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07/07/2011 04:16:38 PM · #1 |
| I had a couple of pretty good years with steady part time portrait photography (2-3 clients per week). Things dropped off dramatically this spring and I'm just curious how others are doing? In my case, I got busy doing client work and quit posting the more interesting photos that seemed to get viewers attention. My wife and I have debated this heavily, but I don't think people want to see examples of the portraits they would typically buy. I think people want to see the type of images that they would like to create, even if that is not what they actually end up buying. Of course there could be another problem... maybe something with the web site... but my theory is that I just let things get a little stale. |
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07/07/2011 04:50:59 PM · #2 |
can't really give you any specifics, myself, but i'll venture that you should listen to your gut.
staying busy is a matter of continuous marketing, regardless of whether it's through your website, through facebook, direct contact, or whatever. if you're not pushing your name, you'll wind up dead in the water.
and i think you're right about showing off your creative, daring side. it's not that people necessarily want something extreme, but they like knowing they're hiring someone who is going to do more than show up and shoot, that they've got someone who is going to bring a little vision, enthusiasm, and inspiration to the job. anyone can say those things, but when your portfolio shows it to be true, it gives you a leg up. it doesn't matter if you're doing just a regular shoot and you know your client is going to buy just one of the regular shots...if they know what you're capable of and you treat them like their shoot is magic, it doesn't matter what they buy - you've given them the experience that they wanted.
maybe all you need to do is re-ignite yourself and take some opportunities to get out on the edge and then start brushing up on that fine art of shameless self-promotion ;-)
after all, you've been there...you can get back to it! |
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07/07/2011 07:18:52 PM · #3 |
Thank you for the input skip. I figured this was more of a miss on my part rather than a trend with photographers in general, but it was worth asking. This might also help as a reminder to others. I did a lot of shooting for clients, because it was income, but I wasn't shooting the type of work that I want to show in my portfolio. I think I've traded some near term revenue for long term growth and that was probably not the best choice.
Time to reinvent and start again! |
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07/07/2011 08:19:13 PM · #4 |
I second what Skip said about promoting yourself. Work has come my way almost out of nowhere, but that doesn't happen often. I have seen a direct correlation between me being able to promote my work full time now that I closed down my waterfall business and the amount of work that I get in photography.
I just talk to people...A LOT! Those people talk to people and pass along my business card and I start getting phone calls.
I did a photo shoot in which I emailed previews of some of the finished shots. A dance studio that I made a cold call visit too said "Hey, I saw that shot the other day." Wondering how someone could possibly have a hard copy because I had printed copies only for myself at that point, I went to the costume makers shop where it had supposedly been seen. Long story short, they weren't the ones who had a print of mine, but it landed me another job which will probably turn out to be an ongoing series of jobs. It just happened that they needed a photographer for their products and I'll be doing a two day shoot for them later this month.
Just like I get wordy in my forum posts, I talk to people a lot and information spreads. Just get out there and market yourself and you'll be busy again. |
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07/07/2011 10:02:37 PM · #5 |
| I am REALLY new to the "biz" side of photography, and actually have only recently been asked to submit a proposal for a commercial shoot - my first. I have mostly been focusing on developing my "vision" (whatever that is), and the response has been people telling other people. As a result, I have about 15 more shoots lined up. But I do think it has to do with staying true to your vision. When you have something unique, I think people are drawn to it, and assume that you can do "regular" stuff as well. |
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07/08/2011 09:41:10 AM · #6 |
| Thank you for the supportive and informative words. This has clearly been an example feast or famine from my perspective and I took my eye off the ball while I was feasting. I'm starting to line up some victims, I mean volunteers, to help with fresh new images for my portfolio and to spray around the social networks. |
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