Education/Careers
Presenting Your Portfolio for Review
Portfolio reviews may be used as a showcase to prospective clients, and as appraisals that offer photographers an invaluable mechanism to receive feedback on their work. They can also form a critical step for photographers who are looking to monetise their work through art or digital enterprises. One of the first steps a photographer needs to acknowledge however, is whether they are ready to showcase their work for evaluation – be it by peers, partners or clients. After all, it is in our nature to create a lasting impression from our first encounters, so you want to be sure your work is a representation of your true abilities. At the same time, you also need to be prepared to discuss your work and create a strong bond with the other person. It goes without saying that you should put in the necessary preparation. But what exactly does this… | Read the full article
Why are my Photography Leads not Converting into Clients?
Despite our best efforts, sometimes we’re left scratching our heads pondering why our leads didn’t convert into clients. While this isn’t an issue restricted to the photography industry, the sheer volume of competition out there exacerbates this problem, particularly for new photographers who are yet to fill their books with clients. With this in mind, we consider three of the common reasons that photography leads don’t convert into clients. Too Many Options Ever been in a situation where you’re presented with so many options, you have difficulty making a decision? You haven’t? Well, perhaps surprisingly then, it’s worth knowing that too many options can confuse or overwhelm prospective clients. Contrary to what you might think, trying to cater for too many possibilities can be detrimental. This is most evident when clients are relying on you for your expert judgement. Consider simplifying your core offerings and pricing structure based on… | Read the full article
The Magnetism of Film
Despite being down and out for the best part of more than a decade, film photography and its ardent supporters refuse to roll over and let the format become a footnote in the chapters of history. In fact, we’ve seen a resurgence from the format in recent times, despite the fact film accounts for only a fraction of the market it once occupied. Even some of the industry’s heavyweights have moved to back film again, with the likes of Kodak announcing a return for film to its line-up. Whereas once upon a time film was born out of necessity rather than choice, an emerging trend has been for younger photographers, who never had exposure to the format, to experiment with it and the associated manual processes as a way to adjust their style and spark their creativity. Therefore, with effectively a new target audience, film is finding a foothold… | Read the full article
Balancing Photography with Your Personal Life
We previously touched on the difficulties some photographers face when their passion for photography becomes a monotonous grind leading to potential burnout. One of the facets we noted concerned not overthinking things, and occupying your mind with other interests, pursuits, hobbies and those around us who we care about. When it comes to managing one’s personal life, how can one strike the right balance with their photography career? Administrative Block-outs With our constant connection to technology via smartphones, we’re often tempted to feel as though we need to monitor and reply to every email that comes our way as soon as it is received. This might seem like a logical approach, but it’s not necessarily the most efficient – particularly when you are in the middle of something else and trying to manage multiple tasks at the one time. What’s more, it can also creep into your personal life… | Read the full article
Common Mistakes Beginner Photographers Make
We’ve all been there before when starting a career in photography, making more mistakes than we thought were even possible. Some beginners however, purchase their camera and automatically assume that it will be easy work from there on in. They soon find out though, that the industry isn’t quite as forgiving. What’s more, many of these mistakes repeat themselves such that they become common within the industry. We take a look at the common mistakes beginner photographers make. Overemphasising the Importance of Gear Beginners often place their blame on the gear they are using. First thing off the bat, new photographers should dismiss this line of thought, as there’s simply little merit associated with it. A photographer’s time is better spent focusing on how they can convey their message through the equipment available to them. Something which is achievable with even the most basic of equipment. Relying on… | Read the full article
4 Tips to Help You Grow Your Photography Business
It’s not always easy for photographers to maintain the momentum behind the growth of their business. On the one hand, while focusing on the technical aspect of one’s career is an obvious necessity, the same emphasis isn’t always paid to the underlying business. Here are four ways to help you grow your photography business. Manage Your Time Carefully It might seem like the right thing to do by taking on as many clients as you can, but there is another side of the story to consider. When you fill your schedule with shoot after shoot, particularly those that might not align with your particular vision, you are diverting your attention away from your core clients. As such, you may not able to reach as many of them as possible. Time which you would otherwise spend shooting a non-core client, could instead be used to tighten up or improve… | Read the full article
Taking Risks with Your Photography
There’s a mantra held by some that in life taking risks results in great rewards. There’s certainly many examples out there to consider, without even including those risks defined as detrimental to one’s health and safety which are NEVER worth attempting. The subtle nuance lies with calculated risks – risks which have been carefully assessed to establish the likely outcome. Rather than taking death-defying risks to land the perfect shot, calculated risks are what can help photographers improve their business. Allow Yourself to Feel Anxious or Uncomfortable When it comes to complacency, we can sometimes be our own worst enemy. As we’ve detailed previously, a feeling of self-doubt or anxiety allows a photographer to analyse their own work in a new light. This feeling also encapsulates insecurity, which prompts us to ask ourselves – what is our rationale for a particular shoot or project? What does it actually mean… | Read the full article
Avoiding Burnout as a Photographer
Despite our best intentions, few who have practiced photography all their lives can lay claim to have never felt burnt out. Even those who are involved in ‘lucrative’ careers, or industries that might appear volatile and fast paced can get caught up by that flat feeling or uncertainty about what it is they’re doing with their lives. While photographers are often thought of as creative, free-thinking people, exposure to other hobbies, businesses and areas of knowledge can open one’s mind to alternative pursuits. And as is human nature, we tend to think the grass is always greener on the other side. However, the reality is that photography can be tremendously exciting, but every now and then it’s wise to follow some general practices to avoid photographer burnout. Don’t overthink it It’s easy for many photographers to become obsessed with the need to constantly shoot. Known as ‘FOMO’, or… | Read the full article
Submitting Your Wedding Photos for Publishing
One of the difficulties that wedding photographers face is the challenge of having their work published online or in a magazine publication. With so many photographers vying for the limited space available, it’s easy to see how vital this coverage can be. Not only will it showcase your creativity and talent, but it will serve as some of the most effective marketing available – because it is directly targeted to your core audience. Noting these benefits, we offer these tips to wedding photographers looking to have their work published. While we anticipate they will improve your chances, at the end of the day the detail and quality of your photos, as well as the story your work is able to convey, will both be defining factors. Make sure all Parties are on the Same Page One of the first things you want to get right is to ensure that… | Read the full article
Alternative Ways to Attract New Photography Clients
As one might expect, with the benefits associated in having a diverse base of clientele, photographers are often competing to attract new clients. While we are accustom to personal websites and online advertising being the norm within the industry, there are still other ways to attract new leads and convert them into clients. What’s more, none of these particular methods rely upon a ‘hard sell’, yet can be just as effective. Networking The photography industry is by no means restricted to operating independently. In fact, networking and collaboration is just one vital way that a photographer can grow their book of clients. For instance, wedding photographers could build rapport with makeup artists, who might then be able to advocate for you with another of their own clients. Similarly, fashion photographers might be well poised to maintain close ties with the designers and/or models they work with, particularly considering… | Read the full article
