I recently ran into this slight problem where I was pitching an idea to an editor and he said to me, “Eric, I can’t do anything for you without a formal query letter.”

Erm… what? I thought that’s what I was doing, bouncing emails back and forth sending proposals his way. Well, that’s not quite the whole story.

I decided to follow up with the editor’s second in command (who used to be the editor) and got this email back:

“Eric,

[The Editor] is the kind of guy who feels that if you are a professional, a submission should show up accompanied with a professional query letter…

…the best thing you can do is to not ask an editor to perform any special task in order to make that kind of decision…

…Give the editor exactly what he asks for and you have a better than even chance he will want to work with you. Anything short of that will probably result in a rejection.

Frankly, the whole freelance business is really bad because page rates are falling (!) while more people than ever are submitting work. Based on that, to succeed means doing it better and more professionally than everyone else.”

And there you have it. Right from the editor’s mouth. You have to be better than the next guy, in every way possible. Having good photos just won’t cut it anymore.

Selling yourself is half the battle these days and having professional language in a query letter will get you far. Here are a few tips for writing these types of letters to editors:

1. Use proper language and grammar.

Nothing will get you put in the “deleted” bin faster than a letter full of typos and colorful euphemisms.

2. Spell out exactly what you can do for them!

Understand that editors of magazines are busy people, they want to know exactly what you can offer them to make their life easier.

3. Send samples of your best work.

This ostensibly means your portfolio. You have one, right? Online? It better be. A website is a must here, your photos should right out front and not require a lot of load times or clicking through to get to your work. Portfolios should be your BEST work, not all of your work. Lead with the best and sell them early!

Addendum: You really should target your audience when you show your portfolio. If you are propositioning a gardening magazine, a bunch of portraits isn’t going to convince the editor. Tailor your portfolio to your specific market!

4. Provide contact information.

Not everyone does well via email. Give them options to contact you.

5. Sell yourself.

Your letter and portfolio need to scream “PICK ME!” and if you don’t have confidence in either of these, you’ll be passed up. Be confident and deliberate. If you can’t deliver what you promise, you won’t be picked next time. Be honest, but not a push over. Hyperbole here is your enemy.

6. KISS – Keep it short stupid!
Query letters should NOT be more than a page long, if you are then you are wasting your time. Editors are BUSY like I said, they want brevity. Be short and concise. How many other of these letters do you think they are getting per day?

This is a short list of things a query letter needs. These are just the basics and each letter needs to be made for each person you are propositioning, a basic form letter will not suffice here.

I’m rooting for you,

~Eric

See more from Eric at Impermanence Photography – making it in the world of commissioned work in a shrinking market.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Want REAL Photography Work? Query it!

For best viewing watch it in HD (press play, then quickly hit pause then select tthe 720p HD option in the menu instead of 360p.

In the next video Simon Carter shares some behind the scenes information on the shoot behind the above video as well as giving some general rock climbing photography tips.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Rock Climbing Photography [Video and Tips]

That’s a staggering 85% turnover rate.

Obviously, something is wrong with the way most photographers enter into this business.

So, you want to enter this business? Do your research. In reality, the photographic industry is not about photography. Photography is the end product, yes, but it is only a small percentage of what the industry is about. The rest is about business; Real-to-life business application.

What is the greatest challenge to photographic business? Understanding that many standard business principles apply to this industry, but to a degree, business principles take on a customized spin to photography business.

It’s obvious that photographers need guidance and direction for the specific tasking involved with the photographic business.

The following list is a dream business essentials kit of resources to help you survive the 1st, 2nd, 3rd years and beyond. Remember, foundations are everything. You may need to enter the industry at a slower pace, but have the perspective that you are building your business to last.

Whether you are a naturally business savvy individual, or clueless about business practicalities, this list will assist you to not only survive the photographic industry, but to find the beauty of thriving.

1. Vision Mongers by David DuChemin

Everyone’s path to success is different, because everyone’s definition of success is different. In this book, DuChemin highlights the journeys of nine photographers who have passionately devoted themselves to their craft and their business. You will be challenged, inspired, and encouraged by their stories – and find out if this is an industry you really want to be a part of.

