# Reluctant to ask Assistant Question



## dpolston (Oct 31, 2007)

I have been playing around with this photography "business" dream for awhile and I think that I am trying to fast track myself into the business. I am a 38 year old father of 2, self employed, building contractor. I am trying to promote this part of my life like the rest which is very much purely self driven successes and failures. I have the website ready to be officially launched, I have the blog, I have the portfolio, the camera and the goodies that go with it (although I need a good dedicated flash), I am however not in the position to blindly start all over again in this stage of life. 

It seems like a lifetime ago (early 90's), I worked full time as a studio photographer that shot female portraits (formals to high heals and a smile). It was an established studio that had very nice equipment but it was already dialed in when I got there. The lights were set, the camera (Mamiya C330's) were mounted and the hardest thing we did was try to be somewhat creative in a generic, 6 light, 3 photographer studio. "Advanced Glamor Shots".

Now I look at so many websites of you guys and see and hear of the travels, money, good and bad experiences, equipment and stories you tell. I am amazed and envious every day of some shot you've taken, client you have or studio you've set up and I know that a successful business can be achieved. 

My inner struggle is getting back to the basics and re-learning photography 101 techniques. I should brush up on real basics (exposer, f-stop stuff, etc.) but what I really want to know is if I need to be asking about working as an assistant for someone locally. Frankly sometimes I just want to throw all my cameras away and say forget it all. Why do I need a camera that costs 1600 bucks and a lens that cost me 1000 bucks to take snapshots of "leaves on my driveway" ( http://davidpolston.blogspot.com/2007/10/feaf-prints.html )

I am at the point of bugging one of my photo idols ( http://www.lanpher.com/ ) that I have emailed and spoken with on the phone, but I don't want to push it so that I irritate him. I'm just looking for "real world" advice. I'm just looking to take him to lunch and pick his brain for a bit. 

So... to the point of this. How do you as "professionals" really feel about newcomers in the business? Are we a threat to you, gonna take your business, do we just have too many shooters out there? Are you _really_ willing to teach someone your lifestyle? How hard is it really to get your name out there?

Please don't patronize me when you answer this post. I am in the same spot you were in once upon a time. I have found something that I want to do professionally, full time, and I need to know how to get there.

Do I need to market myself better, pick a "poison"; specialize ("senior portraits", theater shots", "building exteriors")? Look at the photos I have, just tell me if I suck or what I need to work on! I need to know. www.davidpolston.com/flash.html (this is the back door link. I know there are some typo's, this is my web guru's almost ready to post;yet still rough draft of the site.)


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## Alpha (Oct 31, 2007)

The corporate stuff is pretty good. The black and whites need a lot of work in exposure and post-processing. They're soft, a little flat, and there's absolutely way too much middle gray. 

As for newcomers, I've always found that people who believe that you share their passion are most often willing to help you. Someone with as strong a body of work as Keith Lanpher would most likely not consider you a threat. This is largely due to the fact that he's already established, and therefore already has many established clients and professional contacts.

As for picking a specialty of sorts, that's a very tough call. If you want to get into fashion or glamour, you'd have toget out of Norfolk. There no market for it (no real agencies and few to no real models). So basically, if you want to do one of those two, you're screwed. On the other hand, freelance shooting for little to no money abounds in Norfolk. I personally know a few models in the Norfolk and Virginia beach areas, though they aren't professional and won't pay. You can have fun with it, but won't earn a cent. You can, however, earn money doing commercial work (either advertising, product, or architectural photography).

