Making a Ramble

[Crotographer]

Amateur to Professional. What Does It Take

In the many years that I have been shooting I have been asked so many times how to become a professional photographer. The answer is intrinsically simple, shoot professional shots. The process is not that simple. Yet, I really don't know how to define this question and the answer to it correctly. Thus, please allow me to ramble a bit.

I cannot say that I became a professional because I took better photographs than anyone else. I cannot say that I became professional because I am wiser than most. I cannot say that I became professional because I have an education in photography. My education is spotty as I had to go to work to support my habit of photography. I worked as a glazier for a number of years. (Cutting glass and mirrors and installing them)

What I can say is that I spent every minute imagining how light could be captured. I took this a step further by using filters and different film to see the differences that the same apertures and shutter speeds could produce given the same meter readings.
I tried everything. I shot everything. I made enough mistakes to break Kodak, had I worked for them. I spent every second with camera and lens that I could spare. I shot in the sun, the rain and snow. I bought some cheap hot lights and took portraits. Not just a couple, but, hundreds. I developed all my negatives and printed all my prints in college and community darkrooms and in a converted bathroom. (Which had to be reconverted for a shower or other use)

Here is what I think made th difference for me, personally. I took notes. File drawers full of notes. I grouped them and studied them to see what I did and did not do to get an exposure correct, or, nearly correct. As I shot film I could not chimp. I don't believe in chimping. I believe in paying attention to detail.

When I first decided to sell a photo grouping it included black and white, color and sun prints. I had about one hundred in a portfolio of portraits, scenery, landscape and architectural. I went through an incoherrent speil of my attributes and the value of my independence and sold one photo for $12.00.

After the sale I was told, kindly, that I had many great photos but had no idea how to sell my product. In other words, I sucked as a self promoter.

Now, I could have called myself a professional as I had sold a photo and had learned all I needed to know to be so titled. Then I thought, BS, I just expended a lot of years of effort, got a big head and made....$12.00.

What had I done wrong. I have the talent to take photos that people will buy. I have a portfolio that people seem interested in. What 's going on here?

In a word it is the untold truth of photography. The word that evades a lot of amateurs is salemanship. You have practiced and learned. You are ready to try your hand at making a sale. BUT, maybe you are cocky, self absorbed and individualistic. That works in movies but not in reality. You have to be coherent in your knowledge and subtle in your voice. You have to know how to work, non abrasively, with potential customers. You have to sell yourself as well as your art.

Being confident is the ability to undergo criticism and come out of that challenge with positive thoughts concerning any critique, positive or negative, level headed and ready to absorb more bumps and take a lesson from others. On the same note it is also the ability to weather these storms against your work and be willing to give an honest self assessment of your creations and stand firm or change to suit.

You must be willing to change to suit. The customer is your lifes blood. Most customers are awed. Don't take advantage of that. Their are also customers who have teeth. The ones with teeth can sneak up on you.

I'll stop here, I warned you that this was going to be a ramble. I hope I hit some points that some of you were wondering about..

If you would like to ask any questions I will attempt to answer them. Questions about my business practices I will answer in general terms. Reason: I work contractually. IE, I sell my copyright to the photos I take for a limited time. Therefore, I cannot post them on forums. Simply, you want my copyright, you pay for it. It is money up front, but, I sacrifice the use of my work for a time frame. It is much more complicated than what I am writing here but works well for me. I shoot wine making equipment, mostly with film and in black and white. Hence, you will always here me speaking of the value of handheld meters and spot metering and averaging values. Thanks for being here Camel Comrades!

[phototakeouter]

Originally Posted by Crotographer

I cannot say that I became a professional because I took better photographs than anyone else.

Agreed. Most talented does not automatically equate to most successful. Not just in photography but in almost any field of business.

Originally Posted by Crotographer

You have to sell yourself as well as your art.

Perhaps you could share some tips on how you got from being the $12 guy to where you are now.

What did you change?

[Crotographer]

What did I change? Interesting.

Basically, I realized how many photographers were out there that did not have my knowledge and yet sold consistently. I stopped looking down on other photographers as I realized that was a defensive posture and was acrid in a sales climate. I also did some soul searching as rejection of my work was not for my ability, it was because of my attitude.

When I say "My Attitude" it was the lack of maturity that made me defensive. My defensiveness spilled over to customers as I was not hearing their questions because I was framing their questions in an envelope of " how dare you ask about these perfect photographs"!

I was in my early twenties then and there are a lot of folks here and on other forums who may that have that same attitude.

What I am saying, in case this strikes you in a different way than my intent, is that I realized that I was not being honest about my attitude concerning my work in relationship to the clients interest. I was shutting out the clients in any discussion of what they thought might be improved for their needs. The clients needs and my ego was not meshing.
This was so immature that it is laughable to me now.

30 years later I do not shut out a clients interests. I interpret their interests as to what they have hired me to shoot for their needs. I steer them as to what can and what cannot be done with camera and lens and, my knowledge of how to do it. I am never ashamed to say that I do not know how to accomplish what they want but will figure out if there is a way to do it. I always come up with a way to do it and rarely lose a client. On the other hand, as photography is so individual out here, I have lost some clients to other photographers who have already figured a way to do what I could not. It's an interesting and demanding job.

