# What do I do!?



## BrandonIG (Aug 4, 2014)

I have a huge problem & I don't know what to do! I'm sorry if this is hard to read, my mind is so scattered right now. I need everyone's help to figure this out. Okay, my goal with photography is to empower the youth & my current work on my site doesn't all convey that. Why not? Well, I have to make money & sell photos to clients that they like, but everyone that actually follows my work tells me that they don't like that. They want to see more of my personal work that I don't have on my site, but I'm afraid that doing that would hurt the development of my photography business because people my age don't have enough disposable income to spend on my photography yet. My personal work is so intimate to me because technique is not the main priority, capturing raw emotion & the truth of our generation is. We're all great kids on the surface, but below that is struggles with many darker elements. I'm thinking of just releasing my newest first official series with a note to everyone pertaining to my goals, but am I gonna have to move somewhere else to sell it as fine art? I live in McAllen, TX & I don't know if people would be interested in visiting a gallery. The thing is adults like my photography on my site, but their not booking as much as complimenting. Young adults my age want to see my other work & they believe that my message can be expressed through those photos better, which they will. So there's 2 very diverse markets that can't be targeted at the same time without compromise. Business is important, but that's not the sole reason I do photography, but I need to survive. Do you think I should move to a different city or somewhere I could find my target market? What else do you think I should do??

Thanks to everyone in advance


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## SnappingShark (Aug 4, 2014)

If you want to make money, sell what people want.

If you want to make a difference, get out of photography and go help people rather than just highlighting.

If you still want to do both, do the first to fund the second.


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## robbins.photo (Aug 4, 2014)

Ok, going way out on a limb here with a totally crazy notion that will probably get me locked up...  but...

Have you ever considered setting up a second website?


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## pgriz (Aug 4, 2014)

I have different web sites for different purposes.  Each has a target audience, and I put on each site the things that are relevant to my target audience.  It seems that your business photography and your personal photography have different audiences, so do as robbins suggested, and set up two different sites.  The neat thing about the internet, is that the whole world is potentially your audience (well, that portion that reads English, that is).  So think about what you want to do with each group, and then make it happen.


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## Designer (Aug 4, 2014)

I want to see your work.


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## astroNikon (Aug 4, 2014)

Designer said:


> I want to see your work.



^^ what he said


otherwise, maybe move to Iowa


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## robbins.photo (Aug 4, 2014)

pgriz said:


> I have different web sites for different purposes.  Each has a target audience, and I put on each site the things that are relevant to my target audience.  It seems that your business photography and your personal photography have different audiences, so do as robbins suggested, and set up two different sites.  The neat thing about the internet, is that the whole world is potentially your audience (well, that portion that reads English, that is).  So think about what you want to do with each group, and then make it happen.


For whatever reason it doesn't sound nearly as crazy when you say it.

Lol


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## astroNikon (Aug 4, 2014)

actually Austin Texas is a young and very diverse city in Texas.
You should see how your work sells up there rather than in McAllen.

but you may want to post here first.


also ... you say everyone wants you to sell your personal work.  And yet you aren't selling your personal work.
Why don't you sell your personal work ??  on a 2nd website, at your office etc.
There is no reason you can't have 2 websites
or an in business gallery of your personal stuff


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## KmH (Aug 4, 2014)

Got your big boy pants on?

First.
Your target market is right there in front of you. But you have to make them come to you. They won't come find you on tier own hook.
Second.
Do your English teacher proud - go back, edit your OP, and make the appropriate paragraphs.
If you want to be perceived as a professional - write, talk, walk, act and always conduct business (even in an online forum) like a professional.

Keep your personal work, or work in a different genre of photography, separate from your primary business work. Unless you want to dilute your brand and short circuit your marketing and self promotion.

No excuses. "I'm sorry if this is hard to read, my mind is so scattered right now." 

Guess what? My generation (baby boomers, or Gen X) was focused on capturing raw emotion & the truth of our generation.
Things like the Vietnam war, minority rights, Women's rights, government invasion of privacy, and other social issues of the day.

