Startup: 90 Day Challenge

Are you ready to transform your business and life? This step-by-step system is your guide to creating a powerful, profitable, portrait photography business. It doesn’t matter if you are starting fresh, or if you have an existing business.

Become a Sue Bryce Education member today to join the upcoming 90 Day Challenge and get all the benefits of membership.

Join Now for $399/year

Questions about the 12-Week Startup? Read the FAQ!

What You’ll Learn

01

Week 1: Studio Setup
Studio Setup Watch Preview

In the first week of Startup, Sue teaches the fundamentals of kit building, creating a versatile yet simplified professional portrait studio setup, and how to make a home-based studio work.

Over the next 12 weeks, Sue will give you the tools you need to create a business and thrive. Whether you are new to being a portrait photographer and need advice from the ground up, or if you are an experienced portrait photographer who wants to take their business to the next level, this course is going to help your business grow.

This week focuses on the essential needs of any size studio setup. From a basement to a full brick and mortar shop. You will learn the basics of getting your studio up and running. Topics include lighting sources, essential gear and props, interior design ideas and other considerations that can help you sell, sell, sell!

The best part about this course is learning you don’t need to spend a lot of money! See how Sue-savvy choices in your studio can put you on the path to success.

Check out this blog post all about V-Flats.

Once you’ve finished this week, we recommend visiting Sue’s Studio Tours for further inspiration!

This Week’s Lessons:

01:55 Introduction
01:04 Studio Setup Challenge
19:28 Simple Backdrops
15:26 Diffusing Light & Props
20:24 The Bare Minimum Studio Setup
46:29 Coaching with Nikki

Training Materials:

pdf Studio Setup Guide
pdf Sue's Next Steps To-Do Check List

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02

Week 2: Pricing & Product
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In the second week of Startup, Sue teaches you how to create a pricing structure based on your value, your experience as a business owner, and your experience with being a paid photographer. Knowing your worth is crucial in business.

This week focuses on understanding your value. This includes identifying your blocks when it comes to your self-value. Topics include understanding your value, your time, and your craft. As well, we’ll look at how to get your pricing to industry standards, and all the possibilities for pricing plans, packages, and more. The more you understand your value and demand your worth, the more you will see your business soar.

Once you’ve finished this week, we recommend visiting the Sales Intensive for further studies on this topic.

Over the next 11 weeks, Sue will give you the tools you need to create a business and thrive. Whether you are new to being a portrait photographer and need advice from the ground up, or if you are an experienced portrait photographer who wants to take their business to the next level, this course is going to help your business grow.

This Week’s Lessons:

01:38 Introduction
01:37 Pricing & Product Challenge
05:08 Intro to Pricing
22:03 Pricing Guides
11:41 Fantasy Price List
09:11 Pricing Breakdown
04:00 Digital Presentation vs Printed Reveal
14:32 Gift Vouchers
04:15 Shame & Guilt Receiving Money
56:32 Coaching with Nikki

Training Materials:

pdf Pricing & Product Guide
pdf Sue's Next Steps & To-Do Check List

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03

Week 3: Camera Basics
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Welcome to the third week of the 12 Week Startup course! This week Sue will ask her students to truly get to know their camera basics through a series of four challenges. These challenges are designed specifically for indoor and outdoor portraits. Students will work with aperture ranges for single-subject and multi-subject portraits, pushing their ISO, hand-holding duration, and overriding their light meters. It is essential that you take the time to get to know your camera. This camera basics course will get you on the right track to mastering your craft and creating the successful business you are working so hard for.

Once you’ve finished this week, we recommend checking out our blog post, 5 Easy Tips for Sharper Images by John Greengo. You can also check out his amazing in-depth camera course, Camera 101  available on The Portrait Masters.

Over the next 10 weeks, Sue will continue giving you the tools you need to create a business and thrive. Whether you are new to being a portrait photographer and need advice from the ground up, or if you are an experienced portrait photographer who wants to take their business to the next level, this course is going to help your business grow.

This Week’s Lessons:

02:36 Introduction
00:56 Camera Basics Challenge
19:34 Shooting Raw
25:42 Exposure Triangle
09:36 Toggle Focus
13:35 Freeze Action or Movement
16:30 ISO
06:42 ISO Comparison
24:21 Camera Comparisons
1:04:23 Coaching with Nikki

Training Materials:

pdf Camera Basics Guide
pdf Sue's Next Steps and To-Do Checklist

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04

Week 4: Sales
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In the fourth week of our 90 Day Challenge, Sue discusses sales in relation to yourself, your experience in being self-employed, and your craft.
In order to have a profitable business, it is essential that you know your value as well as what is blocking you from selling.