2. Business and Legal Forms for Photographers by Carolyn E Wright

Even a photography business is subject to the law – and those laws may surprise you. Written by a photographer, this book will de-mystify the area of photographic legalities, and give understandable and concise information for you to run your business.

3. The [b] School

Created by the successful “Becker”, the [b] school is a subscription only resource for professional photographers – or aspiring professionals. You must have a business name in use, a web presence, and a desire to get involved with industry leaders. Building relationships with others in the industry will be invaluable to you as you build your business – after all, no one else can help an aspiring professional photographer as well as a professional photographer.

4. Photographic Mentoring

Several professional photographers offer one-on-one mentor programs that will help you dig deep to discover the motivations and foundations for setting up your business. Sometimes you need more clarity than you can give yourself. Dane Sanders, Bride Inspired, Sarah Barlow, Sarah Petty and others will help you build slowly and surely toward your goals.

5. The Photographers Guide to Making Money: 150 Ideas for Cutting Costs and Boosting Profits by Karen Dorame

The opportunities to spend money on photography equipment, supplies, and investments are endless. Don’t spend unnecessarily. Be savvy enough to discern which products and services you should choose to maximize your profits – and which you should do without.

6. News fire / Google reader

If you become like your friends, then it may be safe to say that you will become like the photographers you follow. Take the time to follow and subscribe to photographers whose work inspires you. Study their work, their branding, their business practices; you will be able to consistently glean profitable information – without spending a cent.

7. Café Joy

Sarah’ Petty, a professional photographer for over 10 years has developed the program that she wished she had as a starting photographic professional. Offering both paid and free resources, Sarah’s passion and business sense will help guide aspiring pro photographers to legitimate business depth and practice. Moreover, she guarantees that her resources will indeed help you – or money back.

8. DPBestFlow.org

Developing workflow systems can be a great challenge to photographers because it requires fluid organization and clarity – outside the creative zone. DPBestFlow offers advice and guides on what it means to develop professional workflow to save time and money in your business.

If you slowly incorporate these resources into your research and tasking, you will be set on a more than solid track to any photographic business.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

So You Want to Enter the Photography Business?

Image by Roberto Carlos Pecino

A common question asked by an amateur photographer looking to turn professional is, “what equipment do I need?” I’ll skip the discussion around skill and experience being more important than equipment, but before you rush out and buy any equipment or start offering your services to others, you should consider the various liability issues and the options for operating as a legal entity that are available for your business and obtain the proper insurance for both your equipment and liability. I’ll cover specific options available in the United States in this article, although similar concepts are available in other countries.

Legal Entities

The most common mistake for beginners is to operate a business as a sole proprietorship, meaning there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. This may sound easy and convenient, but it also means that you have unlimited personal liability for the actions of your business, and this includes the actions of your employees or even volunteer assistants. Operating as a general partnership is even riskier because all the partners are personally liable, even if it is for something done by the other partner that you didn’t know about. Even if you have liability insurance coverage for yourself, an accident caused by one of your partners or assistants (paid or not) could significantly expose you to liability.

Imagine you invite a friend to be a voice activated light stand at a wedding and he accidentally drops the boom on the bride. Worse yet, imagine he misplaces an electrical cord and someone is electrocuted. Even if your friend drives their personal car on an errand or trip for your business, such as on the way to the church for the wedding, and causes a bad accident or injury, they are liable for their negligence, but so are you since they were acting as an agent or employee of your business. If you are doing business as a sole proprietor then you are in essence personally guaranteeing everything that the business and any agents or employees do. Your spouse likely won’t appreciate you etting sued for something an assistant did which results in a judgment lien against your house because you didn’t have proper liability coverage.

A much better idea is to separate your personal matters from the business by forming a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a corporation. In most instances, the LLC (not you) bears the responsibility for the liability of its other workers (paid or unpaid). You cannot escape liability for your own acts or negligence through an LLC, including possible claims for negligent supervision or training of employees or helpers, but you can significantly limit exposure for the acts or omissions of employees, agents or other members of the LLC. Filing as an LLC is a fairly simple process in most states and after the initial setup requires only a small fee and annual report to be sent to your state each year. Under current IRS rules, you can even include your single member LLC income and loss on your “Schedule C” form on your personal tax return.

