Goldblatt has photographed everyone from Nelson Mandela to divorced housewives, and is especially noted for his stark portrayal of South Africa during Apartheid years. In a presentation at the 2014 Indaba Conference, Goldblatt talks about the challenge of managing the difference between his corporate work and his personal work. See video
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
As a travel photographer and photography teacher, I meet a lot of photographers on a daily basis. Whether they’re amateur or pro, newbie or experienced, first-timers or old-timers, they often have one thing in common: too much gear.
The pro shooters who join me on my photography tours in Southeast Asia tend to look more like pack mules than people: they’re loaded with lenses, lights, filters, and a veritable menagerie of photographic accoutrement – you know, the kind of gear that makes you look like you know what you’re doing.
Being comfortable with your equipment allows you to compose your images better and faster.
The problem? None of them ever use any of the gear they’ve broken their backs to bring!
Ok, fine, there might have been one guy, one time, who made it a point to use every single lens he’d brought with him. But normally I see people sticking to one or two lenses per shooting session, never giving the extra gear a second thought. This is actually a really good thing, and all the more reason to ditch the extra baggage, and rely on one or two lenses alone.
How are you going to move your feet, get down low, and capture your subject during the millisecond when the light is just right?
The first thing I teach beginning photographers is to get moving – move quickly, get close to your subject, and don’t be a lazy photographer. When you’re weighed down with kilos (pounds) of heavy gear, you’re not free to respond as each moment arises.
Having less gear allows for freedom of movement and enjoying interaction with the locals.
I don’t mean you shouldn’t buy it because it’s expensive; I mean you shouldn’t bring it because it’s expensive.
As a travel photographer, I’m often in remote parts of the world where getting your gear stolen or damaged is a very real possibility. You can’t focus on the photo you’re taking, if you’re constantly worrying about your stuff getting jacked.
If you have one or two lenses with you at any given time, your choice in a shooting situation is simple – A or B. If you’re hauling around 12 different lenses, you’ll not only face a major crisis every time you want to take a photo; you’ll feel the need to constantly switch lenses precisely because you brought so many lenses in the first place.
You’re also much more likely to use the wrong lens, in the wrong situation, just because it’s there. Bring less gear and eliminate the chance of making silly mistakes by 300%.
Keeping the same lens allows to react faster and more flexibility.
I think of gear like a crutch. Instead of improving your skills, you become a slave to the latest and greatest gadget, thinking it will improve your craft. The thing about gear is that it takes years, even decades, to learn how to use a single piece of equipment masterfully. After 20 years of shooting with a certain lens, your brain begins to think in terms of its focal length. You effectively merge with the lens, become it.
That’s basically a hippy-dippy way of saying you should be a gear monogamist. Sure, you might play the field every once in a while, experimenting with a 35mm or 100mm lens, but you should remain faithful to your main squeeze in order to truly master her.
My main squeeze for the past three years has been a 50mm lens. Once in awhile I also use my 35mm and 100mm lenses, and it’s this trio that I plan to focus on for at least another decade in order to fully master their potential.
Knowing your equipment allows you more anticipation for better results in your composition.
A true travel photographer, or any photographer for that matter, is one who can capture a moment and communicate with his or her audience without the burden of a crap ton of gear. You’re much better off choosing one or two lenses and mastering them than you are having 17 lenses you can only sort of use.
All the photos in this article were taken during my photography tours in South East Asia.
How much gear do you bring with you on a shoot? Which lens can’t you live without?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
The post The Worst Mistake a Travel Photographer Can Make by Etienne Bossot appeared first on Digital Photography School.
In a court case bound to have far-reaching implications for U.S.-based photographers looking to use drones or other model aircraft for commercial shoots, National Transportation Safety Board Judge Patrick G. Geraghty has stuck down an FAA suit against a photographer for his ‘reckless’ use of a drone. Model aircraft aficionados and photographers alike have reason to celebrate this ruling, though naturally the FAA has announced a decision to appeal. Learn more
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
As photographers struggle with the slumping economy and an ever-increasingly competitive landscape, wedding photography seems to be one of the industry’s steadier income streams. People continue to get married and most hire photographers to capture their special day. And there are a handful of helpful mobile tools to help you run your business more effectively. Learn more
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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This is Margo. ->
She takes all the photos for the Photojojo Shop, like these. ->
She gets money (& snacks) for doing that, so that makes her a professional photographer!
