Stop wishing for better times. Stop hoping. Stop thinking that the gods are going to bless you with an incredible year and newfound wealth and success. It doesn’t work that way. It’s about busting your ass day in and day out. Put your time in and plan for success. Success is not an accident. It’s the result of hard work and some serious planning.
Welcome to 2017. For some of you, it may feel like the photography world is closing in on you, and closing in fast. But as we start the new year, if you have ever felt that you are like a fish out of water in this wild and crazy industry, there are ways to stay away from that feeling the world is collapsing.
It’s suddenly the new year, which means trade show season is about to kick off. Most of you will make it to at least one convention or conference between now and the end of April. Sadly, many of you will also waste time and money from the minute you walk into the convention hall to the time you get home.
This time of year has represented an incredible struggle for me for as long as I can remember. The days are shorter, the temperature is colder, motivation is often nonexistent and hibernation mode is on full power.
The quality of images you provide your clients is paramount to your long-term success in the industry. Throughout all stages of my career, I have strived to perfect my craft by attending workshops, seminars and trade shows.
I remember my first boudoir client. I had previously photographed her wedding, and she wanted to do a shoot for her husband as an anniversary gift. My studio was awkwardly laid out, and it had almost no natural window light, but I did my best to create beautiful images.
Love them or not, most pageants stand for a good purpose. They are intended to instill self-confidence, beauty, assertiveness. There are thousands of pageants held annually all over the world.
Destination weddings can be confusing and mysterious for photographers. When I started photographing weddings, I thought it would be amazing to travel the world to document our clients’ incredible wedding day.
The dream of every new photographer is to have so many jobs that you have to worry about archiving and backing up your images. In the beginning, I was shooting only one or two sessions a week, so it wasn’t even a thought.
Let’s take a quiz. Which company do you think you’re more likely to do business with—one that throws up a lot of expensive billboards to remind you it exists, or one you’re connected to directly, whose exclusive offers you receive in your personal inbox?
