Whether you're hiring a photographer for your wedding, getting a headshot, or even hiring a second shooter as a photographer yourself, it can be daunting. So, what are the worst red flags you ought to be wary of when hiring a photographer?
Concentration and focus are among the most crucial skills to master as a freelancer and photographer. Being productive in your workspace is the key to gaining an edge over others when it comes to the basics. In this article, I have collected 11 of my best hacks for maintaining daily productivity.
In the digital age of photography, the imaging process has almost become effortless. Professional photographers can struggle to stand out in the crowded market. Although creating outstanding images is crucial to succeed in this craft of photography, photographers should take into consideration the final step of delivering those printed images.
If you’re like me, then writing a blog for your website is probably the last thing on your mind. But content creation doesn't have to be a chore. In fact, it can be downright simple.
In a career where our job is literally to be creative, sometimes the one thing you don’t get to be is… creative.
In the world of photography post-production, one name has consistently stood out as a beacon of support, innovation, and commitment to photographers' needs: Aftershoot.
Running a photography business is not as easy as you would like to think it is. A very common misconception starting in this industry would be thinking that you will be successful if you are good at taking photographs. While it was probably true decades ago, the steep competition and the change of industry landscape these days pushes the difficulty to the next level. In this article, we will be discussing an ongoing issue about client ghosting that has become increasingly common and continues to bug the industry as a whole.
Photography is a very popular business to get into, but a very difficult one in which to make a stable, successful living. Why is that? What does it take to be a successful professional? This insightful video essay features a seasoned pro discussing what it takes to find success in 2023.
This article delves into my personal experience of spending £1,000 on a secondhand lens, which turned out to be faulty. This cautionary tale will open your eyes to the perils that come with the world of preowned or gray-market camera equipment.
Every now and then, I hear words of wisdom worth sharing. Here are the most recent.
Perhaps one of the more challenging aspects of running a professional photography business is that you have to deal with all clients yourself, including those who might be looking to take advantage of you. It pays to be aware of some of the red flags these clients will frequently show before you get involved with them in order to save yourself a lot of headaches down the road. This great video essay features an experienced commercial photographer discussing some of the most common things to watch out for.
As I began my interview with Fabian Wagner DOP, he sits there, totally relaxed and easygoing. Describing himself as just an ordinary guy, it quickly becomes clear that my conversation was going to be a very relaxed affair, without pretenses, and totally open to all questions I threw at him.
Photography is as much a business as it is an art. Amid the myriad choices that shape a photographer's journey, one pivotal decision looms large: pricing. For those straddling photography alongside another profession, striking the right pricing balance can be both an art and a science. Navigating my dual professional roles, I discovered that pricing isn't merely a reflection of an image's worth; it's a strategic tool, ensuring equilibrium between passion, profession, and personal moments.
Sometimes, when you want to win the big game, you have to be willing to call your own number.
There are no hard and fast set of rules for how to price your photography, which can make it difficult to know how to set your prices in order to make a decent profit without driving away too many potential clients. If you are new to the business of photography, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you some fantastic advice on pricing your work.
The more I see AI churn out headshots and portraits with twisted appendages and those weird, dead eyes, the less I'm sweating about artificial presences taking over the photography world. Why fight AI when you can make it work for you? So, instead of pushing it away, I've started using AI tools in my day-to-day. It's not replacing my job; it's just handling the mundane stuff.
Being asked to work for free can be a frustrating experience for photographers who have invested years of hard work and dedication to master their craft. In a time where equipment and running costs are so high, it has never been so important to politely decline requests to work for free.
Nowadays, your website is one of the most important parts of your photo business, and as such, it is well worth putting a lot of time and effort into making yours as good as possible. If you would like to make sure yours is as good as possible, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced wedding photographer discussing a common mistake creatives make with their websites and how to ensure yours rises above the rest.
Success in photography is a fairly vague metric. Some measure it by the number of followers on Instagram, others by ratings on photography forums, and some people by the gear you use. However, none of these three things mean success. In fact, a photographer who shoots on the latest gear, gets 5-star ratings on forums, and has a million followers is not necessarily successful. Here is what an actually successful photographer is.
Whether you are a wedding, newborn, or boudoir photographer, delivering the final product to your clients is a true pleasure. The look on their faces when they see your beautiful work makes the job so much more satisfying. But how can we elevate the client experience even further?
Pop quiz, hotshot. What is the best investment you can make in your photography today?
I have the best part of a decade of professional photography under my belt, with some very hard years and some good years during that time. I have learned a lot about the craft, the industry, and most of all, about running a small business. The majority of the lessons that had the most significant impact on my career were not around techniques, post-production, or even equipment; they were about running a business.
There are many ways to sell prints online. In the last article of this series, we already looked at one of them that was free and easy to set up. But it might not be the right way to sell prints professionally. If branding and customer relations are important to you, a customized online store might be a better solution. In this article, I share how to set one up.
I've been hearing about Patreon for a while, and I'm officially curious. Join me on my experiment to see if Patreon is actually a viable income source for photographers.
We have entered a time as photographers where we are seeing monumental changes in the industry. There are more tools than ever before to streamline our workflows, push the bounds of creativity, and increase our visibility as creatives.
