Becoming_a_Successful_Photographer
Main keys
Master the fundamentals. Get to the no-thinking zone. You need to create photos at a very high level, consistently. Have your signature style.
To be perfect, practice perfectly.
Regular instruction from a master
Learning is two-way communication (think of martial arts)
The 10 000-hour rule is the beginning.
Be relevant. You’ll have to evolve, reinvent, innovate. The photographers that don’t regularly reinvent themselves, will eventually fail.
Continuing to evolve
Want to earn more? Evolve.
Know more skills: wedding, portraits, lighting.
Learn what you can bring to the industry.
Passion & Desperation. There’s a point at which you have to be desperate in some sense before you finally do what you have to do. The world will keep throwing excuses at you.
Not enough time
Not enough money
Not the right situation
Not enough success (guess what, you’ll fail a lot and you learn from your failures)
Passion is necessary because it gives hope when the results are disappointing
Taking risk to be successful
This is huge.
Technical aspects are easy compared to risk.
Our life is already filled to the brim and now we want to add something?
So risk is letting go of the familiar in order to add something new.
Marketing & Business Don’ts
Great marketing + average skill is better than average marketing + great skill.
Right now there’s a person with half your ability earning 10x more than you.
There are two types of entrepeneurs: interpid and organizer. You have to be both.
Business mistakes
Underestimating work required.
Underestimating time it takes to start photography business.
9/10 times, taking one year isn’t enough
Prepare to invest years of hard work before you can do it
Scott’s story: worked 12 years for 10K/year
Not enough person-to-person interaction.
Photography is a social skill.
You will be found and known through other people.
Shoot once a week—even if it’s a freebie.
Skill is more valuable than knowledge.
Working will bring in more jobs. If you’re not out there, you won’t get more work.
Free work is marketing.
Learn to be social, it’s good marketing.
Networking is not a priority.
Often go out and talk with other people.
Add value to someone’s business. If you can do that, they’ll hire you.
Major photo conventions are a must.
Not seeking expert advice.
Once you start losing money, it goes fast. So find a coach.
A good mentor can double your income quickly.
Expert advice is the best way to start growing your business.
Financial goal breakdown
This is to set a goal and make sure you do something about it.
Determine your realistic annual income goal.
Determine your revenue streams
Determine how many jobs to book
Turn that into weekly or monthly goals so you can track how you’re doing.
Create marketing plans for each revenue stream
Reach out when it’s not going well
This is to make money
Be uniquely you
Be an expert at what you market. Give expert advice. (Okay if that’s not the case at the beginning.)
Move people emotionally. Every sale is through an emotional response.
Use video.
Be sincere.
Be consistent. Post regularly.
Mentors
Just reach out. There are people out there willing to help out.