Some photographers choose to form their business as a corporation, including making an election to become a “Sub S” Corporation (which eliminates the double taxation issue found with the C Corporation). While organizing as a corporation does provide certain benefits under unique circumstances, including the ability to carry forward a net loss from one year to the next (such as using the high startup costs for equipment this year to offset your profits next year) and has a longer track record of liability protection going back hundreds of years, often times the additional complexities outweigh the benefits. A corporation will require a separate tax return for the corporation even if there is only one stockholder. Either way, you should seek the initial advice of an attorney and an accountant to ensure your business entity is setup to your greatest benefit and protection.

Insurance

Once you’ve created the correct business entity for your operations, you should always obtain an adequate amount of liability insurance. Otherwise, you may be one accident away from financial ruin…even if you are setup as an LLC or corporation or were not even the one who caused the accident. General Liability policies can often be purchased for a very reasonable premium and if properly written can provide you and any of your employees, assistants, or even volunteers with adequate coverage. Be very sceptical if your insurance agent advises you that protection is already provided under your homeowner’s policy or tries to sell you a personal umbrella policy: personal policies almost always exclude liability or property protection for any commercial or business purposes…even part-time ventures. Always check your policy documents and get confirmation from your agent in writing! If you have filed as an LLC, both the LLC and you as the Member should be listed as “named insured.” Often times your employees, assistants and other non-members or non-officers of the company are not insured.

Finally, consider insuring your equipment. Many insurance companies who offer a commercial liability policy also offer inland marine policies, which is a strange name for a plan that protects your camera equipment from theft and accidental damage. These policies are often more expensive than the options available for personal equipment on your homeowners policy, but again, most personal policies exclude any commercial use. One exception to this rule is the popular “Personal Articles Policy” offered by State Farm, which in most states provides a “professional use” option to waive the commercial use exception specifically for camera equipment, but at a much lower in price than a full inland marine policy.

Scott Bideau is a management consultant with a strong passion for photography. You can view his photographic work at capturedbyscott.com.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

How to (Legally) Become a Professional Photographer

I’m sure most, if not all of us, at one time or another have attended an art or other exhibit at a museum or art gallery that features photographs in an exhibition–artistic or educational.

Very likely if you’re an aspiring artist to be “seen” or “shown,” certain emotions may be evoked while looking at other artists having their own shows. Even more to the point, I bet most here reading this post would wonder:
“How did they get their photos shown, how did the gallery or museum organize to have the show, who arranged and designed the show, and how can I do it?”
?This post should be able to steer you in that direction, if you’re readily inclined to do so. Note: It takes planning, money, and a lot of “sweat” equity to get from here to there. But there are several steps and processes that should assist you toward this goal, although the marketplace is crowded and the economy is down.
So I’ll briefly go through each one of the steps that should significantly increase your chances of getting a show, selling your work, and to get noticed.

1. Have a credible body of work to present along a similar theme

Although it sounds simple enough, you’d be surprised at how many artists and experts in their field are not organized, or can’t stay focused. The point is, that in order for others to take your work seriously you have to first, and the most basic step in that direction is to stay focused along a similar theme that you want people to recognize, identify with, and view. This may not be your only area of aesthetic that you want to show at any point in time, but sometimes you have to crawl before you can walk.

Past that point, if such an opportunity presents itself to show or promote your versatility, by all means that would be something that nobody would intentionally refuse.??As a frequent gallery and museum patron, it never ceases to amaze me how some photographers and artists as well, think that just because they get to show their work, people will automatically respond,  relate, understand, or for that matter like it or want to purchase it. That’s called “rejection,” and it happens to everybody. As an artist it’s something you’re going to get plenty of, so get used to it.

2. Start Small

Frequently, many of your local city halls, libraries, restaurants, businesses, churches, schools, and other ubiquitous public and private institutions, will allow you to hang your work for free.

All it takes is a bit of investigation, a phone call, and possibly a personal visit to make your “pitch.” But it’s up to you and it’s a lot of work —and if your friends can help that helps—to organize, plan, hang, and promote the show. But don’t underestimate this option—many a show and artist get noticed this way.

