MAKING MONEY PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE AND PETS

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Special note — all material in this book is copyrighted by Pam and Jeff Farr. You may print out a copy for your own use. You may not otherwise copy, modify, distribute or use this book in any other way without permission. Thanks!...and enjoy!...


IMPORTANT NOTICE AND LEGAL DISCLAIMER Not Your Normal School of Photography division of Old Barn Enterprises, Inc. The information provided on in this and other materials offered is for educational purposes only and is offered “as is.” While effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the authors, Old Barn Enterprises, Inc., and their affiliates accept no responsibility for any damages caused by any inaccuracies or from use of the information provided. Furthermore, no guarantees of income are intended or made. As with any endeavor, each individual will have varying experiences and degrees of success. Each individual must, therefore, make his or her own judgment as to the fitness and appropriate use of any information provided. Authors make no representation and accept no liability for use of any information provided. Testimonials and comments depicting specific results are not typical. Each person’s experience and results can, and do, vary. Information is provided with the understanding that the authors are not engaged in the practices of law or accounting. Should advice be needed in these areas, a competent professional should be consulted.

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Turn your love of photography, people, and pets into a lucrative career... First off, thanks for your interest and taking the time to download this book and actually reading it! Believe it or not, simply taking that action puts you in an elite class — not too many people even take the slightest step towards their dreams. So I am honored to “meet” a fellow “doer.” Oh — I almost forgot — I guess I should introduce myself before we get too far into this. My name is Jeff Farr and my wife’s name is Pam. As you’ll see, Pam’s a very good people and pet photographer and her business was the original inspiration for the book, “The Secret of Making $2,970.00 In One Weekend Photographing People and Pets.” Over the years, the printed version of The Secret of Making $2,970.00 In One Weekend Photographing People and Pets has inspired over 20,000 photographers. In fact, I’ve had people tell me they’ve read it as many as dozen times, and they’ve carried the “little yellow book” with them everywhere they go! And it’s true that the more you read it, the more it “sinks in,” and the more you realize the power of the simple, but critical, concepts that are presented.

The original

Secret of Making $2,970.00 In One Weekend Photographing People and Pets...

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The original “little yellow book” is out of print, but now,

thanks to the modern miracle of e-books, The Secret Of Making $2,970.00 In One Weekend lives on... Really, I was going to retire the book and “ride off into the sunset” ~ but ~ after taking a look at it, and discussing it with a few people, I realized that... (1) — there wasn’t much that needed changing and (2) — there were still a lot of people who would be helped by it Since the printed version was done and gone (and I had no desire to deal with another “print run”), the Secret of Making $2,970.00 In One Weekend Photographing People and Pets e-book was born! Technology may change, and the “delivery vehicle” may change, but certain core principles, like the ones you’ll find in The Secret of Making $2,970.00 In One Weekend Photographing People and Pets, don’t. In fact, sometimes, when your ideas are “ahead of their time,” it’s a GOOD THING when “the times” catch up a little bit. That’s certainly the case here. These days, it’s much easier to set up a business that enables you to work where you want and when you want than it was when Pam and I first started doing it. And it’s also much easier to set up systems that allow you to have pre-sold clients automatically calling you. MOST PEOPLE STILL DON’T REALIZE THIS, BUT THE DOOR IS WIDE OPEN FOR THOSE THAT DO! So, welcome to the “party”...thanks to modern technology, automating our businesses, so we can concentrate on doing the things we like to do, is now easier than ever!

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 OK, A FEW “HOUSEKEEPING” NOTES — I’ve left most of the book the way it was originally written way back in 1997 because most of it is as relevant and inspiring today as on the day it was written. Pam, of course, no longer makes a measly $2,970.00 in one weekend (her session fees have jumped up a bit!), and some of the technodetails of what we do have changed (yes, we went digital a few years ago), but those are minor changes, and do not affect the true “secrets” of making large chunks of money in short periods of time photographing people and pets! Pam and I have, by the way, set up a special website for you to get updates to this book — www.NYNphotoschool.com/updates.htm — but please do read the book first! I’ve also left the photographs in black and white as they were originally printed in the book, although the original photos as taken by Pam, were in color. There are a few reason for this which aren’t worth getting into (ok — I was lazy, I didn’t want to dig out the old negatives and scan them, it would have made this book even larger to download — and besides — Pam’s stuff looks good in black and white anyway!), however, if you do want to see some of Pam’s

work in full glorious color you can see it at www.NYNphotoschool.com/ gallerypam.htm. The only changes I’ve made to the book are minor — fixing typos and things like that — and of course, I’ve enlarged the type and page sizes to make everything “e-book” friendly. The Secret of Making $2,970.00 In One Weekend Photographing People and Pets now reads well both on a computer screen and printed on paper (that choice is up to you — I personally prefer to read printed pages and you’re welcome to print a copy this book [or have it printed at a copy shop] for your personal use. If you have it 3-hole punched, it fits nicely into a ½-inch 3 ring binder!)

And now, relax and enjoy, The Secret Of Making $2,970.00 In One Weekend Photographing People And Pets!!!...

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Photographically yours,

Pam and Jeff Farr co-founders, Not Your Normal School of Photography

Pam and Jeff Farr... this photo was taken by our youngest student — a 10-year old! No, we didn’t set this shot up, she did, and yes, she did real paying sessions with real clients! For details on how we quickly and easily taught a 10-year how to do real paying sessions visit us at www.NYNphotoschool.com/updates. But first, please read The Secret Of Making $2,970.00 In One Weekend Photographing People And Pets!

Necessary legal stuff, please read — This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is provided with the understanding that the authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. NOTE: No guarantees of income or profits are intended by this book. Many variables affect each individual’s results. Not Your Normal photography is a registered trademark and division of Old Barn Enterprises, Inc. ©2005 Pam and Jeff Farr. All rights reserved. May not be copied by any means without permission.

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Special intro from Pam...

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“HOW I MAKE $2,970 IN A WEEKEND, PRETTY MUCH WHENEVER I WANT TO, AND HOW YOU CAN DO THE SAME...”

Dear fellow photographer, It’s really a great feeling to know you can pick up your camera (film or digital!) and make close to THREE GRAND IN A COUPLE OF DAYS, photographing people and pets, — pretty much whenever you want to — and all while working from your home. But I have to tell you, while the money is nice, the best part is being able to make it doing something you love doing. (Absolutely, I love what I do, and more importantly—MY CLIENTS LOVE IT.) It’s funny, a short while ago, my husband, Jeff, was talking to another local photographer who was complaining about how there were “too many photographers in the area.” I hadn’t noticed. And I don’t care how many photographers move into the area because I’ve developed a style of photography that people are literally lined up for. I have a waiting list. When I want to do some work, I let people know, and my sessions book up instantly. Pretty nice, and I’ll show you how to do the same thing. O.K., we may have a waiting list...but here’s what we don’t have — a full-time studio with constant overhead and fixed working hours. We don’t have employees. And we don’t have a yellow pages ad or a business phone. For that matter, we don’t have just about everything everyone says you need in order to have a vibrant business. Jeff and I will show you how to get started without all those things, too. We’ll even show you how you can get all the business you want without spending hardly any money on advertising. I really hope you’ll take a look at the enclosed book carefully. I know it sounds corny, but what I have to share with you could very well be a turning point in your life. You have an opportunity to build a business (doing something you love doing) around your life-style — instead of letting your business — or your job — dictate to you how to live. And you don’t have to quit doing anything you’re doing now, to get started. You can start like I did, part time, in our basement, with a borrowed camera. By the way, the $2,970 is what I make photographing people and pets in one weekend (2 days). I gave you that figure in case you’re thinking of starting out part-time, like I did (I was working as a flight attendant when I first started doing this). However, because I no longer have a “normal” job, I usually tack on a few sessions Friday and Monday (after-

