So how do you do it?

[Arved]

Originally Posted by 12step

Why should I pay for my own site when my Etsy shop almost does everything a website would?

If that's all you want your website to do - handle your sales - then that's a perfectly valid reason to stay with them. Don't change a thing if it works for you!

I don't want my web site to handle sales. I want my website to be part of my marketing strategy. Specifically, I want it to generate inquiries. For me, a gallery like that doesn't make any sense. Nobody's going to google me, find a site with someone elses prints for sale, and give me a call to see if I can photograph their wedding or do a family portrait, yet that's exactly what I wish my web site did.

[Ed Shapiro]

Guys-

I think allot depends on how each of us, and everyone else was introduced to photography as a career or an avocation. In my case I came for the other side of the tracks, so to speak. If 12 knows the Tri-State NYC Metropolitan Area, Bedford-Stuyvesant (Brooklyn) may ring a bell. I went to school in Williamsburg which was a bit upscale in comparison and before my first year in high school, I landed a part time and summer job as a gofer in a fairly high end photographic studio which soon turned into an apprenticeship. My first boss was an ordained rabbi who did not hold a pulpit- he went into business instead. The reason I mention this is that he taught me very dogmatically as if the basics of photography were biblical in nature and many things have to be done "by the book". Sounds kinda grim but it was really not and in fact I was very fortunate to have such a definitive teacher. My boss was a first rate wedding photographer and knew exactly what he was doing in t terms of display, promotion, networking and most importantly- he knew his photography- did he ever know his photography! He did not mind creativity but that came later- first I had to learn the rules and I had to replicate HIS style of shooting before I could be trusted to do any kind of serious shooting besides passport pictures which I was allowed to do.

The basic lessons I learned from my first boss and mentor have been with me ever since and have never let me down. One of the paramount philosophies is not too complex and works today as well as it did 50 years ago; IF YOU WANT GOOD MONEY, YOU HAVE TO DELIVER GOOD WORK AND IF YOU WANT EVEN MORE MONEY YOUR WORK HAS TO BE A CUT ABOVE THE REST. Besides all the promotional skills, at the end of the day, you have to produce value so you clients feel that their money has been well spent and this is what starts to generate those invaluable word of mouth recommendations. I would here people talking at weddings saying "yes, he charges more but the work is fabulous"! Over 50 years later- I still hear that! This indicates to me that there is still a decent market for hard work and good work.

Another important tenet was/is that you have to make money when you are in business so you need to charge a GOOD price. A good price means that the client happy with the service and the product and the photographer has made a fair profit. Sounds simple? I guess it ain't all that simple and the proof of that argument is that there are photographers out there who are just not making it. Therefore, based on what I have written so far, when there is failure there is either something wrong with the work so that it can't fetch as much that is needed to run a business and make a living or that the costing and pricing is not properly thought out and attended to. It can also indicate that a photographer is targeting the wrong market. This does not mean that we should be totally mercenary; in a community it is important to help people as much as we can. I oftentimes will work at a reduced rate, create a smaller below minimum package, or even do the odd job on a pro bono basis to accommodate the needs of people who are experiencing bad times or are just down on their luck but this has to be the exception rather than the rule in order to stay in business.

The next "law" is IF YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS YOU ARE A GOOD PHOTOGRAPHER, YOU ARE IN DEEP TROUBLE, thus the area of networking and promotion. Many photographers become frustrated because the haven't the redresses to afforded expensive advertising not realizing that big time "shot gun" advertising is not the answer. Small time targeted advertising and networking is the answer. This means that you need to create a BUZZ in the industry and get people talking about you and you products and workmanship. You can not, however, take the cart before the horse; development of you product and the difference in you product is what starts the ball rolling. Some say that "you need to have a "gimmick" but I hate that word because it smacks of something without substance. You product has to be your so called "gimmick" but it has to ring true and have lots of substance and integrity.

