Do you want to level up your cinematography game in 2020? If you do, it has nothing to do with upgrading your camera or purchasing the newest equipment.
There are many stressful business decision to make in photography. One of the biggest is regarding payment. Should you be paid upfront, on the day, upon delivery, or should you invoice at 30,60, or 90 days?
A brief look back at just some of the many ways my own mind has played tricks on me along my journey from hobbyist to working professional.
Kodak, the film giant whom has been swirling the drain for nearly a decade, may be getting an unexpected lifeline.
I worked hard when I first started in photography to become competent both behind the camera and when interfacing with clients, but a subtle error I was making worked against me for a long time until I realized how to fix it. Here is why learning how to think more like a client can improve your work.
At some point, we all mess up a photoshoot. It is part of being a photographer. However, when money comes into play, it can really complicate things. This is how I feel we should deal with the cost of reshoots in various situations.
Having photography as your full-time job is desirable for many. But what's it really like to start one from scratch?
In this video, I talk about my rejection rate for jobs and my ethos on pricing and price matching. I also go over a real-life quote that I sent off and got rejected for and give a breakdown as to why this happened.
With a bevy of camera announcements (and rumored announcements) setting the internet on fire over the last couple of weeks, I thought it might be fun to offer a review of a different sort.
The more time that passes in which I am a professional photographer, the more I distill the various components that have a hand in success in this industry, revealing which are vital and which are posturing as important. Here is a component that I would consider one of the most important, if not the most important.
There are loads of articles and videos about how to grow your Instagram following, but that doesn't directly correlate to getting more work. In this video, I go over how I use Instagram to get booked for ad campaigns.
Getting noticed as a photographer in 2020 can seem like an impossible task with all of the millions of images being uploaded daily, but here are some proven tips that will work.
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.
The photography business can be tricky to get a hold on, and as a group we all seem to make the same mistakes over and over, hopefully this video can help you avoid them.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on the photography industry, and (at least in the United States), it is not clear when a permanent return to normalcy can be expected. Photographers need to develop contingency plans to deal with ever-changing conditions and scenarios as we move forward.
With camera companies rolling out mouth-watering specs at a breakneck pace, sometimes, it’s hard to know just when to pounce on a good deal.
The majority of a commercial photographer's income does not come from their day rate, but from their license fee and usage. Let's explore this.
Their are loads of terms that get banded about in photography, and I am sure you have all heard the terms "editorial" and "commercial photography" mentioned. But do you really know what they mean?
Creating imagery that’s “brandable” is part of many working photographer's bag of skills but still takes some know how with lighting, posing, and while creating a human connection to excel at a high level with consistent results. Let’s dive into how we can make our commercial and branding imagery simply while also growing our network and earning new clients in the process.
I'm fairly certain this one might light up the comments: If you don't act on your photography business goals, you're selfish.
We've all had lowball clients who expect the world, but can't manage to pay us the minimum amount we charge. In this video, learn how to not make that happen to you again.
For videographers, being able to keep to a budget can make or break your project or business. All too often, though, saving money means cutting corners and sacrificing quality. Want to know a way to reduce your costs and still create a well-crafted product?
In this video I look at if you need a studio to be a professional studio. From a traditional shooting studio through to a place for meetings and post production. I discuss different photographers requirements for a working space.
In striving to become a better photographer and business owner, I’m always trying to learn more about how others have found their way to success. I recently had the chance to speak with Natasha Gerschon about her journey. Gerschon was more than happy to share.
At the time this article was written, roughly 35 million Americans were unemployed. Many of the businesses where they once worked do not expect to be able to fully reopen, even after being given the green light by governmental authorities.
Being good with a camera is just one of many skills you need to successfully earn money as a photographer. This excellent video explores the skill every financially successful photographer has and why it is such a crucial thing.
With the high probability of a large recession following a worldwide lockdown, every industry in under threat. Here is how I think photography prices will change in each niche as well as how I am adapting my work.
Knowing what will have the biggest impact on your image quality is hard, as it varies so much from genre to genre. For still life and food photography, this is the order of importance I have come up with.
The shock news landed this morning that Olympus has sold their camera division to Japan Industrial Partners Inc. (JIP), and while they have confirmed to Olympus that both OM-D and Zuiko will be utilized, fears are growing that the camera division will be metaphorically melted down for parts.
While we all like numbers, sheer specs are rarely the best way to decide which photography gear will be best for you.
Ken Yu is a photo assistant and digital technician who has been on countless sets, so when states slowly started to reopen for business amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, he became concerned about how the photographers could move forward safely. When he reached out to me to have a discussion about reopening practices, I said yes, because the waters are murky and it's a discussion worth having.
In this article, you will learn seven tips and tricks, plus some bonus tips to manage a collaborative filmmaking project.
Whether it’s Uber, Turo, or Airbnb, the sharing economy has been behind some of the biggest changes in how people use their car or home. Wedio has launched a new twist on photo and video gear rentals that might just change how everyone buys and owns their next camera.
Our job would be great if it wasn't for the clients. Here are the 4 most annoying things that clients regularly ask me. I am sure most of you can relate to these.
Why do you feel it's OK to work without pay? Other occupations charge, and they charge handsomely for their expertise, but photographers are seemingly shy when it comes to money. Knowing this crowd, I'll need an obligatory qualifier: Not all photographers are shy, but a lot of them are.
In recent weeks, racial inequality has been brought to the forefront of awareness for many around the world. In light of the cultural shift that has the world talking about the Black Lives Matter movement, is it time for the photography community to change some terminology?
Photographers spend a ton of time working on their technical and creative skills both with their cameras and in their post-processing. But the most important skill you can have as a professional has nothing to do with either of those.
Production safety might not be the most exciting aspect of your photography career, but these days, like it or not, it’s one of the most important.
There's a seldom discussed threat to any business owner or self-employed person. That threat can drastically affect photographers if they aren't aware of it, and it has been seen many times over already.
If you’ve ever wondered what publishers are looking for from photographers, here are some really helpful nuggets of wisdom from the publisher of one of Australia’s most iconic magazines.
As the world is set to face the worst recession since the Great Depression, do you worry about how your photography business will be able to weather the storm?
What does being a photographer mean to you? Do the people around you see you in the same way?
Olga Tenyanin is a boudoir photographer based out of Vancouver, Washington, but she’s also been a social media manager for years, and she’s got a few tips to help photographers tame the social media monster.
We would all love to become better photographers and make more money from our work. If you want to become a better photographer, make more money, and have more subject matter to shoot, you should consider shooting around your home area more.
Self improvement, hustle, and gurus have been around for some time now. However, until recently, they hadn't fully infiltrated the photography industry, but that seems to have now changed.
There's almost an infinite amount of decisions that a photographer has to make on their journey to becoming a professional. While many of these choices may be somewhat trivial, other decisions will place you on the wrong path, cost you money, or slow your progress down dramatically.
Photography has changed as a profession. In this video, I go over how I make my money as a photographer, including a full breakdown of my income streams and what percentage of my income they comprise.
In this video, I go over how I price local and small commercial photography jobs. The video covers day rates, license fees, and how they differ from bigger jobs.
You can't do a project on a zero budget. If you actually spent a zero amount, that means you never did anything.
Making movies is expensive. It's harder than you think to go from an unlimited budget to one of just a few million dollars. Sarcasm aside, what can we learn when a giant of cinema tries to shoot a masterpiece on budget?