But, it sounds like what you really need is more business, marketing, and salesmanship skill
You need to advertise, issue press releases to regional print media, attend events and hand out business cards, have a web site, a blog tied to your web site, a Flickr account, a Facebook business account, a YouTube presence (videos), Tumblr account, and a Twitter account.
Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer

75% of your time should be devoted to business tasks and most of that time will be used up constantly monitoring the effectiveness of your marketing and adding fresh content on all your social media. The other 25% of your time is for doing photography and post production tasks.

According to Wikipedia the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan area has a population of 800,000 people. That's more than big enough if you know how to market and promote your business by understanding the demographic of your intended target market.
The McAllen-Reynosa metropolitan area has a combined population of 1.5 million. 

Fifteen % of the people in any area have and control 85% of the money.
That 15% of the people is the market you want to target.


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## dennybeall (Aug 4, 2014)

Doesn't even have to be different websites - one website can have more than one entry point and more than one menu.


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## BrandonIG (Aug 4, 2014)

BrightByNature said:


> If you want to make money, sell what people want.
> 
> If you want to make a difference, get out of photography and go help people rather than just highlighting.
> 
> If you still want to do both, do the first to fund the second.



The third option sounds great! Thank-you


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## BrandonIG (Aug 4, 2014)

robbins.photo said:


> Ok, going way out on a limb here with a totally crazy notion that will probably get me locked up...  but...
> 
> Have you ever considered setting up a second website?



Great idea, but for now I'll try to stick to one site & figure out how to create 2 entry points. Thank-you


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## BrandonIG (Aug 4, 2014)

pgriz said:


> I have different web sites for different purposes.  Each has a target audience, and I put on each site the things that are relevant to my target audience.  It seems that your business photography and your personal photography have different audiences, so do as robbins suggested, and set up two different sites.  The neat thing about the internet, is that the whole world is potentially your audience (well, that portion that reads English, that is).  So think about what you want to do with each group, and then make it happen.



Great suggestions, thank-you.


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## BrandonIG (Aug 4, 2014)

Designer said:


> I want to see your work.



You could see my work at BGIphoto.com
You may access the Disposable Camera gallery with the password code2248 .
I'm not nearly where I want to be yet, but I'm glad to see your interest. 
Thankyou!


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## BrandonIG (Aug 4, 2014)

astroNikon said:


> actually Austin Texas is a young and very diverse city in Texas.
> You should see how your work sells up there rather than in McAllen.
> 
> but you may want to post here first.
> ...



Oh I wish it were like that. They want to see my personal work. They find it more interesting & entertaining. 
It's unfortunate though, I have to put up an image of myself that conveys confidence, but sometimes it's hard because the older photographers locally either fully support my vision or absolutely hate me for being different & getting people to go along with it.
Selling is a problem, my target market (the division made up of young adults) isn't the most financially prosperous.
Thank-you for all of the suggestions!


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## BrandonIG (Aug 4, 2014)

astroNikon said:


> actually Austin Texas is a young and very diverse city in Texas.
> You should see how your work sells up there rather than in McAllen.
> 
> but you may want to post here first.
> ...



I should move to Austin though! I've heard it's a city filled with beautifully creative individuals.


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## robbins.photo (Aug 4, 2014)

BrandonIG said:


> astroNikon said:
> 
> 
> > actually Austin Texas is a young and very diverse city in Texas.
> ...



That's what everybody says.  Well, until they move there and get mugged.  Lol


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## BrandonIG (Aug 4, 2014)

KmH said:


> Got your big boy pants on?
> 
> First.
> Your target market is right there in front of you. But you have to make them come to you. They won't come find you on tier own hook.
> ...



"Do your English teacher proud..."
That's not grammatically correct itself by the way. 
After reading that I thought you were gonna be rude, but then as I continued, I realized your comments are rather helpful.
Thank-you for leaving those few statistics.  I'll look into them more.


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## BrandonIG (Aug 4, 2014)

dennybeall said:


> Doesn't even have to be different websites - one website can have more than one entry point and more than one menu.



I'll go ahead & do that. Thank-you.


