Photography Business

If you are thinking of taking a full-time photography position, you should read this first. 

Selling your images online can be seriously complicated. You can try to submit images to some of the larger stock image marketplaces, but getting approved is tough. Even if you do get some of your images through, the marketplaces will take up to 85% of your royalties away from you.

When you're shooting for a client with specific needs, it's important that you're able to deliver what they require. This great video explores how a photographer planned, then adapted to get the shot.

Everywhere I look, professional photographers are calling for people to put their portfolios on an extreme diet. Well, I'm here to defend my curvier portfolio and why this decision is entirely intentional.

It’s ironic, really. Instagram is the world’s largest social photo platform, yet photographers are constantly subjected to their photos being posted and re-grammed without a credit or tag in sight. Here’s why.

We live in a time when photography becomes more and more commonplace but appreciation of the commercial value of photography is uncommon. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that copyright lawsuits from photographers are increasing.

You find priceless photography or filmmaking knowledge in online material. You start digesting it, but together with the precious free information, the author mentions a product or a service, which they obviously try to sell you. Do you feel you have been tricked?

I’ve always subscribed to the practice of “paying it forward” however you can, and this article is my way of doing so for the intrepid photographers out there fixin’ to fashion a career in this space.

Photography is a challenging career. So, what pulls us through when it all gets so overwhelming?

There's been a bit of uproar lately around a company that claims it can produce advertising photos that would normally cost thousands of dollars for as low as $19. This great video rails against the temptation for up and coming photographers to take those gigs.

According to BCN, Sony´s Mirrorless supremacy has been somehow attacked by Canon and Nikon in Japan. The sales figures show us that the EOS R system has 22.1 percent of the market, two months after its worldwide release. Nikon got 10.4 percent with the Z series. 

When you own a photography company, there are multiple ways to make money. Unfortunately, most things that make money require quite a bit of work. Thankfully, this is one of the ways you can make money without doing too much work.

Yes, photographers can and do have bad days. Following your favorite photographers on Instagram, it might seem that all the photographers in the world are cruising along while you alone battle horrible days. And guess what, bad days are more common than you might think. So, it is important that we as a community learn and help each other survive bad days. I’ve created an action plan for myself that has helped me overcome difficult days and I hope this will help you as well.

When you're getting into genres of photography that require working with models, navigating the landscape of who to hire, when to pay, and more can be a bit confusing. This great video will tell you exactly when you should pay for a model, when you should offer a trade, and where to find them.

Experiencing bouts of anxiety when working fast paced events like a wedding is quite commonplace, clearly there is a lot riding on you the photographer. Truthfully a lot of that stress, we tend to create for ourselves. Let me explain how with thoughtful preparation ahead of time, I minimize to an extent those periods of uneasiness.

Making the jump from amateur to professional photographer can be both an exciting and scary thing, and it’s important to know how to do everything correctly. Make sure you do all these things before you open for business.

Running a photography business can be a lonely job. When you take the plunge into running a small business full-time, you quickly realize how solitary the work can be. Here’s why it’s so important to meet and build relationships with other photographers.

When you're starting a photo or video business, one of the toughest things to learn is how to price your services and products. This great video gives a simple, easy-to-follow principle that makes it a very straightforward process.

There is a lot of debate within the photo community on the importance of a social media presence. As social media has increasingly evolved as an essential in daily life, it’s time for photographers to stop fighting against the current. No matter your niche, there is value in participating in an online presence. Instagram is a particularly important tool for photographers to generate leads.

Using your personal interests and hobbies can be a great way to create a stock photography niche that is both creatively and financially rewarding. 

Yes, you read that correctly. But before I’m berated in the comments section, let me explain how this has worked for me.

Running a business always entails risk, and photography businesses are no exception. Let's explore the various financial challenges we face and ways we can protect ourselves and our livelihood.

Whether you are a professional or an amateur, you will eventually be asked to work on a project in an area of the industry you are not so familiar with. Assuming you are technically savvy, would you accept the challenge?

Starting your own photo or video business can seem like an alluring thing: you set your own hours, you do what you love, etc. However, it's not all sunshine and rainbows, and this great video takes a very realistic look at what a typical day is like and what you can expect.

Throughout the course of my creative career, I’ve overdrawn my bank account a lot, shed tears over stress, and stared in the mirror for hours in dejection. I’ve made my share of professional and personal mistakes and certainly learned the hard way from all of those choices. I’ve lost, I’ve won, I’ve sacrificed, and I’m blessed to have earned.

