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12/31/2005 08:50:53 AM · #1 |
Last weekend I took my daughter and some friends to the beach to take some pictures. Had my camera and full kit with me. Some people (2 couples) came up and asked me if I minded taking a picture of them with their camera (tourists). I took their pictures and gave them their cameras back and went on about my day.
Later, talking to another photographer, I was giggling about the number of people who ask you to take pictures for them when you have your big camera around your neck. He immediately gave me hell! He said I should have taken the pictures with their cameras as they asked, BUT THEN offered to take a picture with my camera, give them my business card and tell them they could buy the pictures directly from my webpage. He is right, of course, but it just never occured to me to SELL to the nice tourists.
So, how brave/bold are you? Would you have offered pro services to the nice tourists? Will you now that the idea has been brought up? I think I will give it a try next time. I'm guessing it gets easier after you've done it a few times.
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12/31/2005 09:00:04 AM · #2 |
I've done it a few time and made £20 or £30 out of it.
Once they have brought the picture they want I take them off the web as they requested that.
I have done candids and got caught and they asked if they could buy a picture, of cause I said yes.
You have reminded me I need to get some more business cards printed.
Good luck on this new venture.
These things help to get accessories and the like.
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12/31/2005 09:27:04 AM · #3 |
Sadly, I am bold as all heck and would have ended up doing a whole "work-it-for-the-camera-baby" scenario that lasted a half hour while my kids got irritated with me and ended up with the couple kissing in the sand with the waves, given them my biz card and email address as well as gotten them to sign a model release.
Of course, I am horrifically unemployed and this has created a MaryKayLadyonCrack kind of pushy-behavior in me lately. Then again, I just really love what I do, and I can be downright scary infectious in my enthusiasm too. I guess it depends on my mood.
The world thrives on flattery, and I am a free-wheeling-loving-hippy girl who really sees beauty in a lot of things that make peoples eyebrows raise - and I tend to be a freak and tell people this a lot (Hey! Old-Lady with the purple-hat and hairs growing out of places it shouldnt be! you have purple eyes too! OMG! Can I take your picture! They are so incredibly pretty! Here sign this model release! Sure, if I sell it I'll email you! Never know where these pictures end up! OMG! Your Manicure has little violets on your tips! AHHH! Thats so cute! Flip me the bird right next to your eyes! OMG! OMG!).
So yes, horrifically and embarissingly bold. And the hysterical thing, is that without the camera - I am so shy its painfull. At my wedding parties- the guests were FLABBERGHASTED when I took control of the camera to get a shot of all the kids clicking-fingers and yelling "Garcon!". My own new-hubby was cracking up because the shift in personality was bowling people over.
Heh, so now you know my secret, dont tell anyone. :) |
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12/31/2005 09:37:11 AM · #4 |
| A huge yes to that. I regulary introduce my self to tourist take their picture with their camera and mine and give them a business card. It's good practice in working with people. You never know who you might be photographing. |
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12/31/2005 09:42:05 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by notesinstones:
Sadly, I am bold as all heck ....
Heh, so now you know my secret, dont tell anyone. :) |
You totally crack me up! I'm not shy, but tend to be reserved in most situations. I definitely need to be more aggressive with my selling.
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12/31/2005 09:53:03 AM · #6 |
| I can imagine you have a great future in front of you, Jennifer! |
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12/31/2005 10:00:16 AM · #7 |
I'm not painfully shy, but I do certainly prefer to keep to the background in social situations. But these days, when I have my camera in my hand, I'm all about getting the shot.
Working on getting even more bold, particularly with strangers and I'm getting better pictures as a result too. I don't generally try and sell
one on one to random people, it seems to be more work than the money is worth, but reselling is well worth it.
I'm having less and less occasions where I kick myself for not asking :)
As an example, here's a shot I might have tried to 'snipe' from a long distance, with a long lens a year or so ago. I'd do that occasionally, painfully aware of how sneaky this looked, even if I didn't get caught.
