Education/Careers
A Cautionary Tale on Work Released into the Public Domain
Earlier this year, the photography industry looked set for one of the most high profile legal cases in recent times. Getty Images found themselves the subject of a $1bn claim, with photographer Carol Highsmith accusing the company of copyright infringement by licensing and selling her publically available work without permission. Furthermore, the media company also demanded the photographer pay to use the photos which she had in fact created. Sounds like a pretty clear-cut case, right? Another example of big companies pushing their weight around? The case was indeed clear-cut – but not as you might see it. You see, in this instance, notwithstanding the fact that Getty had no legal right to claim copyright ownership or exclusive licensing, the company did not infringe on any rights by selling the photographers work. And this is exactly how the courts saw the matter when they sided with Getty. Now, let me… | Read the full article
What Role Can Self-Portraits Play to Help You Improve Your Photography Skills
In every professional photographers’ career, they reach a point where they decide to focus their skills on a particular category within the industry. This could range from wedding photography, to baby photography, portraits, or one of many other prominent categories. What’s often overlooked is the benefit that experience within other categories can bring to your chosen field through the insights and techniques that can be gleaned. Perhaps eve n less recognised, self-portraits are one such area that can help a photographer hone their photography skills, particularly with respect to categories that deal with clients. One of the greatest facets that photographers can draw from self-portraits is the difficulty that accompanies their creation. After all, one has to have the foresight to predict what their specific appearance will be at the moment the photo is taken, yet alone gauge the necessary requirements for lighting, focus, timing and many other considerations…. | Read the full article
Why There is Merit in Working with Others
It’s easy to think of photography as an individual industry. After all, you’re likely operating as a sole trader business, while also ‘competing’ for work against others you may never even meet. But behind this façade it’s important to learn that becoming a better photographer is often leveraged through the relationships you form while working with those around you. On the one hand, you might be tempted to view other photographers as competitors. And in some instances, you’re right. However, if you’re looking to attract and sustain the right type of customer – that is, a loyal one – then you’ll learn that these clients often make their decision based on unique facets specific to a photographer. For example, their creative flair or personality. In this sense because imitation isn’t necessarily desirable as a photographer when you’re trying to build your own brand, and you don’t want to… | Read the full article
How Can Photographers Boost Their Productivity
Despite technology becoming increasingly sophisticated, it seems that we’re never quite content with the extent of our own productivity. We’re always on the lookout for a way to simplify our procedures or realise efficiencies that boost our productivity. When it comes to photography, things are no different – with a few measures that photographers can adopt, one can transform their output to have a more profound impact on their business. Never underestimate the importance of planning Create a series of schedules that cater for the short-term ‘here and now’, as well as longer term plans. For instance, have a checklist that covers the daily tasks that you need to complete, while also setting about weekly or monthly goals (perhaps such things as the number of new leads, or an increased engagement in social media). For many, visual checklists or lists are easier to manage. Short term planning should allocate… | Read the full article
What if Your Client Wants a Reshoot
For what seems like an eternity, professional photographers have had to contend with others telling them how to approach their own work. And with camera phones now widespread, there is no shortage of ‘armchair’ experts who believe they are ‘qualified’ to take photos. Sometimes, this includes clients. What should you do when a client tells you that they don’t like your photos and want a reshoot? As we’ve detailed in the past, a good relationship between a photographer and client centres on the principle of managing expectations. Where you’ve set your policies in place, there is less room for ambiguity when it comes to unwarranted claims and criticisms. But even with a contract, a client can still find reason to remain unhappy with the work you’ve done – leading to the request for a reshoot. In these circumstances, it’s important to understand what is behind the request. That… | Read the full article
Dealing With Clients’ Budgets
Pricing is among the more challenging components when establishing and running your own photography business. After all, in a competitive industry that is so heavily driven by cost savvy customers as well as the reputation of your peers, many photographers feel that their pricing is what stands between them and a more prominent pipeline of work. However, when clients stipulate a particular budget for work they are requesting, what considerations should one be affording such factors? First of all, using your clients’ budgets as means to price your work can deliver some benefits. Among new and emerging photographers in particular, who are looking to attract customers and build their marketing via word of mouth, budget-focussed pricing can be beneficial. Similarly, this approach is also flexible enough to allow more experienced photographers to continually increase their customer base by taking on work that they otherwise might not normally do. Furthermore,… | Read the full article
What Emphasis Should New Photographers Place on Their Photography Equipment
We often hear from a lot of new or emerging photographers about some of the barriers they face in turning their passion into a sustainable livelihood. At times, this might be because their prospective client is looking for someone with a broader portfolio of work. In other instances, word of mouth marketing or the sheer level of competition might go against the photographer. And then there is the other argument – that they don’t have the best photography equipment to compete against the best. While the first few of these arguments might hold some merit, the fact of the matter is, the last argument doesn’t keep its head above water. For starters, every other photographer before you, and who has since gone on to make a living out of the profession would have likely contended with equipment that was (technically) limited when they started – compared with their established… | Read the full article
Does Giving Away Photos Devalue the Work of Photographers?
Through our Facebook page, we recently brought you the story of one professional photographer who has turned towards giving away the majority of his photos for free. If you haven’t caught the story, and are as surprised as we were when first hearing about it, then it can be summarised as follows. The Swiss photographer started his career working on the design side of things, often utilising the photos of others to develop his own work for clients. Sensing he hadn’t given back ‘his share’ of content towards a community which effectively helped him further his own career, he took interest in the concept of a community photo sharing website. Defying his own expectations, the photographer’s portfolio soon took on an unprecedented following, with the likes of Apple even using one of his photos. Numerous other users provided links to his website and in the process, supported the generation of new… | Read the full article
Online Advertising for Photographers – What are Your Options?
When it comes to generating new business, the digital realm has afforded professional photographers new exposure and publicity through a means of advertising that was previously not available. However, with an assortment of options on offer, how can photographers gauge whether they are getting the best return on their marketing expenditure? In an effort to help make your next marketing decision easier, we’ll now look into the main online advertising options. Yellow Pages The iconic yellow-covered phone book has transformed itself in recent years to include an online directory and mobile app platform. Photographers can place advertisements, which are listed via the company’s online directory, voice directories, mapping sites, and all the major search engines. Advertisers may evaluate their ROI as measured by leads, listing appearances, listing interactions, and call tracking. While one complimentary listing is available per customer per address, managed services start from $18/month (without any images,… | Read the full article
How Should one Manage Their Clients Expectations?
To become a successful photographer, it goes without saying that your success will depend upon your ability to satisfy your clients. Not only does a happy customer translate into an increased likelihood of their return business in the future, but it also generates word-of-mouth marketing that is vital for a photographer to increase their customer base. Often however, customers’ satisfaction levels can be influenced by factors beyond the technical skills you possess as a photographer. In some instances, it is the expectations of clients that will determine whether they’re pleased with the final results. With this in mind, photographers need to be well prepared to manage their clients’ expectations. There are various strategies one can adopt when dealing with clients, however, the first and most vital step is to realise that every client has different expectations from the next, meaning a ‘one size fits all’ approach won’t always… | Read the full article
