photo by jacoblund via iStock
Being in business for yourself is probably a dream come true. But if you’re like me, the deeper you got into it, the more you realized how utterly unprepared you were to dive into entrepreneurship.
That being said, it’s not like there’s a lack of photography business tips, tutorials, books, and other resources out there to help you along.
They usually say the same thing, though. This tutorial is a little different…
Below, I’ve outlined three photography business tips you’ve never heard before. And though they might make you scratch your head at first, I’ve found them to be super helpful in making my life as a photographer easier.
Photography Business Tip #1: Don’t Look to Other Photographers for Inspiration
Photo by Charles ?? on Unsplash
There is a fine line between inspiration and imitation, and I’ve found all too often that photographers are doing the latter.
Everyone says that looking to your fellow photographers for inspiration is the way to go, but I have to disagree. This doesn’t mean that I don’t ever look at the work of my colleagues because I do, and I appreciate their skill and talent and hard work.
But when my creative engine has stalled, I don’t surf Instagram or Flickr to find inspiration.
Instead, I look to other creative sources - movies, music, sculptures, paintings, and so forth.
Photo by kevin laminto on Unsplash
I do that because it challenges me to find ways to adapt the creative spirit of those pursuits to my work as a photographer. It also helps me to create my own ideas rather than simply seeing something cool in someone else’s photos and trying to replicate it.
There’s a zillion photographers these days, and one of the biggest challenges each of us has is to create our own unique vibe. Getting inspired by other forms of art will help you do that. Copying the work of other photographers won’t.
Learn More:
Photography Business Tip #2: Don’t Neglect Your Camera Strap
I know what you’re thinking…
How does a camera strap have anything at all to do with success as a photographer?
It’s simple - a good camera strap improves your workflow, helps you shoot more comfortably, and lasts for years and years, so it’s a sound financial investment. What’s not to like about all those things?
Time is money (more on that below), so you don’t want to waste your time fiddling around with a camera strap that isn’t functional or comfortable.
I’ve tried dozens (hundreds??) of straps over the years, most of which were just okay. But then I pulled the trigger on a Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo, and I found the perfect strap.
This thing is lightweight and is worn as a sling strap, so your arms are completely free for unencumbered movement. I appreciate the ability to do so whether I’m out for a quick landscape shot at the beach or whether I’m taking portraits on the street.
Another thing about this strap that makes it so functional is that it’s designed to stay out of your way, yet keeps your camera right at your fingertips.
That’s accomplished by a stabilizer strap that keeps the shoulder pad in place as well as a Belt Anchor on the opposite side that attaches your camera to your belt.
That means that no matter if you’re walking or jogging, standing or kneeling, your camera will remain in place on your body instead of sliding around all over the place.
To bring your camera to your eye, you simply pull a tab with one hand, the camera is free, and you’re ready to shoot. To reattach the camera to the Belt Anchor, just repeat the same one-handed motion and you’re ready to move again.
There’s a comfort level to this strap that I haven’t found in other straps, too. The large shoulder pad helps distribute the weight of my gear over a larger part of my shoulder, which helps keep fatigue at bay.
Something else that helps in the comfort department is the fact that the Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo is made of a single piece of full-grain leather. As a result, it will conform to your shoulder over the years and become more and more comfortable the more you use it.
This thing also looks absolutely incredible, which isn’t necessarily important, but it doesn’t hurt!
The more comfortable you are, the more functionality you have with your gear, the longer you can shoot and the more productive you can be. That’s why a good, solid camera strap is so important!
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Photography Business Tip #3: Your Website Hosting Can Make or Break Your Business
Imagine you've got a gorgeous website with a portfolio full of incredible images you've created.
Then imagine promoting your website so people can see the great work you do, only to discover that your website is down because you have unreliable hosting.
This is a problem that's a lot more common than you might think. I should know, too, because in the early days of PhotographyTalk, the site was constantly down because our hosting was just plain terrible.
That's not the case any longer because I finally found a reliable host about 3 1/2 years ago. That host is OVH.
OVH is a global company with operations on four continents. They have a presence in 19 countries where they have 27 data centers and 300,000 servers. Now that's global!
All of that is important because OVH has the infrastructure needed to give you the 99.9 % uptime they promise. And over the years, OVH has most certainly delivered on that promise to me!
Your website is your window to the world, and to make a success of your photography business, it's critical that your website works. With OVH as your host and with their incredible customer service team on your side, success is much more likely for you.
Take it from me - PhotographyTalk has grown faster since we've been with OVH. That's no coincidence!
Photography Business Tip #4: Take “Time is Money” Seriously, But Not Too Seriously
photo by lechatnoir via iStock
The old adage that “time is money” is very true - if you dilly dally all day long and get nothing done, it’s going to cost you a lot of money in the long-run.
That means that you need to streamline your workflow so that you’re getting as much done as you can in the time you have allotted.
Find shortcuts to get common tasks done, use your commute time in the morning to brainstorm ideas, if you take public transport, use that time to return emails or follow up with clients.
photo by jacoblund via iStock
You can also streamline your day by delegating. I know that can be hard for some people to do, but to be successful, you need to have people on whom you can rely. Whether you have an assistant or a second shooter or a website lady or a marketing dude, you need to let them do their thing so you can concentrate your time on other tasks.
Having said that, there are times when ditching the “time is money” mantra is advantageous.
photo by meatbull via iStock
For example, if you’re a wedding photographer and your contract ends at midnight, but the couple asks if you can stay another 20-30 minutes, do it, and do it for free.
Why?
Sure, you can charge them an extra $100 or whatever for that time, but how offputting would that be to the clients?
Instead, if you give them that little bit of extra time, you’re paving the way for more work in the future. Baby photos, anniversary photos, holiday family photos, and so forth could come your way.
So, value your time, but also value the opportunity to give your time to your clients as a means of building bridges for future work.
And with that, you have three photography business tips you’ve never heard!
Learn More:
- 3 Things Every Wedding Photographer Needs
- 7 Mistakes That Make You Look Like an Unprofessional Photographer
All photos of the Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo are by Brandon Burk.