235. Here's What's Coming in 2026...

Alora returnsvwith a plethora of new ideas and an exciting announcement. She discusses her journey of overcoming creative blocks, tuning into her own intuition, and the development of new offerings aimed at transforming the photography industry.

00:36 New Ideas and Industry Changes

01:27 Trusting Your Intuition

02:38 Creating a New Offer

04:09 Building in Public

05:42 Photography Skills and Style

07:57 Preparing for 2026

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Transcript

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Alora 0:00

Hello and welcome back to the podcast. I am, of course, always excited. I think I say I'm excited for every single episode, but I really am as a certified yapper. This is what I live for. This is what I love, and I haven't recorded a podcast in a while, honestly. Yeah, life is life in and holidays are full speed here, once it hits like Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's. I try my best, but I also give myself the permission to I don't know, chill. When you have these years where you're just go, going and sprinting and launching, I need to take a much needed holiday break. And so my break was three months and I'm really excited now because I've had such a download of ideas. I have had behind the scenes calls with students that are like, I need this, I want this. I have always wanted to do this, but I feel like I'm actually very close to creating something that's gonna change the industry forever. I'm saying this on a high rather, because yesterday I got on a call, I had this idea. And normally what I do is I ask everyone and their grandmother's dog if it's a good idea, and that's gonna be on my lessons of 2025 podcast episode talking about basically like my journey to getting to who I am today, December 31st, 2025 Elara. But I realized that. And my friend told me this, I have literally educationed my intuition away. And I can explain it like this. I have ingested so much content, so many strategies, so much advice. Of people that don't even know me, of course. Just binge things to the point where I actually didn't know what I wanted to do and what my clients really wanted. And yes, we launched Wedding Atelier this year and Wedding Atelier is Chef's Kiss My Baby. Obviously people are making six figures in 12 months. My stuff works right, but there is also this gap and I just could not make it work. You know how like when you sit down. And you tell yourself, okay, I'm gonna do this thing. And then creatively your brain just breaks, or you feel like you have a fog and you're pushing and you're pushing and nothing happens. That was all 2025 for me. I was like, I know there is something missing here that I can help with, and I just couldn't come up with it. Why? Because I was so busy asking questions and getting feedback from other people, telling me what I needed instead of looking to myself what I know. I need, they need, what I can bring to the table. And so finally I just went into my girlies inside of wedding GA and I said, Hey, who's free to hop on a call? I have an idea. So we discussed. All of their biggest problems, all of the questions they have. I was like, what if I created this? And everybody was like yes. Count me in. I want it. I'm in. When are you creating it? And I was like, not tomorrow. But I can create it in a month or two. And now I have this super like Energizer Bunny. Energy to create this thing and I'm running the brand world through them. I'm coming up with this really cool theme and honestly this theme is like the other version of me. I feel like in my personal brand, there are like different branches, different aspects of me, and I feel like I can really just. Passionately stand behind it. This one, oh my gosh. I like, I'm smiling. I've already created mood boards. I have gone back and forth to Chatty G and basically the same process that I use to create wedding atelier. And if you guys are interested in hearing about that. There's a rebrand episode far down, talking about the full rebrand, how the shoot went, how it got rained on, and how I was eating Dry Ramen noodles, you can listen to that or you can just DM me and be like, all Aurora, how do you create a brand world? Because, so fun. So now I'm creating that and I am just lit up. Ideas are pouring out of me. I go to sleep with ideas, I wake up with ideas. I even started documenting the process. I've always wanted to build in public and take you guys behind the scenes with me and eventually share everything so you can see how it unfolded. And yeah, I did some voice notes at one in the morning last night about my thoughts, what it's gonna look like, how excited I am. I'm so excited. Like I'm shaking. Actually, maybe it's the mushroom coffee. Don't know, when you create an offer, I feel like you have to be obsessed with it. For it to be successful change my mind. That being said, I am creating an offer that's gonna change the world, and I am launching Lab 35, which was previously cinematic editorial, I know I say everything's my baby. This course is how to photograph for luxury. You steal my direct style and you can take any of the strategies and mix them together and make your own. That's literally what it is. That's literally what it is. I remember somebody saying a long time ago, can you teach a photography skills course or a photography style course? And I'm like I don't want everybody to copy and paste, shoot just like me. But then when I launched cinematic editorial and my students went through it, they didn't shoot like me. They took what they wanted, they left what they didn't. Some of 'em realized, oh, I'm heavy in the documentary. Some of 'em are like, oh, I'm heavy on editorial. And the others just piece together what they wanna do. They want OCF, they love on-camera flash or they love ambient lighting, but now they know how to shoot ambient lighting that evokes feeling and emotion. Now they're shooting for black and white and not just throwing a black and white and say, oh, 20% of your images are black and white. And Lightroom make it happen. Everything is done with intentionality and they're creating their signature styles instead of just copy and pasting what they see in the industry. And I was like, whoa. This course, this baby course that I've never launched, but just sold through email. Is really gonna change the game for photographers that