Shoot Bigger: a photography podcast by The Pinckards

Want to get booked on repeat by premium wedding planners? Successful luxury wedding planner Danielle Rothweiler pulls back the curtain on why she deletes 95% of photographer cold emails and reveals exactly what it takes to get onto a planner's trusted shortlist. Follow Danielle: Instagram ⁠@rothweilereventdesign⁠Key Takeaways: The #1 Communication Red Flag: Why your inbox response habits are directly blocking your business growth. The Danger of Going "Rogue": How disappearing with a couple for a sunset shot completely destroys planner trust and venue schedules. The Relationship Long Game: Practical strategies to build authentic, long-term industry connections without spamming cold DMs. Styled Shoot Pitfalls: The truth about why model-focused styled shoots don't equal real-world wedding experience. Enjoyed this episode? Join our community “Shoot Bigger” at shootbigger.com to connect with growth-minded photographers, access exclusive business resources, and elevate your brand!

Welcome to the first episode of 2026—and the official debut of the Shoot Bigger Podcast! We are kicking off the year with a major announcement: we are rebranding the "Fully Exposed" podcast to align with our photography community, Shoot Bigger. In this episode, we dive deep into why 2025 felt "weird" for the industry and how you can "lock in" for a successful 2026 by shifting your mindset from "artist" to "business owner." Key Takeaways:The Rebrand: Why we’re moving everything under the Shoot Bigger umbrella. Mindset Shift: Why you need to start treating your business as an LLC, not just an extension of your personality. Value over Price: How to communicate your worth in an increasingly competitive, AI-assisted market. The Power of SOPs: Why systems (and physical punch cards!) are our secret weapon for growth this year.Join the community: Join other photographers at shootbigger.com to grow your business without feeling alone. Try Imagen AI: Stop wasting weeks on editing. Use the link in our description to try the AI-powered editing tool we use to streamline our workflow.

Feeling stressed about slow bookings? This episode is for you.Try Imagen AI and get 1,500 free edits: https://imagen-ai.com/?ref=pinckardsJoin our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepinckardsIn this solo episode, Dan shares five actionable strategies you can implement right now to start getting more inquiries. He covers everything from optimizing your website's first impression and contact form to the power of building a strong referral network with other vendors. Plus, learn why a limited-time offer might be the key to sparking action and how to use value-driven social content to attract your ideal clients. Dan also stresses the importance of following up with past leads and clients to unlock a goldmine of potential referrals you might be missing out on.

In this heartfelt and candid solo episode, Laura gets real about the challenges and unexpected pressures of being a new mom while running a successful business. She dives into the emotional tug-of-war between prioritizing her baby and her work, the societal expectations placed on women, and the surprising lack of grace people show to small business owners. Laura shares her personal struggles with mom-guilt, burnout, and the importance of asking for help, while also celebrating the resilience of women who are doing both. This is an unscripted, unfiltered conversation for any "mompreneur" who has felt alone in their journey.

In this episode, Dan and Laura answer the question, "You guys are well known and popular among photographers (for good reason), but what has helped grow your business with clients not in the industry?"Send galleries with Pic-Time (free month): https://laurapinckard.pic-time.com/referralMentorship / coaching for photographers: https://thepinckards.com/photography-mentorship-sessions/Our YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thepinckards

Another episode of The Pinckards’ photography podcast, Fully Exposed. In this episode, Dan and Laura talk about hate mail they received a few years ago, along with rude comments that they get frequently. Send galleries with Pic-Time (free month): https://laurapinckard.pic-time.com/referralMentorship / coaching for photographers: https://thepinckards.com/photography-mentorship-sessions/Our YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thepinckardsmThis discussion is lighthearted & humorous, making light of negativity, but also touches on some important lessons for photographers who are spending a lot of time on social media.As photographers, we are working in a field that is entirely subjective by nature. Even the “objective” rules of photography should be broken intentionally more often than not. Everything from lighting to focus to composition, it all can be done in a dozen different ways to achieve completely different styles. Because of that, it’s inevitable that there will be people who dislike your photos, no matter what you do. There is no lighting setup, no camera settings, no posing, and no framing technique that will please everyone. On social media, the result is that you will undoubtedly get rude comments from time to time, and it’s important to put thought into how that impacts you emotionally and mentally.

In this episode, Dan & Laura talk about how they got into photographing elopements and share some tips for photographers wanting to get into elopement photography. Curious about our experience getting into elopements about 7 years ago? This episode is for you!Pic-Time free month: https://laurapinckard.pic-time.com/referralOur Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepinckards