Inspiring Photographers
I have been asked to present my documentary wedding photography at Global Adjustments in Chennai, India.
If you are in Chennai on February 5 and would like to attend, please RSVP the organizers. Let Bindu Menon know you heard about the lecture-demonstration through Tiffinbox!
Meanwhile if you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask in the comments section below!
As a documentary wedding photographer, each November as the wedding season in the US winds down, my thoughts swing to the next season and whether I will meet my target of 25 weddings per year.
One of the best books ever written about being booked solid is by Michael Port, called Book Yourself Solid. I recall reading it cover to cover, taking notes along the way and paying attention to the steps Michael outlines to have a thriving business. In addition to being an author, Michael is a speaker and educator.
So, when Michael speaks or emails me something, I sit up and take notice. A recent note from him introduced me to his new Booked Solid University. It's his “entire lead generating, client producing, business building, book writing, product creation, book yourself solid (and beyond) systems and programs” as a business coaching program online.
I signed up as an affiliate because I feel his message, his methodology and his means are all sync with how I would like to learn about creating, sustaining and elevating my photography business in Connecticut. And I bet you will enjoy his course as well.
Please come back here and let me know what you think about the course in the comments section. Your feedback is always valuable not only to me but to others who may be reading this blog regularly as well. Thank you!
In 1999 Rick Wenner purchased his first digital SLR, a Canon 20D. After 6 years of shooting as a hobbyist, creating mainly landscapes and abstract images, he found that creating portraits was what he wanted for a career. Since that time Rick has been developing his skills as a photographer while continuing to work as a graphic designer. His future plans are to soon leave his graphic design job and go full time with his true creative passion in photography. Rick is specializing his work in entertainment and portrait photography on Long Island, NY.
Read his blog. This is his first guest blog post on Tiffinbox. Please be sure to comment below after you have read his article. Thank you!
How do I make the career change to become a full time photographer? Where do I start? Who do I work with and how do I get in touch with them? How much do I charge? Do I need a studio? What do I do?
These are some (definitely not all) of the questions I’ve asked myself in the past few years. I am currently a full time graphic designer who wants … no … who NEEDS to make a career change to what I really love, photography.
This used to be just a hobby to me 10 years ago. Every now and then I’d go out with camera in hand and create a few landscapes and abstract images, process the crap out of them in Photoshop and post it on Facebook and Myspace. Then I started photographing people and loved the connections I was making with my subjects.
After a few years I had two photos on display in a museum in the Hamptons. Got an editorial job from that exhibit. From that point on I knew that this is what I need to be doing with my life. Since then I’ve been working hard to make it happen and am FINALLY seeing some results from my efforts. More and more people are noticing my work and I’m getting meetings with potential clients and agencies. I know that there is still a lot more work to be done before I can drop the design gig and go full time with my photography though. It’s worth it.
So, how do I go about dropping graphic design and moving ahead with photography? I get inspired. I recently attended workshops that Zack Arias hosts (Photo 101 and OneLight) and left with my brain in a frenzy. Not only did I learn technical aspects of lighting, composition, gear, and business, I also had a fire lit under my ass that has got me heading in the right direction. Since Zack has been working with the same kind of clients that I would like to eventually be working with, I took his advice and ran with it as hard as I could.
People need to know that you are a photographer. They won’t have a clue of what you do if you’re just sitting in front of a computer reading blogs all day. Get in front of the people you want to be working with, show them what you do and build a relationship with them. If you want to be working with musicians, go to their shows. You’ll see that even the small “no name” bands are selling T-shirts, stickers, and CD’s. So, obviously they are willing to invest in themselves.
People won’t know who you are and what you do unless you put it in front of their faces. Use social media to get your work seen by friends and family. When you are creating high quality photos, people will talk about you when someone asks if they know a good photographer. Word-of-mouth is the best advertising for your photography business. The kind of work that I want is in the entertainment industry. Musicians, bands, actors, etc. I have always loved the portraits that I’ve seen by photographers such as Mark Seliger, Platon, Nigel Parry and David LaChapelle.
So, how do I create images that will one day be seen in the big magazines that are read by thousands? Practice, practice, practice and keep practicing. Ask any pro the same question and they’ll tell you the same. Photography is a learned skill with many aspects that need to be mastered. You can read hundreds of blogs, tutorials and magazines about photography but you won’t really learn a single thing without that camera in your hand. It’s great to get tips and tricks from all those resources but you’re not going to get better at creating images by sitting in front of a computer. When you’re done reading this blog post, go take a few pictures of something … anything! You are not gaining experience by reading what I have to say.
If this is what you really love, then go after it and don’t give up. You will make mistakes. Tons of them. But you will learn from those mistakes and become a better photographer from them. Go to workshops and learn from the masters of our craft. Read David duChemin's book, VisionMongers, and if you're not inspired by that book, then this probably isn't for you.
My advice: Step away from the blogs and pick up that camera!
Get 25% off before midnight on 12/31 when you order all 5 of e-books. Use code: seshu25
I have been following David duChemin's blog, PixelatedImage for quite some time. In my mind, it's a “must-read” blog for photographers. Period.
David has recently been on a writing binge outside of his blog – conceptualizing and expressing himself about the art and approach to photography through e-books.
These are no doubt beautifully illustrated and designed. Yet, it's the thoughtfully conceived notes, each a page or so long, that make these so easy to read and absorb. Reading them feels like a friend saying it like it is. The first two have creative exercises that urge you to try out what David has just taught you.
Here's the thing – you could sit in a stuffy room and get lectured at or you can choose to be gently led into the art and science of photography. Which would you go for? No brainer!
Now, in full disclosure, other than the first e-book, David made sure I received the others for review here. I can't thank him enough for his gifts, but the high-praise I reserve for him or his e-books are in no way connected to his generosity. The e-books are simply a terrific investment at $5 each. If you are serious about your photography and want a little guidance, these are your tickets to get on the journey. I have learned a great deal from them and I know that when I am out photographing a wedding, I'll have these valuable lessons by my side.
And today, yes, December 24, happens to be David's birthday … so show him some love and buy all five of his e-books (more coming, says he) today! It would make for one heckuva Christmas gift to your favorite photographer, too!
You've got literally 7 seconds to capture your audience on your website. Do you hook 'em or do you flick 'em?
Tyler Garns heads up Think Big Art, a company that's sole goal is to help photographers like myself market our services better to our clients. He is currently developing a photography marketing course called OVER[Exposure].
To be fair and open, I must tell you that I have entered into a partnership with him because what he has developed so far is rock solid information that I have found to be very useful for my documentary wedding photography business. What I am about to present to you has affiliate links but let that not deter you into at least checking this out. I think it is amazing that Tyler has come up with a tool to assess your website.
The tool allows visitors to look at your site for 7 seconds only and then give you feedback on the message that you're conveying. I think you'll be shocked at the results! Try it now!
Every time someone takes the 7 Second Test and reviews your site, you'll get an email with their feedback (the emails will be slightly delayed). Review them carefully and consider changing your homepage so the message that is received is the message you want to convey.
You're missing out big time on capturing the attention of your visitors and getting them to engage if you don't nail the first 7 seconds of their visit. Use this tool to test your site. You can submit up to 3 websites if you desire.
Check out the 7 Second Test now.