We snuck a video camera into the photo studio at Photojojo HQ so you can watch her work … LIVE.
See just what a pro photog does all day.
How does she set up her lights? Where does she position the camera? What kind of snacks are those?
Watch Margo LIVE Today from 12-3pm PST
p.s. She’ll even stop working for a Q&A at 2:30 PST. Leave your questions for her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
© laurel for Photojojo, 2014. |
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This week I found a video interview with photographer Joey Lawrence. When he first hit the photography scene he was only 16, that was 2006. By 2009 he was living in NYC shooting celebrities, traveling the world, and had an instructional DVD. Who can say they did they all before they were 21?!
I have to admit when I first saw his work, I had two reactions.
Here was this kid doing what I had done for almost 20 years, and hitting the big time almost over night. I admit, I was a little jealous. But I soon settled in to really liking his work, regardless of his age, and allowing it inspire me rather than get mad about it.
Originally from Lindsay Ontario, Canada, Joey L (his working name) moved to New York to further his career. He shoots posters for movies, Hollywood actors and travels the world working on persona projects in India, Indonesia and Africa. Pretty much a dream job of what most photographers aspire to – and he’s only 24!
Here’s a short 8 minute interview with Joey where he talks about his philosophy, and gives advice for newbies just getting started.
There is also a full length documentary on his journey back to Africa to actually show the people the photos of themselves. I couldn’t find it online, perhaps you can and share a link with us. But I did find this one below showing just how much he goes through to get this shots. Please keep this in mind as you look at his images and say to yourself, “I wish I could do that” and think long and hard about whether you have what it takes to do what he does in this video below.
I hope you find his work inspiring and it gives you some ideas. Maybe you won’t be jetting off to the rain forest of Indonesia any time soon, but perhaps you can think about how to use his tips, his energy, and philosophy of relating to the people he photographs, in your photography.
The post Chat with Commercial Photographer Joey Lawrence by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Think you have a striking picture of vast galaxies millions of light years away, or a dramatic night sky scene taken much closer to home? The Royal Observatory Greenwich, in association with Sky at Night Magazine, has launched its 2014 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Entries must be submitted by April 24. Learn more
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Elena Shumilova’s photographs catch the viewer from the very first moment and take him away from reality into a mysterious world of dreams, childhood and goodness. The most memorable photos are the ones that tell a story. The pictures you’re going to see below are short stories about two adorable photographers’ sons and their animal friends. It’s hard to believe Continue Reading
The post Heartwarming Pictures of Children and Animals on the Farm by Russian Photographer Elena Shumilova appeared first on Photodoto.
Let’s just say it. Now that we got that out of the way and we all agree that transitioning from being a hobbyist or a part-timer, into a full fledged professional photographer isn’t easy, let’s talk about how to do it.
Let me start off by saying, YOU CAN DO THIS! It will be hard work but it’s NOT IMPOSSIBLE. Suspend disbelief for once in your life and let’s focus on how you can take the steps forward to going pro already!
I know this is going to be hard to believe, but I will ACTUALLY tell you what you need to do, right now. This guide will get you started properly and I’ll leave you with the next steps as well. I’m not going to waste your time telling you who I am, or giving you a typical backstory. I’m going to just give you the goods and then you can thank me later. Crazy right? Let’s jump right into it.
Do you know how to compose a shot decently? Do you understand the concept of exposure and basic lighting? Are your shots in focus? If you answered YES to all three questions, then your skills are far ahead of most people that attempt to take a photo with a camera. That makes what you do, worth money. Granted, your skills are beyond this level but the point is you don’t need to be Chase Jarvis to start charging for your skills. You just need to be better than who’s hiring you.