I should add that if you really intend to make a move into the professional world, you will need seriously professional gear. I think the most common mistake that people make when "going pro" is severely underestimating the costs. You'll need a serious camera (ideally full frame) and a strong and varied set of lenses (certainly not cheap for Canon and Nikon DSLR's today). Then you'll need lights. You can get away with something like AB's or WL's, but if you're doing anything mission critical, you'll want to invest in strobes with more consistent color temperature. That gets expensive, fast. At the bottom you're probably talking something like the Calumet Travelite series. Then there are the big boys, such as ProFoto, Broncolor, Hensel, and Speedotron (particularly the black line). If you need to do work on location, you'll need a portable setup with a power pack. That gets even more expensive. On the other hand, if you're making an unsure step into the business, you probably shouldn't invest a huge amount of money into lighting initially. However, no matter what brand of lights you buy, you will most likely end up spending more money than you had anticipated in accessories (reflectors, softboxes, umbrellas, snoots, grids, gels.....ad nauseum). Then there are the smaller things that add up very fast. Make no mistake, accessories-- particularly lighting accessories are absolutely critical to getting the job done properly. They are not optional. If you think you can do everything with an octabox and a white reflector you're sorely mistaken unless you're only going to shoot senior portraits. You'll need reflectors of different sizes and colors, as well as scrims. Don't forget about light stands. 
*deep breath* ...see what I mean? Then there's proper advertising, beating the pavement to find work (do you have time for that?), and a lot of time spent processing images (got time for that, too?).

There is another option, though, that will allow you to test the water. And get out with minimal financial loss if you want/need to. That's equipment rental. Work with what existing equipment you've got. Buy a strobe or two and a set of accessories (that's a grand, easy). If you pick up clients whose needs you can't satisfy with your own equipment, then rent other equipment to pick up the slack. Strobes generally run $50 and under per day. Accessories are maybe $10 a day. Over the long run, that can add up. It can also, though, keep you from ever really having to make a huge investment if you're not bothered by renting all the time. If you start picking up real commercial clients, they can be billed for the equipment rental on top of your hourly, day, or contract rates. I know a lot of professionals who've operated like that for a long time.

Oh, and your website. Your images are too small. And you do need more practice...a number of them look like snapshots.

I hope that helps. By the way, I live in Richmond at the moment, so if you're ever in the neighborhood, drop me a line and perhaps we can have lunch or something.


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## LaFoto (Oct 31, 2007)

This is some sound insight and advice, Max. Whoa! You may easily NOT see the immense amount of cost involved in "setting up studio" BEFORE you begin to set it up!

Well, David, I cannot give you a reply in the way Max did, since I am not one of the professionals you are calling out to, but I feel I can give you my personal experience view on your question on whether your local (established with studio already) photographer would want you as an assistent to let you in into his tricks and ideas.

As an enthusiast, I was, of course, quite curious and interested when a new photographer opened up shop in the neighbouring town (keep in mind this is mere countryside, and nothing here could ever be compared with business in the cities such as Hamburg or so!), so in February I went into his shop, asked him a silly question about how to clean the sensor of my camera, praised the photos in his shop window ... and then asked if maybe there was a slim chance I might accompany him on wedding photo events, maybe, as assistent or just on-looker and learner? 

He took down my address, all right. I bought a voucher off him for a photo session which I gave to my friend as a birthday present (February), and she finally felt the family were ready for a family portrait about a week ago today. I had never heard of him since back in February.

My address was still sticking to his pinboard when (myself included since I wanted to watch him work) we all appeared for the family photo session in his studio, but had he ever contacted me? Never.

I feel he does not really want me to learn from him and "step into his domain". He may have read, heard, learned somehow (local newspaper) that I had a little exhibition and my name was out (with the title "photographer" attached to it  ) in connection with a dance performance in town ... and although he knows I only own a tiny entry DSLR, he might feel I am stepping onto his toes. He was friendly, all right, when my friend, family and I were there for their session, but ... I doubt the small, local person really wish for someone else to enter the business. 

My experience was that his particular one was less than helpful.


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## dpolston (Oct 31, 2007)

Thanks Max and LaFoto.

As you can probably guess from the tone of the post, it came from a bit of frustration last night. 

I do have a light kit and backdrops but frankly I haven't played with them much in a studio setting. I bought them for a wedding that I absolutely had to have them. I am trying to find somewhere to set them up and play with them so I can see what they're made of (I don't have a place to set them up in my home comfortably and I am garage-less). 

To be honest, I know that my web pics are snapshot-ish, but I really do not have a client portfolio that is large enough to feature. I have been talking to my wife and we think it's a good idea to shoot a series of our friends family portraits and their kids... and pets... houses... whatever it takes, for free; just to fluff up my portfolio (we will sell them prints though. I'm not a complete idiot). I already have 4 or 5 senior (style) projects, 2 families and a trio of girls (sisters) to shoot now. These are because I bug my daughters friends (and their parents) to let me shoot them. 