3. Build your Curriculum Vitae

As an artist, especially one that’s interested in selling your photographs, people want to know more about you, before they make a decision about buying your artistic work.

Don’t lie, and don’t embellish your education, shows, experience, and history. Although it may help you in the short run, in the long run, it will hurt you. Besides your artwork, your character and reputation will quickly be established.

To have the most effective Curriculum Vitae—the more shows that you have, the stronger your chances of getting that next show. Which leads to greater opportunities for you to be noticed, represented, and sell your photographs.

There’s no way around these basics ways to promote yourself. However, with that in mind, with the advantage of the Internet, it would be wise for you to create your own website, showing your various works, and other information about yourself.

Personally, besides perhaps purchasing a poster, I wouldn’t buy a piece of art from the Internet. But that’s just me—I’m sure many have succeeded in doing it this way. But again, it’s a tool and means to an end to get more exposure for your real-world physical body of work.

4. Get to know your local art supply stores, framers, matt cutters, galleries, foundations, and museums.

You’ll soon find that art supplies are expensive if you’re planning on having a show, printing, framing, and publishing your own work. Getting to know the people and organizations listed above will save you time and money if you can buy wholesale for mattes and frames, and the multitude of other things that you’ll need to make sure that your show and work, is as good as it can and should be.

In fact, at some time, with the digital alternatives available, it’s probably a good idea to eventually purchase your own Giclee and matt cutting equipment. If you use mixed media with your photos, like paints, etc., the price of all paints—acrylics, oils, and watercolors, are not cheap.

Use this time wisely to build your contact list when you’re ready to approach people that you want to show you. Call any particular gallery, or museum, and they’ll likely give you a basic breakdown of what and how they might show “new” talent.

Knowledge is power—so use it wisely.

5. Choose your best work to show

Yes we know—it sounds perfectly simple to assume that everybody does. Wrong!

You’d be surprised at how many artists and photographers have shown work that has defects—tears in the picture, back papers, end-papers, matte’s, Knicks in the frames, scratches, etc. This is totally unacceptable if you want to sell your work, and command decent if not exorbitant prices at some time in the future. Three words to remember as it applies to this rule of the thumb: Don’t do it.

People judge you not just by your great art; but also the quality it’s kept in and preserved, and how you decide to present it at a show.

6. Getting a “Known” Gallery to Sponsor and/or Represent You

This is by far is one of the most difficult things to accomplish. You are in competition with literally millions of other artists and photographers vying for that coveted spot.

There’s no “best” way to approach this conundrum of not being “Well Known,” and/or having a name for yourself. While being “Shown” gets your name known sometimes to all the right places and right people–but a good way to start is to pound the pavement. Literally.

Find a list of galleries, and go to each one. A phone call sometimes may get you an appointment, but being at the other end of these countless calls while I worked at a gallery, we unfortunately had to try and get the artist off the phone as quickly as possible. Point being—nothing is a substitute for an in-person meeting.

Now, this is the part of the rejection process—most of the time, the gallery and/or museum will quickly, but nicely inform you that they’re not interested, or not currently showing “new artists or photographers.” This isn’t necessarily the case—they show the artists that came recommended from someone else, or is the artist who’s in current vogue.

Don’t despair because this is part of the game and the world of the art industry. Keep pushing, and pushing harder and harder. It’s a numbers game as much just as much as it’s a relationship game. The two are connected. The more people that you meet, the more relationships you establish, and the more chances that people will recognize you and your work when it’s “Prime Time.”

Fair? No. But such is the way of the world, and the business and life you’ve chosen.

If by chance, when you do secure a meeting with a gallery owner and you’ve got your portfolio in hand, be prepared for rejection afterward as well. But here’s a critical piece of advice–it never hurts to ask the person reviewing your work why they feel they can’t show it. Typically you probably won’t get an honest answer, most likely either because the people in the gallery don’t know you, aren’t interested in you, are busy, have financial constraints, and are in the business of selling what’s already in their gallery. But persevere—eventually you’ll obtain an unbiased and professional assessment of your work and if constructive criticism is given, then take it in stride, and be sure to always stay in touch with these decision makers. Persistence definitely can pay off.

Rejection for anyone is a bitch—but again, you may never get used to it—but with the goal of making it and getting shown, this should get easier as time and your goals become closer, and more reality than dream.