Many people don’t ever go pro because they never feel they’re good enough to charge money for their skills. At the very least, your time doing any kind of work, is worth money. There are all kinds of budgets out there. Just get started. We’ll talk about your rates later on but if you haven’t charged for your skills as a photographer yet, DO IT NOW. I’m serious. Go to your local pizzeria and tell them you will shoot and edit 10 photos of them tossing pizzas, or whatever, for their website or Facebook page for 50 bucks. Just get it out of your system. That’s the last time you’ll charge $ 50 bucks by the way.
I live in New York City and pro photographers are everywhere. Want to hear something funny? Many of them don’t even own a camera. And you were worried about not having that Nikon Nikkor 200-400mm lens you might need for the odd chance you’ll need to shoot wildebeest migrating in Tanzania? As they say; it’s not the paintbrush, it’s the painter.
If you have great gear, awesome! If you don’t, it’s not a huge deal. You can always rent equipment and factor that cost into your prices. Got a great camera, but only have the kit lens? RENT. It’s not a problem. My partner and I shoot video for big clients and we have lots of gear but we still rent because we always need something different given the shoot.
Stop worrying that your gear isn’t “pro enough” and remember they are going to pay you on how well you capture moments – not how much gear you own.
Having an effective website is critical when going pro. The keyword here is EFFECTIVE. You need to clearly communicate who you are and what value you offer quickly and concisely. The most important thing about any website is the content – what and how you communicate to your audience. The job of design is to augment that message.
Make sure your opening headline on your website captures your visitor’s attention. If you are someone that is great with kids as a photographer say something like “Getting a decent photo of your kid can be torture. Let me put you out of your misery.”
If you are confused about the tech or the design side things and you’re on a limited budget, just go with a Squarespace site. Pick a clean and simple theme and start building.
If you already have a website, the above advice goes for you too. Take another look at your site and see if you are communicating effectively.
On your website, you need to offer something your audience will enjoy and find valuable. That’s where your blog comes in.
Remember your visitors will be people who need photography services and the best way to show you are good at what you do is to share your experiences. Share a story about how you were able to capture a great graduation party even though the guest of honor was camera-shy.
Share tips on how you can hang great photos in your home or office. Explain the rational behind your advice.
By creating great content and sharing stories and tips, your visitors get to know you, like you and start to find reasons to hire you. If you’re worried about people finding you on the web, writing useful posts will also help you rank well on Google and other search engines, as others may be searching for topics you write about.
At first, if you have no work to display on your portfolio, you will need to approach 5-6 potential clients and offer your services for a heavily discounted price or even for free, to build your portfolio. This is also an opportunity to get feedback from clients on your process of working with them and how to improve it.
You can ask these clients for testimonials in exchange for this incredible deal. They can be written or even video testimonials which you can display on your website. Cool huh? This is just to get you started, you’ll get more testimonials as you take on more clients.
If you already have work to display, you’re good to go, but make sure you have some testimonials. If that means contacting previous clients, go ahead and do that.
There are two basic ways to set your rates.
Look at another business that has similar services and experience and use a similar rate. A rate can be an hourly rate or prices for service packages. List three businesses similar to yours and note down their rates.
First, how many hours can you dedicate to your service-business every week? Divide that by 2. Half of your time will be spent on actually running, marketing and building your business. The other half will be dedicated to your actual service work. This may come as a shock to some – “half the time?!” But yes, you need to factor this in so that you are not setting your rates too low.
Second, how much money do you need to make a week to cover your personal expenses? Everyone is different. Your weekly number may be $ 1000, $ 800 or $ 700.
Third and finally, take your weekly amount of money needed and divide it by the number of service work hours a week. That’s your hourly rate. For Example: $ 1000 / 25 hours = $ 40 per hour
Client work is just like any relationship in life. After your first conversation, each party will have already formed an opinion about the other. The client already has imagined what working with you will be like, that’s just human nature.
The good news is that you are in control of how that all happens. The bad news is that YOU are in control of how it all happens – not a typo. Here are your FOUR MUST DO’s when dealing with clients:
Sometimes clients forget when they hire you, that they are not your boss, and you are not their employee. You are a business owner offering a service they need.