What we did in that old studio was to capitalize on the quality we were already producing. We were one of the few studios in the entire NYC area which used MULTIPLE LIGHTING during that era. We were starting to use LEATHER BOUND ALBUMS and worked with a BIGGER CREW at a wedding in order to look after the lighting and work quickly and precisely paying attention to detail. Theses are all FEATURES that many folks may not fully understand so we called it "LIGHTING LIKE IN THE MOVIES IN SPARKLING BLACK AND WHITE AND VIVID COLOR beautifully mounted in leather library bindigs...no more plastic! Then in our advertising we mentioned that "our professional staff will cover your wedding in an and efficient and and precise manner and we will pay attention to every detail while you and your wedding party have fun and enjoy the day".

What we have done is turned our features into benefits. We told all of the other vendors about out styles and way of working. Our buzz words were ELEGANCE, CASUAL and ROMANTIC. We showered all the other vendors with photographs of their dresses, flowers, catering layouts, halls, limos, invitations (we used as title pages in the albums in a still life compositions) and you name it. We became omnipresent in the wedding and event community.

In those days smoking was still in vogue and PC. We would supply matches for each guest at every table with a engagement photograph of the bride on the cover and our list of benefits in the inside cover. To monitor the effectiveness of this little idea we included a little coupon on the match book that offered the inclusion of an 11x14 portrait over and above any package that was purchased when someone came in and boodled a wedding. People would call us and come in or give the little coupon to someone who was planning a wedding or other event. Over the years, hundreds of those matchbook coupons came back to us and the coat of producing the little matchbooks was less that 3 days worth of newspaper advertising. Nowadays we no longer use matches but we leave small cards at the table where the guests pick up their place cards and because it has a picture of the couple they allways pick up! It worked 50 years ago and it works today.

There are dozens of things that we do every day to keep the business going, some things like bridal and home shown are big and showy and some are low key. We allways dress in business suite or tuxedos at weddings. The studio "coat of arms" or logo is tastefully embroidered in the jacket pocket. On industrial jobs we have black T-shirts a ball caps. Everything counts, the way you answer the phone and greet you customers when the come in for an appointment.


Try this! Can you introduce yourself to anyone who asks or you want to tell who you are and what you do- smoothly and briefly without missing a word. Example: Hi- I am Ed Shapiro and I am a professional photographer specializing in portraiture, social photography and commercial work". Yes- I am ON DUTY 24/7. Oh- in good taste of course- I won't do that at a funeral, religious services or every time I meet someone but in certain social and business situations, one's occupation will oftentimes come up in conversation.

The reality is that if you make photographs like everyone else, act like everyone else, offer the same service as everyone else you are gonna have to charge just like everyone else and that is where the problem begins. In my own case, I will shop in a box store or a WAL-MART kind of operation if I can save money on a standard item- say I gonna buy a SONY TV set of a certain model and save $150. if I buy it in a box store. I don't need advice, I don't need instillation and I know what I want and why I want it. The TV is guaranteed by the manufacturer or the distributer and it is the SAME thing so why should I go to an exclusive specialty shop and spent $150. more? On the other hand, I am a big guy and I can't buy suits off the rack even if the lower priced store will do alterations. I prefer to go to a custom tailor who will make to measure and assure me of a good and comfortable fit. I get the tailor to reinforce the pockets because I put gear in my jackets pocket and reinforce the seams because I use my suits to work weddings. where I crouch, climb and assume physically uncomfortable positions. I can order a lady's weight suiting material so I don't suffocate on hot days. I will pay more for better workmanship and service. When I serve my clients, I put myself in their shoes and treat them as I want to be treated when I need good service. If you want higher fees, clientèle that can afforded you work and demand better products, you have to be able and prepared for furnishing a high caliber product.

As I mentioned, I was lucky- I entered the profession with a totally open mind with out being exposed to the sub culture of inapt photography, low ball price structures, department store studios and many of the low priced operators that all exist to this day. I learned, from the very start, to run as fast and far as I can from low-ball competition and work in a different strata where "GOOD ENOUGH" just doesn't cut it. At one point, if you want to rise above some of the flack that goes on in the low priced market you need to make up your mind and improve your product, create a new marketing plan, target a better market, draw up a new business plan and get to work on a basic renovation of you own business.

If you are a part timer, this is a great opportunity to create a long term plan. If you have enough family income to keep the home fires burning, you have time to build a new kind of business at your own pace. There is time to grab some courses, read, work right here on the forum, experiment, start producing a portfolio and all the preliminary steps. At one point in time you may wish to switch careers but you don't have to take the big step until you are fully prepared. If you operate your part time business successfully you will be able to finance you own studio startup costs and pre-operational expenses.

