The Internet is loaded with articles on new gear or popular techniques. Everywhere you look, you will find some new unboxing video or review piece. Everyone promising that they will make you the photographer you have always wanted to be. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy looking at fancy new equipment as much as the next guy -- and I have written a few of those articles myself -- but do all the toys and tricks help my career in the long run?

Life as we know it has suddenly changed, and most of our businesses have ground to a near stop. Many of us were left scrambling to figure out how to keep some sort of work coming in. But when you primarily photograph people, yet your state has issued stay-at-home orders, you really have to explore ways to carry on.

Here are four great tips to give you an advantage with your shoots, whether for a job or as a hobby.

All too often in our business, we are thrust into a job in which we either have no time for or cannot afford lighting tests. I find that these gigs force me to fall back on my old tricks and techniques. This can lead to the dangerous place of shooting stuff that all looks the same. Sure, you can try out new ideas on personal projects, but sometimes, the job calls for stuff that you don’t own or cannot afford to get. Usually, when planning a shoot, I have great theories and fantastic ideas on how to pull off a look. However, the idea of winging it in front...

When the general public picture photographers, they tend to envision a creative individual who goes out and snaps away at anything and everything that inspires them; architecture, nature, sports, or whatever assignment they've been put on. It's likely that they never think of the hours we spend marketing, writing proposals, editing, doing book-keeping, etc.

Try searching your own name. Now, what do you see? Most importantly, what do your clients see?

Lot of announcements coming to us from CES this week, and in addition to the news surrounding a D4s, Nikon let loose a new 35mm f/1.8G ED lens and the D3300 DSLR. The 35mm f/1.8G should be exciting for all Nikon users that are fans of prime lenses, and the D3300 sports a 24.2 Mp DX-Format CMOS Sensor 11-Point Multi-CAM 1000 AF Sensor.

There are a lot of photography myths regarding pricing and money. In this, I will cover big myths and expand on them in the video.

Hard times ahead? It's likely and while no one knows for sure, it's inevitable that the current quarantines will affect everyone's business in the coming months. How will you change your marketing methods? Here's something that worked for me and I want to share it with you.

Freelancers, we're no different than anyone else suffering because of the pandemic and associated economic setbacks. Maybe that's not correct, because we've probably become more resilient to uncertainty just by our job description alone. Lucky for us, some brands are paying attention and doing what they can do soften the hit. This is how I received three months free from Adobe Creative Cloud.

Do you charge for your photography? For the photographers who want to use their passion as a revenue opportunity, you will have to figure out what works best for you.

Running a photography business can often feel like a solitary journey, and if you're not careful, it can take a toll on your career.

If you want a warm film look for your photographs or videos, you might want to consider one of the easiest ways to come closer to a film look. That is halation, or a light bloom, and I'm going to show you how it's done through a diffusion filter.

Last week someone asked what I did to have a strong photography career and be able to photograph some of the most legendary people? For the end of the year, I thought it was great to list some of my favorites habits which I am hopeful will also help you. Watch the video to see me break down some of my favorites.

You'll make countless mistakes as a professional photographer. This is how we grow as artists and entrepreneurs, and I encourage experimenting with your marketing and photography. I'm certain someone will object, but show the person without mistakes, and I'll show you a person who has accomplished very little.

There are three questions that I ask each new potential client, and those answers will determine the entire creative direction of the project.

Location scouting is a job you do, whether you know it or not. In this video, I discuss the four methods that I often use for finding the perfect photoshoot location.

You'll often hear people talking about your photography style, but what does that mean? Does it matter in how you book jobs or how much you can charge? How does one even find their photography style, and why is it important?

Have you ever looked at a scene and thought it was just a bit too sharp, almost harsh? It can be overwhelming, right? But, at the same time, you don't want to make your shots blurry in an attempt to soften things up. Well, that's where diffusion filters come in.

Photography studios can be very profitable if you create them the right way. Photography studios can earn you $100K in medium markets and up to $200K+ in some of the larger markets. In addition to photographers renting the studio, there are other alternative methods to booking your studio day and night. There are workshops, yoga classes, private dinners, and even YouTubers needing a space regularly.

I'm fairly certain this one might light up the comments: If you don't act on your photography business goals, you're selfish.

When I picked up the camera a little over a decade ago, I decided that I'd cut out magazine photographs and make a journal of images that had closeups of the eyes. It was the only access that I had to see the reflection that showed me a little moment behind the scenes of the photoshoot. It's the "lighting hack" that I tell everyone about, because it is the first clue to what type of lighting modifiers were used to achieve an image.