Ten years ago, I attended my first PhotoPlus Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. No other event each year brings as much opportunity to learn, check out new gear, speak with other photographers, editors, manufacturers, meeting folks outside of the matrix of social media. Here's a brief round-up of the 2018 PhotoPlus Expo from a different take than simply the latest gear.

Hiring a professional makeup artist for your studio can be a daunting task, but one that can be rewarding when it comes to client satisfaction. In the second half of this two-part interview, we will delve a little more into what we, as photographers, should be looking for when we set out to hire a makeup artist for our own studios.

If you’re anything like me, you spend half your time fighting for new business and the other half fighting your urge to spend the money you make from new business on gear. So, for a bit of fun, today I thought I’d share my own personal, self-directed pep talk whenever I feel the urge to splurge.

It doesn't matter what industry you work in, there are very few clients that won't try to squeeze you on your price. Here's how to spot the signs and the psychological strategy you can employ to make sure you get the amount you deserve each and every time.

A word of warning from one photography mom to the rest of the photography moms out there: you don't have to be a business person just because you have a camera.

You've spent the time learning your craft, you've built a portfolio, and you've invested in your business, but the clients still aren't rolling in. Here's why how you craft your portfolio can hold you back.

As professional artists, at some point in our careers we will feel as if we reach a plateau in our work and are not growing. In this article learn the ways you can continue to grow and reach your greatest potential and work past that creative rut. 

“Exposure doesn’t pay the bills.” As photographers, we’ve all heard this saying, and we’ve all probably even said this at least once. It’s frustrating to be expected to work for free at all as a creative professional. You and your work need to be taken seriously.

When I first started in the photography industry, I was fortunate enough to have a couple of mentors that guided me. Due to their mentorship, I was able to avoid some mistakes early on to help give me somewhat of a head start. Even still, I've had my fair share of "facepalm" moments, and some of the points discussed in this video feel uncomfortably familiar. 

Wedding slow season is inevitable. Feelings of discouragement can fill the mind of even the most talented photographer during slow season, so here are a few ways to fill that downtime and make this year’s the most productive yet.

What does it mean to be a landscape photographer in 2018? Gain some perspective from five experienced professionals in this new video from Adorama.

Put your camera down. Over there. Immediately. You don't need it if you want to earn more money as a photographer. 

Sometimes, I like to tell brief stories about my adventures in life and photography that have little to do with the technical aspects of creating an image and more to do with making sense of an often hectic profession.

There's quite a bit more to becoming a successful photographer than simply learning to use a camera proficiently. This great video talks about some more useful steps you can take to give yourself a better chance of being successful.

Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer are all companies that make creatives shudder as they lament the race to the bottom of the pricing market. But, when some photographers find that they've bitten off more than they can chew, are sites like Fiverr a realistic option to get some help with editing?

Becoming a successful photographer can be a daunting thing, both because of the ever-evolving market and because of the lack of a definite, singular way to go about it. This helpful video talks about some important steps you can take to increase your chances of success.

In a genre composed of so many different disciplines, there are a couple truths that cross all boundaries.

We’re in the depths of a format war, and I’m a little uneasy picking the winner so early.

Attempts to network with fellow photographers often fall short. Many of us act as professional “gatekeepers," defensively sharing little or no information.

There's a lot of advice out there about the techniques and gear a professional photographer should be aware of and use, and while those are certainly good things to know, there's another aspect that often gets overlooked, even by seasoned photographers.

Women represent only 8 percent of writers, 10 percent of directors, 2 percent of cinematographers, 24 percent of producers, and 14 percent of editors, according to Women and Hollywood. Peer-to-peer camera gear rental platform KitSplit is looking to change that by announcing a partnership with current KitSplit members who volunteer their time to mentor women in film.

I don’t think there’s a more polarizing social media platform than Instagram. From photographers who sing its praises to those who loathe the day it was invented, there’s no denying that Instagram evokes strong feelings.

Creating a custom email signature is easy if all you want is plain text. It’s worth it to create your own HTML signature to stand out with something fresh. And it’s not nearly as scary as it sounds.

Photographers can be greedy when it comes to knowledge, hoarding techniques, shoot locations, and general valuable information on our craft. While we photographers need to be competitive, we also need to share our knowledge.

The stores are already stocking holiday decor with faux trees and the leaves have barely fallen. The holiday season sneaks up on business owners quickly with an influx of calls for sessions. Is your business ready and do you know how to weed out the fake calls or emails?