Being good with a camera and having creative vision is, of course, crucial to becoming a successful professional, but it is far from the only requirement. It takes a lot of business savvy in combination with those aforementioned skills in order to make a reasonable income. This excellent video tutorial discusses 10 common business mistakes photo and video creatives make and how to fix or avoid them altogether.
Coming to you from Parker Walbeck, this fantastic video tutorial discusses 10 common business mistakes (though it is aimed at filmmakers, the lessons apply just as much to photographers). The mistake I made many times when I was starting out was not managing expectations in advance. If you are conflict-avoidant like me, you probably do not enjoy conversations about contracts or limitations of service, but not having them before a shoot can create misunderstandings and issues afterward. I also find that clients actually appreciate these conversations the majority of the time, as they show a nice level of professionalism and help to assuage anxiety about the shoot by showing them what to expect. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Walbeck.
If you would like to learn more about the business of photography, check out "Making Real Money: The Business of Commercial Photography With Monte Isom!"