I am kind of wiggling my way into sports portraits (long story to talk about) and I am interested to see where that goes, mainly because I don't follow, or like to watch, ANY sport (well... except MMA).

I'm looking forward to seeing where this post goes. And Max, yes, we'll do lunch! I have driven to Elisabeth City, N.C just for lunch before (good ole BBQ), so 90 minutes for your company... no problem!   =o)


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## dpolston (Oct 31, 2007)

MaxBloom said:


> You'll need a serious camera (ideally full frame) and a strong and varied set of lenses (certainly not cheap for Canon and Nikon DSLR's today).



I just picked up on this.

My quote was:



dpolston said:


> Why do I need a camera that costs 1600 bucks and a lens that cost me 1000 bucks to take snapshots of "leaves on my driveway" ?



This wasn't me trying to justify _buying _these things, I _own _these things. I shoot a Nikon D200 (with an MD-D200 battery pack on it) and a Nikkor 70-200, 2.8 along with a backup camera and some other goodies. I know that equipment doesn't make the photographer (in composition, focus, blah, blah, blah), but good equipment helps. I try to buy good tools.

That reply was probably unnecessary <bother>. I guess the main point is, "I got the stuff... now how do I make the money back for the investment"?

Thanks again... keep the comments coming. I have a strong feeling I'm not alone in this quest.


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## Big Mike (Oct 31, 2007)

As with most any business...you need to have the skills and knowledge to be competent...but to be really successful, it helps to be a good salesman.  There are plenty of average photographers who are making a lot of money because they can sell themselves...and there are plenty of extremely talented photographers who don't make much or anything with their photos.

You said that you are already self employed...so I'm sure you 'get it'.


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## Alpha (Oct 31, 2007)

dpolston said:


> I just picked up on this.
> 
> My quote was:
> 
> ...



Making the money back is all marketing. Two fundamental things you must satisfy in order to make any money.
1) The proof is in the pudding. You can be a good salesman all day long. Nothing substitutes for a killer portfolio. And nothing picks up a client faster.
2) You have to get your name out there, whether it's via web, print, or simply handing out lots of your business cards all day. 

One other thing. Don't quit your day-job. And I don't mean that as an attack at all. Probably the biggest mistake that people make behind underestimating setup costs for this sort of business, is overestimating the amount of money they can generate. Unless you're really churning out portraits, it can be tough to make money shooting people, particularly if there are already other established studios in town. As I said earlier, if making a bunch of money by shooting is really important to you, then have a closer look at weddings (Not for everyone, it's like photo-journalistic portrait photography that pays well), product, misc. commercial, and architectural work.

And I didn't mean to poke at your camera. It's a good camera. I just meant you'll need lots of pro gear in general if you didn't already have it.


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## photogoddess (Oct 31, 2007)

Check out Bruce Dorn's seminars - you'll be blown away by his lighting using Canon Speedlights. He sells lighting modifiers as well which are awesome and he and his wife are genuine souls that truly have a passion for this business. Don't let anyone talk you our of pursuing your dream... just proceed with some caution. It's definitely a balancing act as it can be a rough industry to be in. You can be an awesome shooter but without marketing and business skills, you'll quickly go hungry. Drop me a PM if you'd like to discuss technicals, your work & goals - I'm happy to help if you're interested.


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## dpolston (Oct 31, 2007)

photogoddess said:


> Drop me a PM if you'd like to discuss technicals, your work & goals - I'm happy to help if you're interested



Only if you tell me where "Lala Land" is.     =o)


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## Renair (Oct 31, 2007)

Last September while in Newark Airport, I spotted American Photo, it had good articles about photographer assistants.  Very hard work, but sometimes its good to do it a few months if need be, get the experience, get the knowledge, make some contacts, but more importantly, build a name for yourself.  I would jump at the chance of doing it, but since I have a considerable amount of debt, I cant afford the low wage....

I saw ask your local guy, you never know what happens.... worst case, just do Saturdays for him for free, no-one will turn down free work plus you gain lots of experience...


