Budgets, Shotlists, And More: Free Templates For Freelance Production Jobs. If you’re one of the many folks who have started to incorporate video production into the services you offer as a photographer, you’ve probably had a few challenges dealing with it’s unique workflow.
Focus Your Attention. A couple weeks ago, fellow Fstoppers writer Peter House wrote an article on focusing your work.
I got excited at the possibilities of him giving tough love on the photography community as a whole. This article however, while exceptional, was centered on focusing your business efforts to grow to new clients. I’m here to do it a little different, and going to tell you what you’re doing wrong and why you need to stop. Everyday, we’re flooded with Facebook groups such as “Photographer Problems” and other private outlets for photographers to complain about bad clients, being suckered into working for peanuts, and tedious retouching requests.
How to succeed as a creative long term: know your C.O.D.B. There are four letters out there (an acronym to be exact) that have the potential to literally shape your future as a creative, and to determine whether or not you will be able to stay in business long term.
As simple as this formula is, and as basic as it will appear to you once I explain it, I am constantly surprised (shocked to be honest!) At how few people pay attention to this simple number. Even veteran freelancers don’t seem to know what their daily C.O.D.B. number is. C.O.D.B stands for "Cost of Doing Business. " Six Things Every Beginning Photographer Should Know. About once a week I get an email from a student or aspiring photographer that wants advice on how they can break into a career of being a professional photographer.
I found that I was writing the same response every time. So for the sake of time just as much as my desire to share what I have learned, here is my list of six things that I think every beginning photographer should be doing. 1. Get a website Even if you don’t have any money, you can have a website. First, buy your domain name, using your name if possible. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Related. How to Go Pro Without Going Crazy. I'm James Robertson, a new addition to the Fstoppers writer staff and a full time commercial photographer/studio owner for the past year.
I've joined the team to bring content to the readers who may find themselves either ready to jump into the professional world, or have already and are looking for tips to make life easier. I thought it would be good to start with an article that will give everyone some tips on simplifying the work load that comes with the industry through organization and planning ahead.
There's a lot of content to cover, but I'm going to stick to the basics for this post that will apply to most areas of professional photography like editing, hiring, meetings, and shoot preparation. Staff and Third Party Services - As a general rule in business - do everything you're good at, and outsource the rest. Marketing & Meetings - As a freelancer, when I'm not working under a contract I'm looking for one. 4) Know your location - Shooting outside? Step six: Hit stop, & done. Properly Taking Advantage of the Psychology of Pricing. We can talk about pricing all day, every day, but when it comes down to it, it’s not just about how much you’re charging but how you’re displaying it.
Most of the time we put a lot of thought into how aesthetically appealing our pricing pages look, but how they’re laid out can end up making or breaking an up-sale. When it comes down to the way your pricing is set up, you need to think in the way of how your client will view it and remember a few key things. Your collection titles should always be bigger than your detail text and bolded. Your client is going to want to remember the titles when it comes to ordering their ideal session. You don’t want them stumbling around trying to remember the collection names, especially if you name them something other than one, two and three. Your collections should be laid out side by side, not top to bottom. Fetch! The Right Mindset For Finding Clients. Fetch!
The Right Mindset For Finding Clients There are many factors to success in the creative industry. Of course a big chunk of it has to do with the quality of the work, but we know quality isn’t the only factor to being successful as a photographer, otherwise, there would be a lot more of us. Yet most photographers put all their efforts into developing their technical or artistic abilities and leave the entire business chunk untouched. Today I would like to touch on the passive nature of many entrepreneurs. A Photographer’s Guide To Pricing Your Work And Services. For many shutterbugs, the dream of making money with photography doesn’t extend past being able to pay for new equipment.
The Anatomy of a $100K Commercial Photography Estimate. Transitioning into commercial photography is no easy task.
For some it’s the holy grail, end game, and ultimate dream job to have in the industry. For others it couldn’t be further from what they want- and that’s fine! However, for those of you planning a transition from event/portrait based photography into the commercial advertising world, there is a long list of connections, lingo, and experience based knowledge you need to have in addition to being at the top of your game visually. The blog A Photo Editor, is a fantastic place to start your journey on educating yourself on some of the moving parts, or inner workings, of how to present your brand and talk with art buyers. It’s a good place to get into the mind of what an art buyer looks for and acceptable rates. Take a look at the article and examine the breakdown of how the numbers come together. “Free”lance: How To Work For Free. Grow Your Photography Business With A Little Focus.
Grow Your Photography Business With A Little Focus Focus is a word we are all familiar with in photography, but is the same true in business?
The Guide To Pricing Commercial Photography Part 2: Production Costs. The Guide To Pricing Commercial Photography Part 2: Production Costs Welcome back to our series on pricing your commercial photography. A few weeks ago we released Part 1 of the series which explored the benefits and pitfalls of working for free. As we explored the topic it became evident that working for free has its place but in order to create a sustainable and professional industry we must educate our community on the importance of properly pricing their work. Mmercial Photography Sample Business Plan - Executive Summary. Flash Commercial Photography, located in and serving Rochester, NY, will serve small and medium-sized businesses and non-profits for all of their studio photography needs by creating beautiful shots that serve the client's needs, offering excellent service and flexibility with a personal touch, and offering value-added services related to photography.
Founded and directed by veteran freelance commercial photographer Matte Flash, Flash Commercial Photography intends to raise £53,000 by adding limited partners to the business in order to open a studio space, hire staff, and undergo a new marketing campaign. Sales and profits from the business are projected to rise steadily, from £356,000 revenues and £50,000 profits in the first year to £750,000 revenues and £99,000 profits in year 5. Gross margins and net profit margins will be relatively steady at 75% and 13% respectively.