During the course of my 28-year photo career I’ve learned a lot from simply watching great movies, but watching great movies alone isn’t enough. You have to practice once you’ve been exposed to new information. We all love watching movies, and today I’d like to share an exercise you can do after watching a classic movie to become a better photographer.

In my 10th-grade drama class, my teacher would usually hand me a detention slip for "toilet humor" for breaking her rules with my drama productions. I was immature and found humor in pushing her buttons.

There will always be paid advertisement, and you can explore that. Do not forget about the possibility of free advertisement from people in your lives. Your friends and family are there to help. Getting a recommendation from your close circle serves as a powerful tool for the new photographer.

Last week I wrote about the importance of the test shoot for the budding photographer, and even the established photographer. It's a way of proving your talents and style, something new clients are always looking for.

This video is for the photographer who wants to give up. Have you ever felt like throwing in the towel when things seem to spiral downward? If you have, you're not alone and I created a video that I hope will inspire you to continue.

Recessions are rough on nearly everyone, especially the businesses without a store front because we miss out on the community drives to save a business from going under. That's OK, we'll survive and here are 6 of my favorite tips to help you have a bigger punch during the pandemic.

Photographers are making some terrible mistakes with their TikTok and Instagram Reels content.

The landscape of all businesses looks different, and store after store keeps closing because of online businesses. The type of business we see consistently is the dining establishment, and their need for content is immense.

Let's go on a location scout for my music video. The needs for photographers and directors can be similar, and how you approach the location scouting can really help you have a smooth production.

With drones being so accessible and easy to use, everybody is taking aerial shots these days. But there's nothing like crawling into a tiny Cessna and exploring the skies from a plane for yourself! Here’re 10 tips on how you can do just that.

For the bulk of my career, I’ve operated on single-light photography for my projects while many others relied on multiple heads. This video is for the photographer eager to start and they think it requires a stockpile of gear. It’s to remind them they can operate on a lot less and start sooner if you have a clear direction with your concept.

You're going to book more photography clients in 2023 because we're going to uncomplicate things. People are people, and photo clients are the same, whether it's an ad agency, a new mom, a bride-to-be, or the CEO of a startup.

I operate a channel that helps photographers on YouTube and Instagram, and both audiences are predominantly male. I've worked on sets for over a dozen years, where there is the expectation that men are the directors or photographers and women handle the glam. Is that a problem? Yes, it's a big problem, and here's why.

As photographers, we are aware that, in general, people are not naturally comfortable being photographed. In this article, I want to show you a fundamental technique that I use to achieve energetic, real, and authentic couple portraits.

You don't need many photography lights or a big crew to accomplish a professional campaign, but it helps. The big crew and system is a major asset, especially if you have the assistance of lights to help you shape an image.

I am a photographer but I often forget to shoot. Isn't that a ridiculous thing to say? I must admit, it's my reality more often than I'd like to admit.

Yes, the video says it's for posing women, but it works for everyone. It's for posing, it's for comfort levels, and it will help you run a more successful set. Here are three of my tips for helping models have a more successful photoshoot.

You are going to learn how to book more photo clients now! It’s easier when you ask the right questions. This blog will guide you through the first client meeting. It's the most important meeting where they decide who to hire and for what budget.

You can watch endless videos about lens reviews and Instagram for photographers on YouTube. Very few channels offer business advice that moves the needle for photographers.

You’ll get many opportunities to photograph someone for free or to offer you work for less. You don’t have to take all of them or even any of them. As a successful photographer, you’ll need to learn to say "no" more often than "yes" and how your career development depends on saying "no" to the wrong people. This blog post will guide you through the different scenarios and how to protect yourself.

Photographers who want to dabble with video and have some apprehension will learn from this post. While video and photography are not identical, they have great overlap in concepts and it's likely that you know more than you think.

If you want a successful career as a photographer, you have to dismiss one toxic term that damaged our industry: "starving artist." It has caused more damage and more self-doubt to artists across the globe than probably anything else.

One could easily say that nothing is what it seems because our minds create a subjective representation of the world around us. With memories, this representation may be even more complex. As scientists explain, encoding a memory in the brain is a biological event that begins with a sensory experience. Every memory we have captures emotions, and colors are one of those aspects that evoke and illustrate what we feel.

Starting a photography studio can be an exciting and fulfilling endeavor, but it can also be challenging to make it profitable. Here are a few tips to help you create a successful and profitable photography studio.