Destination Photographer – What Does It Really Mean?

So you want to be a destination photographer?

You add the phrase to your website, “weddings anywhere in the U.S.” or “will travel anywhere for weddings and events”.

You sit back and wait for someone to contact you. And the years roll by. Why? Why hasn’t anyone selected you for traveling to their event outside of your home location?

The common misnomer with the phrase “destination photographer” is that by simply adding destination to your website and your brochure, you instantly become a destination photographer. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Let’s say your a photographer from Denver, Colorado, USA. All over your site you talk about weddings and portraits taken in the Denver area. On your contact us page you list your address – in Denver. Your keywords have Denver, Colorado, USA.

Guess what? You’ve just been pegged as a Denver, Colorado, USA photographer.

Being a destination photographer doesn’t mean you will promote your photography for everywhere on planet earth. It means you’re willing to travel. But where to?

We photographed in the Denver area. We also started specializing in weddings in Arizona (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona). So guess what we put on our website? Information about our weddings in those locations!

And when we photographed in San Francisco, yep, we created a whole bunch of information on that too.

You can’t attract clients to your destination photography  unless you know where you want to go.

Choose your destinations, and start turning your dreams into reality. 

Photography – Planning Out A Portrait

As a professional photographer, it’s your job to tell your clients what to wear, and what background to use. Clothing does make the portrait. And the more professional the portrait, the more money you can make.

Decide What Portraits To Sell
As a marketer, you can only sell what you show. If you want to sell dramatic 30×40 portraits with a lot of style, you can’t show people close-up portraits in small sizes. Your clients simply won’t m ake the connection.

Start By Creating Samples
Let’s say you have an idea for creating romantic beach portraits. Ask friends or relatives if you can “borrow” them for a couple hours. Choose your ideal location. Go out and buy the props you need. Get everything set up, and have your friends be your models. All you need is a few great images to show future clients what you can do.

Image by George Pollard

Coach Your Clients on What To Wear
What mood are they trying to create? Spend some time planning out the perfect image, and talk with your client about what will be needed. We once had a client that loved her convertible, and wanted powerful black & white images with it. We met her in a warehouse district on a Sunday, and added some incredible architecture to the background. She went out and bought the perfect jeans/jacket combo, and had some amazing images to hang as artwork on her walls.

Sell With The End In Mind
You and your client have to want the same thing at the beginning of the portrait to both be satisfied in the end. If you want to sell portrait packages in the 4 to 5 figure range, present those packages to prospective clients. Don’t hide or cover up your ultimate price. It will leave you and your client frustrated.

Earn money today with you photography – Photography Money Club. Providing new ideas to your photography business and information on how to start a photography business. Stay up to date with our photography newsletter which provides tips on your photography studio.

Photography – Yes You Can Sell Your Pictures For Extra Cash

Instead of saying, “It’s not worth my time to earn a few cents on a photo”, what if you could look at each photo as an income generating opportunity – for life.

Some people look at vacations, weekend getaways, and even the occasional Friday off for running errands as a way for taking photographs for themselves. Others (like myself) see these same events as opportunities for taking a few great photographs, and making money from them.

There are dozens of stock photo places online (I buy from them as well as sell to them regularly) that let you buy the work of other photographers. Just because you’re good at photography doesn’t necessarily mean you have access to the perfect picture when you need it. If I’m doing a story that requires a photo of chicken soup, it’s a whole lot easier  for me to head over and buy one for $1 then to bring out my camera and get everything in place to snap the picture.

Some people say selling to stock houses is a waste of time. They only pay you a small amount per download, so why bother?

Let’s say they pay 80 cents per download. (IStockPhoto.com pays anywhere from 20 cents to $3 per download depending on the file size, and the royalty doubles if it’s an image exclusive to IStock.)

If you sell your image once, you gain 80 cents. But if you sell it 1000 times, you can make $800. Some of the top sellers on IStock sell individual photographs thousands of times each. And if you have a portfolio of images out there that are each earning you that kind of money; well, lets just say it’s worth MY time to put a few images out there each month.

How about you?

[Want a complete guide to selling your images to stock houses? Let me show you how to easily incorporate stock photography into your business strategy.]

Photography and Blogging

Being a professional photographer for over 18 years, I understand what it takes to promote a photography studio.

It’s hard to promote the business without showcasing your photography. Yet how do you get your photography online, and front of your prospects?

Blogging.

