Virtual workshop · Thu, Nov 19 · 12–4 PM ET

Turn one-off shoots into yearlong clients.

Four live hours on turning the clients you already have into monthly retainers — how to position them, scope them, price them and sell the year.

The workshop

Most photographers are one campaign away from a quiet month. The ones with steady years have two or three brands that pay them every month to keep the work coming. The Retainer Method is four hours on how to build that: the positioning, the scope, the price and the pitch.

Date

Thursday, November 19

Format

Live & virtual

Length

Five sessions, four hours

Ticket

$30

Admit one

Live & virtual

The Retainer Method

Thursday, November 19 · 12–4 PM ET

Paul Weaver

The Retainer Method Virtual Workshop

$30

Thursday, November 19 · 12–4 PM ET

Live & virtual · 7-day replay included

You'll Learn

Four live hours with Paul Weaver on turning one-off clients into monthly retainers — how to position them, scope them, price them and sell the year.

Details

Date

Thursday, November 19, 2026

Time

12:00–4:00 PM Eastern

Format

Live and virtual, with Q&A

Curriculum

Five sessions across four hours

Replay

Full recording for seven days

Questions before you book? Ask Paul

Replay included with every ticket.

Live & virtual

Thursday, November 19 · 12:00–4:00 PM ET

Workshop Agenda

Model on a runway in a sheer embellished couture gown, guests blurred in the background
Woman wrapped in a voluminous cream ruffled gown in front of a painted sky backdrop
Woman in a white shirt leaning over a floral armchair, holding a pink handbag
Close-up of a wooden bath brush with natural bristles resting on a loofah
Woman in a yellow skirt and black top crouching by a metal shutter to fasten her shoe
Man with bleached hair in a green and cream striped sweater, arms crossed
Blond model in a camel double-breasted coat with a dark feather collar

Live — Thu, Nov 19

12:00–12:40 PM

Positioning the partnership

Move from selling isolated shoots to solving an ongoing visual need. We’ll identify the brands, problems, and points of view that make a yearlong partnership feel inevitable.

12:40–1:20 PM

Designing the retainer

Define a clear monthly scope that protects the work and your time. We’ll structure deliverables, production rhythms, usage, boundaries, and the right level of access.

1:20–2:00 PM

Pricing for continuity

Price the value of consistent creative direction—not a discounted bundle of shoots. We’ll model capacity, margin, production costs, and monthly recurring revenue.

2:00–2:20 PM

Break

Twenty minutes to step away, refill, and come back ready for the second half.

2:20–3:00 PM

Selling the year

Turn your visual point of view into a business case. We’ll build the conversation, proposal, and proof that help a brand commit to twelve months instead of one campaign.

3:00–3:30 PM

Growing the account

Create a working rhythm that improves the brand and deepens trust over time. Learn how to report value, renew early, expand scope, and build referrals from the partnership.

3:30–4:00 PM

Q&A and mentorship

Open floor for your own situation. Bring a client, a proposal, or a price you’re unsure of, and we’ll work through it live.

Replay

Can’t make it live? Every ticket includes a 7-day replay.

The shift

Same work, two different years. One swings month to month. The other builds.

Without retainers

Booked one month, quiet the next

With retainers

Each retainer raises the floor

Your host

I’ve spent my career photographing health, wellness and fitness brands. For years I chased the next shoot. What changed my business was the clients who kept me on, month after month.

These four hours are everything I’d teach you if we sat down for an afternoon.

founder, The Freelance Photographer

Clients include

Prada Beauty · Garmin · Zulu Athletic · Goop · RSYE · Hilton Hotels · Olipop · Celsius · F45

From members of The Freelance Photographer

Individual results vary

←

→

“Since joining, I have doubled my rates with my retainer clients and used the program’s tools to scale and organize my business.”

Christopher Dowell

“Since joining, I have doubled my rates with my retainer clients and used the program’s tools to scale and organize my business.”

Christopher Dowell

“Within six months of the program, I experienced a notable surge in paid creative opportunities, securing a nine-month retainer with a new client for ongoing social media content and specialized shoots.”

Chaz

“Within six months of the program, I experienced a notable surge in paid creative opportunities, securing a nine-month retainer with a new client for ongoing social media content and specialized shoots.”

Chaz

“I now primarily work in the outdoor brand niche and have been able to solidify two retainer clients. This has been huge for my financial stability.”

Ian MacFadyen

“I now primarily work in the outdoor brand niche and have been able to solidify two retainer clients. This has been huge for my financial stability.”

Ian MacFadyen

“Paul’s insights into building a successful photography brand and securing long-term clients are invaluable. My confidence as a freelancer has gone through the roof.”

Brandon Cabral

“Paul’s insights into building a successful photography brand and securing long-term clients are invaluable. My confidence as a freelancer has gone through the roof.”

Brandon Cabral

Questions

Before you RSVP

Who is it for?

Photographers who want to turn the clients they already have into monthly retainers. It’s built for freelancers with a few good clients who are tired of starting from zero every month.

What will we cover?

Five sessions over four hours: positioning, scope, price and the pitch. You’ll learn how to frame a retainer, decide what it includes, put a number on it and ask for the year.

Where does it happen?

It’s live and virtual, so you can join from anywhere. You’ll get the link to join after you book.

What time is it where I am?

It runs 12:00–4:00 PM Eastern on Thursday, November 19. That’s 9:00 AM–1:00 PM Pacific and 5:00–9:00 PM in London.

Is there a break?

Yes, there’s a 20-minute break at 2:00 PM ET.

Can I ask Paul questions?

Yes. There’s live Q&A with Paul during the workshop, so bring the client you’re thinking about.

What if I can’t make it live?

Every ticket includes the full recording for seven days. Watch it whenever suits you that week.

Can I get a refund?

All sales are final, so there are no refunds. If you can’t make the live session, the 7-day replay is included with your ticket.

Admit one

Live & virtual

The Retainer Method

Thursday, November 19 · 12–4 PM ET

Paul Weaver

The Retainer Method Virtual Workshop

$30

Thursday, November 19 · 12–4 PM ET

Live & virtual · 7-day replay included

You'll Learn

Four live hours with Paul Weaver on turning one-off clients into monthly retainers — how to position them, scope them, price them and sell the year.

Details

Date

Thursday, November 19, 2026

Time

12:00–4:00 PM Eastern

Format

Live and virtual, with Q&A

Curriculum

Five sessions across four hours

Replay

Full recording for seven days

Questions before you book? Ask Paul

Replay included with every ticket.

Self Represent

& Work With Brands

© 2019–2026

The Freelance Photographer

All Rights Reserved.

Self Represent

& Work With Brands

© 2019–2026

The Freelance Photographer

All Rights Reserved.