You've worked on your technique, your artistic vision is strong. It seems like the natural next step is to become a professional photographer. However, the path isn't all that clear or obvious, and there's a lot you should consider before you make the leap.
We’ve all had the question thrust upon us, but it’s worth it to hear what other people are charging.
“What kind of camera should I get?” is probably one of the questions I get asked the most often. So, I’ve become pretty quick at coming up with recommendations, and I figured it might be nice to share how I come up with them.
Today, I conclude my two part essay about a difficult two months of negotiation over a commercial photography shoot that may not have ultimately come to fruition, but taught very valuable lessons along the way.
The way you structure and display your rates to potential clients could be negatively affecting your earning potential and losing you work. Use these tried and trusted psychological "tricks" to help you get hired and earn more money.
There's so much we photographers can learn from watching what others in our industry do, whether we watch a tutorial or start an online photography course. But have you thought about improving your business by looking beyond photography industry?
If a client has ever laughed at your quote, you know it’s hurtful and embarrassing. But there are ways to respond so that you can keep the client and get a price that’s good for you.
After a lengthy and involved negotiation for a large commercial project came to an unfortunate conclusion, I wanted to share some of the lessons I learned that may help you in your future business.
Are you struggling to find work? Are you ready to bring your business to the next level? Are you confident in your artistic ability but lack clients? Well, I may have the answers you're looking for.
If you're failing to get hired as a photographer, then maybe your first impression and initial communication could be the things that are letting you down.
Professional photography is a business, and like any business there are patterns and traits that exist when looking at what works and what doesn’t work. Here are a few traits every successful photography business shares that you can incorporate into your business.
A photographer's online portfolio is paramount in this day and age, but you already know that. However, we are at a juncture in which the caliber of a photographer's website can be the difference between being hired and being overlooked. Here are five essential tips for ensuring your website gives you the best possible chance of being hired.
Take a look at this Lightroom CC fueled, wedding day sneak peak for iPad-equipped photographers.
We live in the social media era and it is the preferred the marketing channel. Why should we talk about blogs? Here are some thoughts on giving more emphasis on your blog than the social networks.
What if I said there was something more useful for our photographic careers than any social network we've ever been on? With the ability to reach many more people than all your followers on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter combined; no restrictive algorithms, no paying to boost posts, no adverts. Do you want in?
It's certainly not easy to make money in photography, and if you're trying your best to do so and still not succeeding, it can be very frustrating. This helpful video examines some reasons you might be struggling and what you can do to correct them.
Is your pricing holding you back from your goals? In the second part of this series on wedding photography pricing, we will explain how to create packages that compliment your goals and how to add value to your photography.
It seems like a matter of when, not if, Canon and Nikon will enter the high-end, full-frame mirrorless market. But will any system they release accommodate legacy lenses?
When the general public picture photographers, they tend to envision a creative individual who goes out and snaps away at anything and everything that inspires them; architecture, nature, sports, or whatever assignment they've been put on. It's likely that they never think of the hours we spend marketing, writing proposals, editing, doing book-keeping, etc.
Pricing your work is tricky. Whether you're a commercial photographer, portrait shooter, or selling prints of your artwork, your career depends on your ability to price yourself well. Does your rate sheet have any of these mistakes?
For those of us trying to expand our social media presence, Instagram has been the king for quite some time. So what happens when you put a little money into promoting yourself on Instagram? I tried it and here are the results.
My studio has become a second home, and I invest a lot of time and money into it. Recently, I have been restocking a few essentials I can’t live without while trying to make my shooting more efficient.
An “internal document” from Fujifilm has claimed that Canon and Nikon will lose 50 percent of their market share within three years, while Fujifilm’s market share will climb during the same period.
Deciding to become a professional photographer is an exciting and scary thing: you're following something you're deeply passionate about and turning it into a career, but with that comes a lot of unknowns. This helpful video will give you a general outline from picking up a camera to getting paid.
Many of us love creating photos or video but have a lot of trouble turning that passion into profit. It can be scary to think about what happens when you turn what you love into your job; will you still love doing it or will it just become a job? What if we lived in a world where we create exactly what we want and not sacrifice what we love while still making money?
One of the biggest questions photographers have when starting their business is if they’re pricing themselves correctly. Even seasoned professionals sometimes question whether their pricing is correct. Here are a few tips to ensure you’re pricing realistically and accurately for your services.
As you begin to get bigger and bigger jobs, it will soon be increasingly obvious that much of your success will be derived from the team members you choose to surround yourself with. No matter how good you may be, having an equally if not more qualified team surrounding you can make the difference between an average photograph and a great one.
As professional photographers, there's no doubt in our minds that making photography into a career should be considered "a real job." However, the path you take to become a professional may make or break your career choice.
Very often it’s not the actual skill as a photographer that’s lacking, but rather the ability to ask and help someone solve a problem they have. In this video, Chris Do of Futur shares how you might be able to change your approach and thinking.
If you're trying to build a profitable business, you've probably heard people say you need to build an email list and do email marketing. But is that really so? And what kind of time and resources does it take to actually create an email list? Let’s go through it all and see why I don’t think email marketing is really worth it.