This time, I went up to this guy in the bar, talked to him for a bit, asked if I could take his picture, bought him a beer and generally had a good time chatting and shooting for about half an hour. I'd never get anything like this from the other side of the room, sneakily.
Message edited by author 2005-12-31 10:20:28. |
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12/31/2005 10:45:10 AM · #8 |
| I am to the point that it slap pisses my wife off. So over the past 14 years of marriage she is starting to come around,and I am back to the same old thing. She even helps some. |
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12/31/2005 10:59:00 AM · #9 |
I'm not particularly shy - nor am I 'in your face' with my business. I learned from a local photographer that sometimes a photo is just a snapshot - and you can be ok with that. :)
Here's what I do if I'm out and a "shoot" arises - I'll overpose - I'll make sure people know that a) I can run their camera without them showing me how and b) I know how to make a good looking photo in about 3 seconds.
Once I'm done, I'll give those people a card and their camera. Sometimes they are embarrassed that a "studio photographer" was their snapshot artist - sometimes they are happy! Whichever, I don't come across as pushy and someone knows 1) my business name, web addy and ph# and 2) that money and selling isn't the world to me - photography is.
That's what I do - it works sometimes, it doesn't work others. Either way, I feel good about the way I go about it.
M
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12/31/2005 11:06:57 AM · #10 |
The real test of being bold enough with your camera if you have any inclination to running a photography business is selling your services like any successful business. Meaning calling on organizations, businesses, schools, whatever...putting on business presentations with portfolios, business cards etc....
It's easy to go up to people and get grab shots.....try getting rejected 75% of the time, being scrutinized by art directors that see photography everyday and competing and make a living doing it...bold won't be strong enough word to describe you :-D
Message edited by author 2005-12-31 11:07:24. |
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12/31/2005 05:59:24 PM · #11 |
I am still incredibly on the sidelines. I have not been able to get the courage to ask people if I can photograph them, though I offered free portaits to my workmates if they would let me use their images for my sales portfolio. None took it. They apparently did not like the idea of me using their images to create portrait sales.
Currently I am working on local scenes in Connecticut, and when I have enough I plan on going to the towns I took them in and seeing if they have any fundraisers going on and would like to use my images. I have also sent a querie to the Tolland Arts Council to see if they will let me have a gallery showing of my work. Eventually I hope to be part of a local tour we have called Artists Open Studio, where people come to your studio to watch you work. Should be interesting. I use a camera, a computer, and pastels. I guess my studio will be my home office. |
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12/31/2005 06:43:02 PM · #12 |
Bold or shy, I could be either depending on the circumstances. If I'm busy observing something, I may not at all be inclined to please some tourist and would tell them so. If I'm not busy, I might also just oblige them and take their picture with their own camera.
I have no interest however in business and the kind of photography which would lend itself too easily to making a few dollars. I'm interested in art, I'm interested in nature, and I'm interested in the nature of art. Business, even the prospect of business appears to interfere with any interest, really, I have.
My boldness, then, would consist of refusing to pursue such apparent prospects.
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12/31/2005 06:56:23 PM · #13 |
Oops I thought the thread read, "How Bored are You", even Better "How Bald are You"
Hijack complete, continue on...
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12/31/2005 07:02:56 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by ladymonarda:
I am still incredibly on the sidelines. I have not been able to get the courage to ask people if I can photograph them, though I offered free portaits to my workmates if they would let me use their images for my sales portfolio. None took it. They apparently did not like the idea of me using their images to create portrait sales.
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Curious, how were you approaching it ? Did you ask them up front to use the pictures for sales, before you'd taken the images ? Did you approach them one on one or just kinda put it out there for everyone at the same time ?
I've had good results approaching people directly and saying I want to take their picture - it ends up being flattering. After they see the good results you give them, then would be a time to ask them to use them for advertising - do it for free practice first, offer them a print, don't tie anything else to it at first - might work better ? |
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