Frame Analysis*
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 2:44PM Someone just asked me a really great question:
Why, WHY would you start a photography business right now?
That's a big question. I'll break it down a bit into some bite-sized portions:
Well, first and foremost, I'm a good photographer. In fact, I am a pretty darn great photographer (with plenty of room to get better, believe me). I love it, I work hard at it, and I want to share that on a broader scale. Playing devil's advocate, I can see why the proliferation of pro-level cameras and equipment is making photography something that everyone believes they can do. And general market wisdom is correct: everyone can take a photograph. But it probably won't be a great photograph. I still believe that talent, training, and expertise make great photographs. So, I'm a professional photographer. If you want professional photographs, you still need me.
Second, I love to start businesses. I currently own a consulting business, a real estate investment business, and, now, little o photography. I am an entrepreneur. It makes me happy. And, as an added benefit, I can teach my children about entrepreneurship by example.
Finally, I see a need. I have a unique model: I give all of my clients the full files of, and rights to, every image I shoot. I don't charge for printing, copying, thinking about printing, maybe-doing-an-album, wait, how can I license these for a slideshow????, etc. etc. I charge you for my time. I'm not just a photographer--I'm a consultant and a photographer. One bleeds into the other. I keep low overhead and manage my resources, so I don't need to make money on printing and printing rights.
This makes me a rule-breaker. I'm supposed to charge you fees, fees, more fees, and package prices that make you wince. It's not wrong to work that way--I just believe that for family portraiture, it's outdated. Fine art photography? Sure. Commercial use photography? Sure (but Getty/Flickr are coming for you). I want to do something different because it serves my clients more effectively, and also creates a competitive advantage for me in the marketplace.
That's why I started a photography business, even in a tough economy, and even in a field where everyone believes themselves to be imminently qualified. I bring my clients something special--and that's why I'm booked out for the next 3 months :) I hope that trend keeps going!
I'm grateful for hard questions and the forum to give the hard answers. Here's hoping you have a person in your life who challenges you to do what is right, and to be able to say why --xo
*Erving Goffman--again!
Reader Comments (1)
More power to you starting a new business. And being a parent I would glady have someone else taking the pictures of me with my kids. There were so many times growing up that the pictures we had didn't have my father in them because someone had to be taking the pictures. Plus having pictures that I know I will love from someone with an eye like yours would make those memories even better.