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(over)

noons & evenings) which brings the total up to $4,950. But that’s not all, because it’s not uncommon to sell another $1,000 in reprints...in total, about $6,000 for one “batch” of sessions. Now, I want to tell you up front (you can always count on getting the straight scoop from us), that besides the actual photographing, you’ll need to spend some time putting the session packages together. This can be done easily during the week, or on “off” weekends and, to me, this is one of the most enjoyable and relaxing parts of the business. You can do it when you feel like it (I always tell my clients it’ll be 3 weeks until they get their package) — you can watch TV or play music while you “work” — and there’s certainly no dress code. You should also know that when you first start out, you may not be able to charge as much as I do (although some have started out charging more). Like anything worth doing, you’ll have to start at the beginning — only in this case — we will help you to leap frog to the top as quickly as possible. So enough of the introductions, it’s time to get to the “meat of the matter.” I know you’re anxious to find out how you can make $2,970 in one short weekend photographing people and pets and I am just as excited to tell you about it. The enclosed book will explain everything to you, including how I got started, how you can follow in the same path — in a fraction of the time it took me (this is the information I wish I had when I started) — and why I’m now willing to part with my hard-won trade secrets. Photographically yours,

Pam Farr, Not Your Normal photographer P.S. The book is written by my husband, Jeff, who put together the automatic paint-bynumbers-near-zero-cost marketing system that caused my business to go from a very low, almost-had-to-get-a-real-job, level to having to turn people away. (Being a great photographer without being a great marketer won’t do you any good!) Jeff’s marketing system, plus my unique style of photography, is the perfect way to get started making money doing what you love to do!(or expand your business if you’re already a working pro!) P.P.S. During one batch of mini-sessions, I actually had someone call up for a photo session and say “I don’t care what it costs.” I’ll have to admit, that was fun to hear. Take a look at the enclosed special report. It will put you on the path to having the same thing happen to you!

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$19.95

THE SECRET OF MAKING $2,970.00 IN ONE WEEKEND PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE AND PETS...

Text by by Jeff Farr Photos by Pam Farr

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PHOTOGRAPHY

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THE SECRET OF MAKING $2,970.00 IN ONE SHORT WEEKEND TAKING PICTURES OF PEOPLE AND PETS ✔ Work from your home, studio, or on location... ✔ Be open when you want... ✔ Use marketing secrets that’ll have pre-sold customers calling you! YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE TO DO THIS This is the perfect business to unleash and develop your creativity; build your confidence! Plus, even if you decide not to do this as a business, you’ll still discover how to vastly improve your photography and win the ADORING ADMIRATION of friends, relatives, and business associates...

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Dedicated to all aspiring photographers (whether you’ve been shooting for 5 minutes or 50 years!) who are not afraid to venture forth, unleash their creativity, and live the life of their dreams. —Jeff Farr

NOTE: ORIGINAL PHOTOS ARE IN GLORIOUS COLOR

YOU CAN START RIGHT NOW BY THROWING ALL YOUR OLD TIRED IDEAS ABOUT PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY OUT THE WINDOW!...

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PICTURES LIKE THESE WILL MAKE YOU MONEY. Yes, the dog in the presents took some patience (that’s why you’ll be getting the big bucks), but it’s

NOT really that hard when you know the simple tricks! By the way, the type of picture shown above can generate a lot of reprint ($$$) orders for Christmas cards! The photo shown below is Pam’s “toboggan pose.” She uses it in various forms constantly. A top key to success in this business is having an “arsenal” of poses that are easy to learn, set up, and attract clients willing to pay you top dollar for your knowledge and skill.

NOTE: ORIGINAL PHOTOS ARE IN GLORIOUS COLOR, TO SEE PAM’S WORK IN COLOR VISIT WWW.NYNPHOTOSCHOOL.COM/GALLERYPAM.HTM

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CHAPTER ONE How exaggerated is this $2,970.00 in one weekend — pretty much whenever I want to — working out of my home or studio? I suppose it sounds a little outrageous to someone not here, not seeing it first hand. But $2,970.00 is, in fact, what my wife Pam earns in one “short” weekend taking pictures of people and pets, and I’m convinced that anyone with a strong interest in photography, and the dedication to follow her example, can do the same thing. Even if you are not now an accomplished photographer. As you look through our materials, and some of Pam’s pictures, please keep in mind that Pam started from zero. No matter where your abilities are now, they can’t possibly be lower than Pam’s when she started — with no training, in our basement, using the cheapest equipment and materials we could find. So put “I can’t do this” out of your mind right now! On the flip side, if you’re an accomplished photographer, maybe with your own studio, and you’re thinking “I can do all this already,” can you? Do you? Make close to 3 grand in a couple of days when you want to? Take months off if you want to? Work out of your home if you want to? Do you have waiting list of people anxious to have you take their pictures for a large fee? $2,970.00 in a “short” weekend... The reason I mentioned a “short weekend” — a Saturday and Sunday — is because I know most people will start this part

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time. Pam, however, rarely just books up a weekend. Instead, She prefers to do her sessions in larger blocks and then take larger amounts of time off in-between. For example, as I write this, we are accepting reservations for her next block of sessions which will consist of 6 sessions on one weekend (Pam will only do 3 sessions per day, tops), 5 sessions during the following weekdays (1 per day), and 6 sessions the next weekend. Only five days ago, I sent out 210 invitations for these sessions and so far we have 12 bookings. Pam charges $495 per session, so that’s $5,940.00 worth of business — so far. Yesterday, I mailed out another 191 invitations. All in all, if we book Pam solid, which is a sure bet, we will take in $8,415, plus reprint orders, which could bring the total to over $10,000. It doesn’t take a financial genius to figure out that we can do this as little as every other month and still make a nice living — especially when you consider that we don’t have studio expenses and our advertising and promotional costs are next to nothing. More on that later. Now, as much as I’d like to, I can’t promise you’ll do as well as Pam does. Your success will depend on you and what you do with the information we give you. What I can promise is that I will tell you the truth about what we do, give you the tools you need to be successful — all laid out for you in a clear and concise way — so you can put them to immediate use. I can also guarantee you won’t find this information anywhere else. Pam’s sessions and our marketing of them is unique — knowledge of what we do and how we do things gives you an extreme competitive advantage in the marketplace.

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No one starts at the top, but everyone at the top got started! At this point in time, Pam is a top level photographer who is well-known and in demand in our area — but — it wasn’t always that way. Pam started out knowing nothing and I can assure you her first photo sessions were less than good. And while she is confident of her abilities now, it wasn’t too long ago her “presession nervousness” gave her severe gastrointestinal upset before every session. So I don’t want you to think that Pam is some one-in-a-billion creative genius that one day magically started doing this. Quite to the contrary, it’s been a long hard road with lots of screw-ups. One of the reasons we’re able to teach you so effectively and short cut your path to the top, is because at some point on our climb, we’ve been right where you are now. What you want will determine what you get! In many ways, the way you operate your photo business will be determined by the life-style you want to live. When we started our photography business, “Not Your Normal photography,” the first thing we did was to sit down and make a list of how we wanted our life-style to be, so we could design the business to accommodate it. This is extremely important and I strongly suggest you do the same. Most people let their businesses and jobs determine how they live rather than the other way around. You now have the opportunity to get it right — the way you want — because the information we’ll provide can be bent, shaped, and molded to your life in virtually any way you like.

