When it comes to… basically anything, everyone has an opinion, and our photography and businesses are rarely exempt. And because our work is often so personal, the feedback can hit hard.
But not all feedback is useful, relevant, or even true. It is just information, and we get to choose what to do with that information and how much we let it affect us.
In this episode, I’m sharing why feedback can feel so personal in creative businesses, how to navigate different types of feedback in our photography businesses, and how we can differentiate helpful feedback that can help us grow from the feedback that isn’t serving us.
What’s in this episode:
- [00:53] Why feedback can cut so deep and how we can use it to grow
- [01:39] How to handle feedback on your pricing
- [03:30] How to navigate feedback from disappointed clients
- [06:26] Navigating critiques, both from genuine feedback and from the trolls
- [09:00] What feedback is… and what it’s not
Tune in to this episode for some advice on taking the feedback that serves your business and leaving what does not!
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Resources Mentioned
Get the Cost of Doing Business Calculator here!
Did this episode give you a new perspective on the feedback you receive in your business? Check out this episode Serve and Deserve: How Your Money Personality Could Be Impacting Your Photography Business with Denise Duffield-Thomas that shares how another photographer started their career!
Transcript
[00:00:00] Hey, friend. Welcome to the Art and Soul Show. I’m your host, Lisa DiGeso, a mom, a photographer and entrepreneur. Tune in here for Pep Talks, conversations and advice on photography, creativity, mindset, business, life, and that messy in between. This is the place where you can go when you need a boost of encouragement, a kick in the pants, and inspiration to pick up your camera.
[00:00:24] This is the Art and Soul show. Hello my friend. Oh, welcome back to the show. Today we’re talking about something that most of us, especially creatives struggle with at some point or another, and that is feedback. Whether it’s someone telling you your prices are too high, maybe a client who isn’t happy with their gallery, a critique in a Facebook group that stings a little more than it should, or someone leaving a not so kind comment on your Instagram.
[00:00:53] Feedback in all its forms can be hard. And because photography is so [00:01:00] personal, because our work comes from our hearts, it can feel very personal when people share their opinions on it. So today, my friend, I wanna walk you through how to navigate feedback without letting it crush your confidence or your momentum or your soul.
[00:01:17] Because while feedback can hurt. It can also help us grow if we learn how to receive it, reflect on it, and decide what we wanna take from it. So let’s start with the one that hits a lot of us in the early stages of business, or honestly even later on too, because it still happens to me. And that’s when someone tells you your pricing is too high.
[00:01:39] If you’ve ever got that message in your dms or in a response to a quote that you sent out, you know that feeling. It’s that flush of heat in your cheeks, your heart pounding that moment of panic wondering, am I charging too much? Should I lower my prices? What if no one ever books me again? But here’s something I want you [00:02:00] to remember.
[00:02:00] Your pricing is not personal. It’s math. And math doesn’t have feelings. Now your pricing should be based on what it actually costs to run your business. That means understanding your cost of doing business. Things like editing your software, your website, hosting insurance, props, backdrops your camera gear, and yes, even your own salary.
[00:02:24] You deserve to pay yourself a living wage. You’re not just charging for an hour of shooting. You’re charging for the entire experience you provide. Your time spent editing your years of experience, your gear, and the vision you bring to every session. So when someone tells you that you’re too expensive, take a beat.
[00:02:45] Just breathe. That comment says a lot more about their budget than it does about your value. And hey, if you’re not sure your pricing makes sense or you’ve never actually run your numbers, that’s okay too. I’ve got something for you in the show notes. There’s a [00:03:00] free cost of doing business calculator you can use to figure out what you actually need to be charging to have a sustainable business.
[00:03:08] So the link is in the show notes, so go grab it my friend. Knowing your numbers will give you confidence. It helps you stand tall when someone questions your rates because you’re not just picking a number out of the air or looking what the photographer down the block is doing. You’re making a smart, informed decision about how to support yourself and your business, and that’s something to be proud of.
[00:03:30] So let’s talk about another form of feedback, the kind that also comes from clients and not the, oh my gosh, we love our gallery so much kind. I’m talking about the email you get that says something like, we’re a little disappointed. These aren’t quite what I was expecting. Yeah, those ones hurt. That email lands in your inbox.
[00:03:51] It is so tempting to panic or to go into defensive mode, but here is my advice. Don’t respond [00:04:00] right away. In fact, take a moment, take an evening, sleep on it. Don’t write back when your cheeks are still hot and your heart is pounding. Don’t fire off a response in the heat of the moment because let’s be honest, that almost never goes well.
[00:04:17] Instead, pause, reflect. Give yourself time to feel what you’re feeling without reacting from that emotional space. Ask yourself what’s really happening here, and then sleep on it. If you’re still feeling the exact same way tomorrow, you can respond with a calm, thoughtful message, but often a little space will give you a little more clarity, and that charge energy settles down enough for you to see the situation a little more objectively.