You can have a stunning folio with heaps of experience, but people won’t come to you until you sell to them. By getting into the 15 Basic Transforming Sales Steps, you will learn how to get out of your way and start asking for equal exchange in value.

Learning sales is crucial to a thriving business. The time has come for you to overcome the fear of sales, the fear of pricing yourself, and the fear of owning your path.

Sue will teach you how to replace the word “fear” with the word “unknown” and how just that change will help you mentally. Then she will help you establish where you are as a photographer and where you want to go. Learning how to market yourself is critical.

This Week’s Lessons:

01:35 Introduction
01:00 Sale Challenge
1:10:28 Sales
1:00:36 Sales Contact #1 — Networking
1:08:41 Sales Contact #2 — The Consultation
1:02:34 Sales Contact #3 — Day of Shoot
1:24:15 Sales Contact #4 — The Reveal
20:09 Sales Contact #5 — Ask for Referrals
1:09:22 Zoom Sales: The Consultation
1:05:59 Coaching with Nikki

Training Materials:

pdf Zoom Sales Consultation
pdf Sue's Next Steps and To-Do Checklist

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05

Week 5: Lighting
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In the fifth week of the 12 Week Startup course, Sue guides her students through the natural light studio. The class works on mastering soft even lighting that flatters all faces. Topics of discussion will include window light, backlight, constant light,  and working with strobes. Sue wants you to master finding that beautifully diffused, flatter, soft light that has drawn so many people to her brand. Once you master lighting, you can truly produce amazing portraits anywhere! So tune in to week 5 and let Sue share all her tips and tricks that she’s found through her personal experience over the years to help you become the best portrait photographer you can be!

Once you’ve finished this week, we recommend checking out Sue’s additional lighting courses.  Also, we highly recommend Felix Kunze and Sue’s course, The Lighting Series which is available on ThePortraitMasters.com.

Over the next eight weeks, Sue will continue giving you the tools you need to create a business and thrive. Whether you are new to being a portrait photographer and need advice from the ground up, or if you are an experienced portrait photographer who wants to take their business to the next level, this course is going to help your business grow.

This Week’s Lessons:

00:47 Introduction
01:43 Lighting Challenge
33:45 Flat Beauty Light
11:52 Backlight
07:59 Contrast Backlight
31:08 One Strobe, Two Strobes
1:00:27 Coaching With Nikki

Training Materials:

pdf Complete Lighting Guide
pdf Week Five Next Steps and Checklist

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06

Week 6: Marketing
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In the sixth week of the 12 Week Startup course, we get into the tactical details of marketing and how to capitalize on your natural strengths as a marketer. Topics of discussion include: creating your marketing printables, deciding on your style, and learning how to speak to the demographic you want to draw to your business.

Before and after shots are a great way to get started. People love makeovers, and it speaks to the style of glamour portrait photography. We are going to teach you to sell, so you can attract those who are attracted to your brand. Sue wants you to find your voice, so you can pitch to the clients you want. She wants you to find your genre, so you can perfect your brand and find your demographic.

For further learning, we recommend checking out Sue’s Marketing Intensive. You can also purchase her marketing templates in The Portrait Masters store.

Over the next 7 weeks, Sue will keep giving you the tools you need to create a business and thrive. Whether you are new to being a portrait photographer and need advice from the ground up, or if you are an experienced portrait photographer who wants to take their business to the next level, this course is going to help your business grow.

This Week’s Lessons:

01:14 Introduction
01:44 Marketing Challenge
54:45 Marketing
43:35 Your Sales Pitch
1:10:04 Coaching with Nikki

Training Materials:

pdf SBE Marketing Guide
pdf Sue's Next Steps and Week 6 Checklist

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07

Week 7: Posing
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In the seventh week of the 12 Week Startup course, Sue covers one of the most important subjects, POSING. Sue discusses the fundamentals of posing – from body language, body types, and thoughtful composition, to working in standing, seated, laying down positions, and more. Mastering posing is so important because if you go into a shoot knowing how to pose your client with confidence, they too will become more confident. This allows for a more seamless, fun shoot which will produce stunning portraits that your client will love for years to come!

Topics of discussion include posing with curves, on the ottoman, on the couch, and more. Get ready to learn the ins and outs of everything about posing and watch your confidence soar.
Over the next 6 weeks, Sue will keep giving you the tools you need to create a business and thrive. Whether you are new to being a portrait photographer and need advice from the ground up, or if you are an experienced portrait photographer who wants to take their business to the next level, this course is going to help your business grow.

