Photographers can sometimes be a secretive, closed-off bunch, unwilling or even afraid to share information with each other. Is that the right way to approach things, or should we reconsider our relationships? This great video essay discusses photographer culture and how we can make things better.
Coming to you from The Monochrome Memoirs, this excellent video essay discusses photography culture and the idea of helping each other more. We often lament how the lowered barrier of entry has flooded the market with photographers who undercut traditional prices, and there is absolutely truth to that. On the other hand, I think the video makes a good point: there are a lot of opportunities out there, and among those will be a fair portion who want to pay the premium for a truly dedicated, talented, and experienced professional. If we recognize up and coming photographers who can better our collective by becoming another one of those dedicated professionals, it only serves to strengthen us and make photography a more respected pursuit rather than something in which customers simply for the lowest price. Sharing knowledge helps us to build stronger connections and enjoy our work more. Check out the video above for the full rundown.
Of course there is Is A Point to Keeping Photography "Secrets". May be not if you do it for leisure, but if you start specializing in a small market there is no point of revealing everything you do and have a crowd knocking at your clients doors the next day. Plus that's not how to gain clients. Wedding is a big market, and how many want to stay in that specific one after 3-5 years? Clearly this is where many people end despite not being attracted by it. Huge turn around and only so many doing it consistently for the long term. Quite often Youtube videos are not complete or skip key points that the author will rather split on a multitude of videos for the sake of his/her channel. There are bad tips too. Personally I hate seeing people spending money with hope to make it after viewing all these "great tips", and then quit because after all it looked too easy to be true.
In the days when photographers were just photographers everyone had their secrets, I learned a great trick to create sunlight in the studio that I have never shared...When I was a young assistant working in car studios in Detroit, I was told in no uncertain term that the techniques that studio A was doing were secret. If I went and told Studio B what A was doing, and A found out I "would not work in this town again". Their work and the tricks and techniques is how they landed the jobs, eventually the good tricks would be figured out by other photographers and everyone would do it. Then Studio C would come up with a new trick!
These days lot of people are photographers, consultants, workshoppers, preset-sellers, videomakers, equipment pitchers, etc.
Many are not doing photography for clients, as they are instructors and spreading information, creating content is the goal.
Their channel is the client and the people who watch are the customers.
So sharing the "secrets" is a good thing for those folks if they subscribe and smash that like button.
Well Fstoppers has always been about sharing secrets and I don't think we've hurt the industry although some photographers I'll leave unnamed have been upset with us.
Peter Hurley never wanted to share his secrets and then through FS he has shared everything he possibly knows. His career is bigger than ever, he's added an education side to his business, and now instead of being a relatively unknown master headshot photographer, many casual people now view him as THE headshot photographer. It's def been a smart move.
Mike Kelley is another guy similar to Peter. There were only a few handful of architectural photographers who were doing what Mike did (and were no doubt better and more successful than Mike) but Mike has always shared his techniques and info to the point where I really think he is the main reason MLS and Airbnb photos look like his style. The vast majority of photographers were not into real estate photography at all and now it's HUGE. By sharing his info openly, I think Mike has made a bigger name for himself and his career is massive now.
Finally, Monte Isom is another guy who has been so open with the business of commercial photography. We did a tutorial with him and he has a secret facebook group where he and Mike Kelley often share so many weird and wild licensing situations (as well as the 100s of other photographers in that group). I've worked with some very well known photographers who never want this information to be public and don't want the average photographer knowing how they often make more money AFTER the photos have been shot than the gigs themselves. Mike and Monte aren't that way and they have taught me SO much about the secrets of licensing, copyright infringement, leveraging, negotiating, making competitive bids for jobs, etc etc.
Some might say that Monte and Mike have hurt the industry because now everyone knows a day rate is $5-20k and the licensing can be 5x that price but honestly, I think the more photographers know these secrets the more the community accepts them. Do I think it's insane that a bid to HBO requires $3000 catering and a children's private tutor for $500 a day just to capture a few images? Yeah of course, it's totally bloated but I would have never known what a normal budget should look like without those guys being some open.
And there is nothing wrong with it. I’ve helped a lot of people and still do. Some, a few, I have offered to use my entire studio for free even offered to bring their own models if that’s what they want. Others I have hired and paid well on shoots so as they help, they can see and feel how it works. Some I have offered and they declined great opportunities, but I’ll admit I pick and don’t give a chance to clients book seekers. When I am at a client shoot on location, with an ad agency, or anywhere, anything I do, people can see and learn how I do things. That’s just the nature of what we do and those who are scared to work in public and show their “secrets” should not engage in photography.
Ultimately the guys you mentioned are best at educating since they know their stuff, have actually made it very well and probably still get hired on big shoots.
My issue here with this specific video is that the guy tells us that the info is available everywhere and then tells us that we don’t share enough. Why is it in photography that we are often told we don’t give enough, never enough. I like genuine people, I’ll help them anytime and I explain everything I do if asked. The others, there is no way I can help them.
To piggyback a bit off of one of Patrick Hall ’s points, it is a bit odd to me that if you’re looking for a particular bit of knowledge on composition, lighting, editing, compositing, etc., you can find it for free on YouTube or for relatively cheap via fStoppers tutorial…. But if you want info on the photography business, rates, licensing, etc., you have to dig a lot deeper online to find that info. If that info were easier to find and more readily shared among photographers, I think you would have far fewer short-term-career photographers who lowball bids and don’t even ask for license fees. I’m thankful for access to both through fStoppers and hope more new pros will stumble across the licensing articles on this website and put that knowledge to good use.