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Kenny Martin of
www.thestudiodoctor.co.uk is someone I’ve been hearing about behind the scenes for a while now — especially from photographers in the UK.
Known as The Studio Doctor, he is a portrait photographer and mentor based in Scotland. He’s been shooting professionally since the ‘80s, launched one of the UK’s first fully digital portrait studios, and now travels across the UK, Ireland and Europe helping studios grow, pivot, or get back on track.
He’s not big on self-promotion — you won’t find a massive online presence — but talk to anyone who’s worked with him, and they’ll tell you: Kenny’s the real deal. No fluff, no gimmicks, just honest advice and solid results.
It was Susan Renee, from last week's episode, Premium Member and fantastic pet photographer, who first reached out and said:
“Kenny tells it how it is. You’d love speaking with him.”
In this interview, Kenny shares his thoughts and ideas on building a sustainable photography business by focusing on profit over hype.
Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:
Why profit matters more than turnover (and how to stop chasing the wrong number)
The 7 parts of your client journey you have to get right — from first enquiry to final sale
How one smart shift to wall art tripled the studio’s average sale
Could you be unknowingly filtering out your best clients?
The old-school sales tool that still works: telesales done the right way
How a simple pram shop promo filled the calendar and boosted bookings
Still leaning on Facebook ads? These proven promo ideas work better (and cost less)
The £14.4k coaching offer that turned into a 15-year photography business
Why smaller, simpler studios are the path to profit and balance
Want to double your sales? It starts before the shoot, not after
Why copy-paste business plans fail — and what to focus on instead
The real numbers you should be tracking (that most photographers ignore)
How client education builds trust, boosts sales, and leads to better referrals
Think you don’t need a coach? Why that might be costing you more than you realise
What your slow season and quiet inbox are actually telling you
From in-person to online: how Kenny’s pivot made coaching more accessible
The one question to ask before launching your next promo
The “family feel” of long-term coaching — and how deep support brings deeper results
Emails going nowhere? Try a quick text or personal video to re-engage leads
Why your next big promo win could come from a baby expo or charity collab
What’s on Offer for Premium Members
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Literally, every single one of my studios, Andrew, who were doing weddings before I started, were desperate to stop the weddings after about two years, because they realized how important and how much more money was to be made in portraiture right now. - Kenny Martin
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