WPPI Speaker Spotlight: Paul Pruitt

February 3, 2017

By Interview by Stacey Goldberg

© Paul Pruitt

It’s no surprise that there are some big changes this year at WPPI, most notably the new venue (the Las Vegas Convention Center) and expanded show floor. But that’s not all that’s new—attendees looking at the presentation lineup will see that it is packed with new speakers from across the globe, all ready and willing to share their unique perspectives and expertise. Here, we interviewed new speaker Paul Pruitt to learn more about his upcoming PLUS class.

Paul Pruitt
PLUS Class: Wedding Photographer Base Camp
February 6, 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

What would you say to a photographer looking to start his or her own business?
PP: 
Identify the type of client you want to attract. People typically are very congruent with their lifestyle choices. Once you identify a niche, you will begin to see buying trends and habits within it. For example, there are probably certain neighborhoods or general areas in your marketplace that are known to have people with more affluent spending habits. If this is your target client, begin to understand their patterns. Where do they work? What do they do for leisure? Where do they go to school? If you feel you are congruent with this type of client, you can immerse yourself around the people, places and things where these clients are found. Clients normally do business with people they like, know and trust.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing wedding and portrait photographers today, and how can your presentation help?
PP: We find that one of the biggest challenges wedding and portrait photographers face is how to properly position, or re-position themselves in a marketplace that is oversaturated with a sea of photographers. Our goal is to take you from being a photographer in your marketplace to being the photographer in your marketplace. We find that most photographers lack the knowledge to purposely attract their ideal client. Unfortunately, many photographers repeat the same patterns and are frustrated and stressed out. Our workshop will show you a new way of thinking where you will begin to find opportunities instead of challenges.

If you had one month to do whatever you wanted (nothing to do with photography), what would you do?
PP:
I would want to detach from the online/social media world for a bit and travel abroad with my fiancée. As a young adult, I took a trip to Spain and recall talking to a few travelers that were backpacking via the Eurotrain for a month. They were experiencing so many different destinations and taking so many spontaneous adventures! That always intrigued me, but I have yet to do it.

Paul Pruitt is a professional photographer and educator who,with his fiancée Melissa Escaro, runs PROFITographers, an online community of over 10,000 photographers that provides support and advice for building a successful business.