How Matt Cramer Photography Made $22,000 in One Month

What if you had a career that could make you up to $22,000 in a single month out of your home? Matt and Jess Cramer had a dream of creating a life with the flexibility to set their own schedule, pick up their kids from school, go on vacations when they wanted to, and afford a comfortable living in one of the most expensive cities on the planet. 

Matt was ready for a pivot when he lost his job in the entertainment industry during the 2008 recession. And in the most unlikely moment, he found his calling.  

"It was a godsend … I didn't really want to be doing that job. And then my son was born in the beginning of 2009, and all I remember was thinking, oh man, I've got to photograph him. And so I put him on my kitchen island, put some hot lights up and a black fabric, took the shot, and that became our baby announcement," he said.

"I remember looking at Jess and going, 'You think we can do this?'" 

Watch the full interview with Jess and Matt Cramer on YouTube.

Matt and his wife Jess, who had a background in the corporate world, immediately got to work building their new lives and blending their unique skills to become a perfect team. 

They first started with a model call to build a quick portfolio of newborn photos, and then started out charging just $495 for sessions where they gave their clients every angle, swaddle, and style they possibly could, often delivering up to 60 fully-edited photos from a single session. However, this quickly became unsustainable as the couple began seeing their inquiries grow.

"I think that a lot of people who are starting out have this sense of overwhelm because they look at what is possible, they look at all the great photos online, and they see all these different varieties of poses and settings and lighting, and they think that they need to be doing it all."

The major change happened when the Cramer's found a mentor who showed them how to hone their workflow and help them ensure their sessions went smoothly and efficiently. The couple kept working as a team, each focusing on their own talents. Jess handled the Search Engine Optimization, client relations, and setting up beautiful, timeless sets, while Matt handled the photography, lighting, editing, and delivery.

 One of Matt Cramer Photography's signature newborn poses

The husband and wife team keep their clients happy by setting up expectations early through Jess's brilliant, detail-oriented welcome emails, and consistent, no-surprises pricing packages. They focus their efforts on digital photo delivery, and refuse to do any high-tension in-person sales. Instead, the Cramer's average $2,000 per photoshoot by upselling clients on extra photos, as well as parent and grandparent photo albums. 

But the main secret to their success is providing families with beautiful, timeless photos they'll look back on for generations. The majority of Matt Cramer Photography's clients are so happy with the final product, they come back for multiple photoshoots within the same year. 

Jess and Matt Cramer only photograph babies — no weddings, no headshots, no families, no pets, no seniors' portrait sessions — just newborns, sitter sessions, and cake smashes (the big three milestones in a baby's life).

25% of their clients do all three sessions within the first year, but over 60% do at least two. 

The Cramer's focus first and foremost on providing the best possible experience for their customers — especially at a fleeting time in their lives that can be full of emotion. 

"It is very real possibility that new mothers don't really remember that much from that time frame, let alone their baby's details, the lips, their ears, and their little hands and feet," Jess said. "A photo that's highly requested with dad's hand, you know, cupping their newborn baby and they'll it will be so hard for them to remember how little their baby was. These photos are freezing a very emotional moment in time, and we help them remember it."

Their dedication to their photography niche (and Jess's tireless passion for SEO) is what makes them stand out and keep the #1 ranked position on Google — without ever having to pay for advertising. Their success has allowed them to start from having no portfolio, to exceeding $22,000 in a single month in one of the most crowded, talented, and expensive markets in the United States.

Matt and Jess attribute much of their success to focusing all their efforts into a single niche. 

"We're not trying to be a jack of all trades. A lot of new photographers are doing themselves a disservice. Create another website if you want to be a landscape photographer or an architectural photographer," Matt advises. "When your client is looking for a photographer, they're looking for that person — not one that does a little bit of everything."

And even though there's a lot of competition out there, the Cramer's are firm believers that with the right attitude, a little strategy, and passion, there's room for anyone to make photography the career of their dreams. 

"14 years ago, we made a push for this, and it is our sole income. We have been able to live very comfortably in Los Angeles, we're able to go on vacations, and we generally have a very comfortable life," Jess said. 

"You can make a wonderful life as a photographer in our niche. And our business is something that we're super proud of, and there are no signs of slowing down. But it's hard work, there's a lot that goes in before and after."