This Week’s Lessons:

02:14 Introduction
01:02 Posing Challenge
1:25:35 Posing 101
17:54 Posing Different Body Shapes
31:57 Ottoman Poses
46:22 Posing with Curves
25:22 Couch Poses
1:00:21 Coaching with Nikki

Training Materials:

pdf Posing Guide
pdf Curves Posing Examples
pdf Couch Posing Examples
pdf Ottoman Posing Examples
pdf More Curves Posing Examples

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08

Week 8: Design Hacks
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In the eighth week of the 12 Week Startup course, Sue will discuss the ultimate marketing material hacks, using Photoshop and InDesign. Now is the time to create your brand. This includes your website, social media, printouts, etc. If you aren’t design savvy, this is the week that will help you build your brand without having to shell out a lot of money. Sue will walk you through how she managed to build her brand while not being great at design. She shares what marketing design hacks worked and didn’t work for her so that you don’t have to make the same mistakes.

Topics of discussion include pdf creation, accordion cards, and magazines.

For further learning, we recommend checking out Sue’s DIY Marketing Design Live. You can also purchase the marketing templates in The Portrait Masters store.

Over the next 6 weeks, Sue will keep giving you the tools you need to create a business and thrive. Whether you are new to being a portrait photographer and need advice from the ground up, or if you are an experienced portrait photographer who wants to take their business to the next level, this course is going to help your business grow.

This Week’s Lessons:

01:35 Introduction
02:51 Design Hacks Challenge
1:03:20 Design Hacks
1:00:31 Startup Coaching Chat

Training Materials:

zip Contact Sheet Examples PDF
zip Contact Sheet Templates

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09

Week 9: Makeup & Hair
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In the ninth week of the 12 Week Startup course, Sue discusses what having hair and makeup specialists on the team means to her personally and things you need to consider when it comes to glam. She will walk you through the different types of business models, including doing the hair and makeup yourself and outsourcing to professionals, whether you bring them on full time or just contract them for a shoot. There are many levels to choose, and Sue will walk you through each one so you can decide what is best for you and your business.

Topics of discussion include hiring/bartering with hair and makeup artists or going DIY. In the end, the best thing to do is educate your clients on their options and learn what they want.

For further learning, we recommend checking out Sue’s Working With Hair and Makeup.

Over the next 5 weeks, Sue will keep giving you the tools you need to create a business and thrive. Whether you are new to being a portrait photographer and need advice from the ground up, or if you are an experienced portrait photographer who wants to take their business to the next level, this course is going to help your business grow.

This Week’s Lessons:

01:30 Introduction
01:22 Makeup & Hair Challenge
1:07:04 Makeup & Hair
1:06:48 Live Coaching w/Nikki

Training Materials:

pdf Makeup Guide

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10

Week 10: Confidence and Networking
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In the tenth week of our 12 Week Startup course, Sue discusses relationship building. Get ready to boost your confidence, start networking, and begin approaching models for building your folio. Sue teaches you how to get people to model for you for free, and she will also teach you ways to make money while building your folio! It’s time to be brave and ask for what you want! Let Sue teach you how to overcome the fear of “the ask” and build your confidence so you can build your business to the best of your ability! The best way to master your craft is to practice. The only way to practice is to ask. Let’s build your confidence and watch your business soar.
For additional tips on building confidence, check out our Confidence Workshop.

Over the next 4 weeks, Sue will keep giving you the tools you need to create a business and thrive. Whether you are new to being a portrait photographer and need advice from the ground up, or if you are an experienced portrait photographer who wants to take their business to the next level, this course is going to help your business grow.

 

This Week’s Lessons:

01:11 Introduction
01:36 Challenge
25:36 Networking, Confidence and Find Your Models
1:08:09 Live Coaching

Training Materials:

pdf Week 10 PDF Workbook

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11

Week 11: Photoshop Hacks
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In the eleventh week of the 12 Week Startup course, Sue shares tips, tricks, and hacks for retouching with Photoshop and Lightroom. Sue has been working with Photoshop since it first rolled out. In this week’s course, she ties in all her years of experience and teaches you the best hacks for Photoshop. These hacks will help you spend less time behind the computer screen, which in turn makes your business more profitable since time is money. Get ready to be well on your way to becoming a master in Photoshop!

Topics of discussion include cloning and skin retouching, using the healing tool on skin, and reducing redness and shadows on chin, shoulders, eyes, and nose.

For further learning, we recommend Photoshop: Two Minute Retouching.

We also highly recommend purchasing Pratik Naik’s The Retouching Series to learn amazing in-depth Photoshop techniques.

Over the next 2 weeks, Sue will keep giving you the tools you need to create a business and thrive. Whether you are new to being a portrait photographer and need advice from the ground up, or if you are an experienced portrait photographer who wants to take their business to the next level, this course is going to help your business grow.

