LEVEL UP: A Wedding Photography + Videography Podcast
Ready to take your wedding photography or filmmaking business from mainstream to luxury? We are on a mission to equip YOU with the information and resources you need to scale your business into the premiere and luxury markets, where you can successfully 2-3x your prices.
Every Tuesday we invite you to tune in on conversations with Kelley and Taylor, luxury wedding cinematographers and business coaches, as we teach you what we have learned over 22+ years of combined experience in the wedding industry.
Learn the ins and outs of the luxury market, how to align your brand within it, and become fully prepared to take your business from mainstream to luxury.
In a nutshell: this is the wedding filmmaking + photography podcast for creatives striving for MORE in their businesses.
The wedding industry can be a challenging place to build a career, and we are here to help.
https://thelevelupco.com/
LEVEL UP: A Wedding Photography + Videography Podcast
266: An Honest Conversation About Shooting Celebrity Weddings w Samm Blake
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In this episode, we’re sitting down with internationally recognized wedding photographer Samm Blake to talk about what it really takes to build a long-term, creatively fulfilling career in the luxury wedding industry. From shooting her first wedding for $500 and losing money on the job to now starting at $40,000 per wedding, Sam shares the mindset shifts, creative risks, and intentional decisions that shaped her journey over the last 20+ years.
We dive into the evolution of the wedding industry, building a recognizable artistic voice, and why standing out matters so much more than blending in. Sam shares her perspective on portfolio curation, attracting luxury clients without sacrificing your style, and how photographers can stop chasing trends and start building work that actually feels true to them.
We also talk about photographing high-profile celebrity weddings, navigating pressure at the highest level, and the confidence that comes from finally realizing you do not have to conform to succeed in the luxury market.
If you’re a wedding photographer or filmmaker wanting to raise your prices, book more intentional weddings, refine your portfolio, and create work that feels both profitable and artistically fulfilling, this conversation is packed with perspective shifts and tactical takeaways you won’t want to miss.
In this episode, we cover:
• Building a luxury wedding photography brand
• How to stand out in a saturated wedding market
• Portfolio curation tips for photographers
• Creative risk-taking at weddings
• Luxury wedding client experience
• Breaking into the high-end wedding industry
• Finding your unique artistic voice
• Growing a profitable photography business without copying trends
This episode was sponsored by Wanderlust Videos, use LEVELUP100 for $100 off your first edit at https://www.wanderlust-videos.com/
And thank you to VidFlow for sponsoring today's episode. Level up your delivery experience at https://vidflow.co/thelevelupco
Timestamps:
00:00 - 02:19 | Podcast Introduction & Elevating the Client Delivery Experience
02:20 - 06:10 | Sam Blake’s Photography Journey & Adapting Through Industry Changes
06:11 - 09:25 | Moving to New York, Building an International Brand & Luxury Pricing
09:26 - 12:14 | Career-Defining Weddings & Photographing High-Profile Clients
12:15 - 18:25 | Finding Confidence in Your Artistic Voice Within the Luxury Market
18:26 - 20:14 | Outsourcing, Business Growth & Creating Space to Scale
20:15 - 23:34 | Standing Out in the Luxury Market Through Authenticity & Curation
23:35 - 28:37 | Portfolio Curation, Identifying Weaknesses & Improving Your Craft
28:38 - 33:17 | Taking Creative Risks, Experimentation & Artistic Growth at Weddings
33:18 - 36:27 | The Value of Representation, Support Systems & Creative Freedom
36:28 - 37:14 | Final Thoughts & Where to Connect with Sam Blake
Connect with Samm:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammblake/
Website: https://www.sammblakeweddings.com/
The next round of The Luxury Mastermind will start in Fall 2026! We are thrilled to welcome you inside our signature 8 week program. Learn more + save your seat here >> https://thelevelupco.com/mastermind
📲 Love this episode? Screenshot and share it on social media! Tag us on Instagram at @TheLevelUpCo and let us know your biggest takeaway.
The Level Up Co. Resources:
- Wedding Planner Email Templates: https://thelevelupco.com/planner-email-template-bundle
- Elevated Client Experience Bundle: https://thelevelupco.com/client-experience-bundle
- Elevated Shot List: https://thelevelupco.com/elevated-shot-list
- The Luxury Framework Course: https://thelevelupco.com/theluxuryframework
- The Luxury Pricing Mini Course: https://thelevelupco.com/reset
Connect with Taylor , Kelley + The Level Up Co.:
🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelevelupco/
🔗Taylor's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorpetrinovich/
🔗Kelley's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/618studios/
💻Website: https://thelevelupco.com/