Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
A professional photographer for quite a few years now, I thought some of you may be interested in some photography business advice and tips through this entry-level straight forward photography business guide.
This is a general guide since there are so many ways to define a photography business.
If you run your own business, it can be hard to figure out when and if you need a break. Times are hard for photographers, now maybe more than ever, and you may feel that you have to work more than ever before. In this honest and personal video, Jeff Rojas reminds you not to lose yourself and your work-life balance.
2020 was pretty difficult for most of us, and the creative industry has suffered a lot. Photographers struggled to find work, and it sure was stressful to shoot for a living with all the lockdowns and measures in place. But let’s hope for a better 2021 and more opportunities to earn a living by doing what we love most. Joanie Simon of The Bite Shot has three fantastic tips that will help you earn more as a photographer, not only in 2021, but in many years to come.
We’re used to seeing images shared on social media, especially on feature accounts where this is considered normal. Photographers put a lot of time and effort into creating great images and once in a while we see our work stolen. This happened to me recently and I’d like to share the story with you.
If you have been using the unlimited storage feature of G Suite to back up your photos and videos, wait before moving into Google Workplace. Google Workspace only has unlimited storage on enterprise plans.
Google made some big noise about replacing the G Suite with an even better Google Workspace. Among the many changes that may or may not be incredible for you, one change is clearly not in favor of high storage users.
If you or your team were using G Suite Business, you would get unlimited storage for $12/user. If I recall correctly, you needed at least four users to enroll in that level of service. Now Google Workspace will only give you 2 TB of storage for your $12, 5TB for $18, and according to Android Police, you can move to an Enterprise account for $20 ($30 for enterprise+) and get the same unlimited storage. However, it will be at least 50% significantly more expensive.
I get asked a lot by people about equipment and settings, photoshop editing, and all manner of ‘technical stuff’.
I also get asked a lot about what my top advice is for taking better pictures, and the answer is not in a plugin or a shiny new camera. I find it funny that as photographers, when somebody outside our trade asks about a great picture that they have seen that as photographers, we often answer, stating that the camera is just a ‘tool’. No camera can make you take better pictures. However, when I see photographers discussing images online, I often read people banging on about ‘what settings were used’ what model of that camera did you use. What lens, what F stop and chewing on about if they had used this or that, and why don’t they use this or that…
My thoughts on this are simple, and after reading one such exchange earlier, I just wanted to write something here, I guess on what I think personally.
I just received three emails from 500px this evening. I was informed that three of my images were sold.
In other words, I can expect a payment of $2.55. In all honesty, it feels like a mockery.
When 500px launched Marketplace in 2014 we photographers could receive a 70% commission if 500px was our sole licensing agent for a particular image. Back then it was actually possible to get a decent payment if you sold a few images.
With drone photography, things right now are very fast-paced, both in the development of the tech and the implementation of the rules. There’s a lot I can tell you about drone photography. Overarching all of the creative elements the single, most important piece of advice I can give you is this:
Make sure you know the local drone laws, wherever you are and wherever you’re going!
As I mentioned, there’s a lot I can teach about drone photography, I’ve written a lot about it and I have a course live on KelbyOne all about it right now. The appeal of drone photography is huge. It’s been maximized by DJI, who are now the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer (true story) and camera manufacturer. Others such as Parrot and Yuneec are also cashing in on us photographers and our constant quest for new angles.
These new angles are the big appeal, and rightly so. Creatives have it embedded within them. Since our childhood, we have been scoping out birds-eye views. Think about it for a second, when we’re on a plane and we come into land we often stare out of the windows looking for a point of reference in order to see what is familiar to us from a new perspective, such as searching for our home or our favorite stadium, or simply a city skyline. Drones are here to stay. The rules are being implemented and enacted for everybody’s protection. But what does that actually mean for photographers?
Tim Wallace is a top-notch photographer, he has shot for McLaren, Peugeot, Lexus, Aston Martin, and a bunch of other global clients. It’s always fascinating to me how some “potential clients” approach Tim Wallace for free work. It fascinates me, even more, when Tim takes the time to converse with them. The result of Tim patiently explaining to the client why he will not work for free is absolutely hilarious. Other than that, it serves as a good reminder to always be aware of your value.
When it comes to negotiations, as a photographer (or any freelance artist, for that matter) you’ve got to master the art of not being emotionally invested in the outcome – something that is nearly impossible to do. But without it, you’ll never be able to break free of difficult clients and underpaid gigs.
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube.
His videos have over a hundred million views, have been extensively published by news outlets, and has even received recognition from a few film festivals, such as International Ocean Festival
FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!