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## photogoddess (Oct 31, 2007)

dpolston said:


> Only if you tell me where "Lala Land" is.     =o)



Los Angeles area - Long Beach CA to be exact.


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## Alpha (Oct 31, 2007)

photogoddess said:


> Check out Bruce Dorn's seminars - you'll be blown away by his lighting using Canon Speedlights. He sells lighting modifiers as well which are awesome and he and his wife are genuine souls that truly have a passion for this business. Don't let anyone talk you our of pursuing your dream... just proceed with some caution. It's definitely a balancing act as it can be a rough industry to be in. You can be an awesome shooter but without marketing and business skills, you'll quickly go hungry. Drop me a PM if you'd like to discuss technicals, your work & goals - I'm happy to help if you're interested.



Something like an SB-800 is $300. For that price, I can pick up a second hand Travelite 750 with a much higher power output, a 250w modeling lamp, and a recycle time that's 3 times faster than the regular SB-800, and is still faster even with the Quick Recycle battery pack.

They're an absolute waste of money unless you need ultimate portability. If you do need ultimate portability, then you're not shooting with as many accessories as Mr. Dorn does anyway.


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## photogoddess (Oct 31, 2007)

MaxBloom said:


> Something like an SB-800 is $300. For that price, I can pick up a second hand Travelite 750 with a much higher power output, a 250w modeling lamp, and a recycle time that's 3 times faster than the regular SB-800, and is still faster even with the Quick Recycle battery pack.
> 
> They're an absolute waste of money unless you need ultimate portability. If you do need ultimate portability, then you're not shooting with as many accessories as Mr. Dorn does anyway.



I guess if you want to carry a butt load of gear, miss shots because you're too busy setting up and blast the holy living crap out of your clients, a high powered strobe is the way to go. You do have a studio and clients Max... right? :er: For many, studio strobes are best suited for the studio which is where I leave mine set up. For sessions on the go or out in the boonies (like many of the sessions that Bruce does), Speedlights are lighter, easier to set up and move around and do the job just fine. Plenty of bang for the buck! Oh... and I never have to worry about breaking a bulb on the go like I would with studio strobes.


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## Alpha (Oct 31, 2007)

Are you really going to "miss a lot of shots" when you're doing a portrait session outside of the studio? Outside of my studio? No. I don't have one. Oh god, I just had this terrible realization that not owning a studio means I don't know anything. Oh wait, no it doesn't.

Anyway, like I said, if you need ultimate portability, they are the way to go. Not to mention they're the only way to go if you need bracket mount. 

But, you're exaggerating the hassle of shooting on location with strobes. I'd take a Porty or a Ranger system over an SB any day of the week provided I was doing a planned shoot. And what's with all this "blast the living crap out of your clients" business? To be fair, that must mean whenever you use _your_ strobes, you must be blasting the living crap out of your clients as well. Now that's not the case, is it? The extra power has its advantages. The rule that you should err on the side of extra power because you can always dial down doesn't apply only to studio strobes. Then there's accessories. Granted, not everyone has a need outdoors for some strobe accessories. But if you need more light control on location than a diffuser and a reflector, you're pretty SOL with a hotshoe flash unless you want to mount it on a stand, which effectively causes all of the problems of bulk you were trying to get away from in the first place.


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## photogoddess (Oct 31, 2007)

Ya know what Max... The trouble is that you don't know what you're talking about except to quote what you read in books and manuals. Are you trying to become knowledgeable or do you just want people to think you are? 

The quote below is absolute bull. You can be the best photographer in the world but if you're bad with people, marketing and sales; you'll go hungry - period. It's a nice idea to be an artist but you've got to have the business skills to back it up. 



> 1) The proof is in the pudding. You can be a good salesman all day long. Nothing substitutes for a killer portfolio. And nothing picks up a client faster.



From what I've seen, you can't put any of the technical stuff that you sprout out like it's gospel into practice. Don't believe me, just look back on the photos that you've posted here on the forum. In this post you couldn't even get the subject of your image into focus. We won't discuss the other 'merits' of this photograph. Am I _dissing_ you? Not really. I'm trying to make a point that maybe you should consider the dreams of others before injecting a bunch of unnecessary negativity around the forum. Plus... I'd like to see your work improve - you're obviously passionate about photography which is definitely a good thing. 

