I fell for this popular photography advice
Summary
TLDRThe speaker shares insights from their decade-long photography career, emphasizing that becoming a skilled photographer involves more than just online learning. They stress the importance of practical experience, creativity, and consistency in delivering quality results. The speaker dispels the myth that if you love your work, it doesn't feel like work, highlighting the effort and commitment required. They also discuss the necessity of networking and the personal connections that come with formal education. Niche specialization is addressed, suggesting a balance between market size and personal interests. The importance of maintaining high-quality raw files and the inevitability of sharing them is covered, as well as the continuous need for self-marketing and fostering client relationships for a sustainable career in photography.
Takeaways
- 📚 Learning to be a good photographer involves more than just online resources; it requires practical experience and creativity.
- 🌐 The internet provides technical knowledge, but real-world experience and connections from a school or community are invaluable.
- 🎨 Photography is about delivering quality results consistently, which requires more than occasional creativity.
- 💖 Loving what you do is important, but it doesn't negate the fact that photography, like any profession, involves work.
- 📷 The glamour of photography often hides the hard work, including carrying equipment and extensive editing.
- ✉️ Even if you dislike certain aspects like emails or marketing, they are essential parts of running a photography business.
- 📈 Niche down based on your market size; in a smaller market, you may need to be more versatile to secure jobs.
- 🔍 It takes years of shooting various types of photography to find your preferred niche.
- 🗃️ Retain high-quality RAW files as they may be requested by clients or editors for further work.
- 🎭 The role of a photographer is to capture the essence in-camera rather than relying heavily on post-production.
- 🚫 Never stop marketing yourself; maintaining relationships with existing clients is crucial for a steady income.
- ⏳ The uncertainty of knowing where the next paycheck is coming from is part of the freelance photography experience.
Q & A
What is the speaker's opinion on the importance of online learning for photography?
-The speaker believes that while online resources can provide technical knowledge and understanding of photography techniques, being a good photographer involves more than just reading books or watching videos. It requires practical experience, creativity, and consistent delivery of quality results in various locations.
What does the speaker suggest is a mistake that aspiring photographers often make?
-The speaker suggests that a common mistake is relying solely on online learning and not getting out to practice and gain real-world experience. They emphasize the importance of actually doing photography and engaging with the community.
According to the speaker, what is a misconception about the work-life of a professional photographer?
-A misconception is that if you love what you do, it doesn't feel like work. The speaker clarifies that even though the work may be enjoyable, it is still work, involving long hours and various tasks that are not always glamorous.
Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of not giving up your RAW files too easily, especially for beginners?
-The speaker emphasizes that keeping and learning to work with RAW files is crucial for developing a photographer's skills. It allows them to understand the full process and ensures they are focusing on the photography itself rather than just the editing.
What advice does the speaker give regarding the business aspect of being a photographer?
-The speaker advises to never stop marketing oneself and to focus on nurturing relationships with existing clients. They mention that it's easier to maintain a relationship with a returning client than to acquire a new one and that fostering these relationships can lead to long-term financial stability.
What is the speaker's view on the necessity of specialization or 'niche-ing down' in photography?
-The speaker believes that the need to niche down depends on the size of the market one is in. In larger markets, it's beneficial to specialize, while in smaller markets, a broader approach may be necessary to secure more jobs. They also mention that finding one's niche is a process that can take years.
Why does the speaker compare the act of photography to 'playing with toys'?
-The speaker uses the phrase 'playing with toys' to convey their passion and enjoyment for photography, suggesting that despite it being work, they find it fun and engaging, much like playing with toys.
What does the speaker mean when they say that 'having a camera in my hands is probably like 5-10% of what I do as photographers'?
-The speaker is highlighting that the actual act of taking a photograph is just a small part of the overall job of a professional photographer. The majority of their work involves other tasks such as editing, marketing, carrying equipment, and managing client relationships.
How does the speaker feel about the administrative tasks associated with running a photography business?
-The speaker expresses a dislike for tasks such as emails and marketing, but acknowledges that these are necessary parts of running a photography business. They emphasize that one cannot avoid these tasks simply because they are self-employed.
What is the speaker's advice for photographers who are just starting out?
-The speaker advises new photographers to take advantage of the opportunity to explore different types of photography by accepting a variety of jobs. They also stress the importance of not giving up raw files too early in one's career and focusing on capturing the best possible image in-camera.
Why is it important to maintain relationships with existing clients according to the speaker?
-The speaker stresses that maintaining relationships with existing clients is crucial because it's easier to secure repeat business from a client who already trusts you than to find new clients. They also mention that fostering strong relationships can lead to clients providing significant financial support over time.
Outlines
📚 Beyond Online Learning: The Importance of Practical Experience
The speaker emphasizes that while online resources can provide technical knowledge and theory about photography, truly becoming a good photographer requires more than just reading or watching tutorials. It involves showing up to various locations and consistently delivering quality work. Creativity is also crucial, which can't be learned solely from online content. The speaker highlights the value of formal education in photography for the connections and guidance it provides. They also stress the importance of getting out and practicing photography, rather than just studying it.