OK, for the flip side. I am new to digital in a manner of speaking. I say this as there are so many that think I am somehow aristocratic because I speak of photography in terms of film. Nothing is further from the truth. Digital, in practice, is totally different than film as digital is digital. I am used to a wet darkroom and not so well versed in digital imaging. I want to be so don't get it into your heads that I think I know it all. In the event that I think I know it all I will fail miserably. take that as a lesson. Turning 59 in late Sept. Still have a lot to learn.

[phototakeouter]

Originally Posted by Crotographer

What did I change? Interesting.

Basically, I realized how many photographers were out there that did not have my knowledge and yet sold consistently. I stopped looking down on other photographers as I realized that was a defensive posture and was acrid in a sales climate. I also did some soul searching as rejection of my work was not for my ability, it was because of my attitude.

When I say "My Attitude" it was the lack of maturity that made me defensive. My defensiveness spilled over to customers as I was not hearing their questions because I was framing their questions in an envelope of " how dare you ask about these perfect photographs"!

Thank you. I find this an extremely insightful statement. I don't think there are too many people confident enough to look at themselves and find such a serious flaw... and be willing to admit to it in public.

I have found that the people I know who are most knowledgeable, and sure in their knowledge are the ones who are least likely to launch vociferous attacks on others. Even though they are probably in the best position to see all the rubbish the other person may be doing.

If you don't mind me prodding the discussion along though, the self-introspection is obviously important, but coming back to another statement you made in the first post:

I sucked as a self promoter.

How did you improve your self-promotion skills? Because before you can even pull attitude on clients, you have to first be getting clients in the door.

I guess this is going a bit beyond the scope of your initial ramble, but it's an interesting topic and I know I personally am interested in hearing more from someone who has been there and done that.

[Crotographer]

How did I succeed? Is that what you're asking?

I just had to get a balance as to what I knew (know) versus what I thought I knew. Then, I had to compare my work to others that were published and draw a comparison to my own work. I have to say, though, that it was at this point that I had to admit to myself that I was not a portrait photographer.

Yeah, I could use the studio and do OK. I just didn't enjoy it. My greatest love of the camera was taking photos of things that people passed by and never saw.

There was a decade or so where I just shot with the FTn for myself and my family.

All the while, photographic inventiveness was passing me by.

Still. I shot and went for the light. I just was bored with the mainstream stuff of twenty or thirty years ago. I kept taking notes as I went along.

I finally went back to my roots. Medium Format. The difference was so striking that I thought I could do something with it.

This was the difference.

When I developed the 120 and 220 I was way ahead of what I thought I was worth in 35.

Of course, a lot of time had gone by and I was itching to do something with the stress of learning.

I became a listener and an allower. If the customer needed a certain photograph I did my homework and made it happen. I stopped thinking in terms of me and started listening to the client and applying my knowledge to HELP them.

It worked out, in time.

(Edit) You have to know what you are capable of with camera and lens and then work out what your client needs versus what you know. NEVER, NEVER take on more than you can do.

[Unkl Buck]

I can tell you why I'm a professional in one sentence.

I promise my clients that I can produce an excellent photo that they are willing to purchase - consistently.

[Crotographer]

Great Stuff. I also think that you have to do what you do the best that you can do. We can't all do the very best in each photographic venue.

[TimAndrea]

umm, long ramblings, the question i have is why would you give all your copyrights away, i will give someone the copyright to use the image but still retain it for my own use. just trying to understand.
and you still didnt say if you consider yourself a professional, i classify myself as someone who can support their habit! enough to buy new toys but still keeping a day job. i think you are right on about salesmanship, i go to some "pro" sights and wonder how they even make a living at it. and it has to be the way the sell it.
nice thread.

[Crotographer]

TimAndrea. I do not give all my copyrights away. Far from it. I lend my copyrights on certain photographs to my clients for a year to two years, at which time my copyrights revert back to me. Reason: I photograph certain winery equipment for a few clients that are in development stages and not yet on the market. Therefore, I give them the protection of holding their patents until their product reaches the market. It is fascinating work and has to be held close to the vest. The best way to insure that I have no problems is to allow the copyrights to be held by them for an alloted time.

Now, as to 'do I consider myself a professional photographer'; yes. On the other hand; do I have a degree from college or University for a full course in photography, no. I have taken many courses in colleges as I progressed in the craft. Personally, I consider myself a "Working Photographer". IE, I make my living by using my knowledge and skills in all venues of photography. I have been shooting since pre-teen. I have never NOT used a camera and lens since around 12 to 13 years old. Also, I have a large client base. I am not a main stream photographer. I will never be in a Nat'l Geographic spread. I made a choice many years ago, for personal and religious reasons, to never pursue any type of notoriety. Some find this hard to understand.

Last, I love photography. I will take a camera to my grave. I hope my wife remembers to put in a lens.