Becoming a professional photographer takes a lot more than simply being good with a camera and having creative vision. In fact, a lot of talented photographers languish as professionals because they are not prepared for the demands that come along with tying your income to your images. This excellent video tutorial features an experienced photographer discussing some of the important lessons budding professionals need to learn.
Coming to you from Scott Choucino of Tin House Studio, this great video tutorial discusses some of the crucial lessons new professional photographers need to learn. One I think it especially important is understanding what "good enough" is. When you are not making money from your photography, you have the luxury of working on your photos as long as you want. On the other hand, when running a business, time is money, and that means that obsessing over details that the client will not notice or care about is a waste. Of course, that does not mean you can play fast and loose with your work, but there is certainly a balance. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Choucino.
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The reality is that images are planned ahead and executed on photoshoot day. That's when the small improvisations and adjustments are done. If you don't plan ahead when you have 5-10 people on the set, most people would have nothing to do and the client wouldn't call back. Call back is always what you work for, that's the income.