7. Prepare an Invitation List for your Showing

You’ve got a show! Although it sounds simple enough, but just because you “Build It” doesn’t mean “people will come.” Build up a mailing list, and send out invitations when you’re ready to show. If it’s at a gallery, they’ll use their own database, but don’t only rely on that.

8. Marketing and Promotion

Believe it or not, although an artist typically makes for a terrible businessman, there’s a lot to be said for reading as many Art Marketing and Art buying books as possible ,to learn the ins and outs of how best to market and promote yourself. Since the advent of the digital age has changed previous approaches immensely, that too must be calculated into your learning curve.

In the end, it will all be worth it. Be that as it may, I’ve found that the seminal book Art Marketing Handbook. And the book, Marketing art; A handbook for the artist and art dealer, to be timeless. I’ve had a few consultations with its expert author, Calvin Goodman, Management Consultant to the Arts.

By now, especially with the rise of the digital revolution and its relation to making, producing, and presenting art and photography, there must be thousands of other resources to assist you. Get them, read them, study them, and use the recommendations that best fit who you are, and what you’re after. It will make your job of making and having your photography shown, sold, and represented easier.

In the end, I’m sure that armed with this basic primer, and some hard “sweat equity” into your own career– along with the expected hits and misses along the way–you’ll find what best works for you, and listen to your instincts and heart to Plan, Show, and Promote your own Photography Exhibit.

The chances of being successful by following this logical method will greatly increase your chances of doing what you love, and get paid doing it–being a professional photographer.

Lisa Newton is the publisher of the online lifestyle magazine Travelin’ Local.  Along with her passion for writing and photography, she loves discovering new places to go and sights to see in Los Angeles.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

How to Plan, Show and Promote a Photography Exhibit

Don’t be overwhelmed. Take the guess work out of pricing your work by thinking through the following aspects:

1. Know your market: What is the average value of photographers work in your area? Compare and contrast and decide where your work can fit in. Don’t forget to evaluate your service, quality of imagery, and professionalism.

2. Know your client: Some people would rather pay more for a service if it means higher quality. Some people cannot afford anything but the basics. Determine what clients you want to reach and begin arranging your price structure from here. Take note: Unless you are in similar circles and arena’s as your potential clients, you may find it difficult to keep to a higher price bracket.

3. Evaluate your investment: How much time to you put into a senior shoot? A wedding? Evaluate hours of prep, driving, shooting, editing, development, service, quality, and interaction. When you have an idea of your hours of investment per shoot, divide your price by this number. How much are you really making by the hour? What is your return on investment?

4. Determine your expenses: Every photographer has expenses above and beyond the time spent in a shoot. This is where many photographers fall short of “making it” in the business; they have not learned to identify the additional expenses of running this business outside jobs. Equipment costs. Time spent. Services. Presentation and packaging. Insurance. Unless your jobs can cover this overhead, you will be hurting for a way to increase your income. Add up this number to get a ball park figure of additional coverage from your jobs.

5. Establish your jobs: Total your hourly rate, and your expenses. This is the number you need to shoot for when pricing your work. After you have totaled this number, divide it by how many jobs you would like per year. This final number is what you ought to charge for your sessions and shoots. Of course, you may need to adjust your pricing more or less, or increase the number of jobs you aim for. At this rate, you will be able to target the pricing of your work to maximize your overall profitability.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

How to Set the Price for Your Photography

Don’t be overwhelmed. Take the guess work out of pricing your work by thinking through the following aspects:

1. Know your market: What is the average value of photographers work in your area? Compare and contrast and decide where your work can fit in. Don’t forget to evaluate your service, quality of imagery, and professionalism.

2. Know your client: Some people would rather pay more for a service if it means higher quality. Some people cannot afford anything but the basics. Determine what clients you want to reach and begin arranging your price structure from here. Take note: Unless you are in similar circles and arena’s as your potential clients, you may find it difficult to keep to a higher price bracket.

3. Evaluate your investment: How much time to you put into a senior shoot? A wedding? Evaluate hours of prep, driving, shooting, editing, development, service, quality, and interaction. When you have an idea of your hours of investment per shoot, divide your price by this number. How much are you really making by the hour? What is your return on investment?

