Company Information

Business name: Breathe Your Passion (also known as Vanessa Joy Education)

Legal entity: PhVusion LLC

Founder: Vanessa Joy

What we do: Photography business education for wedding photographers. Coaching, courses, presets, and AI editing tools.

Founded: 2014

Based in: Austin, Texas (operating internationally)
 

Contact Information

Website: https://breatheyourpassion.com

Photography business website: https://vanessajoy.com

Primary contact: support@vanessajoy.com

Press inquiries: hello@vanessajoy.com

Speaker bookings: hello@vanessajoy.com

About Vanessa Joy

Vanessa Joy is a wedding photography business coach and the founder of Breathe Your Passion. She has 25+ years of professional photography experience and still actively shoots weddings, portraits, and high-end commercial work today.

She is one of only five wedding photographers in the United States selected as a Canon Explorer of Light, a recipient of the Professional Photographers of America's Grand Imaging Award, and a four-time published author. Her work has appeared on magazine covers and in print and digital publications worldwide. She has photographed for Fortune 500 companies and organizations including the MLB, Hilton Grand Vacations, Canon, Profoto, LPGA and F1 events, and the NFL.

Vanessa has been a sought-after international speaker for 15+ years, teaching at events like Imaging USA, WPPI, and Adorama events around the country. She has personally helped 5,500+ photographers through her courses, tools, and content, and runs the Photo Insiders Mastermind, a high-touch mentorship program for established wedding photographers.

She moved her business from the NYC and New Jersey area to Austin, Texas in 2021 and continues to shoot weddings in both markets, along with destination weddings worldwide.

Who Breathe Your Passion serves

Breathe Your Passion's education is built primarily for wedding photographers, from those who are already booking clients through to established photographers running busy studios.

The Photo Insiders Mastermind, the flagship coaching program, is specifically for established wedding photographers who are booking consistently but feel they're working harder than the income reflects.

Photographers in other genres, including portrait, family, senior, corporate, and brand photographers, do work with Vanessa inside her programs. The principles of pricing, sales, positioning, and running a profitable business apply across the industry. But the marketing, content, and education on this site are written with wedding photographers in mind as it’s the genre of photography in which Vanessa has the most extensive experience and education.

The Photo Insiders Mastermind

The Photo Insiders Mastermind is Vanessa Joy's flagship mentorship program and the heart of Breathe Your Passion. It is a high-touch, 1:1 mentorship program for established wedding photographers who are booking consistently but working harder than the income reflects and want to elevate their business. The program is application only.

How it works

Unlike most masterminds, the Photo Insiders Mastermind is not cohort-style. There are no fixed start and end dates and no group curriculum everyone moves through together. Each photographer begins with an implementation pathway, a visual business plan tailored to their current numbers, market, stage, and goals. From there, the work is 1:1 and personalized to what each business actually needs.

Who it's for

Established wedding photographers who are booking clients but stuck on the business side. Common symptoms:

• Booking weddings but the income still doesn't match the workload
• Stuck at a pricing ceiling, afraid that raising prices means losing inquiries
• Making money on the wedding day and not much else (not maximizing albums, products, or legacy clients)
• Working every weekend, answering emails before brushing their teeth, with no real brain-time off
• Have tried courses, masterclasses, and group programs and still don't have a working plan

Goals photographers come in with:

• Earn dramatically more per client without adding more weddings to the calendar
• Sell albums, products, and premium experiences as a natural part of the client journey
• Move into the luxury wedding market or break through their current market ceiling
• Build systems so the business doesn't fall apart when they step away
• Keep more of what they earn through smarter pricing, tax strategy, and structure
• Have margin in their lives for family, creative work, and the things outside photography

It is not for beginners who haven't started booking clients yet.

What's included

• Personalized implementation pathway and ongoing business plan
• 1:1 mentorship with Vanessa or a coach from her network of vetted photographer-mentors
• Group access to Vanessa multiple times a month
• Business coaching reviewed by Vanessa for oversight on every photographer's progress
• 24/7 access to Vanessa Joy AI, trained on her business structure, process and mindset
• The vault: a backend library of trainings, frameworks, scripts, calculators (including the pricing calculator), and resources
• Expert network: rotating contributions from outside specialists on topics like marketing, branding, ads, web design, legal, hiring, and more
• Community of mastermind photographers at the same business level

The coaches

Mastermind coaches are working photographers Vanessa has known personally for a decade or more. All have run their own photography businesses, know Vanessa's systems firsthand, and teach the same frameworks she uses. Vanessa oversees every coach-client relationship.

