!["Masterbeat_Gossip_125x125"]("http://web.masterbeat.com/linkshare/MBgossip_125x125_50k.gif")
If you were a professional photographer, working every day at a job you love, how would your life change? Would a career making beautiful images make your dreams come true?
Well, if you aren't making any money as a professional photographer, what's holding you back?
Let's take a minute to talk about our competition. When we compare ourselves to others, we tend to compare ourselves to the best photographers out there. We buy the latest photo magazines and check out the stunning, award winning photos (while secretly doubting our ability to EVER do something as beautiful as that!). Or, we go to local photo competitions and see incredible images that take our breath away. And, sadly shaking our heads, we bury our dreams - once again - and go back to our humdrum, boring existence.
We blew it!
Those images are rarely, if ever, an example of the day in and day out images of a working professional. They're usually once in a lifetime shots - and YOU are comparing your day in and day out abilities to THAT! Bad move.
Have you ever walked by the portrait studio in the local mall and watched them shooting for a little while and thought, "I could do better than that!" Guess what, you probably could.
Really, ignore the beanie with the propeller on top and take a close look at the photographer. Usually they are just high school or college kids, still living at home and working part time to pick up a few extra bucks for spending loot! There's no special training or talent there. Typically the store manager spent a couple hours showing them some easy poses and turned them loose.
When they got their job, it wasn't due to some super portfolio. Usually one of their friends worked there and got them the job - or they were in the mall one day, applying at ALL the stores and the photo place called them back first.
In other words, with no special talent or background, they stumbled into what you would think of as a dream job, but have always considered as out of your reach!
I once spent a little time talking to one of the managers of a mall baby portrait studio. (This was several years ago and I can only hope that the standards are higher now.) She'd been the store manager for 3 years. I asked her what type of camera she used and SHE DIDN'T KNOW! The camera was there when she got her job and she had never bothered to check the brand name. I asked what her favorite lighting pattern was - turns out the lights are permanently attached to the wall! She can't change them. (I guess one lighting setup fits all.)
Now, before I get a lot of hate mail from mall shooters - I'm sure some, possibly even a lot of you ARE very good shooters, know everything about photography and are conscientious at what you do. That wasn't my point. The point is, to make a good living as a professional photographer you don't have to be another Ansel Adams. You merely have to be competent at creating and shooting the basic poses that people buy. That's it. It's easy.
Then, once you learn the basic poses and lighting patterns, you need to learn a few time tested and proven marketing strategies. Ones that will have potential clients banging down your doors and clamoring for your services. To learn these, check out my website - the links are in my resources box. I believe ANYONE with an interest in photography and just a tiny bit of competency, can be making money with their camera within two weeks. By anyone, I mean YOU.
Well, if you aren't making any money as a professional photographer, what's holding you back?
Let's take a minute to talk about our competition. When we compare ourselves to others, we tend to compare ourselves to the best photographers out there. We buy the latest photo magazines and check out the stunning, award winning photos (while secretly doubting our ability to EVER do something as beautiful as that!). Or, we go to local photo competitions and see incredible images that take our breath away. And, sadly shaking our heads, we bury our dreams - once again - and go back to our humdrum, boring existence.
We blew it!
Those images are rarely, if ever, an example of the day in and day out images of a working professional. They're usually once in a lifetime shots - and YOU are comparing your day in and day out abilities to THAT! Bad move.
Have you ever walked by the portrait studio in the local mall and watched them shooting for a little while and thought, "I could do better than that!" Guess what, you probably could.
Really, ignore the beanie with the propeller on top and take a close look at the photographer. Usually they are just high school or college kids, still living at home and working part time to pick up a few extra bucks for spending loot! There's no special training or talent there. Typically the store manager spent a couple hours showing them some easy poses and turned them loose.
When they got their job, it wasn't due to some super portfolio. Usually one of their friends worked there and got them the job - or they were in the mall one day, applying at ALL the stores and the photo place called them back first.
In other words, with no special talent or background, they stumbled into what you would think of as a dream job, but have always considered as out of your reach!
I once spent a little time talking to one of the managers of a mall baby portrait studio. (This was several years ago and I can only hope that the standards are higher now.) She'd been the store manager for 3 years. I asked her what type of camera she used and SHE DIDN'T KNOW! The camera was there when she got her job and she had never bothered to check the brand name. I asked what her favorite lighting pattern was - turns out the lights are permanently attached to the wall! She can't change them. (I guess one lighting setup fits all.)
Now, before I get a lot of hate mail from mall shooters - I'm sure some, possibly even a lot of you ARE very good shooters, know everything about photography and are conscientious at what you do. That wasn't my point. The point is, to make a good living as a professional photographer you don't have to be another Ansel Adams. You merely have to be competent at creating and shooting the basic poses that people buy. That's it. It's easy.
Then, once you learn the basic poses and lighting patterns, you need to learn a few time tested and proven marketing strategies. Ones that will have potential clients banging down your doors and clamoring for your services. To learn these, check out my website - the links are in my resources box. I believe ANYONE with an interest in photography and just a tiny bit of competency, can be making money with their camera within two weeks. By anyone, I mean YOU.
About the Author:
Photo Marketing and making money with your camera is not only easy, it is something that YOU can do. It's amazingly easy to earn a full time or part time income working at freelance Photographer Jobs. to learn the secret to living the career of your dreams, just click one of the links...
0 Comments:
Post a Comment