Why is it that I’m a professional photographer today, instead of a computer programmer, doctor, accountant or any one of a number of other professions? This question regularly pops up on photography forums and in magazine interviews with photographers and the answers often make interesting reading. However, until now, I had never really considered the question in any great detail in relation to myself.

While out walking this morning, I was thinking about this subject in some detail and thought it might make for an interesting article. What I wasn’t prepared for was how a memory from the past would surface and just how emotional I would feel in relating the tale…

Some of the answers I’ve seen to the question of “Why did you become a professional photographer” include:

• “I have a deep passion for photography…”
• “I love working with people…”
• “Seeing and capturing the image is exciting…”
• “I’m driven to be an artist…”
• “Photography allows me to express my inner me…”
• “I’m a failed computer programmer…”

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Personal Zen professional photographer

Pricing… you can’t be a professional photographer for very long without becoming embroiled in the subject of how to price your work (well, you could, I suppose, but you would never make any money). Then there is the question of, not only what prices to charge, but also how to make your clients aware of your price list without them either running away or thinking you are trying to pressure-sell them.

Price Lists! Get ‘em Here!

In the time that I’ve been working as a professional photographer, I’ve personally tried different methods of communicating my prices to clients and potential clients, with varying degrees of success. These include the usual suspects…

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Photography Business Ideas pricing, professional photographer, selling

LinkedIn for the photography business owner is essential, especially in today’s economic climate. When times are tough, it pays off for the professional photographer to explore creative, low-cost marketing solutions. One such strategy is using the professional social networking site to build your prospect database, turn cold calls into warm leads, and establish yourself as a photography expert.

Just create a professional profile, send invitations to people you know to connect, request introductions to prospects your friends or colleagues know, and you’re off! And the best part is that you don’t have to spend a dime!

Here’s the low-down on what you need to know about growing your photography business on LinkedIn…

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Sales & Marketing LinkedIn, marketing, professional photographer, search engine optimization

Continuing on with my review of this DVD from Nikon School, I’m going to take a look at the second part of the DVD, which shows specific examples in the field and the different ways of using the Nikon CLS to produce great results.

Section 2 – In The Field:

This section of the DVD is hosted by Bob Krist and Joe McNally and is divided into the following 5 sections:

• The Boston Ballet School – Lighting Dancers
• Indoors At The Inn – Lighting a Bride
• Outdoor Opportunities – Lighting a Bride
• Historic Gloucester – A Fisherman, a Boat and a Dozen Speedlights
• Review of Images – Bob & Joe

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General CD/DVD, education, lighting, review

When Nikon sent me their usual marketing email message with news of their new DVD from the Nikon School – “A Hands-on Guide To Creative Lighting”, I thought to myself, “At last! Some real material to help get the most out of my SB-800 flash units.” I checked out the promo video online and was suitably impressed, so I ordered the DVD and also a companion book to go along with it.

The DVD can be previewed and ordered here. The blurb on the back of the DVD reads as follows:

Subject matter and light are the heart of every photograph and discerning attention to both separates exceptional from everyday pictures. Learning how to make light work for you with the power and versatility of the Nikon Creative Lighting System, featuring the SB-900, SB-800, SB-600 and SB-R200 Speedlights, delivers the ability to turn an ordinary subject into something special or elevate a striking subject to a stunning work of art.

It goes on to say:

Bob [Krist] will lead you on a tour of lighting fundamentals and techniques in the studio, joined later by Joe [McNally] in the field. Watch and learn as the amazing potential of Nikon’s Creative Lighting System is unleashed in a variety of real-world scenarios – from the Boston Ballet School, to the charm of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Does the DVD live up to its promises and deliver what it says? After viewing the DVD, I thought I would post a review to give my thoughts on it and whether I felt it was worth the investment.

General:

The DVD came in a nicely packaged DVD box, with an insert about the different Creative Lighting System (CLS) speedlights – SB-900, SB-800, SB-600 & SB-R200. The insert describes how to set each one to use advanced wireless flash, both as master and remote units. It also describes the commander modes found on the D700, D300, D200, D90 & D80 digital SLRs. On the back is a nice glossary of terms related to flash lighting and the CLS.

The DVD runs for 2 hrs 34 min and is divided into two main segments:

• Lighting Basics
• In The Field

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General CD/DVD, education, lighting, review

After struggling along for several years trying to grow a home-based photography studio, I realized that I needed to grow more as a person, as well as learn new technical skills and business knowledge. That meant learning how to use my time to the best advantage.

It’s a Crazy World!

