For me it seems, the years come with themes. 2017 has been a year of change. It’s been a year of learning my value as a creator. It has been a year for making big decisions.

This year I was recruited away from my full time job and will be doing similar work (photography and video production) for a new agency.

As part of this change, I terminated a partnership with a business partner who didn’t really understand our worth, or how to best do business in the market.

I’ve started a new high end portrait studio and I’m finally creating portraits that I’m proud of and charging premium rates.

It’s been a busy, difficult year, with many lessons learned. I hope to share some of those lessons here. [Read more…]

Camera Stupid has a fantastic community of photographers over in the Official Facebook Group. We have over 5,000 members now and it’s a great place to share your photos, get feedback, or ask questions. If you haven’t joined yet we’d love to have you.

Greg Grayson recently posted the following question in the group and I decided to repost it here as it’s a great topic that many photographers could benefit from. [Read more…]

Trying to build a photography business can be like being lost in the woods. You stumble around not really knowing what to do or what direction to go. Hopefully you eventually come to a clearing and can see what’s working and what you need to do next. But even if you do, you’re still not out of the woods without a ton of hard work and trudging through rough terrain.

Many blog posts about finding work as a photographer are not all that helpful. Usually they consist of a laundry list of marketing activities that are designed to get you “exposure” without having to actually talk to anyone. Posting on social media is not a marketing strategy anymore, although it can be part of one.

Hopefully this post will be different. [Read more…]

I turn 32 this year. For the first time in my life I actually feel my age. My metabolism is slowing, aches and pains are more common, and I make a visit to the chiropractor on a semi-regular basis.

I was in denial for a while. One day I looked around and realized I just wasn’t a youthful 20 something anymore. With this sad realization, I’ve had to start dressing my age. Shorts and t-shirts have become a weekend luxury. I’ve upgraded my wardrobe and have tried to add a touch of class with grown-up professionalism.

At first I didn’t like it. But the more I learn about how to look good in various social settings, the more I see how your self presentation can put you ahead of the game.

It’s the little things that make a difference. Polished shoes, pressed shirt, tailored pants are small details that can leave a great impression when dealing with potential clients. A well-dressed photographer leaves the impression that your work will be well-dressed as well. As competitive a field as photography is, anything you can do to stand out from the crowd is worth doing.

One more small thing you can do to make a great impression is to have a great business card. In this post I’m going to give you my opinion on what the various styles of business cards say about you as a photographer and then I’ll show you which card I chose to represent myself. [Read more…]

Everyone wants to be a photographer. At least they think they do. It’s one of those fantasy professions like deep sea diver or professional snowboarder. It’s the kind of glamours job you dream about being as a kid, and day dream about when you’re an adult trudging along in a 9-to-5 office job. [Read more…]