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For example, here’s what was important to us...our “requirements” for going into business... •We didn’t want to work all the time, only when we wanted to. •We wanted (within reason) to take off whenever we felt like it. Nice day? — go out and play! •We didn’t want the hassles and expense of owning a studio and having a business phone. And we didn’t want employees. •We didn’t want people calling and bugging us for stuff we don’t do — like weddings. •We didn’t want to do any sales. No cold call “telemarketing,” no having to sell people when they called in, no trying to “upsell” people into large reprint orders. Sounds like an absurd bunch of demands, doesn’t it? Well, we finally got what we wanted! The only absurd part was all the work and trial and error that went into figuring out how to get to the “easy part.” And that’s why I wrote this book, to help you get to the “easy part” infinitely quicker than we did. Now I realize your goals and our goals might not be quite the same. You may want a studio with employees and the whole bit. Perhaps you want to own a chain of studios and become fabulously wealthy instead of just making a nice living working part-time. If that’s the case, you’re still on the right track. The photographic and business techniques we teach will help you become as big or as small as you want to be. You can make a great living doing this,

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but this is not just about money Over the years, probably just like you, I’ve sent for a lot of “opportunities.” And to my disappointment, the “make money with your camera deal” often turns out to be some boring routine having little to do with real photography. I don’t know about you, but selling medical IDs, or taking pictures of houses for real estate agents, is not my idea of creative photography. If I’m going to have do stuff like that to make a living, what the hell, shoot me right now and get it over with. There’s just no substitute for doing something you love doing — you simply feel better, have more energy, — you even need less sleep because you can’t wait to get up in the morning... By reading this book, you are taking an important first step to making a living doing what you love to do. What we will teach you is fun, creative, and doable, not one of those “mirage” opportunities that only looks nice from a distance... I just want to say one thing about the various “opportunities” out there. It’s about what I call “the dream” that is sold over and over again. It pops up in various forms, but the one that sticks out in my mind the most is the guy who took a picture of the Dallas skyline and made huge amounts of money from it. You probably know the one. Of course, no doubt, the story is true. But it’s also true that the picture was a fluke, and not easily repeated, which is why it made all that money. That way of making money — going out and taking pictures and then trying to sell them to agencies, magazines, galleries, at art fairs, you name it — is a hard road to take, difficult to system-

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ize, glutted with competition, and inherently unreliable as a steady source of income. Artists, authors, musicians and photographers all fall prey to “the dream” which is used by marketers to sell books and equipment — it’s the dream that you will be “discovered,” that your work will be sought after by millions, that you will spend your life in tropical paradises taking pictures of beautiful models. The truth is, that does happen, but how often? The world is swimming in great photography. You can buy CD roms packed full of it. Practically every art and street fair has photographers — good photographers — trying to sell their work. Go to any bookstore, check out all the great work in calendars, books, and magazines, and ask yourself, “Do I really want to compete with this to make a living?” That’s not to say you shouldn’t try achieving “the dream.” As a photographer and a graphic artist, I’ve taken that route as a “back burner” project and now it looks like some of my work may be carried in several retail chains nationwide and, of course, I’m thrilled. But even as good as that sounds, the money is unreliable, slow to arrive, and probably won’t be enough to live on (lots of markups between me and the consumer). It’s just not something you would want to rely on to get you started and provide you with a steady stream of cash. For that, you need... The power of a starving crowd In his high-priced ($7,000+) seminars, marketing expert Gary Halbert asks “If I were to set you up in the fast food business and give you one advantage, what would it be?

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Some will say “A secret sauce,” “A good location,” or “Lowest prices.” Gary Halbert says he’d want “a starving crowd.” LEARN HOW TO FIND AND FEED A STARVING CROWD AND YOU’LL NEVER GO HUNGRY — ...let that sink in for a second... — because that’s the key to what we do; what makes it all work. We have found a starving crowd and developed a systematic, repeatable way to “feed” it. Forget having to push your pictures into a saturated market, these people are ready and waiting for you to provide them with what they want — what we will show you how to produce. I wish you could have been at the “pet parade” benefit for the Humane Society who had asked Pam if she would display her photos. (We don’t usually do those kinds of events, but find it hard to say no to the Humane Society!) There must have been a dozen other booths there — with no one around them because they were all crowded around Pam “oohing and aaahing” — and generally going nuts — over her pictures. And it’s like that every time someone sees them. It’s truly amazing to watch the reactions. And I know Pam loves the rave revues she gets. But, this is not a book about Pam, it’s about you and how YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN STARVING CROWD SURROUNDING YOU, giving you very nice chunks of money to take pictures of their family and pets. Yes, you can learn to take the kinds of pictures shown in this book and yes, people will pay you well to take them. And yes, we will show you how to do it every step of the way. If you are totally “chomping at the bit” to get going, you can skip the next chapter if you like, but I do think you’ll

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find it interesting. It’s about how Pam and I got started and how we got to where we are now. You’ll see that we are just regular people who, partly by accident and partly by design, came up with a very nice way of earning a living that’s fun and fits our life-style, and there is no reason on earth why you can’t duplicate our success...

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Showing relationships and intimacy are key elements of Not Your Normal photography®

NOTE: ORIGINAL PHOTOS ARE IN GLORIOUS COLOR, TO SEE PAM’S WORK IN COLOR VISIT WWW.NYNPHOTOSCHOOL.COM/ GALLERYPAM.HTM

Pam uses only white or black backdrops. This keeps the photos clean and simple, makes the people (or the pets) the stars, and has a side benefit of keeping your backdrop expenses low!

How could you even think of not doing this business when there are skads of wonderful children like this, close to where you live, along with parents who will pay you well?

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THE MARKET FOR CHILD PHOTOGRAPHY IS INSATIABLE I don’t care where you live, you’ll be able to find people who will pay you well to take the kinds of pictures you see here.

Our home study course tells in detail how you can take, market, and profit, from these kinds of pictures.

NOTE: ORIGINAL PHOTOS ARE IN GLORIOUS COLOR, TO SEE PAM’S WORK IN COLOR VISIT WWW.NYNPHOTOSCHOOL.COM/ GALLERYPAM.HTM

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CHAPTER TWO How a complete lack of formal training led to the discovery of Not Your Normal Photography® and how the simple gift of a camera led to Love, Happiness, Truth, Justice, and The American Way In 1983, Pam was working as a flight attendant for TWA, and had absolutely no idea she had any photographic abilities. She didn’t even own a camera. However, the idea of getting one started to “cross her mind” while visiting a flight attendant friend of hers in Kansas City. (Her friend had just bought a Canon “Sure-Shot” — one of the first “point and shoot” cameras that actually did a credible job of taking pictures.)

When Pam got home to Chicago, she told me about the SureShot and that she was thinking of buying one. We were just starting to date, so I thought I’d score some points, and suggested that, instead, she borrow a “real camera” — my 35mm SLR — and see if she liked it. As it turned out, Pam had a great time with my camera taking shots around her house. Of course, still being early in our relationship I was quite complimentary on her work (actually, her pictures weren’t bad for someone just starting out!). This was all Pam needed to go wild taking pictures. This period of our lives is very well documented! For her birthday (and because I wanted my camera back!), I bought her a used camera and a zoom lens. (I know, it’s a

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darned nice birthday present, but I definitely scored some points with that one!)

Over the next few months, Pam continued to take a lot of pictures, mostly of her dog and cats. From time-to-time, she’d take them to work (TWA) to show her flight attendant friends, and somewhere along the line, one of them asked Pam to take pictures of their kids. Now, up to this point, taking pictures professionally was the furthest thing from Pam’s mind, and she had no idea of what to do or how to start, but being asked peaked her interest. I told Pam that if she wanted to give it a try it, I could check the photo stores in downtown Chicago (where I worked) and see if I could get a cheap lighting system and some backdrop paper — which I did — and showed up with it the night before Pam’s first paying session. (By now, we were getting along very nicely — who says a camera can’t get you love and happiness?) Pam went on a 12-hour lighting cram-course and did the session the next day. The pictures were pretty bad, but the person still ordered a few prints, and Pam proved that you can turn pro after only a few months of practice, and it is possible to learn enough about lighting to get started in 12 hours or less. KEY POINT — although Pam didn’t go to photo school, or spend a lot of time preparing (and was scared of screwing up the job) she still dove right in and gave it a try. Had she not done that, she wouldn’t be living the creative, fulfilling, and profitable life she lives today. How about you? Will you spend your life dreaming and “getting ready” or are you ready to dive right in and live your dreams? Ultimately, being successful has less to do

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with talent, and everything to do with action and a willingness to do something! After her first session, Pam decided she had better learn a little more about photography and quickly found out that most of the books on photography were pretty worthless. Either the information was too sketchy, unclear, and incomplete, or just too complicated for a regular person without a Ph.D. in physics to figure out. Going to photography school was out of the question because we lacked the money and the time. Besides, Pam didn’t want to spend years getting ready to get started — she wanted to start now. So here’s what happened. With the help of a few books and a lot of experimentation (with our cheapest-of-the-cheap lighting system), Pam figured out a simple, basic, setup that worked well. It’s the one she still uses today to pull in large session fees (although we no longer have the “cheapo” lighting system. After a few years, when it finally “blew up,” we replaced it with a moderately-priced “professional” system).

