Launching A Photo Business - Zach Arias

Every once in a while, I run into something online that totally aligns with my beliefs about getting started in the photography industry (not often enough, ironically).  Even if I feel like I've written it all before or said it all before, it's always interesting to hear someone else say it in their own way.  So, I'm reposting this little interview/presentation in the hopes that you don't miss out on some of the gems of wisdom from Zach Arias' point of view:

Zack Arias: If I had to start my photo business today from PhotoShelter.com on Vimeo.

Photo Lovecat Website Critique 2013

Due to the overwhelming interest last year, we ended up hosting two website critiques and the reception was great so we decided to do it again this year!

What:  Website Critique
When:  March 5th, 2013

I will be hosting the live critique along with Anne and Jennifer helping me in the chat while we view and chat about what submitted sites are doing right and what they could do better.

What we need is some submissions so this is where you take a deep breath and send your URL to us at photolovecat@gmail.com

We also need some comments here to let us know what time would be best for you?  1PM EST or 3PM EST?

PS:  We're thinking about doing a Google Hangout during WPPI for those of us who aren't going.  If you are interested, comment and let us know!  This will be more of a relaxed environment where we chat about whatever crosses our minds, be it pity parties because we can't go or celebratory parties because we're too busy to go... or gossiping about what that crazy person said on Twitter about WPPI.  We won't be there to host a real party so come to the virtual one instead we're calling IPPW.  I may even have some videos to share from past WPPI's...

Corey Ann is a wedding & lifestyle photographer from North Canton, OH. She is a mix of everything - fashionista, travel nut, deal hound, photo theft evangelist (she runs Photo Stealers) and geek rolled into one. She's had a website online since 1997 and a blog since 1999. When not plotting world domination or her next trip, she can be found reading one of the 100+ books she reads a year. Follow her on Twitter.

Are you a sucker for technology upgrades?

There are generally two types of people- those who must have the latest piece of technology no matter what and those who upgrade when what they have no longer works.  Which person are you?

Assuming that both people bring in the same amount of revenue, one of these people spends an average of 3x more in expenses, resulting in 3x less profit/income.  They may have the latest equipment, but they're also more likely to be living on the financial edge.  Those who wait until their equipment dies often save themselves from the potential pitfalls of buying gear that hasn't been in the marketplace long enough to be tested by regular users and receive accurate reviews.

According to Moore's Law, if you use your technology until it breaks, you will get exponentially better equipment at an exponentially lower price.  However, if you purchase new technology as soon as it's released, you may be keeping up with the latest trends but you end up spending more money and time learning new gear each year, instead of every few years, which means less time spent on functions essential to building revenue in your business.  Tech companies know that early adopters- who must have the latest technology, will buy whatever the latest release is, regardless of whether it's a significant improvement or not.  These small yearly upgrades just to have something new on the market is how tech companies make greater profits and how early adopters get suckered.

Now, if your business model is to always have the latest equipment and your clients pay a premium for you to keep up with equipment trends, than it is an essential part of your business strategy and you'll need to make sure that you're regularly capitalizing on your previous investments before they see a significant drop in value so that they aren't going to waste.  Another option (depending on how often you use certain pieces of equipment) is to rent the newest equipment instead of purchasing it, so that you aren't paying full price for something that will be useless to you in a year or lose its value at an exponential rate.  When you know how often you use your equipment, and you measure that against the cost of purchasing new equipment annually, you can make the smartest business decision for you.

My personal upgrade strategy is to budget in advance for upgrades- knowing that good cameras last about two years and good computers last about three years.  Even then, I still wait for things to break before replacing them, but at least I've budgeted this expense into my business needs.  What equipment replacement strategy works best for your business?  Share your thoughts in the comments.

Anne Ruthmann is a lifestyle & wedding photographer from Boston, MA. She spent 10 years practicing marketing & management in corporate and non-profit businesses before pursuing her passion for photography in 2004 as an independent small business.  She loves helping others find creative and smart solutions to business problems.  Follow her on Twitter to see her daily adventures and thoughts.

Guest Photographers

If you are with a group of wedding photographers and mention the term "Uncle Bob" you are almost certain to get at least a dozen stories about crazy guests with their cameras and what they did to get that great shot - and screw you out of it.  In the past 5 years I have seen everything and anything from these Uncle Bobs and I'm sure you have too.  What I hoped would be a dying fad much like spot coloring has actually gained more and more popularity as the years go by.  So what can you do to protect yourself from being Uncle Bob'd and from potential images they may ruin?

1.  The Contract.  Make sure that your contract not only states you are the only professional photographer hired for the day (personally I exclude photo booths from this clause as I do not offer them) but that you also cover yourself in case a guest ruins any photograph.

2.  The Wedding Day.  I've found the best way to nip Uncle Bobs in the bud is to approach them and be friendly.  Often they will approach you and assure you that they won't mess with you at all and promise to stay out of the way.  Once you are buds they tend to make sure to steer clear of you but it isn't always the case.  If they continue to be a problem, take the time - no matter what the excuse - to stop and educate them regarding your contract and about how they are compromising the couples photos.

3.  CYA.  During the wedding day if there are photographers that are being overly zealous with their cameras and nothing you do changes their behavior DOCUMENT IT!  Do not delete the images that they ruin but instead save them to a separate folder when editing.  Trust me.  I once had a bride get upset with coverage during her ceremony which I was limited with due to an abundance of guest photographers (10+).  Once I showed her the image my second shooter took of me surrounded and blocked in every direction by her guests, she apologized and understood why I was restricted during the ceremony.  Another time I had a particular moment a bride was looking for ruined by a guest photographer's flash, blowing the image completely out and was able to show her what happened and she understood why that moment was missing.  I can't stress this enough, don't delete images that they interfere with!

4.  Give a Little.   Sometimes there is just no way out of being Uncle Bob'd.  Last year I had a wedding where the brother of the groom was an up-and-coming photographer and I was informed by the Mother of the Groom to allow him to do whatever he wanted.  To maintain my creative freedom while trying to keep the MOG happy, I ultimately negotiated a deal to allow her son to photograph the couple/bridal party for 15 minutes the day of (he would put down the camera for the rest of the portrait session) and the reception at will so long as he didn't get between me and the couple.  I knew, from past experiences, that if he had his camera with him at the altar it would end badly so I fought for exclusive rights where it mattered most to me (the ceremony) and gave some leeway where I could work around him (portraits and reception).  In the end I think we were both content with the outcome and if I hadn't given them a little bit then I fear that he would have been everywhere and anywhere with his camera and I couldn't do much about it given his relationship and position in the wedding.

5.  Facebook.  Here's a new slant on the guest photographers.  They are so excited that they tag the couple in images and everyone's sharing these and changing their profile pictures over and when your images finally make their debut people aren't as excited and the reception is a bit lackluster.  Sadly there isn't a LOT you can do about this but make sure that you get your images out there first.  Even if you just edit one image from the wedding and pop it on Facebook the day after the wedding, it's a plus for you.  I don't typically address the problem if the guest photographer sticks to posting it to their personal page but I have sent kind emails to guests who post it on their business page.  Here's what that email looks like:

Dear Photographer:

It was really great to meet you at Bride & Groom's wedding!  It was such a fun day and I'm still smiling thinking of it.  Thank you for allowing me to do my job without getting in the way.

I noticed that you had tagged Bride & Groom in your photos and I'll admit I'm a bit nosy so I went to have a look.  The images are lovely and they are so lucky that you were there to capture extra moments for them, I'm sure they will be elated with them!  However, I would really appreciate it if you would put these images up on your personal page rather than your business page with your logo removed from them.  I know you are just getting your start in weddings and are super excited to have such a gorgeous wedding to show but it's actually a bit of a problem on my end.  So often brides will Google "such and such venue" or "such and such wedding colors" and will happen upon BOTH of our pages, resulting in confusion as to whom was the hired photographer.  This can - and in my case HAS - resulted in a Google-r inferring this means that one photographer stole from the other and makes her case known everywhere. Trust me when I say you never want to go through with this and I am not eager to repeat this.  I also request that these images remain off of your website.  This is to protect not only myself but you as well.   You are welcome to show them in a private setting to any potential client however. 

I hope that you understand my position on this!  

Thank you,
Photographer

 Have you been Uncle Bob'd?  What did you do that you think worked out to your advantage?  What do you think you could do better next time?  Have any advice?

Corey Ann is a wedding & lifestyle photographer from North Canton, OH. She is a mix of everything - fashionista, travel nut, deal hound, photo theft evangelist (she runs Photo Stealers) and geek rolled into one. She's had a website online since 1997 and a blog since 1999. When not plotting world domination or her next trip, she can be found reading one of the 100+ books she reads a year. Follow her on Twitter.

Will You Put My Proof Gallery Back Online?

Most clients are able to make decisions in a timely manner, but there will always be a client who does't make a decision before their proof gallery expires and ends up asking for extra time.  If you find yourself in this situation, here are a few different ways you can approach it:

1.  Set Ordering Deadline Expectations

If your photography agreement or contract did not state up front how long a gallery would be available, or a cost for extending gallery viewing and ordering beyond the contracted availability, you'll probably need to be gracious for the first extension or reopening of a gallery after it has expired.  This is when, in writing or over email, you will need to communicate exactly how long the gallery will be available to make their decision, and the cost to extend that timeframe if they cannot place their order or make their decision in a timely manner.

2.  Invite The Client To An Ordering Meeting

If the client is having a hard time making a decision, communicate that in order to view the images again, you will be happy to set up an in-person appointment, at which time you will be able to provide your expert opinion to make their ordering decision easier.  If the client is unavailable to meet in person, you could also schedule this arrangement over Skype and use Screen Sharing.  While the quality will not be as great for the client via screen sharing, you will be able to discern the better options and help make it less confusing for an indecisive client.

3.  Request An Ordering Deposit

If you clearly outlined that a gallery would only be available until a specified date and a client has chosen not to make a decision during that time, an alternative form of an extension fee is a deposit toward their order, which can be collected before making the images available again and applied once an order is placed, to cover any costs you might be incurring for hosting their images in an online ordering cart.

Obviously, the goal is to have clients who are happy with your service and product, while still setting appropriate expectations so that you aren't draining your resources and ability to serve clients in a timely fashion.  Do you have other ideas?  What works for you?  Share your thoughts in the comments!

Anne Ruthmann is a lifestyle & wedding photographer from Boston, MA. She spent 10 years practicing marketing & management in corporate and non-profit businesses before pursuing her passion for photography in 2004 as an independent small business. She loves helping others find creative and smart solutions to business problems. Follow her on Twitter to see her daily adventures and thoughts.