4. Determine your expenses: Every photographer has expenses above and beyond the time spent in a shoot. This is where many photographers fall short of “making it” in the business; they have not learned to identify the additional expenses of running this business outside jobs. Equipment costs. Time spent. Services. Presentation and packaging. Insurance. Unless your jobs can cover this overhead, you will be hurting for a way to increase your income. Add up this number to get a ball park figure of additional coverage from your jobs.

5. Establish your jobs: Total your hourly rate, and your expenses. This is the number you need to shoot for when pricing your work. After you have totaled this number, divide it by how many jobs you would like per year. This final number is what you ought to charge for your sessions and shoots. Of course, you may need to adjust your pricing more or less, or increase the number of jobs you aim for. At this rate, you will be able to target the pricing of your work to maximize your overall profitability.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

How to Set the Price for Your Photography

What’s Changed: Quality Requirements are Higher

Even in just one year, the quality requirements in microstock have risen. Quality affects both your acceptance rate and your sales rate. That means you have to submit higher quality photos to get them accepted, and they compete with more high quality photos for sales. That’s not to say that quality is the only factor as it’s not, but it is certainly one of the most important.

Quality also means many different things. It’s not just the technical quality of the photo (focus, exposure, etc) but also the composition, lighting style, and the professionalism of the subjects and setting. In the past few years it’s been possible to gather some friends in your living room with open curtains and all the lights turned on, and it would get accepted and sell. Today there are so many photos that are created with professional equipment, models and locations that it’s difficult to get started with simple, home-made photos. Can you see the difference?:

The reality is that the rising quality in microstock is making it more difficult to achieve success. This doesn’t mean it’s no longer possible for students and hobbyists to participate, but it does require some different strategies. You need to focus more on quality and less on quantity, particularly at the beginning. You also need to put more time and effort into analysis and planning your shoots. We’ll look at these topics in detail further down.

What’s Changed: More Agencies and More Services

In the past year more new microstock agencies have entered the market. Some have new and interesting twists on the standard microstock business model. Cutcaster, for example, offers photos priced with an algorithm which raises and lowers the price based on supply and demand. Vivozoom offer buyers a legal guarantee like high priced traditional stock photo agencies, and plan on never having much more than 1000 contributors.

Services and tools designed to make life easier for microstock photographers are also growing in number. PicNiche is a service which helps contributors find lucrative subjects to shoot based on keywords. There’s also a PicNiche toolbar which helps with uploading and monitoring earnings. iSyndica is a new company which distributes your photos to multiple agencies so you only have to upload once - a big bandwidth and time saver. LookStat provides contributors with analysis of their portfolio across multiple agencies and other analytics that help you sell more microstock.

What’s Changed: Less Sales but Same Money

Most microstock agencies have raised the prices over the past year which is great for contributing photographers. Some have lowered the commission rates too, but the net effect is positive. Most microstock photographers are finding that the number of times each photo sells is slightly lower than it was a year ago, and substantially lower than two years ago. However, thanks to higher prices, the total revenue is around the same level.

Most microstock photographers find that they need to continually upload lots of photos to increase their earnings. Uploading only a small number of photos each month will just maintain your earnings level, and not uploading anything will see your earnings drop. The number of photos required to increase earnings is different for each portfolio and is difficult to figure out with all the seasonal variations. Generally speaking, it will be a higher number for bigger portfolios.

And it’s not always the case. My own earnings have risen substantially this year despite not having uploaded any photos since January! I have no idea why. Everyone has different experiences.

Success Tip: Start Slow and Learn Fast

The abandonment rate of contributor account in microstock is very high. More than half of the people who register get frustrated and give up, losing all the time they’ve invested and the potential earnings they could have earned. There’s some easy things you can do to avoid this.

First, figure out if microstock is for you. You many not like shooting what sells and commercial styles, If you prefer shooting your own way or highly artistic styles, then think twice before starting with microstock. You may not be ready yet. Microstock is extremely difficult without a DSLR, and you really need to know how to use it well to avoid rejections and low sales. You also need a lot of time for the planning, producing, shooting, processing, uploading and submission of the photos. Then there’s the keywording & descriptions and managing model releases and property releases. In short, manage your expectations so you don’t get disappointed when you discover it’s actually hard work.

