Pricing was the area of professional photography I struggled with the most in the early years. However, it was far too recently that I realized I had a fundamental error in my approach to pricing and value.
Selling prints is a tricky business with seemingly infinite reasons for someone to decide they don't want to purchase your image. But one simple question can dramatically increase your odds of convincing a potential customer to pull the trigger on investing in your art.
Are you looking for a video from a successful photographer willing to share their one secret to having a successful photography business? Then don’t watch this video. But if you want some straight and honest advice, then this video is well worth 15 minutes of your time.
Today, I’ll share a brief story about a brief moment with big consequences.
There are two basic models for licensing photography. One is suggested by most professional photography societies and organizations while the other is decried as an unfair and unsustainable model by the same groups. For the past six years I’ve licensed my images using the unpopular model. In this article, I’ll explain why.
Do you find yourself renting a studio and wondering if perhaps it's time to make the leap and invest in your own space? It's time to check out Nathan Elson's latest YouTube video.
When talking with photographers about the photography industry, our conversation often turns to social media and the inevitable feeling of how comparison to others affects our work. Comparison is a problem in the industry. Here are a few ways to combat it.
Today I’d like to share how a chance encounter provided perspective on both success and the value of patience.
If you're not getting the followers, traffic, or clients you think you should be, then it might be your website that is part of the problem.
Have you ever set out to achieve a dream or goal of yours and found yourself not accomplishing what you set out to do? In this quick article, see three things I do to make sure I'm staying on track to achieving my goals.
Even though we spend more and more time on social media and other networking platforms, email is still by far the best and most useful way to grow your business and get your work out there. So what platforms are you using in 2019?
‘Tis the season for wedding bookings! With that in mind, here is part two of an overview of my engagement shoot prep booklet. I provided this information to my couples when I was regularly shooting weddings. I hope that you find this helpful.
Can outstanding customer service take your portrait photography sales to the next level? Megan DiPiero thinks that it can, and she’s here to tell you how.
Photography is a competitive field and establishing yourself is difficult even if you're not making mistakes. So analyze your business practices, with cold contact being a common problem.
Finding your specialty can be difficult for any profession, but the vague advice of needing a niche as a photographer — while important — is unhelpful in isolation.
With online photography portfolios being absolutely essential, it's paramount you ensure you have the best website possible. Here are my top five templates for photography websites.
For many photographers, photography can be a solitary pursuit. Many of us run a single person business where the majority of our time is spent by ourselves. Sure there are times when we collaborate with clients, talent, and assistants, but this isn’t the same as socializing with our photography peers. I’ve been fortunate enough to find an excellent solution for my isolation and highly recommend it to all photographers.
Photographers of all genres rely on new inquires as well as returning clients to fill their calendar for the year. Keeping up with returning clients is easily done, however getting the fresh new leads does not have to be a difficult task if your website has a few minor additions.
Three days ago we gave you a tour of the new Fstoppers studio in Puerto Rico but we didn't answer your biggest question: why in the world did we move to Puerto Rico?
Portraits are a great way to reflect professionalism. As a portrait photographer, what are the things that you can ensure to get the best for your clients? There are a few important areas that you have to pay attention to as a portrait photographer. Here is a quick article that discusses on how to arrive at the perfect professional portrait.
If you want to showcase your work on more than just social media and perhaps even start selling your images, you need to have a portfolio website. So what's the best option to get something professional, cost effective and functional up quickly?
When it comes to self-employment, the term "freelancer" is a bit of a dirty word in the creative industry. For many, the word is synonymous with low income, little appreciation, and, for some, a lack of creative freedom. It's no wonder that many creatives — especially photographers — are increasingly going down a different route.
Subscribe to business or productivity "influencers" on the web and you'll receive a variety of tips: “Nap this long,” “Consume more of these,” “Turn that device off!” But how do these techniques apply to photo editing, and can a one-size-fits-all productivity approach help us photographers use our editing time more efficiently?
We'd all like to think the number of followers we have on Instagram isn't harming our business, but it seems like it could be. Here's how to give your social presence a jump start in 2019.
Almost weekly I see an article online or a comment about how cheap photographers are undermining the industry or that they are ruining it for us.