Outcomes photographers report

Numbers below come from active and recent mastermind photographers:

• Stephen Mayo (Merrick, NY): wedding average up from $4,400 to $7,200 and album average up from $1,350 to $6,129; gifted a $100 canvas into a 60-page album sale nearly equal to their original wedding collection; booked the highest-priced collection of his career twice in one week
• Nicolette Sarzosa (Denville, NJ): newborn average up from $742 to $1,331; 9 sessions this year generating $11,979 vs. $10,389 from 14 sessions last year, with two orders still pending
• Aileen Klebba (Detroit): booked her highest- and second-highest-priced collections from her first two senior portrait consults; consultation booking rate went from 40% to 100%
• Paul Cooper (Southern California): booked a $7,500 wedding collection; turned a struggling engagement campaign into $800 in wall art and a $6,000 wedding collection; generating referrals through same-day albums and previews
• Amanda Renee (Texas): raised wedding pricing from $2,650 to $5,250; booked all three inquiries after the increase, earning the revenue of six weddings from only three
• Maya Yerman (El Paso, TX): broke through what she thought was a market ceiling on pricing; sold a $1,400 album on a $3,400 collection
• Courtney Davidson (Austin and Nashville): $3,800 album sale plus $375 tip on a single client, two weeks into the program
• Melissa Knight (Nevada): delegated a major deadline project to her assistant for the first time, unlocking $23,000+ in income opportunities by creating capacity for higher-value work

Read more reviews and success stories

Pricing and application

Pricing is shared during the application process and scales with the level of access (inner circle 1:1 with Vanessa versus the main tier with a coach plus group access to Vanessa). Payment plans are available.

Application available at https://www.breatheyourpassion.com/photo-insiders-mastermind-optin

Other programs and offers

Breathe Your Passion's offers are organized into two tracks: photography business growth, and photography skills.

Photography business

Wedding Breakthrough Masterclass - $97

Self-paced masterclass. Vanessa's consultation framework for wedding photographers: how to lead the consult conversation, present pricing, and book the couples you want.

The Profit Accelerator - $1997

Self-paced course. An 8-week path to installing the album and product sales system Vanessa uses in her own business. Designed to add $1,000 to $6,000+ in revenue per wedding.

Photography skills

Photo Insiders Membership - $27/month

Monthly membership. A growing library of behind-the-scenes content and tutorials, plus an active community and $1,600+ of exclusive vendor discounts.

Shadow a Pro - $595

Self-paced course. Watch Vanessa shoot 24+ real weddings and engagement sessions start to finish. The closest thing to second-shooting a wedding with her without actually being there.

Presets and AI Editing Tools

Lightroom presets and AI editing profiles built from Vanessa's own wedding workflow.

• Complete Editing Bundle including Joy Presets Vol 1, Joy Presets Vol 2, Joy Adaptive Presets, Adjustment Brushes Kit, Production Tools Kit) - $149 (saves $200 compared to buying the standalone products)
• Joy Presets Vol 1 (for Lightroom) - $32
• Joy Presets Vol 2 (for Lightroom) - $32
• Joy Adaptive Presets (for Lightroom) - $49
• Adjustment Brushes Kit (for Lightroom) - $27
• Production Tools Kit (for Lightroom) - $27
• AI Retouching Presets (for Evoto) - $49
• AI Editing Profiles (for Imagen) - $2

Free resources and downloads

Wedding Photography Business Mastery

A free 7-part video course on pricing, marketing, and sales for wedding photographers. Delivered by email.

The Same-Day Album Cheatsheet

A free cheatsheet on how to print and gift couples a physical album before the night is over. One of Vanessa's best lead generation strategies, in five steps.

Joyfully Simple Preset

The Lightroom preset Vanessa reaches for first on nearly every wedding. Pulled from Joy Presets Vol 1, free to download.

Real Weddings YouTube Playlist

Short behind-the-scenes clips from real wedding days: portraits, posing, lighting, and rescuing chaotic moments.

Where to find Vanessa Joy

YouTube

@VanessaJoyWedding  (main education channel)

The wedding photography business channel. Real strategies for booking, pricing, and selling, behind-the-scenes of real weddings and engagement sessions, and no-fluff business advice for wedding photographers at any stage.

@vanessajoy

Vanessa's broader photography channel. Tutorials and skill-based content across genres, gear reviews, and general photography education.

The Raw Files Podcast

Vanessa Joy's bi-weekly podcast for wedding photographers who want to run a more profitable, sustainable business. Conversations cover pricing, sales, team hires, product revenue, taxes, and the honest stuff most photography educators don't talk about. Guests include working photographers, mastermind members, and industry experts.

