5 Tips to Expand your Photography Business Skills
You want to turn pro? Great! First ask yourself why. It is not as glamorous as it may seem. Can you sustain your passion for the art of photography while shooting somebody else’s vision? Are you ready to take whatever job comes your way to make ends meet? Are you able to work with the demands of a commercial client or a wedding shoot? It can take years to find your own niche market and specialize in one photography genre that you really enjoy. Not discouraged yet? Okay, keep reading!
Think turning pro is a measure of your skills? Think again! There are many amateur photographers out there who have far better skills than pros. One thing amateurs have, and pros often lose, is the passion. Turning your hobby into a job can kill the passion pretty fast if you let it happen. I wrote an entire article about this earlier which can be summed up in a few words: Nurture the personal projects to keep the passion alive.
Ready to run a business first and be a photographer second? Hope so! Marketing yourself will suck up most of your time, especially the early years, so be ready for that.
There is nothing wrong about having a 9 to 5 job and keeping photography as your passion on your days off. Actually if you are thinking of turning pro I would definitely keep the day job for a while until you know for sure you can deal with the business side of photography and you’re able to pay the bills with it.
I make a living as a photographer and I was very lucky to be able to keep the passion for the craft alive and even see it grow with my business. It can be done, and if that’s what you want to do, go for it! You won’t know until you try!
Good business skills are also a talent. Some great photographers also have great business skills but it’s not that common. It’s the old right brain vs. left brain thing. You may have noticed some awesome photographers who couldn’t make it as pros and some not so great ones who are very successful at selling their work or services. Do not underestimate the power of good business skills!
When hiring a photographer, most people hire the whole package: Your photography talent + your business expertise + your people skills. That said, if your dream is to turn your passion into a business you don’t have to give up simply because you don’t have the business skills.
1- Get some help from qualified people. Look for a mentor in your area or online. Services such as SCORE in the States offer free business advice, workshops, events as well as templates to get you started with your business plan.
2- Maybe your partner or spouse has good people and business skills and will help you with that side of the business. It’s okay to be the artist and let someone else handle the customer service side of the business. And if you’re really good at what you do, they won’t mind dealing with someone else for the nitty gritty stuff!
3- If you have a solid portfolio, but lack the nerve or skills to sell yourself, hire an agent. An agent works on commission, marketing your work, so you can happily concentrate on your craft. It’s not easy, especially for artists, to blows their own horn. Having someone else do it for you can really make a difference! There are also online services, such as Agency Access, that cater to creative people.
4- Remember that your most important clients are your past clients. Treat them right and they’ll be your best PR people. Get written referrals from customers, add a ‘testimonials’ page to your website. Word of mouth is the best advertising!
5- If all you hate doing is billing people and dealing with accounting, that’s an easy fix. You can hire an accountant for as little time as an hour every week, or use an online billing service. Starting out and can’t afford it? Consider trading services for a while. Accountants need photographers too!
It makes good sense to delegate some of the work to people who are good at it. You will have more time to do what you are good at – and love – which is being behind the camera.
Do you have a story to share about your experience in the business aspect of photography? The dPS readers would love read about it in the comment section below.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
5 Tips to Expand your Photography Business Skills
Chasing the Light – Improving Your Photography With Available Light by Ibarionex Perello – Book review
Chasing the Light – Improving Your Photography With Available Light by Ibarionex Perello. Published by New Riders
Chasing the Light is not just a ‘how-to’ book, it’s an inspiration!
I became familiar with the author, Ibarionex Perello, while listening to hours of his podcast The Candid Frame. Thanks to him, I discovered dozens of amazing photographers, some famous and some unknown. Ibarionex is also a published photographer, as well as an instructor at BetterPhotos.com and at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
Through this book, the author takes you on an adventure of discovery. His approach is quite personal in the way that each aspect of photography covered is illustrated with an image and the story behind it. His ability to convey the unmistakable feeling photographers get when they know they captured something truly special transpires throughout the book.
Right away, after reading the first chapter titled Beginning to See, you will undoubtedly look twice at the quality of light the next time you step outside with your camera. The author describes how the light directs him where to look; and his passion for his craft is evident in the first few words.
