Recent Business Articles

Which U.S States Pay Photographers the Best Salaries?

If you want to earn the most money from your photography, where should you live? Forbes.com has compiled a ranking of American States which pay photographers the best salaries. If you live in Massachusetts, stay put; if you live in Iowa, you might want to pack your bags.

The Photography Sales Process: Five Easy Steps

Maybe you've had a prospective client — someone you've never heard of — ring you up to discuss your photography services... and had your brain freeze, making the conversation awkward. Even if you've been landing photography gigs for years, the excitement of an unexpected phone call can throw you off course.

How Giving Away Your Photos for Free Can Land You $50,000 Jobs

All photographers can agree that you won't stay in business long if you do not charge for your work. But what if I told you that the best way to gain exposure to high-paying commercial clients was to give away your images for free? Today, we sit down with commercial and composite photographer Josh Rossi and explore the concept of free.

On Being Profitable as a Photographer

It’s the height of tax season, and an odd thing just happened to me. I was at my accountant’s office filing my business taxes for 2018 last week, and she said to me, “Wow. I have a lot of photographers as clients, but most of them aren’t making a living. What are you doing differently?”

Lets Talk Seriously About Photographers Putting Up Their Prices

When was the last time you put up the amount you charge for your photography? If the answer is never then you're not alone. Many of us struggle to ask for more money and even those who try are not always successful. The problem is that if you never increase your prices you'll be out of business before you know it. Here's how and when to start charging more.

A Good Photo Assistant Can Be Worth Their Weight in Gold

In a world where everyone wants to be a star photographer, there isn't nearly enough discussion about the benefits of a good photo assistant. Here are a few tips for those interested in assisting a professional photographer and a few things for photographers who may be seeking an assistant to consider.

Will Insta360 Overtake GoPro?

Insta360 recently announced that they’ve raised a further $30 million in funding, and that they’ve been profitable since 2017. That’s more than can be said for GoPro.

Running a Business for Pleasure, Not Profit

Modern business exists for one primary purpose: to maximize profit. In this article, I’ll explain why, for the past six years, I’ve run my business in the opposite spirit, often knowingly leaving money on the table.

Seven Ways to Save $83,900 as a Photographer

We all know how expensive being a photographer can be and while there are some no-go areas for cutting costs, there are still several huge savings to be had if you look in the right places and change a few habits.

Ten Items Photographers Should Never Buy Cheaply

Who doesn't love a photography related bargain? The problem is that some of those cheaper deals could cause you some serious headaches further down the line. Here are ten items which you should always avoid buying on the cheap.

New to Commercial Photography? You Should Try Up-Selling.

Up-selling is part and parcel of the wedding and portrait photography business. Many photographers depend on these selling techniques to generate a decent income. But similar opportunities can be found in the commercial genre — you just need to know how to target them.

The Important Career-Building Exercise You Might Be Ignoring

You buy tutorials, you go to workshops, you read the latest article about gear, try to keep up with industry trends, run social media ads, and do everything else you can think of to create a strong career. But you might not be doing the one thing that could benefit your career the most: in-person networking.

The Simple and Effective Way to Get Repeat Work From Clients

There's something exhilarating about getting a new client. I love the buzz of working with a new creative direction, team, and objective. But new clients are expensive, and repeat clients are where businesses thrive.

Top 10 Business and Development Books for Photographers

With more photographers competing for work than ever before, you need to stay ahead of the pack in any way possible. One area many people in creative professions neglect to improve is business, and you needn't be part of that stereotype.

Are You Truly 'All In'?

When you feel as if you're working hard and growth is stagnating, it might be worth asking yourself whether you're truly giving it your all, or just going through the motions.

Are Videographers (and Photographers) Making Less Than Fast Food Workers?

When making the change from hobbyist to professional, many of us don’t dig deeper into the costs of running our new venture like a profitable business. A few hours going through some numbers and doing the math can yield some surprising, and many times eye-opening, realities. The saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know,” makes a resounding thud in the pit of our stomachs when we realize that our time and talent is being wasted simply by not doing basic Business 101.

Five Quick and Helpful Tips to Start Your Wedding Photography Business

If you're ready to take the big leap and start your wedding photography business, there are a lot of things you need to make sure you cover before you book your first client. This quick and helpful video will give you five helpful tips to make sure you start your wedding photography business off right.

Another Wedding Ruined by Bad Photography

It's a story we photographers read about all too often. A Tulsa, Oklahoma woman has issued a warning for brides-to-be: make sure to vet your photographers before hiring.

How to Write Regularly for Your Own Blog

The benefits of having your own blog are myriad, and for all intents and purposes, there is an unlimited amount of information on why. However, the main obstacle isn't "why," but "how".

Three Tools That Help Me Stay Focused on Photography

While I use many different tools throughout the course of a day, there are a few that I have found to be indispensable to my business. Oddly, they don’t have a whole lot to do with photography. Yet, having them in my life allows me to be more productive and stay focused on what matters most to me: photography.

The Instagram 'Tricks' You Should and Shouldn't Be Doing

If you're struggling to get the likes, followers, and comments you'd hope for on Instagram then there may be a few things you're doing wrong on the social network. There are definitely a few tricks that can help you grow but also a few things you should avoid at all costs.

Stop Lowering Your Prices and Start Increasing Value

Pricing was the area of professional photography I struggled with the most in the early years. However, it was far too recently that I realized I had a fundamental error in my approach to pricing and value.

The Only Question You Need to Ask to Sell More Prints

Selling prints is a tricky business with seemingly infinite reasons for someone to decide they don't want to purchase your image. But one simple question can dramatically increase your odds of convincing a potential customer to pull the trigger on investing in your art.

Image Licensing: A Case for the Unpopular Route

There are two basic models for licensing photography. One is suggested by most professional photography societies and organizations while the other is decried as an unfair and unsustainable model by the same groups. For the past six years I’ve licensed my images using the unpopular model. In this article, I’ll explain why.

When Is It Time to Open Your Own Studio?

Do you find yourself renting a studio and wondering if perhaps it's time to make the leap and invest in your own space? It's time to check out Nathan Elson's latest YouTube video.

Photographers and the Danger of Comparison

When talking with photographers about the photography industry, our conversation often turns to social media and the inevitable feeling of how comparison to others affects our work. Comparison is a problem in the industry. Here are a few ways to combat it.

When Dreams Come True in Photography

Today I’d like to share how a chance encounter provided perspective on both success and the value of patience.

Three Things to Help You Achieve Your Dreams in 2019

Have you ever set out to achieve a dream or goal of yours and found yourself not accomplishing what you set out to do? In this quick article, see three things I do to make sure I'm staying on track to achieving my goals.

What's the Best Email Marketing Platform for 2019?

Even though we spend more and more time on social media and other networking platforms, email is still by far the best and most useful way to grow your business and get your work out there. So what platforms are you using in 2019?

Providing Pre-Shoot Tips to Your Engagement Couples: Part Two

‘Tis the season for wedding bookings! With that in mind, here is part two of an overview of my engagement shoot prep booklet. I provided this information to my couples when I was regularly shooting weddings. I hope that you find this helpful.