Sure it’s nice to have a fancy website that showcases your work in a Flash presentation. But does it bring in clients? I’m willing to bet the answer is no. Unless you have a huge name, and a huge following, no one will find your Flash website because the search engines won’t find it. And you usually spend thousands of dollars to put up a few of your best images – and then leave it set unchanged for months at a time.

Blogging gives you control.

• Photograph a client on Tuesday morning – put up her photos on your blog Tuesday afternoon.
• Photography a wedding on Saturday – put up 100 images on your blog Monday morning.

People came to us because we had 20,000 images online – on our website – at any given time. They stayed on our site because they could get lost in the feeling of our photographs. They didn’t see the best-of collection. They saw album after album, and loved what  they saw. We stood out because we weren’t doing what everyone else was doing.

Are you?

For more information on how to blog about your business – visit this website

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Photography Studio – Going Out Of Business

How long can a photography studio stay in business if it isn’t making any money?

I came across a photography site today in which the photographer had listed prices. I won’t use names – but I guarantee you can find prices like this on many, many different sites.

Event fee $300, includes photographer and assistant for 3 hours of time, plus a DVD with images. Additional hours available as needed.

So let’s do a few calculations.

$300 for 3 hours of work – that’s $100 an hour

Let’s assume an hour each before and after the event getting organized – down to $60 an hour

Let’s assume 3 hours of meeting time to book the client and to deliver the DVD and final products – down to $37.50 per hour

Let’s assume 2 hours of production time, transferring raw images to computer, editing and burning DVD – down to $30 per hour

Normal business expenses:

• Vehicle
• Gas at $4 per gallon – depends on the distance of the event
• Camera equipment costs
• Costs of brochures, business cards, paper, envelopes, advertising – everything to bring in the clients
• Rent
• Office supplies
• Phone expenses
• Utilities

Okay, with all of those expenses to add up, I’ll be conservative and say it costs about $30 per hour – which means we’re now down to $0

Oh, and did I mention that there are two people at the event – which means you have to pay that second person per hour – I guess we’re now into the negative.

And does this person really have a chance of making a huge additional sale? They are giving away the DVD, so I think chances are pretty low.

Becoming a professional photographer means you have to make money. You have to give yourself a profit, and pay yourself for your expertise.

If you don’t, you’ll be hanging that Out Of Business sign very soon.

What can you do? Charge what you’re worth, and charge to run a profitable business. One of the reasons our studio became a Six Figure success in under two years is because we charged what we were worth for our services. We made sure our expenses were completely covered – including our own salaries – and made a healthy profit on top of it all.

It doesn’t take luck to become a Six Figure Photographer. It takes business planning. What are you doing to guarantee your success?

Why Can Photographers Command Such High Fees? Number 3

[I recently posted an article entitled, 10 Reasons Professional Photographers Charge What They Do. As I was writing this article, I realized my 10 could be expanded and have even more detail. So this is the start of 10 Reasons Why Photographers Can Command Such High Fees.]

3. Ever try to get great customer service at a chain studio? They only make money in quantity – the more people in and out, the more they make. So their goal is to rush you in and out as fast as possible.

A professional photographer isn’t just an order taker, she provides total customer service.

Professionals photograph dozens or even hundreds of clients a year. They understand what looks good, how to put together albums, and how to group multiple photographs together. Their goal is to provide you with what you need and what’s best for you – not just have you sign on the dotted line.

Are you promoting these facts to your clients? Do they know you only book one client at any given time? They can make special requests, and get your opinions because you know what’s best?

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Why Can Photographers Command Such High Fees? Number 4

 

[I recently posted an article entitled, 10 Reasons Professional Photographers Charge What They Do. As I was writing this article, I realized my 10 could be expanded and have even more detail. So this is the start of 10 Reasons Why Photographers Can Command Such High Fees.]

4. Have you ever visited a discount store’s photo studio, and asked if they’ll do something special, just for you? My bet is you’ll either get a blank stare or a lot of laughter.

The chains make their money because they  have systems in place. Come in, stand in line, stand on the X, smile, move to sales room, buy packages, walk through store in hopes you’ll purchase more items.

Professional photographers will do it all. Want to get married at the top of a 14,000 foot high mountain, where the only way up is a 30 minute ski-lift ride? A professional photographer will be there. Want a portrait running through the waves on a Southern California beach? A professional photographer will be there.