At the same time Pam was experimenting with her lighting setup, she started looking through all sorts of magazines — TV Guide, Ladies Home Journal, Vogue (just about anything with ads and pictures) — for ideas and poses she could “steal.” When she found something that appealed to her, she would tear it out and put it in her “swipe file.” Most of the poses she tore out were very different than what you would find in a “normal” portrait studio — much more “loose” and “fun.” I don’t think Pam actually knew, or cared, what went on in a regular portrait studio and that turned out to be a very good thing.

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Because she didn’t have anyone telling her how things are “supposed” to be done, she started with a clean slate and was able to turn her energies to finding what she liked, and as it happily turned out, what her clients liked. KEY POINT — by not having any formal training, Pam was never taught the “right” way to do things. Instead, she followed her own heart, did what she liked, and what her clients liked. By modifying and adapting the poses in her “swipe file” to her liking, and combining them with her simple lighting setup, Pam’s Not Your Normal style of photography was born and it was a hit. During the next 7 years Pam operated part-time out of our basement while still flying for TWA (which reminds me, in 1988 we flew to Las Vegas and got married so I could get airline passes — hey, it was a fair return-on-investment for the camera I gave her!).

Meanwhile, I was working 10–14 hours a day at my design typography business in downtown Chicago. I enjoyed being in business for myself, but the hours and deadline pressures were ridiculous — we would get ads in at 2pm that had to be at the paper by 5pm, and the work that came in at 5pm, had to be delivered by 8am the next day. Craziness. So, in 1991 I sold the business and bought a 45-acre “former” farm (it used to be a farm but we don’t farm it) in North Carolina where I am sitting at my computer right now writing this book! People always ask what possessed us to up and leave Chicago and buy a farm in the middle of North Carolina. I tell them it was an “impulse buy” and it’s the honest truth. Right after I sold my business, we were visiting some

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friends here, and just by accident, found this place, fell in love with it, and “bought the farm.” Moving down here was the start of a new life and this time I wanted to make sure I didn’t get stuck working all the time. I wanted to enjoy “The Farrm.” And although I had no idea of what I wanted to do, I had a clear picture of what I didn’t want to do, and that was — have a job. Or have a store. Or any kind of business that had regular hours. Basically, I wanted to work out of my house, when and only when I wanted to, and decided I would either do it, or go broke trying. Well I almost did go broke (that’s a whole ’nother story), but obstinance and necessity are the mothers of invention... KEY POINT — knowing what you don’t want is as important as knowing what you want, and being obstinate and uncompromising, in these matters is a virtue. Eventually it all works out. When we first moved to North Carolina, Pam continued to work for TWA, commuting from Raleigh to St. Louis, to get to work. But that got old real fast — Pam wanted to enjoy The Farrm, too — so she decided to “throw in the towel” on TWA and fire up the old photo business. So now we were both out of work and faced with starting Pam’s business from scratch. By doing a mailing of around 200 flyers, she picked up a couple of clients, who, in turn provided a few referrals, who provided a few referrals — it was obvious her clients liked the work, which was nice, but it wasn’t generating enough money to live on. Basically there were two problems — not charging enough, and not getting enough business. The first problem was easily

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solved by raising our prices... once we got over the fear of losing the few clients that we already had. We made an interesting discovery about pricing, too — many people will use you because you’re expensive. At the higher price points, your work has a higher perceived value. KEY POINT — (this could be worth many thousands of dollars to you) Even if you are a truly great photographer, if you charge too little, you will be perceived as being only an average photographer. So — bottom line — we raised Pam’s prices from $175 per session to $495. That took care of problem #1. The second problem — not enough business — was not as easily solved, at least on our terms. Remember, we didn’t want a full-time studio, a yellow pages ad, a business phone, and we didn’t want to do any telemarketing or have to sell people on the phone. Consequently, we relied totally on referrals and word-ofmouth advertising, which was fine as far as it went, the problem being... it just didn’t go far enough. It didn’t take too long for our cash reserves to dwindle to a dangerous level. Pam started looking for a waitressing job and it looked like we’d be back to being working stiffs in no time. That’s when I got mad (mostly at myself). Here was Pam, doing work so good that it literally causes mothers to break into tears of joy when Pam delivers their packages, and we can’t make ends meet. I knew there had to be a way to make all of this work the way we wanted it to work — the product was great, our marketing just sucked.

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So, I went nuts reading every marketing book I could get my hands on, going to expensive seminars (on borrowed money!), looking for every tip, trick, and secret that would allow us to make a nice living without having to open up a “real” studio, shell out big money for traditional advertising, and so on. When I look back on it, I can’t believe I spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours trying to figure out how we could live the “easy life.” But that’s what I did, and by implementing the tricks, tips, and secrets I learned, Pam’s business exploded to the point that now we have a waiting list and can set up blocks of sessions practically whenever and wherever we want. And I now know how to control the marketing “intensity” to either put the business on “simmer” or bring it up to “full boil.” Would you like to learn how do this too? KEY POINT AND THE MORAL OF THIS STORY — you can take a bunch of years, spend a lot of money, beat your head against the wall like we did. Or you can let us show you what we’ve learned the hard way, jump to the top, and save yourself a lot of time and aggravation...

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All the technical knowledge in the world won’t help you get a moneymaking shot like this. Knowing how to setup the shot; knowing what to say to the subject; and paying close attention for “the right moment” will.

NOTE: ORIGINAL PHOTOS ARE IN GLORIOUS COLOR, TO SEE PAM’S WORK IN COLOR VISIT WWW.NYNPHOTOSCHOOL.COM/GALLERYPAM.HTM

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CHAPTER THREE The Four Keys to Success If you read our little story in the previous chapter, you know how our business almost tanked because we ignored one of the important KEYS OF SUCCESS. (We did OK on the first three, but we blew it big time on SUCCESS KEY #4 — knowing how to market)

In this chapter, we are going to go over each important success key because they’re critical to your success. And I want to be able to brag about your SUCCESS, not hear about how you “almost” made it... SUCCESS KEY #1 — Take Pictures that are IN HIGH DEMAND We’ve all heard the old saying “build a better mousetrap and they’ll beat a path to your door.” Well, that’s simply not true. You can build “better” all day long, but if nobody wants it, you’ll go broke. I can assure you that there are a ton of photographers that are technically “better” than Pam and at least as creative. They’re also starving — unable to use their skills to lead a fun, creative, and profitable life. Pam takes pictures people want. I know that sounds simple, but if I asked you to put together a portfolio of pictures that would cause people to drive nearly 250 miles round-trip (that’s how far some people drive just to have their photos taken by Pam), would you even know where to start? Pam is willing to show you in detail how to take pictures that people pay $495 for over and over again. Is that worth something to you?... to be able to model your own business after

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one that’s proven to generate high fees? Now I want take a short break here, and talk about something you need to know about our system and your use of it... Pam is going to show you what she does — what has been successful for her in the marketplace — with no significant detail left out. This doesn’t mean you have to try and copy everything exactly, although you are welcome to do so. What’s more likely, is that your personality, your preferences, your experiences, and your creativity will meld with the ideas Pam gives you to create a style that is uniquely yours. And that’s a very good thing. Unlike some franchises or systems that make you do everything a certain way, you can adapt Pam’s materials to your own needs. You’ll find that what you learn from Pam will expand your creativity, rather than stifle it. SUCCESS KEY #2 — Keep It SIMPLE If your techniques aren’t second nature to you, if they aren’t 100% reliable and repeatable, if you’re always bent on just showing off your technical abilities, you simply won’t be able to fully concentrate on what’s important — producing pictures that customers want. Let me put it this way, your clients won’t care if you can properly light up a fly’s butt in the middle of the night. They do care if you caught them at just the right moment. Doing that requires concentration on the moment and using simple techniques that you can “forget about.”

