Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
Photographing certain subject matter is harder than others.
This couldn’t be more true for photographer Soraya Doolbaz, a New York-based photographer who specializes in phalllic fashion photography.
Hoax or not, all signs point to the legitimacy that the Iranian-born photographer started from humble beginnings to turn an unlikely subject matter into a successful business.[Read More…]
I am often asked for advice by those starting out in the photography industry. And if there’s one thing I have no shortage of, it’s advice. So with that in mind, I present you with my 8 Tips for Starting a Photography Business:
Often, the most difficult thing I see for individuals in our industry is making that scary leap from being an amateur photographer to a legitimate professional. When you do make that leap it is quite visible as your actions become very different than those who treat their business more casually. Below is a list of behaviors I have noticed over the years from those who treat their business more like a hobby.
With latest US events about LGBT marriage, I suspected there would be an impact on the photography business (after all, someone shoots all those weddings, strigat or LGBT) and Florida based Brentwood Photography were one of the firsts to take a hit as a photography business who supports gay marriage.
They bounced pretty well though if you ask me…
Self-employement can be great, but one of the worst parts about being in business for yourself is…well, being in business for yourself. So much more responsibility rests directly on you, and you almost literally hold the key to your success or failure. You are salesman, accountant, receptionist, customer service representative, coffee fetcher…and, somewhere way down the list is the actual service you provide.
Many of us dislike or perhaps loath some of the other hats we must wear. We’d rather be shooting the covers of magazines than spending time cold-calling, trying to land that next magazine cover shoot. But, one area where many well-meaning and driven photographers lack expertise is in actually marketing their services and bringing in new clients. Sure, there are plenty of divas who simply think if they shoot what they love that the masses will blaze a trail to their door, but most photographers are simply intimidated by the prospect of marketing or at a loss as to where they should begin.
And then, there’s always the cost factor. Many of us don’t have large marketing budgets. We can’t afford to launch TV campaigns the are synchronized with print and online advertising pushes and reach tens of thousands of people in a short time. We are stingy with our money, not because of a dark, miserly side, but simply because we know the value of the money we earn and always seem to have a million other areas to which we could apply it. However, marketing your photography business doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Fashion and editorial photographer Jeff Rojas is based in New York City. He has competition on every street corner and a budget that doesn’t come to close to rivaling the GDP of even the world’s poorest nations. (I mean, which of us really does, right?) So, with a little time and creativity, Jeff has done his best to maximize the budget that he does have.
Happy New Year!
Every January, I try to refocus my photography business ambitions for the coming year, so in my first post of 2014, I thought I’d share my top three photography business resolutions for 2014.
Here is a neat way to reuse 35mm slides (or slide frames) aside from Blasting them all over your photos.
Photographer Jernej Lasič created those wonderfully delicious business cards made from 35mm slides frames and printed transparency paper.[Read More…]
When Edelkrone released the 3D printable FlexTILT Head 3D a couple of months ago, it was met with a largely positive response. The idea that we can spend $30 on something and print a few components rather than $150 is huge to a lot of photographers and filmmakers working on ultra-low budgets, as well as hobbyists.
Sure, you need to buy a 3D printer, as Angus Deveson at Maker’s Muse points out in the video above, but you can get a basic 3D printer DIY kit and the bits from Edelkrone for close the cost of the original FlexTilt 2. After that, already owning the printer can save you a lot of money. But is it really where we should be heading for camera accessories?
Before the rise of social media and the ubiquity of apps like Instagram, photographers established and flexed their brands through their personal website and blog. The photographer website supplanted the printed portfolio, for the most part, offering photographers a way to showcase their work with a remote audience of photo editors, customers, and fans.
Being a photographer used to be pretty simple. You had a camera, you had a subject you liked photographing and you used to go out with your camera and photograph the subject you liked. And apart from perhaps showing off the occasional print at the local camera club to a group of like-minded tragics – that’s probably about as far as it went.
Then social media arrived and as with so many aspects of this modern connected life of ours, everything changed.
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.
To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.
JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.
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