Virtual Photography Studio - Resources for photographers
Virutual Photography Studio, Guide To Resources, Products and Information
For those of you that follow Twitter.com, I found a fun new application that allows you to watch live twitts as they are posted from around the world. TwittEarth Thought it was a fun way to celebrate
Earth Day today.
If you’ve never been to Twitter before, you can check out my profile:
And you can also follow Andrew
The next major storm that visits your location, grab your digital photography gear and head out to capture the effects of mother nature. A major storm – blizzard, hurricane, tornado, flood, wind or ice storm can alter the landscape around you. An ice storm can show its damaging effects on trees and other objects but can also be a wonderful modifier for common objects. I have seen amazing images of tables, benches and cars that reside next to a lake that were covered in 4-6 inches of ice. A transformation that is truly beautiful. – Get Inspired!
I hear people time and again saying they are so motivated to build up their photography business, and yet there always seems to be a let down because profits don’t keep up with that motivation level. As a start up company, you wear many hats because you have to. Lack of capital and resources hold you back, but you still manage to grow because of the deep commitment level you have, and the long hours you are willing to put in. Then as time goes by, and you continue to grow, you become the controller. The person who has a hand into everything because you are the ultimate caretaker. You started this company; you grew this company, and you’re going to control this company!
The key to focusing your energy is to invest your time at what you’re good at, and let others handle the other stuff. In simple language, that is the key of focusing your energy. As your photography business grows, you can afford to put more of your capital resources into growing your company with people. Hire employees to take over the office and administrative tasks. Hire a bookkeeper to control the data entry. Hire an accountant to control your accounting and your tax information. Hire production people to do day to day production tasks. This will give you the time to do what you need to do – and what you do best!
Jumpstart your photography to the next level
What is it that you like to do best? Chances are its what brought you to self-employment in the first place. You like to do web design. You enjoy photographing families. You love creating images that are appreciated by people throughout your community. This is where you need to focus your energy. You need to continue to think of marketing ideas that will grow the business, to give all of those you have hired more responsibilities to keep them happy! It is truly a circle of life, one that continues to feed off of the next idea. As you grow, so does your business, and your lifestyle!
Too many people today are designing websites without any good reason. Without the reason, or designing one just because everyone else is, you are subjecting yourself to failure. When you create a web site, you have to really focus on what you want that site to do for you. Do you want to sell a product? Do you want people to contact you for more information? Whatever the reason, the underlying goal should be to drive up your profits. You wouldn’t send out a postcard without trying to create a sale. Neither should you produce a web site without trying to create a sale. And because your site will reach people from all over the world, really focus on what you can do for these people, not just your current clientele within a few miles of your business.
When we began designing our website for our photography studio, we focused solely on reaching the people in the Denver area. As people came in to our studio to visit us, we would provide them with our URL, and put a few images up to build our portfolio. But as the months went on, we discovered our site was being viewed from people throughout the world. As our online portfolio grew, we began receiving calls from brides around the world. We made our portfolio available to anyone, 24/7, and they responded because we gave them what they wanted – information on wedding photography, and most importantly, the images. People were willing to fly us in from all over because they liked what they saw and we gave them ease. We changed our business to incorporate a larger target market. And it worked! We opened up our minds to new opportunities, and we succeeded by changing to follow what would bring us in the business – and the money!
You job is to discover how you can make the most out of your photography website. What can you put into it that will get the attention of people throughout the world? How can you make sales from people you don’t know, and aren’t even in a location that you could sell to? Service businesses are usually the hardest to develop, because you can’t imagine working with a client half way around the world – how do you work with them if you never see them? In this global economy, you have to move beyond the thought process of “sitting down at a desk” with your client. Phones and email are more than ample to conduct business. With FedEx, teleconferencing, videoconferencing and computers, there are so many ways to conduct business with anyone in the world. Just yesterday we were chatting online with a gentleman from India! It’s truly amazing the directions we can head in the next few years. Don’t be afraid to try new things, new ideas, and build a business that reaches beyond your hometown!
What’s the best way to recharge your photography business? Take a vacation.
As photography business owners, we often get stuck in the same old routines of running our businesses. We move from position to position, working non-stop making sure things get done. After all, most business owners have to wear a lot of hats to get all of the work done.
But after a while things begin to get monotonous. And the best way to get back on track is by taking a vacation.
Here are 10 things you should do on your next vacation.
10. Relax. Don’t check email twice a day and carry that cell phone with you at all times. The only way to rejuvenate is to completely get away from it all.
9. Try something new. Wherever you go these days you’ll find the standard shops, stores and restaurants. Why not take a chance and try out that small restaurant on the beach? You may be in for a pleasant surprise. While you’re there, get some tips to use in your own business.
8. Find something motivating to bring home. I always find one thing that I can bring back and put on my desk that will allow me to relive my vacation experience anytime I need a quick escape. It may be a special frame for a photograph, or a vase for my favorite flowers. It’s nice to bring that feeling to life at any time. Read the remaining>>
There’s something to be said for being the best in your field. It can get bring in business all the time. And it will keep you profitable for years to come.
I hear from photographers all the time who are searching for a way to compete with the many other photographers in their niche. “What can I do to separate myself from the pack, and make good money doing what I love?”
Create a new “pack”! When you create a new pack, you’re the instant leader.
While that may sound good in writing, how do you go about it in real life?
Let me share an example. A few years ago, I was sitting with a group of mom’s at the private school my daughter attended. All were complaining about the quality of work from the average school photographer that took the children’s photo year after year. They all had a deep desire to have something better – a higher quality product that they would be happy to purchase and display. We found a very lucrative niche.
Become a Six Figure Photographer
We created a program that allowed us to go in and provide quality portraits of a child within their private school setting using the surrounding areas as our backdrop. We would spend 20-30 minutes with each child, and photograph him or her in unique settings all over the campus. Each child received a small keepsake photo album containing approximately 24 of the best images – this was theirs to keep as a part of the sitting. Of course they could order extras. Of course we had packages that contained a variety of photographs and sizes. And the best part was the multiple requests we had for family portraits, based off working with the children and providing quality portraits.
Keep in mind this works well with private schools, that don’t have a huge population. Doing 30-40 children can keep you busy for a couple of weeks. The families understood the difference in this type of photography, and were willing to pay a lot more than standard school portrait prices. But they also received quality, and were happy to connect with a good, reputable photographer.
So, instead of sticking with the standard niches, try and create a new twist to an old way of doing business. What are you doing now? How can you give it a twist, and find a whole new market ready and willing to spend their money with you? – Become a Six Figure Photographer
Are you an amateur photographer, taking photographs every chance you have? Maybe you’ve entered your photographs into a few contests and won. Or maybe you have friends and family that love your work, and think you have potential.
Have you been thinking about a career change, and photography has sparked your interests? You love photographing, and the idea of making it into a full time career is exciting.
Maybe you’ve started your business, and its just not doing what you hoped. You’re working part time at photography, hoping to turn it into a full time career, but its just not working quite as you had planned. You’re missing a key piece that will launch you into success.
Or maybe you’ve made this your full time career, but you just can’t make it as successful as you would like it to be. You have a five-figure income, but you’re barely paying the bills. You would love to take the family on vacation, or buy that new car, but it’s just not in your future because you can’t get the business working for you.
Guess what? I understand. You’re not alone in your frustration. Read more>>