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When you take our home study course, one of the first things you’ll learn is Pam’s simple “set it and forget it” lighting. We’ll quickly get you up to speed — you’ll master it — so you can go out and start making money with your camera without having to worry about a bunch of technical stuff you don’t need to know and will never use. Now don’t get me wrong, technique is important. It’s just that (at least in our lucrative little business), it’s perhaps 5% of the equation. The other 95% is in knowing how to set up the shot, how to work with your subjects, and knowing when to “push the button.” All things we teach in our course. SUCCESS KEY #3 — take a lesson from your neighborhood heart surgeon and SPECIALIZE Most photographers learn a little about this and a little about that. Consequently they do a little bit of everything and make a little bit of money by working a lot. But they never get to charge the BIG BUCKS. They don’t get to work a weekend and take the rest of the month off. They never make a “name” for themselves. Or create a “controlled stampede” for their work. They never get the honor and recognition that comes with being at the top of the heap. That takes specialization — what Napoleon Hill refers to in his all-time classic book Think and Grow Rich, as “specific knowledge.” (By the way, if you haven’t read this book, do yourself a favor, no, promise me that you’ll get to the library and check out a copy. That way, even if you don’t go any further with us than reading this book, at least I’ll sleep better knowing I have given you another important tool for success.)

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Specialization is critical to earning the most amount of money in the least amount of time. Do one thing, or at least be known for doing one thing so well that people are literally forced to come to you and pay what you ask. Pam, for example, only does family photography — people and pets. She doesn’t do sports, product, glamour, advertising, or weddings. Just people and pets and only in her “Not Your Normal” style. If you try to be everything to everybody, you’ll wind up being nothing to nobody! Pam’s course will give you the specialization you need to charge high prices. This doesn’t mean you can’t “branch out” or add Pam’s system to an existing business, but, doesn’t it make sense — especially when you’re first starting out — to concentrate on doing one thing well, instead of doing a variety of things half-assed? SUCCESS KEY #4 — none of the above will matter, if you don’t KNOW HOW TO MARKET As a professional photographer, there will be little correlation between the talent you have and the amount of money you make. Your success as a business and a professional photographer will be nearly 100% determined by your skills as a marketer. As in most endeavors, THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE THE ONES WHO KNOW HOW TO EFFECTIVELY MARKET THEMSELVES. Never forget this. You may remember from chapter two that, at one point, despite Pam being a very good photographer, it looked like she would have to get a waitressing job. That’s when we learned how to market.

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There are basically 2 reasons why photographers screw up the marketing part. One is a lack of knowledge. But it’s also common — and this is the second reason — for “creative” people to think that marketing is “beneath them,” or that their talent will automatically bring people to their door. Nothing could be further from the truth. And thinking this way, will only put a thick impenetrable wall between where you are now, and where you want to be. Fact is, you will achieve success much quicker if you learn to think like a promoter first, and a photographer second. Because learning to be a marketer is what allows you to be a professional photographer. This doesn’t mean you should compromise the quality of your product. Far from it. It does mean that if you spend all your time practicing your photography — and consequently become the best photographer in the world — it won’t matter. Because unless you can market yourself effectively, you’ll have to do something else for a living. Your talent and your hard work will be wasted and the people who could have benefited from your skills will be losers, too. Learning to market, therefor, is as important as knowing how to turn on your camera. Now, it’s a rare person who likes “selling.” And it’s an even rarer person who likes to be “sold.” Our system of marketing is extremely unique in that it provides a steady stream of clients without having to personally sell them. We’ve simply learned ways to attract the people we want and let them sell themselves.

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In my course on “automatic marketing,” I’ll show you how you can use these powerful techniques to build your business from scratch and keep it operating at just about any “intensity” you like. OK, now we know the success basics, let’s get to some business specifics...

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Many of the poses and principles you’ll learn are adaptable to all ages...

...some require the energy and strength of youth. NOTE: ORIGINAL PHOTOS ARE IN GLORIOUS COLOR, TO SEE PAM’S WORK IN COLOR VISIT WWW.NYNPHOTOSCHOOL.COM/GALLERYPAM.HTM

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CHAPTER FOUR The business of Not Your Normal Photography® So far, we’ve learned that it is possible to make a nice living working part time out of your house while avoiding most of the hassles of an ordinary business. And we’ve gone over the critical elements needed for success — high demand photos — simple techniques — specialization — and marketing. In this chapter, we’re going to get down to “brass tacks” and give you a clear overview of how we run our business. As I’ve mentioned previously, you can take Pam’s high-demand style of photography and my automatic marketing techniques and apply them just about any way you like. You can add them to an existing business. You can work from your home or your client’s home. Open up your own full or part-time studio. Work as much or as little as you like. It’s entirely up to you and how you choose to live your life. Here are some of the “elements” you have to work with... Producing high-demand photos allows you to charge high prices People have actually called us and said, “I don’t care what it costs.” That’s high demand. An isolated incident, you say? A couple of days ago someone called us and said, “I told my husband I don’t care if it costs $5,000 I’m going to have Pam do my baby pictures!” True story and I don’t tell you this to brag, but to point out that for these people, price is not a major issue. They want what they want and Pam can deliver it. Will you have people calling you saying they don’t care what

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it costs? I honestly don’t know. What I can promise is that we will show you, in detail how you can take the very same kinds of photographs that caused those people to become oblivious to the cost. Charging high prices allows you to make more money Sort of a no-brainer — if you’re going to do a days “work,” (a reminder: this is a very fun business, calling it work is a stretch) would you rather make a lot or a little? You can make more money in a short period of time by booking in “clusters” The most efficient way to make money in this business is to cluster your sessions and get them “out of the way” all at once. Pam books sessions in groups — 3 sessions-a-day for a weekend or more. In other words, she is only “open” when she wants to be. Sure, you’ll lose some “spontaneous” business by not being available all the time, but as long as you have enough business, who cares? When you learn Pam’s photo techniques, combined with my marketing techniques, you should have all the business you want. If you make more money in a short period of time you can take more time off This, of course, is the big plus for us. As I write this, spring is not too far off and then my “office” moves to under the magnolia tree. Expect to hear birds in the background if you call me. If you’re not working all the time, you don’t need a full-time studio

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How would you like a business you could open and close whenever and wherever you feel like it? That’s literally what we do, and I’ll tell you a little story about how that came about... For a while, Pam was renting a room in a house for her “studio.” The nice part was that she always had a place to do photo sessions. The bad part was that she had the ability to do them whenever a client wanted, which meant that she would never really know when she would be working, plus we had to pay rent every month. Then, one day, right before the holiday busy season, we found out that our landlord had sold the building and “forgot” to tell us. We had to be out in 2 weeks. Suddenly Pam had no studio, and we sent out a letter saying Pam would not be doing any sessions for a while. Well, her clients literally went bezonkers when they found out Pam wasn’t available for doing photo sessions. One of her clients even offered to let Pam use her house for a weekend. We said OK, and Pam had eight sessions booked instantaneously (word got out, they called us). Normally Pam would have had sessions all throughout the holidays (and she would have done more than eight). But this way, Pam got them all done and over within a few days, no muss, no fuss. We took all of December off and said “Hey, this is kind of nice!” So that’s what gave us the idea of doing “cluster bookings,” and now that’s the only way we do it. If you don’t have a full-time studio, you eliminate a lot of the hassles of being in business Some people like to have a “store” and like to go to work every

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day. We don’t. To me, it’s one big hassle with a bunch of unnecessary overhead. If you want to take a month off, and people are used to coming to your studio anytime they want, it’s a problem. And at the very least, you’ll be paying rent, or mortgage, or utilities when you’re not using it. Chances are, you have a room in your house you can use for a “studio.” Currently we are using the dining room here at The Farrm. And most of the time it stays a dining room. Since we book in clusters, it only gets turned into a “studio” every now and then. By doing it this way, you don’t have to dedicate a room for exclusive use as a studio. And if you don’t have a room you can use, or you live in an apartment, or you just don’t want clients coming to your house, there are lots of other options, too — places where you can rent a room for a short period of time. Or you can do sessions in your client’s homes. We cover this in the course materials. And now, a word about the “automatic” marketing system that makes it all work... If I’m starting to sound like a broken record on this, good, because it’s too important — NO CLIENTS, NO MONEY, NO BUSINESS. So there. You can take high-demand pictures— you can charge high prices—you can book in clusters—you can work from your home—you can do all of those things— and none of it will do you any good if you can’t get any clients. And most photography businesses would die a short, mean death if they didn’t have a studio, an expensive yellow pages ad, and a business phone. Yet we thrive on “none of the above” and once you know the secrets of how we do it, you can, too.