The practical use of high powered strobes in broad daylight - say on the beach or in the park (or even in a well lit room) is that you're having to shoot at f11 or f16 which isn't good at all for most portraits. You like bokeh - right? Nicely blurred backgrounds? Well, you're not going to get much of it at those f-stops. They are also much harder to reposition - which you need to do often with kids. Most homes don't have enough room to get the strobes back far enough to get acceptable f-stops.

If you're shooting models who are being paid to sit around while you set up strobes, reflectors and flags - great. Regular clients in a non studio environment... forget about it. Shooting kids, families, etc... yes - you're absolutely going to miss the shots if you're setting up studio strobes instead of shooting. By the time you're done, the kiddies will want nothing to do with having their photo taken as you've wasted your 15 minutes of attention span (typical of most kids) setting up equipment because it makes you feel like a better photographer. Get the shot and do it well... THAT is what makes you a better photographer. FYI... A Speedlight on a small tripod takes me less than 30 seconds to set up and move into place if it's needed. Literally everything I need for a location shoot fits into a small camera bag and a backpack. 

Honestly Max - It doesn't matter that you don't have a studio - it matters that you talk trash and discourage people when you could be taking that energy and time to improve your own work and _encourage_ others. I've been doing this for years and while I don't know everything, I work hard every single day to better my work and pass on some knowledge to help the next guy chase his dream. 

The reason for all of this... a hope that you'll try to be a little more positive for a change? Get out there - shoot, improve and then pass that knowledge on to others. Real knowledge... practical knowledge. Not just the stuff you read in books or on the internet.

Use what you have until you reach the limit of your equipment then go a step further. Kick butt, make money and re-invest in your business or hobby. Shoot, shoot, shoot and you will learn. Ask a friend, a photographer that you admire or take a class - just keep investing in your knowledge. If you have the passion for this, you'll find a way to learn and achieve all of your dreams.


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## Alpha (Oct 31, 2007)

I'll take a good bit of that to heart.

And you're right, I was being too critical of the SB setup.

On the other hand, the advice I gave in my first post is perfectly sound. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from following their dreams. But there are realities to setting up and running a business that most people here are reluctant to talk about. If you think I should be disallowed from giving advice because I don't run a photo business full time, then fine. I won't give any advice. But I see hardly anyone here who does run a business giving any real advice. You guys never talk about your hardships. You just say follow your dreams and beat the pavement...as if that will make everything fall into place. It doesn't work like that and you know it. Maybe it does if you just wanna pick up a speedlite and spend the rest of your days shooting family portraits. But that side of the business is only part of it. Not only are the gear requirements generally higher for commercial and architectural work, but client relationships are substantially different as well. There are plenty of crappy portrait photographers because there are plenty of people willing to pay for crappy portraits. But try going to a commercial client with a mediocre portfolio and you won't have such an easy time. I may not own a photography business, but I've consulted on marketing for Fortune 500 companies and run an internet marketing consulting company that's placed people in top 5 search engine results in the world. I come from a line of business that's not so different from the world of commercial photography. At the very least, I know more about selling yourself than anyone here, bar none. So if you think I don't know what I'm talking about when I say that when push comes to shove, the proof is in the pudding, I think that you're wrong-- at least outside the portrait world. But you don't have to take my word for it. 

It's easy for people to be misled into thinking that when you and the other pros on this site tell them what you know about the professional photography world, you're talking about the whole photography world. You at least ought to make that caveat, because if you want to jump into any other part of the pro photo world with just a speedlite and a dream, chances are you won't make it that far.


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## dpolston (Oct 31, 2007)

We're not trying to reinvent the wheel here. 

On business matters; I understand the concept of glad-hand marketing to print advertising. On equipment; I don't need the debate on Cannon vs Nikon, medium format film cameras vs Hasselblad Digital - 29meg cameras, portable lights vs two friends pointing flashlights at the subject. 

