The climate change in the photography business landscape
Let’s say from today on you are going to shoot excellent images - just like the grand masters of photography did. The masters you probably admire. How successful would it make you to be as skillful as they are?
It’s tempting to think that we can get successful in photography by doing it like our successful idols did it. But nothing could be further from the truth.
The rules in photography business have change fundamentally over the last couple of years. People, who began their success story years ago started from a completely different place compared to new comers today.
But with a bit of understanding of how the photography community is structured nowadays, it’s easy to see new paths to success.
I wish you good light!
-- Michael
Related Links:
This video on Youtube: Climate Change in Photography Business
Great observation and very well stated!
Thanks Will, I'm happy to share this sort of observations.
I agree to what has been said. There is a vast difference in the technology available in today's times and the one that was available when the people we idolized started with photography.
compressed air dryer
Yep, and the great transparency introduced by the internet is what really made a difference in photography. Nowadays amateurs can show how good they are and potential customers can compare them to pros.
How strange, how exciting!
But (unfortunately) just true!
I am fully on your track.
What is the consequence?
It is not the education (school), it is not the equipment, it not not just the opportunity to make 'CLICK'. It is the imagination, the vision, the mentality that creates exceptional photos.
OK, now I got it.
Thank you, Michael, for sharing your considerations.
manfred
Exactly, Manfred! And it's the your focus on the one style that you like best!
thanks for telling abt changes that took place in the world of photography. great post!
Maybe I missed it, but what was this Climate Change you talk about? What was the event?
Don't worry, the great mare in the sky makes sure that all ponys will survive happily. It's just the dinosaurs amongst the photographers who are currently dying away in times when clients searching for passion instead of muscle.
May the Great Stallion and Mare in the sky bless you with strength and virility Brother Michael!
Thanks Michael,
Once again Great insight. I'm reminded of a youtube video where this older photographer was explaining that if a model is comfortable then she is not posing...Dino!
AOV
Joteri
Hahaha, yes, I mean, OK, sometimes I lead my models a little bit out of their comfort zone. A lot of times it is exciting for them and afterwards they feel really great because they now have wider boundaries. But I would not recommend making anything that is really "umcomfortable" for the model :-)
good luck bro:)very nice blog and awsome theme
Spot on!! I am aware that I am being a dinosaur, and have been aware of that for a while. Your explanation has made this much more clear.... Thank you very much.
Now I have to find time and the means to break away and get serious.
Love all your work
Cheers Simon (Australia)
Hi cousin Simon!
Awesome - since you understood the big picture you will for sure make it. I hope I can contribute a bit here and there with future blog posts.
I'm really interested in your post on starting a successful photography business. I believe I've seen your first video on this topic but I have not seen any others to follow up. If I'm not mistaken you said you would be posting videos on it every forth Thursday of the month? Is there any that I've missed since the first one? If so how do I get caught up? Thank you.
The films in the photography marketing program were not very popular on this blog. So I replaced this program by "Photography ideas". However, recently I had to care a lot about my family and did not post new videos in that one either. But that will change soon.
Can you tell me, what is your next big question regarding starting a successful photography business? What is the next thing that you would like to know in order to get where you want?
I think the next big thing for me is my clarity on how I get from now to goal. I want to run a full service photography studio.
Awesome! Let me understand two of your objectives a little bit better:
a) What is the good thing for your about running a full service photo studio? What is the "why"?
b) How much money are you intending to make per month?
My answer to both of those questions would be I have not looked that far into it...I'm trying to really set myself up for success...Is there any advice you can give me? I do know that I want to be published, I'd like to produce a calendar, and that I'm very interested in stock photography.
If you have not looked into that in detail, then now is the time. If photo studio is your goal, then just imagine how your ideal day in that business would look like. Imagine it. Feel it. And check what it it is that you are really after.
When you ask "Is there any advice" then what I understand is "is there any GENERAL advice...". Sure there is. Boatloads of it. But remember Alice in Wonderland?
Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to
Alice: I don't much care where.
The Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way you go.
However, here's my general advice:
Make it a REGULAR HABIT, make it a RITUAL to work on your portfolio. If you do a "Sunday Portfolio Shoot" every Sunday, then this is very likely to help you a great deal. It's super important that this is
a) a habit
and
b) regular
This is what separates top achievers from the others. For a top sports athlete it is a habit , it is the way of least resistance to do their exercise routine each morning. They would NOT schedule anything else in that timeframe because it is "taken" by their routine. They don't need to think about it anymore, they just do it. Over and over again. This is what brings the huge compound results.
Do it like a champion, make it a ritual.
Thank you so so so so much...I will use this advice and gain some clarity...I appreciate you and all of your advice, videos, techniques, and experience. I would like to share some of the work that I've done inspired by your videos. Where would I upload my images so that you can critique my efforts?
I don't have image upload as a function of SmokingStrobes. But how about if you upload it to flickr or picasa? Then you can post a link over here.
Picasa will soon be rebranded into Google photos. It will be one of the supporting services of Google Plus. My feeling is, that Google Plus will become huge. It will be one of the marketing channels for you in the future.