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The exact system we use is what’s covered in my “Automatic Marketing Manual.” Our system is simple and easy to use, but you’ll need to know all the details of it to make it work and this book is not the place to get started. I’m not about to “spill my guts” and tell you my marketing secrets right here, just as Pam can’t and won’t give you all her “tricks of the trade” in this book either. I think you’ll understand that what we have is of high value and we’re not going to tell just anybody about it. Why should we? What we are prepared to do is take on a few students that are smart enough to recognize the value we can offer them and are decisive enough to act. Those few, we will teach thoroughly and help them become successful. If you think you may be one of those people I invite you to the next chapter which will explain how you can get started. Yes, we intend to make good money on our little “school.” Businesses don’t exist long and they lose the capacity to help anybody, if they don’t make any money. But there is more to it than that, an additional reason that keeps us from just doing our photo sessions from time to time, kicking back and relaxing the rest of the time. And that is the heartfelt desire to put something good back into the world. It’s just that after going through so many screwups and trial and error, when you finally get something right — really right — I think you have the innate desire to share it and to want to help others. In this case, it’s a double “whammy” because we help you to live a creative, fun and profitable life plus we’ll indirectly be helping the people you photograph. You see, I know first hand the effect Pam’s style of photogra-

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phy has on her clients. I know the joy it brings into their lives and how important Pam’s natural-style of photography is to them. I also know that when Pam gets booked up and we have to turn people away, there is nowhere else for them to go to get the types of pictures they want. That hurts, and it has nothing to do with money. So you see, by teaching a few photographers what we know, we have the opportunity to make many people happy, to bring some extra joy into the world. Now, if you are so acutely cynical to think that what I have just said is simply a pile of marketing smaltz, so be it. But, if that’s the case, I do hope you’ll think carefully before enrolling in our school, because if you are truly that cynical, if you can’t open up a little bit, if you don’t love people, you’ll have a difficult time making it in this business and you’re probably not the kind of person we are looking for. OK, see you in chapter 5...

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Getting up close...

...and getting the whole family are important parts of Not Your Normal photography

NOTE: ORIGINAL PHOTOS ARE IN GLORIOUS COLOR, TO SEE PAM’S WORK IN COLOR VISIT WWW.NYNPHOTOSCHOOL.COM/GALLERYPAM.HTM

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CHAPTER FIVE What else you need to know... I believe I’ve given you a good understanding of our business. In fact, you already know a lot more than Pam did when she started out. But I’m sure you realize that, as with just about anything, there are a lot of little details you need to know and those are the things that turn out to be of prime importance. And it’s those same little details JUST ABOUT EVERYONE NEGLECTS TO TELL YOU. For example, in our business, you need to know all the “tricks” of getting people (and pets!) to do what you want (with a smile on their face!). You need to know exactly what equipment to get and exactly how to set it up...you need to know how to put together a session package that people will pay good money for...exactly how to word your promotional materials for maximum response...who to send them to, and so on. These are all the things you’d get if you were to buy our business (I sold my last business for over $300,000; this one is too perfect and not for sale), or if you were to buy a franchise, if we sold one (in which case, you’d pay a franchise fee of $25,000 or more). Believe me, I’ve agonized over exactly how to pass this information on to you and how much to charge for it. Because, when I hand this information over to you, you’ll know the inner workings of our business, our well-guarded “trade secrets.” You’ll be able to see everything we do from an insider’s perspective. And you’ll be able to copy what we do — all of it — or in parts, as you need it. Step by step, you’ll discover how to build

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your own photography business starting from “square one.” And you’ll have the tools you need to make it as big or as small as you like. If you already have an existing photography business, that’s fine, too. You can use Pam’s materials to add on to, or even replace, your existing services. And my marketing methods will apply no matter what you do. Naturally, I’m not going to let this information go for “peanuts.” It took Pam and myself over ten years of beating-ourbrains-out, not to mention the many thousands of dollars in trial and error and failed experiments it took to perfect the system. It’s funny, many people spend $20,000 or more for a college education and when they come out, they still don’t know what the heck to do. You see, there is just no substitute for specific, hands-on, nitty-gritty information when you want to get a business and a career going. That’s what we’re going to give you — real-world, tested information, in excruciatingly painful detail. I know if Pam were to get “photo-amnesia,” and suddenly forgot everything she knows about photography, she would jump at the chance to pay thousands of dollars for the information in our package because IT’S GOT THE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET GOING THAT NO ONE ELSE WILL TELL YOU. But, I’m not going to charge you thousands for this information that can literally change the way you live and enjoy your life. I’m not even going to charge you the $2,970.00 that Pam makes in one weekend. I am going to charge you a “solid” price. After all, you are getting “solid” business information,

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but you’ll find the price of our package to be EXTREMELY fair. Let’s take a moment and go over what you are going to get... We’ve put together a “Not Your Normal” Home Study Photography and “Automatic” Marketing Course. We call this our “basic” system and at the heart of it are four very large manuals (the basic system weighs in at around 16lbs.!)... •The Not Your Normal Photography® Home Study Photo Course by Pam Farr Pam’s course takes you from knowing nothing, to being able to do a PHOTO SESSION FOR MONEY. IN PART ONE, you’ll find out what you need to know about equipment and technique, including Pam’s “set it and forget it” lighting. We didn’t pad this with a bunch of useless “theory,” either. If you want to know how photons travel through the various elements of your zoom lens, you’ll need to look elsewhere. What we will show you is how to get started right away making money with your camera. IN PART TWO, Pam will go over with you some of her most popular poses, showing and describing them in detail (she’ll even tell you what to say). This is the heart of the course; where Pam teaches you to take the kind of pictures people are willing to pay large fees to get. When you’re done with this part of the course, there will be no mystery as to how you should set up each shot and you’ll have all the “parts” (poses) you need to put together a paying photo session. PART THREE shows you how to prepare for and conduct a complete photo session. Pam covers everything from what to say

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when your clients first walk in the door to how to send them off on an upbeat note. She even shows you what to do when things don’t go as planned. PART FOUR covers what you need to do after the session and tells you how to put together a SESSION PACKAGE THAT MAKES THEM SAY “WOW!” (and tell all their friends about you!) Pam’s session packages are as unique as her photography and hugely popular with her clients. One nice feature is that they eliminate the problem most photographers face of having to sell overpriced reprints to make their money. (Having to do that puts you, and the client, in an uncomfortable position.) With Pam’s session package, you’ll never have to pressure anybody for anything, and you’ll still get reprint orders that are like getting paid a bonus for your work! •The Automatic Marketing Manual by Jeff Farr Pam’s course shows you how to produce a product that’s in high demand; my course will show how to bring the demand to you. For starters, I’ve included a complete description of our copyrighted business system that brings us a steady stream of “pre-sold” customers, even though we don’t advertise and have no business phone. This is one of the most important photo “techniques” you can learn. After a while, you may be able to live off repeat business and referrals (I also cover getting referrals in this package), but you really need this “LGM” system to get everything going — especially since it brings in customers at practically no cost to you. What a great way to get started if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on marketing (who does?)! The Automatic Marketing Manual is more than just a “blue-

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print for success,” however. You’ll also get all of our relevant marketing materials including Pam’s “panic” letter that brought in $6,000.00 worth of business in a few short days...our InfoPak that automatically sells roughly 25% of our inquiries...you’ll even get the internal forms we use to manage our inquiries and customers. In fact, I’ve included everything we use that I thought would be helpful to you. And you can use these as models for your own materials. Where else can you get “under their hood” and examine a fine-tuned, real-world photography marketing engine? There is no better way to learn than from examining actual examples of marketing pieces. •You’ll also get follow-up support via our MEMBER ONLY WEBSITE. We’ve really tried hard to give you a complete and clear paint-by-the-numbers photography business and marketing plan. But we want to make double sure that you have all the information you need to be successful. (If for some reason you don’t become successful, I want to be able to sleep well knowing it wasn’t because of us — something that you didn’t completely understand, or something unusual came up that we could have helped you with.)