You know how it goes, you have a business to run, a house to keep, family to take care of, pets to feed, cleaning, gardening, decorating, fixing, cooking, washing… the list goes on and on! Running a business from home does have its advantages – I can roll out of bed and be in the office in two minutes without having to start the car – but it also has its downsides. Distractions come from all directions and it can be especially hard to work when the kids are home from school.

So, what do we do when it comes to our own personal and professional development? Sometimes it seems impossible! How can we possibly work that into our crowded schedule?

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Personal Zen success, time management

Should professional photographers offer a written guarantee of their work? Does an unsatisfied client deserve to receive a full refund if we can’t make them thrilled with our photography or if something drastic goes wrong?

Consider this hypothetical scenario for a moment: You walk into a car showroom and the sales manager greets you, and offers to show you around. After some time, you express interest in one of the cars, and explain that you would like to purchase one similar to it. The sales manager smiles and explains that every car they build is unique to the client and that it will be ready in about 6-8 weeks after you pay the final balance. After some thought, you hand them your money, and then ask:

“What kind of guarantee do I get that I will like it?”

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Photography Business Ideas guarantee, professional photographer

I have read, with great interest, the recent Internet articles regarding “How to make money from photography.” I have also read many excellent pieces of advice given by members of the industry that I have learned to respect and apply during my professional photography career.

The often cited 20% talent and 80% marketing formula for a successful photography business causes me some concern. As a 30+ year professional in the photographic industry, I would dispute these 20/80 percentages, although the accuracy of these numbers is not the reason for this article.

Any “talent versus marketing” percentages assume one basic premise that seems to be very much understated or overlooked in these discussions. Like any venture in life, to be successful, any photographer must first gain a mastery of his/her craft. This is much different from the “talent” referred to in the 20/80 marketing formula.

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Sales & Marketing marketing, professional photographer

Does your web site have a sitemap? Search engine crawlers are just like travelers in a foreign land – they do a lot better when they have a map to see where they’re going. However, the sitemap is one of the most often overlooked components of a web site. It certainly isn’t particularly attractive or fun to read, but it sure helps Google and the other search engines find their way about – leading to a better picture in the search index of your web site.

If you have a Word Press blog like this one, there are various plugins you can use to generate a sitemap of your blog for you. I use two:

• Dagon Design Sitemap Generator – to produce a user-readable sitemap
• Google XML Sitemaps – to produce a search engine friendly sitemap file in XML format

Otherwise, producing your own sitemap is fairly easy but requires some skill with XML documents. There’s a lot of information about how to write a sitemap at www.sitemaps.org and also on the Google Sitemaps page.

You can see the sitemap for the Zenologue Blog here to get an idea of what a sitemap looks like in action.

Although a sitemap doesn’t necessarily mean an increased search engine ranking, if you haven’t already done so, I strongly suggest providing a sitemap on your site that will help both visitors and the search engines. You can register the sitemap with Google and the other major search engines, enabling them to crawl and index your site more effectively and quickly.

Photography Website SEO search engine optimization

Take a closer look at the question above and see if you can spot one of selling’s most amazing secrets. I hear this question a lot from my prospects during my sales presentations when they are unsure of the investment needed for a portrait of wedding collection. One of the biggest keys to earning a great living from your photography is locked up inside that little question. Until recently, I might have missed it myself, but when you know it’s there, you really can’t miss it!

Did you find it yet? If you did, then you should be congratulated on your perception. If not, here’s the answer: It’s actually two questions all rolled up into one. Even the people who ask me the question are usually unaware that they’re in fact asking about two distinctly different things. The two questions contained inside are:

• What is the price?
• What is the cost?

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Sales & Marketing pricing, professional photographer, selling

A common frustration amongst professional photographers is the subject of image CDs and DVDs. Oftentimes, during a sales presentation, the prospective client might say something like, “I love your work, and would like to hire you, but do I get a CD of the photographs?” If you’re a struggling photographer, someone new to the business or just want to book this particular client, the temptation is to reply with, “Sure – if you book me, I’ll throw in a CD of the images for you.”

Big mistake… don’t do it! Giving away a CD or DVD of your work is a really bad idea!

But, I hear you say, “Everyone else does – my competition are including CDs in all their packages, and most my prospective clients are asking for them!” I understand where the frustration part comes in; I’ve been there myself many times.

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Sales & Marketing CD/DVD, professional photographer

One of the questions I see asked more and more these days is, “How do I start out as a professional photographer? I have a new camera, love taking photographs and would like to get paid to do it.”

I love to see people being enthusiastic about photography – one of the reasons I became a professional photographer myself is my love of capturing the moment and my enthusiasm for the business. But, before taking the bull by the horns and jumping right in to becoming a professional photographer, it’s important to be aware of what you’re stepping into and the right way to go about it without getting burned…

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Photography Business Ideas education, professional photographer