5 Secrets Professional Photographers Will Never Tell You

I remember when we first started out in photography, we would look at the professionals who had “made it” within the industry and somehow think they were different then us. They had a fan base stretched out around the world. They traveled to exotic locations to photograph their clients. They were featured in magazines and talked on stages in front of hundreds of people.

They were real photographers. And deep down we questioned all the time whether we had what it takes to make it to that level.

But as we worked more on our photography, we quickly realized that perception doesn’t always match up with reality. Photographers at all levels have the same struggles as you and me. They just handle it a bit differently. Here are five things every photographer faces at some point every year.

Secret #1 – Photography is Difficult

“I have often thought that if photography were difficult in the true sense of the term — meaning that the creation of a simple photograph would entail as much time and effort as the production of a good watercolor or etching — there would be a vast improvement in total output. The sheer ease with which we can produce a superficial image often leads to creative disaster.” ~Ansel Adams

Anyone can pick up a camera and snap a picture. Even an amateur who shoots occasionally is going to get lucky once in a while and capture a great image. Yet when you get to the professional level, you expect every image to come out perfect every time.

It doesn’t always happen.

As professionals, we’ve trained ourselves to be ready for the unexpected, think ahead to what is going to happen so you can be there when it does, and be patient. Yet its easy to “kick” ourselves when you find the perfect shot – and your camera is at home. Or you see the action and you’re across the room.

And that’s okay – as long as you capture the majority of what is truly important. [Read more…]

Why There Are So Many Photography Experts

by Virtual Photography

I hear 20 year professional photographers say it all the time.

“A few years ago, I was one of just a few photographers advertising in this magazine. Now the pages of photographers goes on for 30 pages. There’s no way I can compete with this many photographers out there. So I’m lowering my prices and doing what I can to survive.”

Being an expert at photography is a lot like being an expert at social media.

Over the last two years, everyone has been jumping on the social media bandwagon. They sign up for a Twitter account, sign up for a Facebook account, read a little, build up their accounts to a 3 figure friend level. And then they start thinking.

“Hmmm, I’m not making any money at (whatever it is they do); maybe I should see if I could make a hundred bucks or so selling a Facebook page setup to business people.”

I can go to any networking group in town and find someone who fits that description. In fact I just received an email from a lady who has been selling an MLM product for the last couple of years – she is now a social media expert and will design your Facebook page for you.

So the question really is “what does ‘expert’ mean?”

Because you can buy the camera, the lenses, the “professional” looking bag, and have a pile of gadgets. You can read several books about photography and get a pretty good idea of how to take a decent picture. You can be the shutterbug in your family, fire off a bunch of shots, and probably end up with one or two that are pretty good.

But having the stuff doesn’t make you the expert.

You have to walk the walk.

Being able to design a Facebook page that ends up with a few hundred friends is easy. Its having the nohow to design a great page that brings in the right people, that converts as many people as possible to paying clients that matters most.

Instead of firing off a hundred shots, hoping you’ll get one or two great ones, an expert has the ability to fire off a few shots, knowing they have a few great ones. Every time.

Dig Deeper: 5 Reasons Not To Quit Facebook

And knowing you can rely on that photographer to give you expert results in every condition, no matter what the time of day, or what’s happening around you – that’s what changes a person from someone who loves it, to someone who is an expert at it. They don’t think; they do.

So how do you sell expertise? First, you have to be a true expert. Then question your potential clients. Make them curious about the so called expertise in the “cheap” photographers. Make them question whether they want to rely on someone who needs a few hundred shots to get a few good ones. Or whether they want to hire someone who gets great shots every time, no matter what the conditions.

Filed Under: Six Figure Photographer Tagged With: photography experts, professional photographers, what makes a photographer an expert

The Difference Between Amateurs and Professionals

by Virtual Photography

It seems as if everyone with a camera is setting up shop and marketing themselves as a true professional. But can everyone with a camera be a professional? Can you command professional prices just because you love taking photographs?

The answer is a definite no.

Lots of people love photographing nature, but there’s only one Ansel Adams.

Lots of people taking portraits, but there’s only one Annie Leibovitz.

So what is the difference between an amateur and a professional? How do you know when you’ve reached professional status?

1.You think like a professional. Amateurs want a photography business to give them a reason to buy more camera equipment. Amateurs want a photography business to keep them busy when they want to be busy – not on a full time basis. A professional loves capturing images, and sharing them with as many people as possible. They love to be busy doing what they love – and making a good living at it as well.

2. You think of yourself as an entrepreneur. Yes, there’s more to a photography business than photographing. There’s production. And marketing. And paper work. And emails. And promotion. And sales. An entrepreneur loves growing a business, with photography as your passion, product and service – not the other way around.

3. You make it a goal to improve. You take your camera everywhere. You’re the one at the party behind the lens of the camera. You also attend your local photography meetings; buy videos and training materials to improve both your photography and business skills; and hire coaches to make you better at building your photography studio.

4. You spend time studying other photographers work, and try and improve your own photography by following examples. An amateur loves what they do, and thinks there is no room for improvement. But a professional knows the education will never stop. There’s always room for improvement.

5. You create your own style. Everyone starts out imitating a mentor photographer. I remember taking posing guides from some of our favorite photographers (David Ziser, Clay Blackmore, Heidi Mauracher) and imitating poses and images produced by greats like Denis Reggie. But once we moved into professional status, we created our own style. The posing comes naturally. The fun is always there.

Better Portraits With Reflectors

It’s always effortless, and it shows in the images.

6. You know your stuff. There’s no more thinking about each image. You automatically know when you’ve captured the perfect image. It’s all about having fun with the client, pulling together a professional image for the client to see, and knowing everything will fall into place perfectly.

7. You’d do this even without the money. Photography is something that is inside of you, no matter what. You love doing it, and find any excuse to photograph. But you also know that as a true professional, you can command a high fee. It comes with being a professional.

Helping your photography business, how to start a photography business and photography business marketing visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Filed Under: Blog, Business Tagged With: amateur photographers, professional photographers