With your basic package, you’ll receive a complimentary 6month membership to the Association of Not Your Normal Photographers, and included with your membership, you’ll get access to the special member-only website. The website is a major extension of the printed course. If we were to put it all into 8½x11 pages and print it off, it would fill up about 1,000 pages! On the website, you’ll find tips, tricks, resources, answers to your questions — the memberonly site is packed solid with useful information from digital to marketing, to “motivational” tips, to equipment and light-

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ing, to sessions tips, and much, much more! That’s the basic system. It’s perfect for getting a business started, or if you just want to tinker around with this and see what happens. If you prefer, we also have a “deluxe” package. If you are firmly committed to taking control of your life, if you want to really “take the bull by the horns” and “hit the ground running,” this is the package to consider getting. The DELUXE SYSTEM includes everything in the basic package, plus... •Pam’s Private “Swipe” File. At first we were just going to assemble this for our own use, not sure if we wanted to let all of this out. But it’s just turned out to be so valuable we couldn’t, in good conscious, keep it totally private. In the basic system, Pam gives you enough poses and information to get you started doing paying sessions. Naturally, we couldn’t include everything Pam’s used in 15+ years of photographing. Nor could we tell you how to handle every single situation you’ll come across. Pam’s Private Swipe File will help make sure you never run short of ideas. Packed with poses, it includes just about every situation we’ve run across. It’s Pam’s life’s work in a box, a huge reference, an “encyclopedia” of Pam’s Not Your Normal poses. Each one is shown and described in detail, ready for you to “swipe.” When appropriate, Pam’s swipe file will even tell you what to say to the people being photographed, and any little “tricks” you’ll need to know about. You’ll get special poses for holiday pictures, special events like family reunions, and practically every combination of infants,

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adults, children, and pets you can think of. Doing a session of a family of three with a dog? No problem, just go to the swipe file for ideas. The Swipe File makes session planning a breeze, too. Just mix and match to get what you need to build your session. That’s how Pam uses her own personal Swipe File, and she’s also included a special session planning kit to make your session planning even easier. (NOTE: You can also use the Swipes Files during a session to show your customers the pose you’re looking for. Plus, you can use them as a sales tool until you build up your own portfolio!)

Keep in mind, all the photos in the Swipe Files are proven poses Pam has used over and over again. They took her years to develop, but they were well worth the effort because they KEEP HER CLIENTS COMING BACK over and over again, paying Pam practically whatever she asks. Special update — currently Pam’s asking, and getting, $997 for about 40 pictures (we raised her prices a while ago!) That amounts to $24.93 for each time she “pushes the button.” Based on that, the 1,695 photo examples make the 4volume Swipe File worth over $42,000. However, if we only charged you what you could make on your first 100 shots (after all, that’s less than 3 sessions worth!), it would probably be fair to charge $24.93x100=$2,493 for this book alone. It would probably be fair, but we’re going to be more than fair and not charge you any where near that amount for the entire deluxe package. I’ll get to pricing in a moment, but first let me finish telling you about what else is in the deluxe package.

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•Jeff ’s Secrets of Running a Supercharged Photo Business This action guide picks up where the Automatic Marketing Manual leaves off. It’s for the person who doesn’t just want a steady stream of clients, but a steady STAMPEDE. Here’s the information you need, not just to compete, but to make your competition want to leave town. In the basic system, I give you the techniques we used to get Pam’s business going and keep it going on a controlled simmer. This action guide shows you how to bring your business up to a voracious boil even in tough business times and environments. The Supercharged Marketing Manual is massively crammed full of advanced marketing ideas any one of which could be worth many times more than what you’ll pay for the entire deluxe system, but the real beauty of this action guide is it’s high degree of usefulness. It’s ready-for-action toolkit approach. Each idea, each program, is broken out into digestible “chunks” for you to use as needed. Personally, I use some of the techniques some of the time, but not all of the techniques all of the time. In fact some of the techniques I don’t use any of the time because we don’t want to get that busy. (As you know, in order to get Pam’s business rolling, I learned marketing backwards, forwards, inside out, and upside down, and as a consequence, I’ve worked as a well-paid marketing consultant to a variety of businesses. So, just because I don’t use a technique for Pam’s business doesn’t mean I’ve never used it or that I’m giving you untested ideas. If you want to blow the lid off your business and “come out blastin,’” you need this action guide now!)

•Extended follow-up support With the deluxe system, you’ll also get a complimentary 6-

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month subscription to the Association of Not Your Normal Photographers member-only website, which keeps you updated on the latest developments in business, photography, and marketing, plus, you’ll get access to the advanced area of the site. The price for the basic package is only $487 and the price for the deluxe package is only $987. I don’t know if that’s a little, or a lot to you — to some, it’s a little, and to some it’s a lot. I think you’ll agree though, it’s a more-than-fair price. Where else can you get complete information on a viable business that’s fun, personally rewarding, highly profitable, and can be molded to fit your life-style for this small amount of money? I sure don’t know where else you would go, and considering the basic package costs less than what you can make from one photo session, and the deluxe, less than two,...well, I’m starting to wonder if I am letting this go too cheaply... At any rate, for the moment, the price stands. I’ll decide later, if I’m going to raise the prices. In the meantime, you have a decision to make. You can toss this aside and keep doing what you’re doing (in which case, you’ll keep getting what you are getting). Or you can invest in yourself and your future, and PUT YOURSELF ON THE ROAD TO FULFILLING YOUR DREAMS. Let’s face it, if you aren’t willing to spend a relatively small amount of money to put yourself in the driver’s seat — if you don’t think you’re worth a few hundred bucks — you really need to go stand in front of the mirror and seriously ask yourself if you have what it takes to get to where you want to be. Sure, you can try to “go it alone” — try to “reinvent the wheel”

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and try to figure all this out on your own. This book has certainly pointed you in the right direction, and we have given you all the introductory information we could. But there is much more to know, and even if you do get lucky and eventually get it right without our help, it will cost you many, many, times more than what we are asking for this ready-made business system. I guarantee it. So going it alone is not really an option and neither is “maybe I’ll do this later.” Either you act on your dreams or you don’t. Period. End of story. Success doesn’t come from being wishywashy. Good photographers know when to take the shot. TO BE SUCCESSFUL, YOU MUST BE DECISIVE. You’ve taken the first crucial step to activating your dreams by requesting and reading this book. Now, you must take a second... I know from experience — and in your heart you know this, too — that if you don’t act on this now, you’ll probably just keep trudging along, doing what your doing, never breaking out into the new, refreshing life this offers. So that’s why I’ve set up a little deadline with a very valuable free bonus. You can consider it a friendly “kick-in-butt” to get you going — from Pam and myself — who truly appreciate your initiative in contacting us and truly want to see you become outrageously successful. So, if you order within the next 45 days, we’ll include a 2-hour video of Pam, at work, during real photo sessions, with actual paying customers (plus, along with the video, you’ll get a book that shows the actual photos that resulted). As good as our course and manuals are, there’s nothing like seeing it actually done. The more you watch, the more you will pick up, and the more com-

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fortable you will get with doing sessions yourself. By watching the video, you’ll absorb the valuable details you need to know like a sponge picks up water. Plus, as an added bonus, you’ll get a quick tour of our dining room “studio,” and you’ll see that you do not need a “special” place to do this. If we were to sell this bonus separately, the video would go for $89 it’s YOURS FREE if you purchase either the basic or the deluxe system within the next 45 days. (By the way, I am strict about the deadline. What good is a deadline if you don’t stick to it? So don’t call the day after with some excuse and expect to still get the bonus.)

