Retreat Photography: Why mini shoots are great for your retreat or course

One of the things I’ve loved seeing coming back to life are in-person retreats and events –  and retreat photography! There is nothing quite like meeting new people, making connections and creating lasting relationships.   I’ve had the pleasure of attending a few events and retreats over the years, especially in my capacity as a retreat photographer and getting to capture that buzz around the room.  But one of the things I’ve loved, is that for some of those retreats and courses, mini shoots have been included for the attendees.

So I thought I’d share why I think, if you’re planning a retreat, or running a course where you want to add in a bonus, you should consider mini shoots:

 

Retreat Photography is an added bonus!

People love bonuses – whether that be something that just pushes them closer to hitting the book/buy button, or as a surprise once they’ve booked.  It’s like getting a surprise gift in the post – and whilst people say they hate being in front of the camera, they love the idea of being spoilt, and that’s what gifting them a mini shoot is – spoiling them.

However, I wouldn’t throw it in as a complete surprise on the day – mini shoots need prep, such as what to wear and any props/styling to bring (I provide a shoot guide for mini shoot attendees to help them with this).  No-one likes being thrust in front of the camera unexpectedly, especially if that morning they have decided to go au natural on the makeup front when they would rather be made up!

 

 

Social chatter

Create some social chatter around the event – in the lead up to the retreat/course get them talking and tagging as they plan their outfits.

On the day, they will share behind-the-scenes of the shoot.

And once they have their images, they’ll share and tag away.

All of this leads to more exposure and intrigue into your retreat or course.  Which is great for future launches as more people will be eagerly awaiting those doors to open.

 

Retreat photography helps build your client’s visibility

Linked with the last one, by giving them the opportunity to have new brand images, and a reason for social chatter, you are increasing their visibility – their audience will be interested to see what they are up to – if you share their tags, their audience will grow as you all support each other (and vice versa).

 

 

Complement your teachings

A lot of what we talk about in business can be supported with imagery – PR, visibility, marketing, content creation, launching, creating offerings, writing a book, launching a podcast….  They all need images!  And this is exactly why when Nicola ran her PR Mastery course, a mini shoot was included as one of the tiers – so that each of the students had brand images ready to go when they started pitching to the press.

 

 

Don’t forget the retreat itself

I know I’ve been talking about mini shoots, but don’t forget capturing the retreat or event itself.  Images of you presenting, your guest experts, the networking, the fabulous setting and any activities you do – not only gives you images to show people what was going on, but can then be used on the sales page for the next time you launch it.

 

 

Imagine, if when your clients leave your retreat or finish the course, and not only have they gained so much wisdom from you, but they have fresh new brand images to help them share that to their audience and grow their own business.

Sound like something you want to create for your next retreat or course?  Then get in touch and we can work together to create a bespoke package for you.

 

And if you’re looking for a retreat for your own business…. Then Lisa Johnson is hosting one of her fabulous retreats, this time in the UK!  Check out the details here and I hope to see you there