If you do decide to try selling your photos in the microstock market, start out slowly with a few of your best photos. Focus on the agencies that don’t require you to submit test photos first. Once you have some photos online with a few sales, use the feedback of what gets accepted and what sells to know which ones to use for the tests at the other agencies.

When building your portfolio, don’t get too excited and upload too fast. Look at what’s working well in your portfolio and repeat the successes. Find what the photos that don’t sell have in common and avoid repeating that. It’s true that you need a lot of photos to earn a lot of money in microstock, but it’s much easier to focus on increasing your quality before increasing your quantity.

Success Tip: Work Smart before Working Hard

Microstock is a very open market. You can see so much information about what’s selling, what’s not selling, who’s selling, where they’re selling it and why they’re selling it. Use this information to your advantage.

Analyze. Look at the data and find out what works. What subject, what style, what lighting, what composition, what keywords, what agencies, what models, what colors, what poses. Each insight you find with this analysis will save you lots of time creating photos which won’t sell. And keep in mind that reproducing the top selling photos is not a smart strategy. Unless your photos are substantially better, they won’t compete with high quality photos that already have a sales record behind them. Use your research not to imitate, but to find your own style and your own perspective.

Be business minded with your microstock activity. Look at what you’re spending on shoots and equipment, and record how much time you spend. If you find you’re spending more than you’re earning, or you’re not happy with how your profits relate to the time invested, you can adjust. You may change something to lower your costs, or look for ways to increase your revenue. You might even be happy to lose money if you’re learning or enjoying what you’re doing. But you’ll never know if you don’t do the math.

Lee Torrens blogs about microstock and his own experiences selling photos online at Microstock Diaries and via @microstock on Twitter. He reviews microstock agencies and services for microstock photographers, plus profiles the microstock superstars and analyzes what makes them so successful. If you’re interested in starting or improving your microstock photo career, head over and subscribe to Microstock Diaries.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Microstock Update - How the Market has Changed and What That Means For Digital Photography Students

This spring I had the the chance to take the wedding photography course offered by Proud Photography.

Proud Photography offers online interactive photography courses that allow you to improve your skills at your own pace complete with one-on-one support from professional photographers. They offer a basic photography course as well as the wedding course. The wedding course should not be taken by people new to photography. You will need to be comfortable with your camera and be familar with it’s use as well as have some experience taking portraits in general.

The lessons covered a wide array of topics including:

• Getting started - Marketing Techniques
• Setting the Rules - Fees and Contracts
• Equipment - Best Types of Equipment
• Types of Shots - Posing Ideas, Formal and Informal Pictures, SHots not to be Missed
• Post-Production - Digital Workflow, Fixing Problems
• Presentation - Ways to Present, Software

There are quizes and homework included at the end of lessons. Test questions mostly check if you read the lesson carefully and are not difficult. The real “test” is where you take shots for the assignments. These are turned in to tutors, professional photographers who will critique your images.

Each section contains a great deal of in-depth information. They cover common mistakes photographers make, posing ideas, digital workflow, etc., with plenty of photographs to illustrate the various points. The equipment section gives some excellent reasoning for getting good quality cameras and lenses.

The Digital Workflow and Post-Processing lessons offer valuable information as well as tips you may not have thought of to keep you organized, such as synchronizing the time on you and your assistant’s cameras to keep images in the proper order. Definitely helpful when you are trying to remember the order in which events happened on a busy day! There is step-by-step detailing of common problems that can be eliminated in Photoshop along with excellent images that will keep you on track even if you are a Photoshop newbie. There is even a video you can watch! I thought I knew how to do many of these, but I learned some better ways of doing things.

There is a large emphasis on the Business of Wedding Photography, which is something few photographers feel comfortable with when looking to get into this business . Dealing with clients, including tips for dealing with difficult problems that might turn up will enable you to feel more confident. These lessons also cover marketing, creating a website, and wedding photography contracts, which can be downloaded for your use.

Will there be subjects covered you already feel you know? Possibly, but more likely you will find areas that you never considered. There is some information here that you could find searching the internet, but to have it all in one place is a time saving advantage. The forum is great, but it would be nice to have a specific section on weddings.