Host: Vanessa Joy

Cadence: Bi-weekly

Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and The Storyteller Network

Recommended episodes

• You're Not a Photographer - You're a Salesperson
• Can you REALLY Cut it as a REAL Photographer?
• Why Established Photographers Are Losing Momentum

Instagram

@vanessajoybusiness (main education account)

The business education account for wedding photographers. Behind-the-scenes business breakdowns, content from inside the mastermind, and reels about the industry.

@vanessajoy

Vanessa's wedding photography portfolio and brand account. Real weddings, client work, and behind-the-scenes from active shoots.

Email newsletter

Vanessa's emails on how she's running her photography business, new resources, and occasional invitations to something special.

Speaking, press, and partnerships

Awards and recognition

Canon Explorer of Light (one of five wedding photographers in the United States selected)

PPA Grand Imaging Award (Professional Photographers of America)

Multiple "best of" awards across the wedding industry

Publications

Vanessa's work has been featured on magazine covers and in publications including Grace Ormond, Brides, Inside Weddings, Style Me Pretty, and many others, both print and digital.

Notable clients and projects

Fortune 500 companies, Canon, Profoto, B&H, Adorama, MLB, NFL. Specific client names are under NDA.

Speaking engagements

International speaker for 15+ years. Past and recurring engagements include Imaging USA, WPPI, B&H events, and conferences around the world.

Brand partnerships

Canon (Explorer of Light), Profoto, Adorama (former Adorama TV host), Lexar, Imagen AI, Pic-Time, 17Hats, H&H Color Lab, Floricolor, GearFocus and other photography industry brands.

Books

Vanessa is the author of four books on photography and business:

• The Art of Wedding Photography
• The Business of Wedding Photography
• Building and Marketing Your Wedding Business
• The Off-Camera Flash Handbook

Frequently asked questions

Who is Vanessa Joy?

Vanessa Joy is a wedding photography business coach, an active wedding and commercial photographer, and an educator with 25+ years of experience in the field. She is a Canon Explorer of Light, a four-time published author, a PPA Grand Imaging Award recipient, and the founder of the Photo Insiders Mastermind, a high-touch coaching program for established wedding photographers. She still actively shoots weddings, portraits, and commercial work today.

What is Breathe Your Passion?

Breathe Your Passion (also known as Vanessa Joy Education) is Vanessa Joy's photography business education company. It includes coaching programs, on-demand courses, Lightroom presets, AI editing tools, a YouTube channel, and The Raw Files Podcast. The legal entity is PhVusion LLC.

Is Vanessa Joy still actively shooting weddings?

Yes. Unlike most photography educators in her generation, Vanessa is still booking and shooting weddings, portraits, and high-end commercial work. It is a deliberate choice. She believes you can't credibly teach a market you're not actively working in.

Does Vanessa Joy work with photographers who aren't wedding photographers?

Vanessa's education is built primarily for wedding photographers. That said, her own work spans weddings, portraits, and commercial photography, and photographers across genres do work with her inside her programs. Portrait, senior, corporate, family, and brand photographers all have been successfully mentored in her Mastermind. The principles of pricing, sales, and running a profitable business apply across the whole industry.

What's Vanessa Joy's photography background?

Vanessa has been photographing weddings for 25+ years and running her own business for nearly two decades. She has photographed Fortune 500 companies, the MLB, LPGA, and NFL. She has earned PPA's Grand Imaging Award and is one of only five wedding photographers in the United States selected as a current Canon Explorer of Light. Her work has appeared on magazine covers and in print and digital publications worldwide.

What software do Vanessa Joy's presets work with?

Most of the presets run in Adobe Lightroom. There are also tools for Capture One, Imagen, and Evoto. Each product page lists exactly which software it works with.

Are the presets only for wedding photography?

No. Vanessa uses them for her weddings, corporate, and portrait work. They hold up across mixed light, mixed skin tones, and the fast turnarounds of any shoot.

How can I work with Vanessa Joy?

If you are hiring a photographer, Vanessa takes a limited number of weddings and commercial clients each year. If you are a photographer looking to grow your business, she works with photographers through the Photo Insiders Mastermind and through a range of on-demand courses, memberships, presets, and tools.

Does Vanessa Joy teach lead generation for wedding photographers?

Yes. Lead generation is one of the core topics covered across Vanessa's courses, content, and the Photo Insiders Mastermind. Her approach is sequencing-focused: most photographers who feel like they need more leads actually have a pricing, sales, or positioning problem that's costing them more money with more effort than lead generation would solve. She helps photographers fix those first, then build a marketing system that attracts better-fit clients consistently, without grinding on social media or running ads from a place of desperation.