It is one thing to work on your technique and creative voice, but making money with your work is an entirely separate skill. If you are working on developing your photography income, check out this great video tutorial that shares five actionable steps for making money as a beginner photographer.
Being a successful professional photographer is about a lot more than simply being good with a camera. One of the things you need to be good at (and something a lot of people are uncomfortable doing) is selling yourself and your work, which requires a good dose of self-confidence or the ability to fake it, at least. Done wrong, though, and this can lead to pushing away clients. This insightful video essay features an experienced commercial photographer discussing the delicate balance and why it is so important.
When you are a hobbyist, you can enjoy buying gear however you want so long as you can afford it, but when you are a professional, you have to really change your philosophy to camera, lens, and lighting purchases. This excellent video tutorial features an experienced commercial photographer discussing his approach to buying gear and how he fulfills his needs without breaking the bank.
Once your photos improve after practicing photography for a while, they will likely also attract a larger audience. And at some point, you might be asked if your photos are for sale. It is how I got into selling my images as prints more than ten years ago. In this article, I share an easy way to get started.
Pricing can be an extremely tricky things for photographers to master, and even small mistakes can add up to big losses over time. This fantastic video tutorial features an experienced commercial photographer discussing a common and easy-to-make mistake, how to recognize it, and how to fix it.
Photographing a friend's wedding sounds like a blast. Is it really worth it, though? Make sure to consider these things before making a decision.
In the competitive world of photography, closing a high percentage of your sales meetings is crucial for success. However, many photographers make common mistakes that hinder their chances of sealing the deal. To help you improve your sales approach and increase your conversion rate, here are five key rules to follow. By implementing these strategies, you'll be equipped to establish strong connections with clients, effectively communicate value, and ultimately close every sale.
Being good with a camera and having great creative ideas is, of course, crucial to finding success as a professional, but it is not enough. Knowing how to attract clients and convince them to book with you is a crucial skill. If that is something you have trouble with, check out this fantastic video tutorial that offers three actionable tips for increasing your bookings.
When talking about improvement in photography, we often hear a lot of nonsense answers, such as upgrading equipment, hiring more staff, trying to find a niche, and so on. This isn't bad advice, and I give it as well. The thing is, it is so generic and so common that it has lost its meaning. Here are some real tips on how to become a better photographer.
When was the last time you fulfilled a print order? When I think of print sales, I envision awkwardly contrived meetings where proofs have been held hostage and finally revealed as leverage, using the client's emotions to maximize profits. I know in-person sales is an effective strategy, and photographers bankroll this method frequently. However, for the majority of photographers who don't want to take that approach, providing an online client photo gallery and a few simple suggestions can help you maximize your profits without the pressure of in-person-sales tactics.
There are infinite ways of upgrading gear as a photographer. Moreover, camera companies market their next product as the next best thing in the industry. All this results in a lot of confusion, speculation, and simple ambiguity. If we could, we would all upgrade everything at once, but money is a limited resource that we need to allocate with a high degree of efficiency.
In a world full of a little bit of crazy one thing remains constant – our unwavering love for our furry companions. Dogs hold a special place in our hearts, becoming cherished members of our families. They warm our hearts from being mischievous mutts to regal pedigrees, our four-legged friends bring joy, companionship, and a whole lot of slobbery kisses.
If you've been running your photography business for any amount of time, you have quickly discovered that being successful requires you to spend an inordinate amount of time doing things that have nothing to do with a camera. Things you probably loathe. Suddenly, you find yourself needing to acquire skills in accounting, web development, project management, copywriting, contract writing, and countless other fields. A newcomer has entered the CRM space: Bloom IO, and they are on a mission to alleviate many of these burdens, allowing you to focus on what you truly enjoy.
When you become a professional photographers, you can take one of two general paths: a specialist with a focused approach to a single genre and/or style, or a jack of all trades who can competently tackle a wide variety of jobs, if not quite at the level of a specialist in each area. So, which is right for you? This helpful video essay features an experienced commercial photographer discussing the pros and cons of both approaches to help you decide.
Few things are more crucial to a photography business than the website, as it is the place where most potential clients will go to see your work, to decide if you are the right fit for their wants and needs, and to initiate contact with you. As such, your website deserves careful attention. This excellent video tutorial features an experienced commercial photographer sharing some common website mistakes and how to fix them.
Becoming a successful professional photographer takes a lot more than being good with a camera; you need to have a lot of business sense and a keen understanding of how a career as a creative differs from that of a traditional 9-to-5 job. That latter point often trips up aspiring professionals. This excellent video tutorial features an experienced commercial photographer sharing one such mindset mistake and what you can do to avoid falling prey to it.
Nikon keeps up its rapid pace of updates for its flagship Z 9 camera today with the release of firmware version 4.00.
In this rapidly evolving world of photography, it's essential to take a step back and scrutinize how well we're reflecting our business in its current state, including growth in our personal photos, websites, and social media profiles. In the previous article, we discussed five actionable strategies to address commonly overlooked areas, from updating personal images to refreshing website content, and from leveraging social media to nourishing creativity through personal projects and continuous learning.
Stepping into the world of professional photography isn't just about mastering the art of creating stunning images. It's about becoming a dynamic, evolving brand in an industry that never stands still. As photographers, we are visual storytellers, but often, we become so engrossed in narrating other people's stories that we overlook our own.
