Cowbelly Pet Photography Workshops- About Jamie Pflughoeft

About Us

Cowbelly Pet Photography workshops are 3-day intensive workshops designed to teach start-up photographers everything they need to start, build, and grow successful pet photography businesses and become really rocking at what they do!

The workshops are taught by me, Jamie Pflughoeft, owner of Cowbelly Pet Photography in Seattle (more on me below). That's me on your right being goofy with a client's dog in my studio and getting my portrait taken with my pooch Fergie. I have been a pet photographer for almost ten years; I have been a *professional* pet photographer for almost seven. If you want to learn more about Cowbelly, just do a google search.

It is my personal goal to see everyone who completes the workshops become wildly sucessful in their businesses and create a career they find meaningful and rewarding. I intend to hold nothing back and give a no-holds-barred account of what it has taken me to get to where I am, now almost 7 years into my business that has become everything I dreamed it could be and more.

I share my triumphs, my mistakes, my learning experiences, my secret tips, and most importantly my massive accumulation of knowledge born from a longtime obsession with pet photography. I share all of my secrets when it comes to getting great shots of dogs (and cats!), my processing techniques on how to make them more saleable with software, my tips on how to get into editorial, my strategies for how to fill your pipeline, how to get your clients to completely fall in love with you and rave to all of their friends about you, and all aspects of your business that you need to know to become not just a great photographer, but a successful businessperson as well, because the latter is *just* as important as the former.

Why would you want to learn from me?

I have taught 7 intensive workshops in 6 cities around the country since the fall of 2008.

I make a full time living off pet photography alone. I don't have a day job.

I don't need to photograph anything other than pets. This business fully supports me.

Due to the demand for my services from my awesome clients, I was able to quit my day job just 18 months into the business and have been working full time with it ever since. (That was 2005).

I broke even in my first year of business.

I have clients who spend $1500-$2200 on products alone.

I carry no business debt and pay cash for all of my equipment.

I believe less is more, and saving money is one of the most important things you can do as a business owner.

I am an open book. I don't put on any airs, and believe being authentic is SO important.

I don't think I'm 'all that'.

I deeply respect my colleagues, and the ones in Seattle I consider my closest friends.

I have worked with over 500 clients, both private and commercial, in 7 years.

I have traveled for work and have photographed client's dogs around the country.

I regularly do editorial and commercial work and also license images for stock.

I know how to create products that sell, and maximize revenue by both streamlining and expanding product offerings.

I think outside the box.

I don't believe in rules.

I have so much business knowledge it will make your head spin.

I admit my mistakes.

I share my horror stories.

I give the good, the bad AND the ugly side of this business. I don't sugar coat anything, but give you solutions to problems that invariably come up.

I provide ongoing assistance after the workshop in a private forum that is now 70 professional pet photography members strong and growing.

I know I have a lot to learn, and love learning alongside my attendees. I have as much to gain as they do!

I am actively involved in networking with pet photographers around the country, and do everything I can to raise visibility in the industry and break old standards.

I teach workshops not because I want to be a rockstar photographer, but because I truly deeply want to see people follow their dreams, do something they love for a living and get paid for it. If I can help with that dream I've done a little something good here on earth.

Aside from all of that, why should you learn from me?

Because I am super passionate about what I do, and love sharing that passion with others.

Most importantly, I am acutely aware that to be a successful pet photographer, one needs to have strong skills that go far beyond photography. You can be an incredibly talented photographer but without a filled pipeline and regular consistent clients, you merely have a expensive hobby, not a business. You HAVE to be an excellent businessperson to build and develop a successful business.

Some strengths I bring to the table: I am a photographer, a businesswoman, a web designer, a graphic designer, an expert dog wrangler, a fantastic researcher, an animal behavior expert, a customer service rep, skilled photo editor, marketing research pro, SEO expert, seasoned networker and employer.

I love to teach. I love to help. And I am super excited to share.

Need more convincing?

Check out the rest of the site for more info.

And be sure to visit my blog to see all of the work I've been up to lately.

Oh, and I promise I don't normally brag this much! In fact, I think you'll find me to be refreshingly modest. :-)

2010 Cowbelly Pet Photography Workshops

About Us