In the following chapters the author puts on his photography instructor hat and explains the elements of exposure, the importance of the color of light, and white balance. He will then take you step by step through the five visual draws as you learn how to “build visually”. His love for portraiture and street photography is also an important element in the book. The author gives easy-to-apply tips and techniques on lighting, from direct sunlight to open shade, from window light to the use of reflectors, flash and diffusers. His point is to get the “gear out of the way”, to learn your camera functions in order to use them efficiently to capture the feeling of the moment.
Chapter 7, my favorite, is titled Light and the Small Details. With examples of close-up photography and minimalist images, the author explains how he composes his shots according to his emotional response to the scene or object.
As Ibarionex Perello puts it so well: “The true value of photography becomes the appreciation and satisfaction of being in the moment.” No matter what level you are, or whether you shoot landscape, close-ups or street photography, you will learn something in this book. Reading Chasing the Light will inspire you to get out and make pictures in your own neighborhood. I can assure you that you will see the most mundane things around you in a whole new light!
Chasing the Light – Improving Your Photography With Available Light is listed for US $44.99 and is available at a discounted price on Amazon. If you want to know more about the author, I would highly recommend listening to The Candid Frame podcast!
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.
Sony’s Latest DSLRs Take Aim at Photographers on a Budget
It’s generally true that you get what you pay for, but when it comes to DSLRs, you no longer have to pay through the nose to graduate out of point-n-shoot territory. Take Sony, for example, which has gone and released a pair of entry-level DSLR cameras, the DSLR-A290 and DSLR-A390.
Priced at $500 (A290) and $600 (A390), you’re not going to find a ton of high-end features like you would if you spent over $1,000 on a DSLR, but that doesn’t mean these are merely glorified point-n-shoots. Both cameras sport the same 14.2 megapixel CCD sensor, while the A390 adds Sony’s quick AF live view function in combination with a 2.7-inch tilting LCD. Both also share ISO sensitivity up to 3200, 9-point autofucos, sensor shake system, static-free anti-dust coating, a USB 2.0 port, and an HDMI mini-connector.
There aren’t a ton of differences between the two modes. Other than what was already mentioned, the A390 offers a slightly better viewfinder magnification and is ever-so-slightly larger and heavier.
Get a full rundown here.
Image Credit: Sony
FujiFilm Z700EXR Digital Camera Perfect for Pet Owners
FujiFilm’s Z700EXR digital camera was first announced about a month ago, but one feature that has been overlooked is its animal face recognition. Looking to give the feature its due, FujiFilm has been demonstrating the camera’s canine (and feline) facial recognition at this week’s Camera and Photo Image Show in Yokohama, Japan.
FujiFilm used stuffed toy dogs and cats to show off the camera’s capabilities, which works just like face detection for humans. It can detect up to 10 faces of dogs or cats and automatically optimize the focus, but as it turns out, recognizing the real deal is a bit harder than stuffed animals. With that in mind, FujiFilm has put together a list of cat and dog breeds that are easier to identify than others.
There are other pitfalls, primarily "dogs or cats that are constantly in motion cannot be recognized." But the technology also gets confuzzled with dark coats, large patches of fur around the eyes, or a wrinkly nose.
Still, if you’re a pet owner intent on filling up your Flickr account with pictures of Fido, the $280 FijiFilm Z700EXR might be the best game in town.
Pentax Releases ‘Affordable’ Medium Format DSLR
Pining away for a medium format DSLR camera but can’t bring yourself to drop 20 large for Mamiya’s DM40? Maybe Pentax has your number, who just introduced its 645D camera for the comparatively bargain-bin price of $9,400.
It’s the company’s first medium format DSLR, which comes with a high-performance CCD image sensor produced by Kodak. The sensor measures 44mm by 33mm and boasts 40MP shots.
Other features include a 14-bit A/D converter, lightweight body, dual SD/SDHC memory card slots, the company’s DR (Dust Removal) II mechanism, 11-point wide-frame AF sensor, 77-segment multi-pattern metering, 3.0-inch color LCD, HDR function, HDMI output, and whole host of other goodies.
Get the full scoop here.
Image Credit: Pentax
Mamiya Announces $20,000 DM40 Medium Format Camera
It takes a true passion for photography and a deep wallet to plunk down $20,000 for a digital camera, and if you have both, Mamiya will happily oblige with its newly announced DM40 medium format DSLR camera
As evidenced by the price tag ($19,990 for the digital back, or $21,990 for the camera and 80mm f/2.8 lens), the DM40 fits into Mamiya’s lineup of professional large-sensor DSLRs. What you get in return is a 40 megapixel camera capable of shooting 60 frames per minutes (yes, minute), which makes it the fastest in this class of sensor.
