Getting your photography pricing right can feel like one of the hardest steps in building a full-time business, and Marie Elizabeth knows that struggle firsthand. In this episode of The Motherhood Anthology podcast, Marie walks through the exact framework she used to leave her thirteen-year teaching career and grow a profitable family, newborn, and maternity photography business in the Washington DC area.
Marie’s path wasn’t instant. It took patience, consistent branding, and a willingness to sit with discomfort while her marketing caught up with her new pricing. Her story offers a clear, encouraging roadmap for any photographer wondering how to make the leap to full-time.
The Framework for Going Full-Time
When Marie decided to leave teaching and go full-time, she started by looking at three areas of her business: branding, pricing, and marketing. The very first move she made was raising her prices, jumping from a $750 all-inclusive package to a $350 creative fee plus digital files. But she’s quick to point out that pricing alone doesn’t carry a business. Her branding, meaning her work and her messaging, was already consistent and strong enough to support the higher rate.
Marie compares this to opening a coffee shop and charging Starbucks prices without Starbucks quality. If your work and your pricing don’t match up, clients notice, bookings slow, and it becomes hard to tell what’s actually going wrong. Getting a portfolio review or asking a mentor what comes to mind when they see your brand is a simple way to check that your message is as clear as you think it is before you raise your rates.
Why Marketing Is the Long Game
Once her pricing and branding were aligned, Marie turned her attention to marketing, choosing to focus on just two channels: SEO and Instagram. She was honest that the early months were slow. She booked roughly one session every couple of months and it took nearly a year of consistent blogging and website work before Google started sending her clients regularly.
Marie describes this stretch as a real transition period, one where you’ll hear crickets or get more no’s than yes’s, and she wants photographers to know that’s normal. Every price increase narrows your audience, and from that smaller group, only some will be the right fit, and from that group, only some will book. It’s a numbers game, and the client base you build at your new pricing tends to snowball over time as early clients refer their friends.
Mistakes, Reflection, and Staying the Course
One of the habits Marie carried over from her teaching career is reflection. When bookings aren’t where you want them, she encourages photographers to get specific: are people inquiring but not booking, visiting the site but not filling out the form, or showing up in search but not clicking through? Tools like a CRM, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console can help pinpoint exactly where the disconnect is, so the problem stops feeling like a mystery and starts feeling solvable.
Mistakes and hardships have made my business stronger, and they will for you too, Marie shares, and that mindset is part of what makes a community like TMA so valuable. Having mentors and fellow photographers to reflect with, troubleshoot alongside, and learn from can shorten that transition period considerably, and remind you that the slow stretch is temporary, not permanent.
Listen and Learn More
Marie’s episode is a grounded, practical listen for any photographer weighing the leap to full-time, especially if pricing has felt like the scariest part of that decision. If you’re ready for more hands-on guidance, Marie also offers photography mentoring designed to help you build a pricing, branding, and marketing plan that fits your business.
Find Marie at marie-elizabethphotography.com or on Instagram at @marie.elizabeth.photo.
You can also explore her mentoring program here.
Ready to build a business that reflects your own creative voice? The Motherhood Anthology membership gives you access to expert mentors, live coaching, monthly marketing suites, and a private community of photographers who are invested in your success. Learn more and join at themotherhoodanthology.com.
The Motherhood Anthology is a community and educational resource for photographers who want a profitable and sustainable business they love. With 15+ expert mentors and 7+ years of proven content, TMA helps portrait photographers build confident, thriving businesses through monthly education, mentorship, and a supportive community of 700+ members.