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## andywag (Aug 10, 2014)

BrandonIG said:


> Okay, my goal with photography is to empower the youth & my current work on my site doesn't all convey that.



OK Brandon, You have been asked this before many times on other sites and you have yet to answer. Let's see if you will answer on here.

How exactly do you "empower youth" with your work?

I note that on this site you have at last given access to your "disposable camera" work which you have said previously is your "personal" work and, again as you have said previously, is your "empowering" work.
Can you explain exactly what is the difference between an out of focus snapshot taken with a disposable camera and an out of focus snapshot taken with your "professional" equipment?
Maybe I am missing something and just taking a photo on a disposable camera automatically makes it "art" but I really don't think it does or that  I have.

Bottom line here, people have tried to help you previously and you have effectively ignored them and just said that they don't understand or, the best (best being the most laughable) one you posted was this comment
"_The specific qualities of empowerment depicted in my photographs only  truly resonate to our age group of approximately 18-24. The messages are  only apparent when enduring the lifestyle we live. It can't just be  understood by everyone just as anything else in the art world._".
Every generation going back to the year 0 have said exactly the same thing.

You keep popping up asking for assistance, you keep ignoring it or arguing against opinions and advice given by people who are in or have been in the business for many years.

I will give you this advice in response to this specific question.
1. if you want to be a professional photographer and make money then you need to learn photography PROPERLY. No matter what your age that means learning the simple technical aspects of FOCUS, LIGHTING, COMPOSITION you know, THE BASICS. Once you have learnt them properly then you can move on and up and learn more involved techniques. Look at the people in your age group who are currently successful photographers. Their work is technically good. They may and often do come up with different ideas but they all know the basics of their trade.
2. You need to give the customer what they want. If they want clear, focused shots of little johnny then you give them that. If they want clear, focused shots of their widgets then you give them that. YOU are not in a position to dictate that your (artistic) version of their Little Johnny is what they want. When (IF) you become the "must have" photographer that people go to then you can start dictating that what you do is what they get. Until then, sorry mate but the customer is king/queen.

3. If you want to be an "Artist" and be successful by selling your version of art then you are more than likely going to starve. The amount of artists who have somehow managed to persuade the "art world" that their unmade bed, pile of bricks, sliced up and preserved half cow or whatever is "art" can be counted on one hand. That is out of a global population of over 6 billion. So the odds are not good.
4. By all means stick to doing your personal work and showing the world your "empowering " work.  but don't put it alongside your commercial work. At the moment on your website your "private" gallery and your public one contain work which is virtually the same. IMO both are about the standard of teen snapshots and neither are worthy of anyone calling themselves a professional. That is an opinion nothing more.
5. Art is subjective. However one thing is pretty constant and that is that the "artists" such as the Emins,Hirsts or even Carl Andrews of the world are different. Different good or different bad is where the subjective bit comes in. Your stuff is NOT different. It is exactly the same as nearly every other teen in the western world with a camera phone or point and shoot produce and stick on facebook and instragram.
6. if you have people who prefer the "enpowering" work then sell it to them. As others have said, MAKE A SECOND WEBSITE. It is not hard really to figure that one out.

7. lastly, as I have been waffling/ranting long enough. DONT BE another arrogant teen who thinks they know it all. You are NOT good enough (yet) to be that way. Don't come onto various photography forums, ask questions and then tell the people they are wrong (as you have done on other forums). DON'T, when you get negative comments on your work start trying to justify it by quotes such as that one above. It makes you look a jerk and an arrogant jerk at that.

Absolutely lastly. Don't think that as an teen you know it all. EVERY one of us whether we are 25 or 65 have been teens ourselves and no doubt (in fact definitely) were just as ignorant and arrogant as you and your generation are now.
We all thought that our "art" was new and "radical", we all thought that we would do things differently than "the oldies", we all thought we would change the world.
GUESS WHAT mate. The world is basically the same now as it was 10,20,50,100 years ago. Technology has changed. People haven't.


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## KmH (Aug 10, 2014)

Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings Are Revolutionizing Retail


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