We’ve all heard it and probably noticed it first hand: social media is destroying our happiness and is directly related to instilling FOMO, the "fear of missing out" in people. We photographers are no exception. So how do we defeat an enemy that lives within our own minds?
The last thing you want to deal with is computer crashes in the middle of editing. If you have been in the business long enough you know it will happen sooner or later. Let's face it, electronics can crash, malfunction, or worse. Having a solid backup plan for your images is important to keep your cool and carry on.
It’s easy to celebrate our successes in photography — the proud moments in-between creating and presenting a picture that we’re particularly fond of. But what about the times we fail? I think there’s a good argument for celebrating our photography failures, and here’s why.
When I first started out, I had no idea what to do and how this whole photography business is supposed to work. However, I was blessed to have a mentor who is a legend in my industry this side of the world where I come from.
In a field crowded with options, there is no better value for the money than the Fuji X-T3.
Today I want to talk about business maintenance and some of the less fun aspects of your business but important nonetheless. New Year's is a great time to go through and look at all your channels, social media, website, etc and see if there's anything that needs cleaning up or adjusting.
One of the hardest parts of becoming a professional photographer is that initial jump from amateur work to being paid to create photos. This quick and helpful video will give you some tips on how to start making money as a photographer.
We’re calling it now: 2019 will be the year of new voices. In 2018, younger generations have been the force behind social movements and social change.
More often than not, we’re our own worst enemies when it comes to landing the types of jobs we long to be hired for. Are you making it more difficult than it should be for potential clients to hire you for those photo jobs you keep waiting on?
It's probably happened to you: you're shooting away and someone, usually the venue owner, approaches you. You get that sinking feeling hearing those dreaded five words: "Can I get a copy?"
Convincing potential clients that you’re worth what you charge is a scary prospect. It means believing in yourself enough to stick to your guns. If you’ve had a hard time convincing clients to pay what you charge, here are a few ways that may help raise your success rate when asking for a sale.
Are your photography expenses growing too fast or you simply want to reduce your outgoings this year? If you're open to alternative options, check out this list of free programs, from web design to photography!
A photographer based between LA and NYC has fallen victim to an “international travel scam” on a huge scale, which saw her end up in Indonesia and down thousands of dollars, in what she believes may have been part of a larger kidnapping plot.
People will tell you there are no shortcuts, but that is only true if you think a shortcut is a magic "Masterpiece" mode in your camera or a special action in Photoshop.
A new year means new possibilities. Each year, most photographers put aside money for specific items such as gear, repair, equipment, and more. The one item many forget is education. This is an important part of growing as a photographer and needs to be addressed each year to keep the creative mind flowing.
A number of products premiering at CES 2019 give an indication to the future of photography and videography. Even without new equipment, there are some changes you can make to ensure your images and video are ready for the future.
By “commandments,” I simply mean photography truths that have worked for me. Everyone has photography truths to believe in, but here are my 10.
In this extended essay, I’ll go into detail on my decision to invest heavily in a cinema camera, and the pros and cons related to the purchase.
Automation is a very good thing. From streamlining our workflows to speeding up client interactions and accepting payments, we are living in a time where the right software packages make running our business much easier. However, blindly trusting that pieces of software are doing what they're supposed to do can lead to financial losses or worse. A few days ago, I found this out the hard way.
To stand out in a sea of photographers, you're going to need to think outside the box a little. Thankfully, some of the most effective strategies can cost little to no money.
If you want to keep your business relevant or have that breakthrough year you’ve been dreaming of, you need to have a plan in place that continually attracts quality clients. Here is where you can find them in 2019.
Okay, okay, maybe he did not exactly say that verbatim. But after watching this snippet from an interview from Complex with musician John Mayer and fashion designer Jerry Lorenzo, you'll see immediately that his analogy aligns what we go through as photographers throughout the creative process.
Could a very niche genre of underwater photography, that people travel great distances for, be capable of protecting bizarre critters few know exist? During a visit to the Lembeh Strait in Indonesia — a mecca for macro photographers — I met with Belgian researcher Maarten De Brauwer to learn more about his research into the economic value of muck diving and underwater macro photography.
While it is true that a photo or design element is instantly copyrighted the moment it’s created, there are still a few good reasons to update your copyright on your website and within your metadata in photos at the start of a new year.
