The opinion of the majority is not something one can usually ignore, so 700 million people surely can’t be wrong, can they? So far, I’ve had a mostly great experience with Facebook, finding it to be an indispensable weapon in my marketing arsenal.

However, I’ve noticed a few troubling “features” lately that I find increasingly difficult to ignore.

This is an intentionally short post today, but I wonder if the points contained herein are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to “hidden” Facebook features that people would wish just went away.

Here are three things that have actually bugged me personally over the last week…

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General facebook, facebook annoyances, social media marketing

The professional photography business, although certainly not unique in this aspect, has changed drastically in recent years. There seems to be mass hysteria in the industry as photographers everywhere complain that it’s “no longer easy” to earn a living or be successful as a professional.

The truth, in actual fact, is that it’s never been easy… why should it be so now? Many photographers have either forgotten, or (more likely) never knew in the first place, just how hard the photography business was before digital came along.

Those relatively new to the business might be forgiven for thinking that the “good old days” were exactly that. However, they may not realize that the film photographers enjoyed some amazing “advantages” that we just don’t have to deal with any more…

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General business innovation, photography business, positive attitude

Through my work as a business coach for photographers, I’ve learned that many of you enjoy creating fine art photography, yet are finding it very difficult to break into the market and develop consistent sales of your work.

In the vast majority of cases, poor sales can not be attributed to substandard work, since the quality of the art that I’ve seen has been nothing short of amazing, and I think it’s a terrible shame that so many of you are struggling when you so obviously have great artistic and technical skills.

So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to discover one photographic artist who actually is enjoying success with her fine art photography. Karen and I first met through the Photography Business & Marketing group on LinkedIn, and I was even more excited when she agreed to an interview with me, to pass on some of her “secrets” and tips on how to market and sell fine art photography!

Introducing Karen Stiles – Fine Art Photographer

Karen chose to follow her dream as a professional fine art and travel photographer, and has studied at San Diego City College since 2007, focusing on the digital arts, nature and landscapes, portraiture, black & white techniques, lighting and the business of photography.

She began her professional career as a sports action photographer for youth soccer, baseball and football. Other projects soon followed, including weddings, lifestyle portraits, fine art landscapes, architecture and journalistic/documentary projects.

Karen has won several awards at national photography competitions since her first entries into the contest environment in 2007. This recognition and consistent sale of her work has inspired her to move forward with her endeavor as an artist.

Karen is the sole-proprietor of Stiles Photography, established in San Diego, California, in January 2009. You can see more of her work at http://www.stilesphoto.com, where you can also find her contact information if you have any specific questions for her that were not covered during the interview.

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Photography Business Interviews fine art photography, karen stiles, photographer interview, photography marketing and selling

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of hosting my first open group coaching session, which was a really fun and new experience for me. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I plan to host more of these calls in the future.

Some of the great topics covered on this call include:

• Ideas for making fine-art print sales & marketing fine-art photography
• Advice on starting out in the senior portrait market
• How to get more models into the studio
• General sales and marketing

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Photography Business Teleseminars business coaching, photography business

I love writing this blog… That, and helping other professional photographers discover a real sense of peace of mind in their business, has truly become my “magnificent obsession” in life. To that end, I aim to bring a variety of perspectives to the table, something which can be difficult when I am the sole author.

A Model Program For Success

So, today, I’m going to take more of a back seat, and present to you one of the great “secrets” of the industry, a hidden gem by the name of Frank Donnino, from Boynton Beach, Florida, and his amazing model program.

I spent a wonderful sixty minutes talking to Frank on the telephone about his photography, how he came to be where he is, and how he painstakingly developed a system for bringing in a steady flow of clients, cash and profit into his studio.

The system that he’s developed over the last several years, and which is in use by a number of other photographers (including myself) is loosely described as the “modeling program“. The thing that makes the program so exciting is that it can be easily implemented by anyone, anywhere. It really doesn’t matter whether you have a retail studio, operate from home, are a seasoned professional or just starting out – you can make this work.

Basically (and you can get a much better idea of this from listening to the interview) the model program fulfills two very simple needs:

• Moms want to give their children a taste of modeling, risk-free
• Photographers need child models to try out new techniques and build their portfolios

Like all great ideas, it’s that simple! The model program satisfies both of these needs perfectly, and is designed to be efficient, fast, and as enjoyable as possible for the children, moms and photographers alike.

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Photography Business Interviews Frank Donnino, modeling program, photographer interview, photography business, photography success

Have you ever stopped to take a look at your photography business from the point of view of your prospects and clients? If you did, you might be shocked and surprised at what you learn. You could gain some valuable insights into why you aren’t as successful as you would like…

You might even discover that you’re slowly committing business suicide with some of the things you’re doing, and learn how those things are sending odd, and sometimes conflicting, messages out to your target market.

Lets’ pretend for a little while that I’m a prospect looking to hire a photographer for an important family portrait… how far down the line will I get before the photographer trips up and commits business suicide?

One thing I can pretty much guarantee is that the majority of professional photographers are falling into at least one or more of nine the deadly traps listed below… are you?

1. Poor Search Engine Optimization
2. Confusing Web Design
3. Too Much Pricing Information Online
4. Undeveloped Telephone Sales Skills
5. Not Giving A Stellar First Impression
6. Attitude And Approach Needs Some Work
7. Poor Choice Of Sales Techniques
8. Lack Of Good Communication
9. Client Relationship Mismanagement

Let’s take a look at some of these “suicide traps” in more detail. We’ve all fallen into most of them at some point in our photography career, so it’s worth revisiting these to make sure we don’t stumble into them again in the future!

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Photography Business Ideas client relationship, photography business, photography sales

Today is Independence Day here in the United States and, although I feel a little strange celebrating it (I am British after all!), I can certainly understand the great significance of the day, and can enjoy the food and fireworks along with everyone else.

This got me thinking about the basic concept of independence, and what it means for those of us in business for ourselves. If anything, running a business is one of the greatest embodiments of “independence“, and I know that many people wish for the day when they can give up their “day job” to become an independent business owner.

The Ups (And Downs) Of Business Independence Can Be Yours

The feeling of independence one gets from running a successful business is not something that can easily be quantified. Being your own boss, not having to suffer the plague of office politics, creating your own schedule, working from home, and being the captain of your own ship are all wonderful compensations for taking the plunge into the world of running your own photography studio (whether from home or from a brick and mortar retail space).

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Photography Business Ideas business coaching, photography business, photography coach

I’m going to start this post off with a question that I would like you to really think about for a few moments: “How serious are you about being in business as a professional photographer?“

Please take some time to consider your answer to that question, as it will have a great bearing on what happens (and has been happening) to you and your business.

Disclaimer: Some of what follows may be disturbing or make you feel uncomfortable – this is entirely intentional. In fact, if you’re currently stuck in business, and this doesn’t make you feel at least a little uncomfortable, then perhaps you’re in the wrong business.

Too Much Wasted Talent Is A Tragedy!

I’m seeing and talking to so many photographers in the industry who are stuck, for one reason or another, at some point in their business, many of whom are highly talented individuals with amazing work. Despite their obvious talent and passion, they are unable to make the breakthrough they need to overcome the obstacles currently blocking their path. Frankly, it’s a tragedy that these people are facing such hardship when their work is of such a high standard…

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Photography Business Coaching business coaching, photography success, self-investment