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.
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.
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.
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.
It's one thing making the leap in to a photography career, but as is the case with most startups, longevity is the greatest obstacle to overcome.
When you're an amateur photographer, you have complete control over what you shoot, how you edit it, where it gets posted, etc. A lot of that changes when you go professional, though, and this insightful video talks about why it's so important that you go with the flow when that happens.
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.
There are always an abundance of lists explaining misconceptions and lies about being a professional photographer, but there are almost none telling you which rumors are true.
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.
As a professional photographer, I can quickly become disenfranchised by my working life while watching Internet photographers living the Casey Neistat life. Here are eight things I didn't expect.
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".
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.
In an industry where supply is abundant, saying "no" to work can feel both counter intuitive, and suicidal for your business. The truth is, it has quite the opposite effect.
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.
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.
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.
Are you looking for a video from a successful photographer willing to share their one secret to having a successful photography business? Then don’t watch this video. But if you want some straight and honest advice, then this video is well worth 15 minutes of your time.
Today, I’ll share a brief story about a brief moment with big consequences.
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.
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.
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.
Today I’d like to share how a chance encounter provided perspective on both success and the value of patience.
If you're not getting the followers, traffic, or clients you think you should be, then it might be your website that is part of the problem.
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.
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?
‘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.
Can outstanding customer service take your portrait photography sales to the next level? Megan DiPiero thinks that it can, and she’s here to tell you how.
Photography is a competitive field and establishing yourself is difficult even if you're not making mistakes. So analyze your business practices, with cold contact being a common problem.
Finding your specialty can be difficult for any profession, but the vague advice of needing a niche as a photographer — while important — is unhelpful in isolation.
With online photography portfolios being absolutely essential, it's paramount you ensure you have the best website possible. Here are my top five templates for photography websites.
For many photographers, photography can be a solitary pursuit. Many of us run a single person business where the majority of our time is spent by ourselves. Sure there are times when we collaborate with clients, talent, and assistants, but this isn’t the same as socializing with our photography peers. I’ve been fortunate enough to find an excellent solution for my isolation and highly recommend it to all photographers.
Photographers of all genres rely on new inquires as well as returning clients to fill their calendar for the year. Keeping up with returning clients is easily done, however getting the fresh new leads does not have to be a difficult task if your website has a few minor additions.
Three days ago we gave you a tour of the new Fstoppers studio in Puerto Rico but we didn't answer your biggest question: why in the world did we move to Puerto Rico?
Portraits are a great way to reflect professionalism. As a portrait photographer, what are the things that you can ensure to get the best for your clients? There are a few important areas that you have to pay attention to as a portrait photographer. Here is a quick article that discusses on how to arrive at the perfect professional portrait.
If you want to showcase your work on more than just social media and perhaps even start selling your images, you need to have a portfolio website. So what's the best option to get something professional, cost effective and functional up quickly?
When it comes to self-employment, the term "freelancer" is a bit of a dirty word in the creative industry. For many, the word is synonymous with low income, little appreciation, and, for some, a lack of creative freedom. It's no wonder that many creatives — especially photographers — are increasingly going down a different route.
Subscribe to business or productivity "influencers" on the web and you'll receive a variety of tips: “Nap this long,” “Consume more of these,” “Turn that device off!” But how do these techniques apply to photo editing, and can a one-size-fits-all productivity approach help us photographers use our editing time more efficiently?
We'd all like to think the number of followers we have on Instagram isn't harming our business, but it seems like it could be. Here's how to give your social presence a jump start in 2019.
Almost weekly I see an article online or a comment about how cheap photographers are undermining the industry or that they are ruining it for us.
We’ve all heard it and probably noticed it first hand: social media is destroying our happiness and is directly related to instilling FOMO, the "fear of missing out" in people. We photographers are no exception. So how do we defeat an enemy that lives within our own minds?
The last thing you want to deal with is computer crashes in the middle of editing. If you have been in the business long enough you know it will happen sooner or later. Let's face it, electronics can crash, malfunction, or worse. Having a solid backup plan for your images is important to keep your cool and carry on.
It’s easy to celebrate our successes in photography — the proud moments in-between creating and presenting a picture that we’re particularly fond of. But what about the times we fail? I think there’s a good argument for celebrating our photography failures, and here’s why.
When I first started out, I had no idea what to do and how this whole photography business is supposed to work. However, I was blessed to have a mentor who is a legend in my industry this side of the world where I come from.
In a field crowded with options, there is no better value for the money than the Fuji X-T3.
Today I want to talk about business maintenance and some of the less fun aspects of your business but important nonetheless. New Year's is a great time to go through and look at all your channels, social media, website, etc and see if there's anything that needs cleaning up or adjusting.
One of the hardest parts of becoming a professional photographer is that initial jump from amateur work to being paid to create photos. This quick and helpful video will give you some tips on how to start making money as a photographer.
We’re calling it now: 2019 will be the year of new voices. In 2018, younger generations have been the force behind social movements and social change.
More often than not, we’re our own worst enemies when it comes to landing the types of jobs we long to be hired for. Are you making it more difficult than it should be for potential clients to hire you for those photo jobs you keep waiting on?
It's probably happened to you: you're shooting away and someone, usually the venue owner, approaches you. You get that sinking feeling hearing those dreaded five words: "Can I get a copy?"
Convincing potential clients that you’re worth what you charge is a scary prospect. It means believing in yourself enough to stick to your guns. If you’ve had a hard time convincing clients to pay what you charge, here are a few ways that may help raise your success rate when asking for a sale.