You’ll also find CompactFlash storage support, FireWire, 3.5-inch touchscreen, 80-800 ISO sensitivity, a user-selectable shutter system (leaf or focal plane), high-speed flash synchronization, and other odds and ends.
Image Credit: Mamiya
Pentax Reveals Optio X90 (Beauty) and Optio W90 (Beast)
If you’re familiar with commercial jingles, then you’ve heard Timex boast it can take a licking and keep on ticking. Well, Pentax just released a new digital camera that can take abusing and keep on shooting.
We’re talking about the rugged Optio W90, a 12.1 megapixel digicam Pentax claims can withstand up to 20 feet of water, is shockproof up to 4 feet, and has no trouble with sub-freezing temperatures. When you’re not abusing the W90, you can preview pics on its 2.7-inch LCD with 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, capture movies in 720p HD at 30fps, and hook it up to living room display with its HDMI output.
Pentax also announced a more traditional Optio X90. This too comes with a 12.1MP sensor, as well as a 2.7-inch LCD with an anti-reflection coating, Triple Shake Reduction technology, high speed continuous shooting up to 11fps, and a 26X megazoom, super-telephoto lens (26-676mm equivalent).
Both the W90 and X90 will be available in April for $330 and $400, respectively.
Image Credit: Pentax
Samsung’s TL350 Flirts with DSLR Capabilities
It used to be that if you wanted to run with the big dogs in photography, you needed a DSLR. And while some would argue that’s still the case, point-and-shoot cameras continue to blur the line between the two market segments. Enter Samsung’s new TL350, a 10 megapixel point-and-shoot with a few tricks up its sleeve.
Samsung’s latest entry to the point-and-shoot market comes with a 24mm ultra wide-angle Schneider Keuznach lens, five levels of optical zoom, and a 3-inch AMOLED display. Budding photographers benefit from both smart and manual controls, but that’s not all.
Video buffs will appreciate the TL350’s ability to capture 1080p HD video. And with Samsung’s Dual Capture Mode, users can shoot videos and stills at the same time.
Of course, we need to see its performance before making any kind of judgment, but as far as spec sheets go, Samsung’s off to a good start, and a decent price point. This one will carry an MSRP of $350 when it ships this Spring.
Image Credit: Samsung
Casio’s EX-10HG: 12.1MP and GPS to Boot
Casio first showed off its GPS-equipped EX-10HG digital camera during CES earlier this year, at which point it was considered a prototype that may or may not ever make it to market. No longer a prototype, Casio again had its upcoming digicam on display, this time at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show.
According to Casio, the EX-10HG will be available starting in October of this year and carry a price tag of "around $400." In exchange for 4 C-notes, buyers get a 12.1MP camera capable of geotagging photos, but that’s not all. The built-in GPS also serves as a full-fledged navigation system powered by Google Maps.
There’s not a whole lot of other details to go on, but based on what Casio said earlier this year, there’s a good chance the final version will ship with a touchscreen LCD and SD card slot.
photographybay.com
Sony’s Cyber-shot TX5 can Surf or Turf (Water, Shock Resistant)
Sony’s just-announced TX5 Cyber-shot digital camera might just be a dream come true for clumsy or masochistic photographers.
Unlike your wimpy point-n-shoot, the TX5 can be dunked in up to 10 feet of water, which means you can safely take it snorkeling and capture the underwater world in photos, panoramic shots, or 720p HD video.
Sony also claims its TX5 is freeze-proof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, so once you’re finished with your vacation in Hawaii, you can head over to Aspen and take it on the slopes. And should a sand storm blow through the Colorado mountains (or in areas you’re much more likely to be caught up in such a scenario), the TX5 is dust proof. It’s also shock-proof and able to withstand drops from about 5 feet.
"Only Sony can deliver a technology packed, ultra slim, fashionable T-series camera that is also durable. Until now, you couldn’t have it all in one camera," said Kelly Davis, director of the Digital Imaging business on Sony Electronics.
Available in silver, black, pink, green, and red, look for the TX5 to ship this April for around $350.
Image Credit: Sony