💼 The Reality of Work and Passion: Balancing Fun and Effort
The speaker discusses the myth that if you love your job, it doesn't feel like work. They argue that even when your work is enjoyable, it still requires dedication, effort, and time. They share their personal experience, stating that while they enjoy photography, there are still aspects of the job, such as dealing with difficult clients or the administrative side of the business, that are challenging. The speaker also dispels the glamour of photography, pointing out the unseen hard work behind the final product, including carrying equipment and post-production tasks.
🎯 Finding Your Niche: The Journey to Specialization
The speaker advises on the process of finding a niche in photography. They suggest that in larger markets, it's beneficial to specialize, while in smaller markets, a broader approach may be necessary. They explain that finding one's niche is a process that can take years, involving shooting various types of photography to understand personal preferences. The speaker encourages photographers to take every opportunity to learn and grow, and to not be afraid of changing their focus as their interests evolve.
🚫 The Risks of Editing RAW Files: Preserving Originality
The speaker warns against heavily editing RAW files, as it can detract from the photographer's original work and style. They argue that in professional settings, there are dedicated editors and retouchers, and the photographer's role is to capture the best possible image in-camera. The speaker suggests that striving for perfection in-camera is more aligned with the role of a photographer and that delivering high-quality RAW files is part of the job, which may sometimes require providing these files to clients or editors.
🔄 Continuous Marketing: The Importance of Client Relationships
The speaker stresses the importance of continuous marketing and maintaining relationships with existing clients. They note that it's easier to secure repeat business than to attract new clients. The speaker encourages photographers to prioritize client satisfaction and to aim for long-term relationships that can provide stable income. They also mention the unpredictability of income in photography and the need to always be marketing oneself to ensure a steady flow of work.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Photography
💡Online Learning
💡Creativity
💡Work Ethic
💡Niche Down
💡RAW Files
💡Marketing
💡Editing
💡Networking
💡Passion
💡Professionalism
Highlights
Photography involves more than online learning; it requires practical experience and creativity.
Photographers benefit from in-person connections and guidance, which are not available online.
Success in photography is not just about passion but also about consistent hard work and dedication.
Photography is often misunderstood as a job-free activity, but it involves substantial work and effort.
The job of a photographer extends beyond taking photos to include editing, marketing, and other behind-the-scenes tasks.
Emails and marketing are disliked but are essential parts of running a photography business.
Niche down based on the size of your market; in a smaller market, broaden your scope to take in more jobs.
It takes years of shooting to find your preferred niche and align with the types of shoots you enjoy.
Initially, photographers should take every opportunity to shoot and gain diverse experiences.
Photographers should not give up their RAW files too early; they are a crucial part of the job.
The goal is to make RAW files as close to perfect as possible, showcasing the photographer's skill.
Photography is about capturing scenes in-camera as much as possible, rather than relying on post-processing.
Continual marketing is vital; nurturing existing client relationships is easier than acquiring new ones.
Maintaining trust with clients is crucial for repeat business and long-term success in photography.
Photographers should aim to create 'whales' - clients who can fund multiple shoots and sustain the business.
Never stop marketing yourself; the uncertainty of the next paycheck is part of the grind in photography.
Transcripts
hey everyone there's a lot of advice
thrown out in this photography world and
arguably some of it is a little bit
better than others over the last 10 or
so years of my career I've definitely
fallen for a lot of stuff that I would
have probably preferred not to so let's
go over a few of those things and uh
hopefully you don't do the same mistakes
I did let's get into
[Music]
it number one everything you need to
learn is available online now sure that
might work for some technical stuff and
for how to expose an image or you know
how to take a good photo or even what is
a good photo to begin with you might be
able to find all that information online
sure but being a good photographer is
about a whole lot more than reading
books and reading or watching videos and
understanding the techniques behind an
image being a good photographer is
showing up to all these different
locations for the first time and being
able to deliver quality results time and
time again being a good photographer is
being able to be creative when you're
needed not just one or twice or once or
twice a year so I think being a
photographer is a whole lot more than
just learning what you can learn online
and furthermore for those of you who
have chosen to go to school for
photography that you you get to have
this access to all these connections
around you the these peers and these
professors and people that are able to
guide you in the right direction those
are things that you just can't find
online it's it's too personal it's too
one-on-one that you just can't really
come across unless you're going out
there in your community and you're being
a part of it to be a good photog
photographer is to actually do the
photography not just learn about it
online so get out of your room and go
take some
pictures next if if you love what you do
you'll never work a day in your
life if you don't work a day in your
life you're not going to find success in
anything that you do whether you love it
or you don't you might find joy in the
work that you do but you're definitely
still working I I even to this day I
still feel like I don't have a job so to
speak because I'm just playing with toys
and I'm I'm having fun every day and
this is just part of what I would be
doing whether I was getting paid or not
but to say it's not work is is really
silly it's not that's not how it is I'd