[00:04:45] So when you do respond, do it with kindness, empathy, and curiosity. Try something like, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I’m so sorry to hear that the images weren’t quite what you expected. I would love to understand a bit more [00:05:00] about what you were hoping for. This opens up a conversation rather than shutting one down, and sometimes it’s a small issue you can fix easily, like maybe a retouch or a re-edit, or other times it’s just a bigger disconnect around style, editing style expectations, or even communication either way.
[00:05:18] Staying open and curious will go a long way. And remember, just because someone’s not a hundred percent happy doesn’t mean you failed. It just means you’re human and so are your clients. The goal isn’t to never make mistakes, it’s to handle them with professionalism and grace when they do happen. So let’s move on to another form of feedback, and it’s the kind that happens in online groups or critique circles.
[00:05:44] Now, this one is a bit of a double-edged sword because it can be so helpful when done well and so painful when it’s done carelessly. So if you’re looking for critique in a group, the first piece of advice is to be really honest with yourself about why you’re posting it. [00:06:00] Are you looking genuinely for ways to improve your work or you actually just needing a little encouragement?
[00:06:06] There’s nothing wrong with wanting some kind words and some support if that’s what you’re craving. If that’s what you’re craving, don’t ask for critique because critique by definition is meant to point out areas of improvement. And when we’re feeling fragile or burned out, even gentle feedback can feel like a punch to the gut.
[00:06:26] If you are ready for critique, be specific in the way you ask. Instead of saying, what do you think? Try, how’s my lighting here? Or does the posing here feel natural? Giving people something specific to focus on makes the feedback more helpful and less likely to spiral into emotional overwhelm. And when you receive critique, again, pause before reacting, sit with it.
[00:06:53] Ask yourself, is this helpful? Does this actually resonate with me? Is there something here I can use [00:07:00] to grow? And if yes, amazing, take it in and if not, let it go. Not every piece of feedback is meant for you. And sometimes people project their own style or their own preferences onto your work, and that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.
[00:07:16] It just means you’re different and that’s a good thing. And when you are the one giving critique my friend, lead with kindness. Start with what’s working, celebrate what the photographer did, and offer gentle, thoughtful suggestions. We all grow better in safe and supportive environments. Be the kind of person who makes others feel safe enough to share their work.
[00:07:40] We’re always looking for people like that in our groups. And finally, let’s talk about trolls. Trolls, those people that pop into your comments or your dms with nasty, unhelpful, and frankly irrelevant opinions. You are too expensive. You’re overrated. Your work is boring. [00:08:00] That baby looks uncomfortable. Your edits are weird.
[00:08:02] You name it, they’ve said it. First of all, Charles, my friend, are not your audience. They’re not your clients. They’re not your people. They’re just noise and you do not owe them your energy. You are allowed to delete, to block, to move on. That’s not censorship. It is protecting your space and your peace. You wouldn’t let someone walk into your home and insult you, right?
[00:08:26] Your online space deserves the same respect. If you do choose to respond, do it with clarity and professionalism. Don’t engage in a back and forth because trolls feed off your reaction. Don’t give them that satisfaction. And I know it can be hard, especially when a comment cuts deep. It happens on my post too.
[00:08:48] But again, just take a breath, step away, let your body come back to neutral before deciding whether or how to even respond, and you’re allowed to protect your energy. [00:09:00] At the end of the day, feedback really is just information. It’s not truth. It’s not a verdict on your worth as an artist or a person. It’s just someone’s perspective and you get to decide what to do with it, and if it means something to you, sometimes feedback helps us grow.
[00:09:18] Sometimes it reminds us of the boundaries we need to hold, and sometimes it shows us that we’re not for everyone, and that is a hundred percent okay. If you do find yourself being rattled or feeling rattled by something someone said, come back to this. You are not for everyone. And that’s true in life, in art and in business.
[00:09:40] And that’s a good thing because when you try to please everyone, you lose your voice, you water down your magic, you shrink yourself. And I promise you that is not what the world needs from you. That’s not what it needs from me. Feedback can be a gift. It can stretch us. It can refine [00:10:00] us, and it can help us improve.
[00:10:02] But it can also be damaging when we don’t know how to filter it. So here’s what I want you to take away from today. Not all feedback is equal. Learn what to discern, what’s helpful, and what’s just noise. So friend, if you are navigating some form of feedback right now, whether it’s pricing pushback or a tough client email, a critique that made your stomach drop or a troll just being a troll.
[00:10:28] I want you to know this. You are doing brave, beautiful work. You are growing, you are learning, and you’re not alone. Take what serves you, leave the rest, sleep on it, and keep going. I am so proud of you. Don’t forget if you want the cost of doing business calculator, I mentioned the link is in the show notes because knowing your numbers can shift everything.
[00:10:53] Thank you so much for joining me today, and as always, I am sending you so much of my light and love [00:11:00] today and every single day. We will see you next time.