I know this has been a long post but I find that even with my long experience in the business it is good to do some, sometimes painful introspection, check out any issues that are causing problems or detours and remedy the situation as soon as I can.

Many of the items or services I mention are old- there is nothing new about multiple lighting or leather bound wedding albums although even nowadays I have seen some pretty lame albums and bad lighting. Your job is to create you won plan and turn you features into customer benefits.

I think this is a great thread! So many photographers know how to make good images and handle their equipment but oftentimes there is a lack of business acumen, savvy and skill sets. More discussions like this should take place.

Ed

[12step]

All technical issues, theories, opinions aside reference photography, I am one of those that believes that you can be the best at anything if you have the willingness to work towards it. To be a great photographer like Ed said, you have to really put the effort towards it. And like any goal you WILL have to pay a price to get there. Sacrifice, and lots of it. Time, money, and sometimes relationships will be the eggs broken to make the omelet of what you are striving for. The question is, is it worth it? The answer on that depends on the person and their situation.

To be a great photographer (or anything else,) you have to work to get there. A long path with some deep holes during the journey. Failure and that PHD from the School Of Hard Knocks are lessons for some that were some of the best knowledge we have obtained. The same goes for starting your own business. Research, education, product quality and creativity all play major factors in success of a business. If you want all of that you have to work towards it.

As far as I am concerned reference photography:

Do I want to be good? Yes.

Do I want to be the best in Cincinnati? No, Sorry, I'm not willing to spend all my off days (which rotate) to study, tag along with my mentor when he shoots, read, attend classes, etc. My off time is precious and with me, family comes first. I would rather be a dad that was pretty good taking pictures than a father that was a famous photographer that my wife and kids never saw. I guess National Geographic will have to find someone else to go shoot natives and wildlife in a rain forest...lol. I want to learn more but do it in the time a lotted that I choose.

One of the main reason I made this thread was I am fascinated at the way photographers promote. I like to look at the site and try to figure out the direction they are going to try to obtain customers.


By the way, these are some great replies in this thread.



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[Liza]

Originally Posted by 12step

Do I want to be the best in Cincinnati? No, Sorry, I'm not willing to spend all my off days (which rotate) to study, tag along with my mentor when he shoots, read, attend classes, etc. My off time is precious and with me, family comes first. I would rather be a dad that was pretty good taking pictures than a father that was a famous photographer that my wife and kids never saw. I guess National Geographic will have to find someone else to go shoot natives and wildlife in a rain forest...lol. I want to learn more but do it in the time a lotted that I choose.

Unfortunately, you don't get that choice. A lot of us work 70+ hours per week, including evenings and weekends, to make a go of it. Last month, I worked 7 days per week to stay on top of the shooting and editing. That's part of being a successful small business owner in a cutthroat market.

Some of the things that work for me are:

1. Good SEO. I'm page one on Google.
2. Word of mouth from past customers. I distinguish myself from the local $500 hacks by providing excellent customer service and upscale products.
3. I have a physical facility, which has made a huge difference in perceived legitimacy.
4. Networking. I belong to our area bridal society, and I take the time to network regularly with local vendors.

I'm also working on being featured on one of the national blogs, which garners all sorts of attention. I met a well established Chicago wedding coordinator at the wedding I shot this weekend, and she said she will assist in submitting the images to Style Me Pretty and some of the other blogs.

[12step]

Originally Posted by Liza

Unfortunately, you don't get that choice. A lot of us work 70+ hours per week, including evenings and weekends, to make a go of it. Last month, I worked 7 days per week to stay on top of the shooting and editing. That's part of being a successful small business owner in a cutthroat market.

Actually I do have that choice. I am not a professional photographer. I am a Police Officer. A long time ago I set into a career that was going to pay the bills and provide benefits and free college schooling for my family. I love photography and wouldn't mind making a little money from it, but I certainly do not or will not consider it a form of supplementary income anytime soon. Not enough time.

I shoot what I like, and will take a job at my pace.

I am blessed to be in that position.



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