rather not be working I'd rather be
skating or chilling at the beach with a
beer in my hands than than you know
dealing with a bridezilla on a Saturday
morning at 7:30 in the morning so sure
it's fun and it's better than maybe
being in an environment that you don't
want to be in or doing a job that you
don't want to do or or working for
someone that you don't want to work for
but I mean it's still work you're still
working you're still definitely putting
the hours in there's part of this job I
mean I think having a a camera in my
hands is probably like 5 10% of what I
do or what we do as photographers so
it's not exactly um I mean it's it's you
know it's glamorized it's like oh look
how cool this looks look how fun all of
these you know look at look at this end
result look at all this cool stuff I've
done but it doesn't show that you know
you're carrying grip stands for three
hours uh you're you're uh you're you're
loading and unloading the car you are um
doing a lot of stuff on the back end
that you don't have necessarily see in
the end result so yeah there's a lot of
work there's a lot of editing there's a
lot of stuff behind the scenes that
happens that you might not necessarily
see but it's still very much part of the
work of being a
photographer I hate doing emails I hate
marketing it's part of the job it's not
it's not necessarily that I I can avoid
it and be like Oh I'm self-employed I
don't need to do that part of my job
like no that's still part of having a
job um and yeah this is still work so
don't feel like you know oh I want to do
this so that I don't have to work and
and just wait till money rolls in
somehow miraculously uh no it's it's
it's work It's a Grind it's being able
to convince others that their hobby is
worth your career and your yearly salary
so you got to put the work in and you
got to be
undeniable next you absolutely have to
Niche down now I did a video about this
recently but really it boils down to the
size of your Market versus how much you
want to Niche if you're in a very big
Market you probably want to Niche very
very specifically because you have the
ability to do so but if you're in a
smaller market like I am you're probably
going to want to expand or broaden your
horizons a little bit so that you're
able to take in a little bit more jobs
within that same kind of scope of what
you would like to do to get to a point
where you Niche down you have to be
shooting for years maybe even decades
because you have to shoot a little bit
of everything you have to be in an
environment that you're not used to and
uncomfortable and then do that over and
over and over again and you're able to
more so align yourself with the types of
shoot that you do end up wanting to
do after a year or two you might enjoy a
certain style and you might go towards
that and then after that you might pivot
and go you know what I kind of like
shooting cars or I like shooting events
or whatever it is and that's okay but
it's going to take a decade of doing
these little six-month waves of for you
to understand like okay you know what
this is what I like to shoot this is the
environment that suits my head space or
the the workflow that I like to have
this is what I'm going to focus on but
until then just shoot everything that
comes your way take the experience in
take the take the knowledge take
everything that you can because that's
the beauty of Photography like we're
able to have access to so many different
worlds that we wouldn't otherwise have
just by having a camera in our hands so
take advantage of
it don't you ever give up your
raw that okay uh maybe when you're first
starting out you're like oh my God
there's so much power in this my editing
is my style that's how I can tell if
it's my photo or another one's photo uh
but really at the higher ends uh you
you're giving up your RW that's part of
the process that's part of the job um
they they have editors they have
retouchers they have people that are
dedicated to doing the other stuff
around photography that isn't just
clicking the shutter and that's what
we're supposed to be doing really so
make sure that your raw files are as
perfect and as or at least as close to
perfect as possible because at at a
certain point you're going to be asked
to to you're going to be asked for your
raws and sure that might be a huge
payout but at the same time you still
have to be able to you have to be worth
that payout when you're first starting
out you're probably not if you're
spending a bunch of time editing your
photos because you're thinking about uh
you know you're shooting and you're
trying to save them and you're trying to
you know create something that wasn't
there I mean sure that that can be part
of your workflow uh but you're probably
more aligned with being a retoucher than
you are being a photographer because
being a photographer is trying to
recreate those cool things that we've
seen for all of these years in camera
the film guys were doing it in camera
you can do it too you know so it it's
it's about finding the ways that you can
recreate these larger than live scenes
and shoot them in camera as much as
possible I think giving up your raw is
just part of the job that we have and if
you can make them as close to as a final
product as possible then you're probably
in the clear you shouldn't have anything
to worry about because your ra your
shots are pretty much straight out of
camera never stop marketing yourself
because your next shoot is probably your
last now I I know it's a scary feel to
not know where your next paycheck is
coming from but really you got to Foster
the relationships with the clients you
already have it's way harder to book a
new client than it is to please a
returning client have the ones that have
already booked you that already do trust
you just maintain that trust as much as
possible make it your ultimate priority
to just be a good employee for them as
so to speak you want whales in this
industry that can fund you for multiple
months and multiple years throughout
your career not not just for one shoot
and try to maximize what you can get out
of them try to maximize what you can
give to them and that way you'll get a
much better relationship and you'll be
able to book with them over and over
again over and over and over there's a
lot of those again man I say that a lot
don't I anyway thanks for sticking
around guys have a nice weekend I'll see
you on Monday later
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