Highlights of this course?

• Free gallery space
• Online tutors to answer questions and offer critique
• Sample contracts to download
• Learning at your own pace
• Forum to connect with other students

Conclusion, this is an good course for a photographer that wishes to start a business in wedding photography. You will find everything you need to help you begin and it will help you to avoid common mis-steps, all in one convenient place. If you like learning in a more structured environment with professional feedback, this may be the course for you.

Check out the Expert Wedding Photographer here for yourself.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

The Expert Wedding Photographer [Course Review]

Image by kwerfeldein

You can ask 10 photographers what they think is their key to success in a bad economy – okay, flat out terrible economy – and you may get 10 different responses. Recently, a fellow photographer who had been following my blog commented that he wished he was busier, “but not Annie-busy!” He was stating this because I post client photoshoot sneak peeks on my blog every few days. Being a successful photographer is more than having a lot of business, it’s also about being profitable and, more importantly, being happy. That last point may sound hokey, but if having one photoshoot every few weeks makes you happy or making just enough to send your family on vacation is what you strive for, then that’s success.

Hearing this new term, Annie-busy, made me think about how I’d explain to other photographers what I’ve done in this economic recession that has kept my business flourishing. Though there are certainly other things that can be added to this list, here is what has been working for me.

There are three main points:

1. Have The Right Attitude

Even if you are a leader in your field, you need to keep learning new things – whether they are new gadgets and equipment or new techniques. You can take classes, attend seminars, and read industry publications. You can connect with other photographers to brainstorm ideas and learn tips.

Once you feel complacent and have an attitude that you don’t need to learn anything further, you will fall behind the pack.

2. Don’t Wait For Business

Whether you are busy with multiple photoshoots every week and a positive cash flow or your camera is collecting dust, there are many things you can do that can help your business.

Take action.

Here are some ideas to get you started: Can you update your portfolio? Are there vendors you wanted to try? Is there anything you can improve on your website? Are there things your competition is doing that you are interested in doing/having (ie, cool paper products, a blog)? Is there a way to expedite your workflow? Did you want to try out a new technique?

3. Think Outside The Box

I come from a Marketing background, so in my opinion, the three biggest reasons for one product’s success over another is Marketing, Marketing, Marketing. In this case, your “product” is you.

With that said, think about what else you can do to market your business.

You first have to have good online presence. So make sure you are happy with your website, and happy with how you and your business are presented to the public.

In addition to the traditional marketing methods, like advertising where your target audience will see the ad, there are also marketing avenues that are more effective… and often free! A good example is Relationship Marketing. It starts with creating a relationship with your clients. If your client refers you to someone else, that is 100 times more effective than having 100 people see your ad. Also, you can talk to business owners who share the same clients. You may be able to find common interests and run a co-promotion or find a way to help each other out. In this kind of economy, many businesses have to cut their advertising and marketing budget, so you may want to consider a product/services trade.

In the last few years, social networking has been growing in popularity, but it has also proven to be the new way to advertise. And it’s free! Networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, are places millions of people frequent every day. I have gotten clients within minutes of an existing client posting their photos on their Facebook page. It is like getting an instant referral because that person knows my client, and referrals go a long way in this industry!

Another consideration is expanding your business in the form of your product line or even type of photography. I started out as a lifestyle photographer specializing in children, maternity and families, then tried out commercial photography and event photography this year – and really liked it! The commercial and event photography balances out the fast-paced, running-and-jumping-with-the-kids-til-I’m-sweating kind of photography! Expanding what you do to other types of photography will also expand your client base.

If you do this, don’t forget to stay true to yourself. Know what makes you happy and don’t change what you love only to grow your business. Clients will be able to detect your passion, or lack thereof, for the business. Plus, your artwork will reflect how you feel, so stick to doing what you love.

So test the waters, think outside the box, don’t wait for business to come to you, and have the right attitude regardless of the state of the economy.

Annie Tao is a lifestyle, commercial and event photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area.

You can view her site at www.annietaophotography.com or read what she’s been up to on her blog at www.annietaoblog.com.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

How To Survive a Down Economy As A Photographer