You can try all this out with no risk to you Even though everything I’ve told you in this book is perfectly true, I still don’t expect you to believe me, sight unseen. We’ve all been jerked around so much by slick marketers and lied to by just about everyone else, who can believe anything anymore? That’s why Pam and I are giving you a very generous “Not Your Normal” guarantee so you can prove to yourself our system is everything we say it is at no risk to you. So go ahead and take a full 90 days to check everything out. Try it, use it — if for any reason you decide it’s not for you, just send it back and we’ll refund your purchase price with absolutely no hassles. And you can keep the video with our apologies for your trouble. Fair enough? You can enroll online at www.nynphotoschool.com/ enroll.htm, or offline by downloading the forms at www.nynphotoschool.com/enrolloffline.htm.

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I really hope you will take care of this today. Just think how well you’ll sleep tonight knowing that this powerful package will be in your hands shortly and the life you wish for is within your reach. Sincerely,

Pam and Jeff Farr, Not Your Normal Photography® a division of Old Barn Enterprises, Inc. 600 Kelly Road, Carthage, NC 28327

OLD BARN PUBLISHING

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EPILOGUE (UPDATES!) Wow — Since I wrote my “little yellow book,” Pam and I have been busy helping course members get started making money photographing people and pets. And meanwhile, Pam has raised her prices to $997 — so the $2,970.00 weekend now becomes a $5,982.00 weekend! By the way, if you’re worried about competition, don’t be. People and pet photography is a multi-billion dollar industry. There is plenty of business for everyone. And out of the tens of thousands of pro photographers, only a very few know about Not Your Normal Photography®. Also be aware that there is no way you can be “under” or “over” qualified to benefit from these courses. The photographic experience level of our course members ranges from total novice, to pros who have been in the business for over 30 years. So who are we as a group? Bus drivers, bankers, teachers, ministers, furniture makers, chimney sweeps, software developers, even a bona fide “rocket scientist,”...the list of backgrounds and former endeavors is mind-boggling diverse. But you’ll also find long time photo pros and the expected “escapees” from Olan Mills, Sears, Wal Mart, and other photo businesses, among us. Plus, we have a number of graduates from NYI and other photo schools (Pam and I will teach you what the photo schools don’t and what the “normal” pros don’t want you to know!). Our oldest member (that we’re aware of) is in his upper 70s, and our youngest is 10 — and yes — she has done real paying photo sessions for real clients (Pam’s Swipe Files were a big help in making this possible!). We’re “global,” too, with happy course members from Brazil, to Sweden, to Switzerland, to South Africa, to Australia — we

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even have a course member living on an aircraft carrier! Some of our members get started full time right away. Some take their time getting going while continuing to work at their present jobs. Some just want to have a “hobby that pays well,” and some just do it for fun! Almost all of them use 35mm cameras (you don’t need fancy stuff to get started), but a couple use medium format. As of this update, some still use film (35mm), and some are all digital. That choice is entirely up to you — results are what counts — and these days you can get them with either film or digital. Most of our course members work from home or on location (client’s homes), or they find places they can use full or part time. One course member struck a deal with his church, another uses some under-utilized government buildings. Some strike co-op deals with pet or children’s stores or rent temporary space in hotels or other buildings. But we also have established full-time studios that have picked up on our methods, too. Adding our methods helps them from becoming obsolete in the marketplace, and our unique business model helps them circumvent the problem of clients illegally copying their photos (an increasing problem for “normal” photographers in today’s high-quality digital world). So, as you can see, we are a very diverse group, and WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN US so we can show you — step-by-step — how to be successful in this business! — Jeff

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SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? Well, you’ve heard our “story” and you now have a choice... IF YOU’RE READY TO GET STARTED, you can enroll in the Not Your Normal School of Photography online at www.NYNphotoschool.com/ enroll.htm, or if you prefer to enroll by mail, fax, or phone, you can download the latest enrollment form at www.NYNphotoschool.com/ enrolloffline.pdf. Your course will be shipped to you promptly, and if you’re in the U.S., you should have it in a few days (shipments to non-U.S. locations may take a little longer). Pam and I look forward to hearing your success story, and please accept our sincere admiration for your decision to take control of your life. Welcome to what is a very small “club.” BUT WHAT IF YOU’RE NOT QUITE READY, OR EVEN SURE IF THIS IS RIGHT FOR YOU?... I can appreciate your hesitation, and the question is, what’s the next step for you? You can, of course, put this book away and forget about it. But, since you’re obviously interested in living on your own terms and making decent money doing something that’s fun and creative — simply “forgetting” about the whole deal probably isn’t an option for you. You can certainly put it out of your mind for a while, but if working where and when you want to, and having pre-sold clients automatically calling you appeals to you, then the big “what if this did work for me” thought will probably continue to pop into your head. And what if you WERE to become successful like our course member Aaron who, after starting with borrowed money, sent me this email just 3 months after receiving his course... THANK YOU....I LOVE THIS COURSE AND I DO NOT WORK ANY REGULAR JOBS ANYMORE!!! THANK YOU PAM AND JEFF!!! Oh, and by the way, I had FOUR full sessions just last Sunday and 1 xtra big one for next week. Looks like I

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won’t need to work at all in Jan. Although I will, because I want 10 sessions a week for spring ... I LOVE THIS COURSE. MERRY XMAS — Aaron Or like Jerry, one of our “older” course members... Words are hard to come by in showing my appreciation for what you and Pam have accomplished in the past year in helping me get my business off to a great start. I continually refer to your course when looking for inspiration and answers about running my business. You know, there are ups and downs in this business and not everything goes as planned. But when I have a “down day” I simply sit back and re-evaluate what didn’t work and why it didn’t work. The answers of “why it didn’t work” is always in the course. BTW, I just booked two rabbit shows (didn’t know those bunnies sell for big bucks!) and a large cat show (cats from all over the USA) where I will be the only photographer. These people saw my photos and contacted me to do these shows. This is in addition to my family sessions already booked this fall PLUS senior high school packages. I just turned 70 years young and I credit your course and your untiring efforts to make me successful in spite of my many “Senior moments” (those of you who are retired know what I mean!). My 48 year old daughter is my assistant and sets up all the family poses using the Swipe Files from your course. All I have to do is press the shutter! Anyhow, I just don’t have time to “be old” anymore and even my wife of 50 years is amazed at my increased energy. That “little ad” of yours that I saw in one of the photo magazines sure changed my life for the better. Thanks and continued success to you and Pam. My best, Jerry Special note — just in case you’re thinking, “OK, so

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Pam and Jeff have two people that like their course and are doing well, so what?” — you’ll find over 200 more comments and stories from course members at www.NYNphotoschool.com/studentcomments.htm THE NEXT STEP FOR YOU?...if those stories intrigued you, if success in photography interests you, but you’re just not sure if Pam and Jeff’s photography course can help you, then you probably have some lingering questions about us and our courses. If that’s the case, I invite you to visit www.NYNphotographers.com/ faqs.htm. It’s a special website Pam and I have set up to answer your questions, and if you still have questions or concerns after visiting, you can contact us personally from this site. AGAIN, IF YOU’RE READY TO ENROLL, YOU CAN DO IT ONLINE AT www.NYNphotoschool.com/enroll.htm IF YOU STILL HAVE QUESTIONS, VISIT www.NYNphotographers.com/faqs.htm

 In any case, I encourage you to act now. Pam and I reserve the right to discontinue or decline enrollments at any time. We guarantee our courses, but we do not guarantee they will always be available!

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Enroll risk free — all courses come with our unconditional 90-day money back guarantee (less shipping) — at www.NYNphotoschool.com/enroll.htm

For complete updates on what’s been happening since Pam and I wrote The Secret Of Making $2,970.00 In One Weekend Photographing People And Pets, and to get the latest info on Not Your Normal School of Photography offerings, including detailed course descriptions, visit www.NYNphotoschool.com/updates.htm Photographically yours,

Pam and Jeff Farr

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