This Week’s Lessons:

01:38 Introduction
01:01 Photoshop Hacks Challenge
10:19 Exercise: Skin Retouching
19:06 Cloning & Skin Retouching
08:17 Healing Tool for Skin
03:26 Red Dots on Skin
13:50 Reducing Redness
11:02 Blotchy Skin
12:47 Shadows Chin Shoulders Eyes Nose
12:48 Dodge & Burn Eyes
11:05 Warping & Contouring: Eyes, Face, Hair
09:36 Warp Bodies & Chin: Part 1
07:44 Warp Bodies & Chin: Part 2
16:20 Fast Retouching with Skin Color Blending
17:04 Balancing Skin Tones
03:45 Sue’s 2 Minute Retouching
13:07 Extending Background with Content Aware Crop
07:21 Age Appropriate Editing
10:00 The Full Blitz
13:46 Extending Background with Gradient Hack
15:09 Making Colorful Actions
1:04:35 Lightroom Startup with Ben Willmore
1:08:13 Live Coaching w/Nikki

Training Materials:

pdf Photoshop and Lightroom Guide

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12

Week 12: Launch
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It’s time to launch your portrait photography business!

It’s the final week of our 12 Week Startup. Are you ready to move forward? The time has come to launch your brand and to own your path. This is the time where we start to adjust what it is that we are walking towards.

It is time to take stock of what you have learned, set your intentions, and move forward with your portrait photography business. Call it “Butt Kick Week,” or “Certainty and Conviction Week.” This is the week where you decide what you truly want. It’s the week where you learn to get out of your own way and start walking towards it! It’s time to take everything you’ve learned the last few weeks and put it into action. Get ready to LAUNCH!

If you find yourself needing a little extra self-confidence boost, check out our additional Self-Value courses.

Over the next week, Sue will keep giving you the tools you need to create a business and thrive. Whether you are new to being a portrait photographer and need advice from the ground up, or if you are an experienced portrait photographer who wants to take their business to the next level, this course is going to help your business grow.

This Week’s Lessons:

01:16 Introduction
01:16 Launch Challenge
1:16:09 Launch
1:16:44 Live Coaching w/Nikki and Sue

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What You’ll Get as a Member

275

courses & counting

400+

hours of education

Each course in the Sue Bryce Education video library focuses on one specific topic, from how to pose a certain body type to how to create marketing materials to attract more clients — and everything in between. SBE Members get concrete answers, pinpointed explanations, exact instructions and step-by-step guides to achieve their photography and business goals.

Over 900 educational videos on posing, lighting, styling, retouching, shooting, marketing, sales, business and self value.
LIVE broadcast every month where you can ask questions, chat, and engage with Sue and photographers around the world.
Access to the full archive of all past LIVE broadcasts and events.
The opportunity to attend in-person workshops and events.
 
Access to an exclusive online store that includes marketing & gift voucher templates, and special discounts from product companies we’ve partnered with.
Downloadable materials including dozens of posing guides to give you visual inspiration.
A supportive community of portrait photographers all over the world.
Access complete recordings of multi-day workshops and conferences.

Choose what you want to learn and do the work.

Go through these categories at your own speed.

What Our Members Are Saying

Sue is not just a mentor, in the area of photography; she's a life coach in the area of living. Simply put, Sue Bryce Education, was the best investment I have made into myself, and my business, since it began! David Lee
Sue Bryce Education allowed me to grow from hobbyist with a borrowed camera and a dream, to professional portrait photographer with a six-figure business. There is no way I would be here without her education. Cat Ford-Coates
Sue Bryce Education has given me ALL of the tools needed to take me from a "shoot and burn" photographer making less then $200 a session to a portrait photographer with a studio and over a $1200 average and growing in less than 4 months. Ashley Lindsey
Sue Bryce Education has been the single-most impactful thing I've incorporated into growing my business, and in many ways, my life! Andrew Knowles
Building a successful and sustainable photography business is no secret anymore. Sue Bryce Education provides you with every tool you need to master your craft, how to market and sell and overall how to become the best version of yourself. You just have to do the work! Ursula Schmitz
By far the best investment you will ever make for your business and for yourself. I will never let my subscription lapse. Never. Liz Wikstrom Barlak
In my photography journey, I have tried many educational platforms, but none felt as comprehensive as Sue Bryce Education. Without a doubt, if not for Sue and her teachings, I would not be seeing the level of business success that I am seeing today. Neon Howe

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Become a Sue Bryce Education member today to join the program and get over 400+ hours or portrait photography education. Each course in the video library focuses on one specific topic, from how to pose a certain body type to how to create marketing materials to attract more clients — and everything in between.
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