Let me state that again. They need you. That’s why they are speaking with you. They are not a photographer, you are. That’s why they took the time to find out about you, and contact you. Whether they actually state it or not, they probably need you badly.
Setting the tone of the nature of your relationship doesn’t have to be mean or condescending but it does need to be done. Here is an example conversation:
The point of this whole conversation is to do a few things:
At some point in your first conversation you have to talk about money. You may prefer to save that until the end of the conversation but it needs to be done. Delaying this will not only potentially waste your time, it also conveys to your potential client, your not sought after and you have no real qualifiers.
If you’re a photographer that will work on any project, of any size, for any given amount of time, for any price, it basically means that you are cool with slavery. I’m not trying to be dramatic here but even Ralph, the $ 10 barber down my street has rates clearly stated. Ever hired anyone and not know how much they cost?
It’s only fair to both parties. Some clients will try to milk you, and try to get 2-3 meetings out of you. They will attempt to discuss their plans for dominating their market and the world in the near future (writing this out of experience) before even discussing money. You are in the services business. Your time IS money. It’s your responsibility to have this conversation with them. State your rates or decide on a budget they are OK with before you move on to meeting number two.
Unless you have worked with a client in the past and you had a great experience with them, you have no evidence they are committed to you in anyway without a deposit. That’s just reality speaking, not me. A deposit can be whatever you agree on – 25, 50, 60 percent, whatever. Some money needs be put on the table before you roll up your sleeves. Beginning work without a deposit is just flat out asking for trouble. TRUST ME! I didn’t get my grey hair for nothing. A deposit is standard and it’s what professionals do.
You are running a service-based business so time is money for you. So agreeing on a timeline early on is essential. They are looking to you for guidance on this one, so propose a timeline. This timeline includes any payment schedules as well as any given revision cycles if applicable.
Make sure you frame this conversation in a way they know you are doing this to make sure everything is transparent and they know when, and what to expect. This also makes things a whole lot easier for you. This is especially important when it comes to work that needs approval during the process. Make sure clients know there is a deadline for that too.
Another benefit of setting a timeline is it lets your clients know, you’ve got other clients and you’re not just working with them. You are happy to be working with each other but you are a sought after talent.
In the beginning you just need to get the ball rolling. Here are some tips to get your first regular clients:
1. Make sure everyone and their cat knows you are now offering professional photography services. Contact everyone on your contact list and in your social media circles. You can even offer a referral fee for friends and family.
2. Go to some local shops you frequent and tell them what you can offer them. Let them know their photos will be displayed on your website and their business’s website or Yelp link will be hyperlinked. What business doesn’t like free marketing?
3. You can also use some freelance online services like these to get some clients:
4. Team up with someone that shares your audience and agree to have them refer clients to you. For example, you may want to approach a web designer. They’ll have clients that need great photos to showcase on the new website.
5. Go where the action is! Go on Eventbrite or sites like it and find out what local events are going on in your area and email the organizer of the event to see if they need a solid photographer to capture their event. If it’s a regular event, they’ll need great photos to market next year’s event.
I’m here to say your art, your craft, can be your business. Your actual livelihood. With that said, understanding and doing business properly is probably going to be the defining factor in your success in going pro. That’s just the truth. But just like you’ve learned how to capture an image properly, you can learn how to run your business properly as well. This guide doesn’t cover every single aspect of building your business, but these are ultimately, the essentials to get you started. You can learn the rest as you build. The point is to start TODAY.
Wow! You made it to end of this post. You are obviously serious about going pro and starting a business around your love for photography so I don’t want your learning to end here. You can click here to get free access to our Building a Service-Based Business course and workbook inside The $ 100 MBA. It’s my way of saying thank you for letting me share what I love, showing others that business is not rocket science and that you can do this!
The post The Ultimate Guide to Going Pro as a Photographer by Omar Zenhom appeared first on Digital Photography School.
I have been photographing weddings for around 6 years now, and have been very fortunate to be able to contribute in my own small way, in making these fantastic events a memory that my clients will treasure every time they look back at their photographs and albums. The added benefit for me is that my […]
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