September 16, 2010
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A [b]lurb From Inside The [b] School…
I feel bad sometimes because I’ve almost completely stopped giving advice on public internet communities, now that I’m in the [b] school. The internet is such a vicious place, you’re always competing with others who either hate your opinion with a passion, or are just completely mis-informed. I only really *enjoy* giving technical advice, and unfortunately the technical aspects of any subject are usually the most hotly contended.
However part of the reason I started this CameraTalk blog was so that I could have a place to quietly post my own opinions, for those who cared to read. Yes, I’m opinionated, but hopefully I’m NOT a fanboy. Those who have followed CameraTalk long enough know that I criticize Nikon and Canon almost equally, the same with Mac & PC, film and digital, RAW and JPG, etc. etc… I’m biased, but I’ll try and always present both sides of an argument.
Anyways after saying all that, this post is NOT about cameras, it’s about business. I thought I’d cut-and-paste one of my responses, every now and then, and hopefully Becker won’t be upset with me for sharing “inside information”. I don’t get any money if people sign up for the [b] school, but I do think it’s the best online community for freelance photographers who want to stay connected with what is happening in the industry. It’s also nice to have a PRIVATE place to go and discuss more sensitive manners. Again, part of the whole reason I have really cut back on posting everywhere else…
Check out the [b] school study hall this afternoon from 4-5 PM. http://bit.ly/StudHal
A photographer vented about how former clients were complaining that their new print prices were kinda high, and they wouldn’t offer a disc of all the images. In response I wrote:
Ouch, I feel your pain!
Unfortunately, there’s a little bit of truth in every aspect of what you’ve said…
* Yeah there will be a LOT of frustration when raising your prices, this will not be the last time that someone whines about “what you used to charge”…
* However, that’s just what comes with the territory when you start small by sticking your foot in the door at a very low price. So if I were cruel and heartless, I might say you brought the situation upon yourself? Of course I’m not going to go there, because I know EXACTLY the frustration you’re feeling. All I’m saying is, unfortunately it comes with the territory of starting low and rising once you get some experience under your belt. For example if you had started out by studying the business, got really good at portraiture by OTHER means instead of doing business almost for free, …then you could have entered the market a few more steps up the ladder. And those first few steps are always the hardest; it often can seem like you’re starting over from scratch with your clientele; because quite honestly the people who expect a free disc AND a cheap session usually don’t hang out with the people who aren’t going to bat an eye at spending $900+ on prints.
(Note: I’m talking about the portraiture business model, not the event photography business model. I firmly believe that the two are polar opposites, and the event photography business model DOES usually require the delivery of a disc. But that is another discussion for another time…)
* Just keep on working hard! You ARE on the right track, and feel free to simply tell this client “I started out where I did because I was a hobbyist doing it for fun, but I’m trying to make an honest wage at this now, and it simply is not worth my time to do this type of work for any less.”
* Yes, unfortunately, as a result of the double-whammy that is the economy AND the digital camera craze, more and more “clients” (in our industry, they’re consumers) …are NOT willing to pay very much for photographic services. You’re right, everyone knows what a 4×6 costs at Costco now, and they expect to get a disc from you so they can get those cheap 4×6′s… After all, everybody ELSE is giving them a disc! (I received three or four un-solicited image discs from friends and family after MY OWN WEDDING. Of course there’s nothing wrong with this, and I LOVE seeing pictures taken by / with friends in a non-professional capacity or environment. That’s why I LIKE photography. But my point is, discs are the currency of this digital age.)
* So, you can either choose to embrace the under-valuing of the photography industry, because honestly that is the way the tide could continue to go for many years to come, OR you can continue fighting against the current and know that, with the right kind of personal service and stunning imagery, people will see the light and pay whatever you ask. Because you CAN achieve that, I promise! And personally, I believe that “selling yourself short” is what may soon eliminate the entire low-end of the photographic industry, as well as a significant chunk of the mid-end market. I totally understand that it is a perfectly acceptable business tactic, in this thing we have called capitalism. So by all means, hobbyists are welcome to shoot “on the side” for cheap, offer a disc, etc. There is no law against shooting in your spare time for a few extra bucks, as long as you stay under the minimum profit for your particular state’s tax bracket.
(again, HUGE can of worms for another time!) But my point is, eventually it is going to catch up with everybody. If one hundred hobbyist photographers start shooting for money on the side, they’ll probably make enough money to pay for their next lens purchase, etc. But what happens when the hundred grows to ten thousand? That’s exactly what has happened over the past ~5 years, and the ONLY way to compete is by price. Which is what has happened recently with the “micro stock” industry- Millions of photographers around the world have flooded the internet with decent and even great photography, and now all the design and ad agencies know that they can have content for literally pennies. And people are FINALLY starting to rumble about it being un-sustainable. But again, huge discussion for another time…Take care!
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