The other day in the Wall Street Journal, there was a great section on the “All Things Digital” conference that took place a while ago. Particularly interesting – and relevant to create types like photographers – was the interview with James Cameron. Cameron is known for some of the most successful movies of all time: “Avatar,” “Titanic,” “Terminator,” and “Aliens.” In addition to being HUGE box office successes, each of those movies (franchises) is known for their incredible use of technology. Each was at the cutting edge, pushing the boundaries of what technology could do for film-making at the time. So, it was really interesting to me, to read some of Cameron’s views on technology vs the story. Here’s what he said about the use
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Where have all the clients gone?
In one of my recent posts here on the Pictage Blog I wrote about some core things that I think new photographers should know. One of the suggestions seemed to resonate with a good number of people – both in the comments, and in conversations I’ve had since. Since it seemed to be something that a good number of people struggle with, I thought I’d go a little deeper here. First, here’s what I wrote: Finding clients isn’t that hard. Waiting for them to find you is. A lot has changed in the last few years. People keep talking about how the economy has effected everyone’s business. I’m sure it has, but what I’ve noticed is that there are two types of photography business right now:
9 Things Every Professional Photographer Should Know
120,000. Apparently, that’s the number of new photographers in the last year. 120,000! That’s a lot of new photographers. That’s a lot of new businesses. That’s a lot of new people working hard to build a business around this photography thing we do. So, for those of you who find yourself in that group – here’s a few thoughts that no one really tells you when you start your own business in your living room. For those of you who’ve been around for a while – I’d love for you to share some more thoughts at the end of this post! 1. Stop buying lenses. Hire an accountant instead. Yes, fast lenses are great. Yes, a great camera is sweet. The truth is, neither will
Have We Met?
Who is your ideal client? Have you ever met them? Would you even know if you had – have you ever sat down and defined your ideal client? Do you know what they’re like? Do you know where they shop, where they spend their money, what they like to eat, where they like to vacation, and what kind of car they drive? “People willing to spend a lot of money on photography,” isn’t very helpful as a target. It’s an exercise with a lot of value to your business, and it’s one I strongly encourage you to consider spending some time on. Here’s why: 1. Focus clarifies. Putting it into words is useful because it helps you to quantify the type of clients you’re hoping
Why Creative Businesses Fail #1
Creative businesses fail for the same reason as every other business fails. Too many expenses, not enough revenue. Creative types (photographers, artists, etc) tend to think about forming a business around something they are passionate about. That’s fine. You should absolutely be passionate about something if you’re going to give your life to it. You should love what you’re doing. You should be GOOD at it. This is no different than people who are passionate about helping other people, going into social work. Ok, reality check time. Being passionate about something isn’t enough. If it’s going to be a business – it HAS to be profitable. It HAS to make money. Not only is this common sense, but the IRS won’t even let you call
#1 Way to Simplify Your Workflow- Shoot Less
The more you shoot, the more you edit. The more you edit, the less money you make. Many of the photographers I know have a love/hate relationship with editing their work. The truth is, for many photographers, editing and processing images is one of the most burdensome aspects of their photography. It’s not uncommon for photographers to take 2-3 months, or more, to finish processing an average wedding. In fact, a while back (when this blog first started), I posted some stats about how photographers spend their time. I posted the following chart, and the results are pretty interesting to me: On average, photographers are spending more than 15 hours a week on editing images. That’s 50% more time than they even spend shooting. Who wants
Your Clients Don’t Care About What You Care About
They care about: their wedding, their future, their first home, their first child, paying for dinner for 200 people, whether their dress will fit, whether the cake will look like they imagined it would. They care about whether people will like the centerpieces, if they’re going to cry when they see each other. They care about how they will look in a bathing suit on the honeymoon. They care about getting tan for the wedding. They care about whether the escort cards look right, and who should sit with who at the wedding. They care about how they can afford everything they want. They care about what people will think of their wedding. They care about themselves. They don’t care about: your website, your blog,
Is Your Pricing a Secret?
From a photographer’s website I came across recently – under their “pricing” link: “You’re wedding is different than any other I’ve ever shot, so it would be impossible for me to simply list a bunch of prices without us talking. I need to know more about you – and your wedding – before I can create a custom quote that fits your needs specifically. Please contact me today, so we can talk more about your wedding – and how I might be able to serve you.” I’ve noticed, more and more, that a lot of photographers – for whatever reason – are requiring clients to contact them before they will give any kind of pricing information. And based on what I hear photographers say, it
The Price is Right: Are You Priced For Your Market?
Supply and Demand.I posted this on Twitter on Saturday. By this morning, I had 2 dozen emails asking me to elaborate on what I really mean – and how to fix the problem with inquiries. So I thought I’d spend a few minutes and talk a little more about it. My post came as a result of hearing a lot of photographers who ask about whether they are charging the right thing for their market. They either just raised their prices, or relocated to a new market, and aren’t experiencing the same “results” as they had previously. There is a level of panic associated with the question “am I charging too much?!” In our minds, we play out a scenario where, if we keep our
Why We Don’t Do Wedding Photography “Packages”
Michigan Wedding & Lifestyle Photographer Jason Aten recently shared a post on his blog, catered toward potential clients, but that can be helpful for photographers and brides alike as Jason shares his own studio’s commitments to their clients when forming specialty commissions. Thank you Jason for re-working this post and sharing with our community! Weddings are significant. They are significant, for so many reasons, but for me – they are significant because there is nothing quite like two people committing, to each other, the rest of their lives. They are significant because of what they represent, and they are significant because – for our clients – they are the beginning of a journey. They are the beginning of a story. I believe that an event