Even if you’re staying in studio, and will be using backgrounds, its a completely different experience. Your time is your time. You can bring in your own props, ask for changes, and work exclusively with the photographer to get the exact results you’re looking for.

As a photographer, are you promoting this feature?

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Why Can Photographers Command Such High Fees? Number 5

[I recently posted an article entitled, 10 Reasons Professional Photographers Charge What They Do. As I was writing this article, I realized my 10 could be expanded and have even more detail. So this is the start of 10 Reasons Why Photographers Can Command Such High Fees.]

5. When a consumer grabs a camera, snaps a picture, and runs down to big box discount store to have it printed, the only cost is associated with the simple act of printing.

A professional photographer has many more jobs, and must be all things at all times. They have to be CEOs and marketers, and bankers, and salespeople, and production workers, and janitors, and buyers, and negotiators, and networkers, and drivers, and organizers. And photographers. That’s a lot of skills for one person to master.

In order to create a successful business, a photographer has to incorporate the cost of wearing each hat at different times, and make sure their business runs profitably. They have to learn how to do each job efficiently, or hire it out to someone who can. They have to master certain skills (like marketing and sales) in order to continue to offer you top quality services. 

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Is A Studio Necessary To Start A Photo Business?

So you’re ready to start a photo business. Does that mean you have to open up your home to your clients every day?

When we first started our studio, I had only one requirement – not to open up a home studio. Very few houses are set up in a way meant for client traffic.

They have to shuffle through your living room and kitchen to get to your back office.

They have to walk through your main living areas to get to your basement stairway.

You simply use your entire entry level as a studio, limiting your actual living space all together.

So what do you do instead? Can you have a successful studio without brining people into your home, or opening up a commercial location that will cost a significant amount of money each month?

Yes.

It’s called running a virtual studio. A virtual studio is one that is run with technology; one you can take with you wherever you go. You run it with a website, a blog, email, and a voice message that directs them to your online portfolio.

If you need to meet people, you do as much as you can from the phone or from a coffee shop. You choose locations for portrait sessions that are convenient for you, and offer a world of possibilities.

And if you are looking for corporate, events or wedding work, destination is the only way to go. Where else can you get paid to travel anywhere in the world?

It is possible – you just have to create a business that sells the benefits of not having a central shooting and meeting location.

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Photography – The Difference Between Amateurs and Professionals

It seems as if everyone with a camera is setting up shop and marketing themselves as a true professional. But can everyone with a camera be a professional? Can you command professional prices just because you love taking photographs?

The answer is a definite no.

Lots of people love photographing nature, but there’s only one Ansel Adams.

Lots of people taking portraits, but there’s only one Annie Leibovitz.

So what is the difference between an amateur and a professional? How do you know when you’ve reached professional status?

1.You think like a professional. Amateurs want a photography business to give them a reason to buy more camera equipment. Amateurs want a photography business to keep them busy when they want to be busy – not on a full time basis. A professional loves capturing images, and sharing them with as many people as possible. They love to be busy doing what they love – and making a good living at it as well.

2. You think of yourself as an entrepreneur. Yes, there’s more to a photography business than photographing. There’s production. And marketing. And paper work. And emails. And promotion. And sales. An entrepreneur loves growing a business, with photography as your passion, product and service – not the other way around.

3. You make it a goal to improve. You take your camera everywhere. You’re the one at the party behind the lens of the camera. You also attend your local photography meetings; buy videos and training materials to improve both your photography and business skills; and hire coaches to make you better at building your photography studio.

4. You spend time studying other photographers work, and try and improve your own photography by following examples. An amateur loves what they do, and thinks there is no room for improvement. But a professional knows the education will never stop. There’s always room for improvement. 

5. You create your own style. Everyone starts out imitating a mentor photographer. I remember taking posing guides from some of our favorite photographers (David Ziser, Clay Blackmore, Heidi Mauracher) and imitating poses and images produced by greats like Denis Reggie. But once we moved into professional status, we created our own style. The posing comes naturally. The fun is always there. It’s always effortless, and it shows in the images.

6. You know your stuff. There’s no more thinking about each image. You automatically know when you’ve captured the perfect image. It’s all about having fun with the client, pulling together a professional image for the client to see, and knowing everything will fall into place perfectly.

7. You’d do this even without the money. Photography is something that is inside of you, no matter what. You love doing it, and find any excuse to photograph. But you also know that as a true professional, you can command a high fee. It comes with being a professional. 

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.