are like, what is my style? How can I have all of the tools in the toolbox and then pick and choose what I want my students like? Even now they say they binge it before they go to every session. And they all come up with different works and I'll DM them and be like I see your framing. I see your composition. I like the way you shot with this lens and this lens because it's a creative artistry choice to decide the feeling, the mood, the intention that you have with photography versus just taking a 50 and shooting everything. With the nifty 50. Do they call it that anymore? Back in my day, that's what we called it. Now it's like you need range. There are two different kinds of luxury clients. There are the kind that are like, as long as you know what to use, we love your style, we trust you. Here's 10 K, right? But then there's the people that are a little bit more picky, that are like all your pictures look the same for every single couple. Nobody wants the same copy and paste wedding. They don't, or everybody's wedding would have the exact same style, the exact same planner, the exact same look, right? They want exclusivity. They want individuality. And that's why I believe that the future of business in general is personal brand. So if you don't have one, if you find yourself being like, oh, I just look at what's on Instagram and I copy that your days are numbered, honestly, because that's only gonna take you so far. And if you're always copying, let's just say you're always three steps behind the other person. And honestly, do you wanna live your life in someone else's shadow? No. No, because I'm in the spotlight. The shadow's always behind me, and that's not where you wanna be. You never wanna be the shadow. You wanna be in the spotlight. Okay? And so inside of Lab 35, that's what we're gonna help you do is create your signature style. We're gonna have a 90 day pop-up group sprint where you guys get to upload pictures, give each other feedback. I'll give you feedback. You get three portfolio reviews from me to use at any time at those 90 days. And feel free to post what you come up with in the chat and we'll cheer you on. We'll shoot off all the emojis. I want you to step into 2026 with the utmost confidence of who you are, what your style is, and how you're gonna serve your clients. And if you don't wanna serve luxury clients, that's fine, but luxury to me is just a wealthy version of me. Okay, can you pay top dollar for my service, but also we have the same personality and style. That's what you want. I know people say, oh, I have to shoot film or, it's not luxury. That's not true. But you do need to know how to capture a person in any sort of light situation because when I tell you light happens or doesn't happen, I have shot weddings in basements. I have had to do emergency weddings in small venues Because the bride's family member was passing away you have situations where you need to have all the tools know when and how and where to use them, and you'll be so confident in charging 7, 9, 10 k plus for your services. Because give me a situation. I know exactly how I'm gonna light it. Now that I know how to light it, I know exactly how to position you, and I'm gonna give you universal prompts that work on every single type of personality. The most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to me was when I was trying to transition into the mid luxury market, and I used one of my very adventurous, fun, wild prompts and I was like, oh, can you jump on his back? And she turned around and looked at me and was like, no. And I said that's all the prompts I have today. Do you guys wanna hold hands and walk over by that fancy building? You need to read the room. You need to be able to read the room. Know your couple's personality. Know their likes and dislikes. Know their style. If somebody is wearing like a beautiful, gorgeous Vogue editorial, Ralph Lauren inspired outfit, would you tell them to jump on each other's backs? No. Now, if there is that couple and they exist, then you would know that, right? Just being able to read the room, read the personality. All of it. Okay. All that to say great things are coming in 2026. I am, I'm so excited. Tomorrow's 2026 and one thing at a time But I do have a wait list for Lab 35. You're gonna wanna be in this room, plus you're gonna save $500 off and you get lifetime access to the course. 'cause I want you to be able to binge it before you go to any session. And I promise you. This is my promise. It's happened with every single student. You can binge this in less than a month, but I want you to be able to shift your portfolio by your next session and that next session if it's slow season for you. 'cause some people get married in January and February, but if it's so season for you, you could always set up a styled shoot or a studio session and implement what you learned. Look, you could be like me. I would pull my sisters aside and be like, get in loser. We're modeling. Okay? my sisters can pose no matter what the situation they have been posing for me for a decade. Take somebody, use what you've learned, practice perfect your craft, your art, and your style. And be confident by the time wedding season is in full throttle, you know what tools to grab, what tools to buy while it's winter season. This is the perfect time to join this program, which is why I'm launching it in January. Okay? So get on that wait list. I can't wait to see you. I can't wait to support you and watch your guys' beautiful portfolios. Just flourish in the new year. Okay. And I know you're gonna be thanking me later, whether it's in the dms or whether it's in the support group. and my golden promise to you is that your portfolio will never be the same again. And you're welcome in advance. Okay. I'm gonna let you go 'cause I'm gonna record another episode and I'm gonna record my top lessons of 2025 All right. Thanks for hanging out with me. I know it's been a while. I will be back. Okay. I just needed, I needed a holiday hiatus. Is that a thing? 'cause I'm gonna make it a thing. Maybe I can make some merch for myself. And I literally am in a sweatshirt that's embroidered, embroidered. Did I say that right? Embroidered. Oh my gosh. Now it sounds like alien ease. Anyway, a sweatshirt that says holiday hiatus, and that's how you know your girl is outta office. Okay, love you guys so much. I'll see you next year. Bye.