I personally think if you give a 3 dollar 110mm (remember those) film camera to a master photographer, that person can make you cry! I also believe that some of these photographers with unlimited resources should have their eyes plucked from their heads because of the crap the shoot!

I know that to be successful, it's got to be "all about me". I am the one that shoots, dumps images to my Epson p-200, photoshops them for composition,color and all that other stuff. I am the one that will have images printed and sends them to clients. I am the one that will pull to the side of a busy road to take the sunset shot, I am the one that will market these and meet the coffee shop owner and say "Hey, I'm a photographer and I think we can do each other some good". and the hundreds of other things. But if I shoot bad, sub-standard images, I should not be in business.

My thing is, in my very unique case, I have never-ever had a single formal photo class in my life. And because of that, everything I have done in this medium has been on the job training. I know that I can benefit from these classes but I (because of my business, wife, daughters, church, life, friends...) can't commit to a structured classroom environment.

That's why I am here. If you all come to me and ask construction questions, how to fix your houses questions; I am a master. I know what advice to give and where to go and how to shop this industry. I come to you and once again ask:



dpolston said:


> How do you as "professionals" really feel about newcomers in the business? Are we a threat to you, gonna take your business? Are you _really_ willing to teach someone your lifestyle? How hard is it really to get your name out there?



This is a purely business, not a photo, how-to question. The posts here to this point have been mixed.


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## elsaspet (Nov 1, 2007)

Ok,
I'm gonna give you what my personal experience here was.  I'll give you the abbreviated version:

Started with a 20d and some kit lens.  Took some good shots.  Took some bad shots.
Worked under a few working wedding photogs, and decided this was for me.
At the time, I had a full time job that I hated.  I talked things over with my husband (cruicial that you have your loved one's belief in you) and we decided to go for it.
We sold our home, and an old truck that just hung out in the driveway.  We walked away with about 8 grand in profit from the two.
We took that 8 grand, and bought a few lenses, a professional website, some business cards, and a decent flash.
My "portfolio" for meetings consisted of a little self mount slip in album I bought at Target. (I came across it the other day, and we both had a good chuckle.  I've now display it proudly.  We've come far!)  Oh, and I got a $50 gift card for Starbucks so I had money to pay for potential client's coffee.
The first year, we had a package that cost $999, that included everything but the kitchen sink.  We sold 46 deals that year.
We took out only what we needed to live, and spent every other penny on more and better equipment, more programs, better computers, and some killer lenses and a few more cameras.
The next year we doubled our prices.  Six months later, we charged even more.  Booked like freaks.
This year, we raised our prices again, and started taking out services, so that there is a bit more profit.  We have no studio, and use location only.  We still live in an apartment to keep costs down.  My meeting area is my living room, and my office is not much larger than a walk in closet.
However, this year we will be making some serious money.  All our equipment is paid for, and we don't need much in the way of equipment anymore.  If anything, we will be replacing worn equipment.  So all the money coming in now is fun money.

Besides a few $10,000 rock stars in the area, we are charging consistant to the upper end photogs in the area.  IMO, I was embarrassed to enter this arena because I'm now in direct competition with some extremely talented photographers vying for the same high end clientelle.

This is where my sales background has come in handy.  I am good at marketing, and even better at selling.  Not only am I holding my own, I'm outselling a good portion of my competition.

So, from my experience, I would say:
You are going to put in way more hours than you ever did in your life.
You will have to make sacrifices, financially and family wise.
You are going to have to make yourself ask for the money.
The most important thing is to believe in yourself and have your family's belief as well.
If you can do these things, you can be successful.

The best to you with any decision you make.
Many hugs,
Cindy


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## elsaspet (Nov 1, 2007)

Oh, and to answer your other question.....
The last two years we have always had an apprencise/3rd shooter.
We had help, and I believe firmly in giving back.

It's good for us because we can give back and have a few extra hands.
It's good for them because we pay them, and they get a crash course in the wedding business.
All of our assistance have gone on to be full time wedding photographers.  One is now my competitor.  Am I angry?  Not at all.  When I'm booked, I send jobs her way.  There is more than enough work for everyone.
I believe that MOST professional photogs are this way.
Don't be upset if you don't get to assist your idol.  If he turns you down, ask someone else.  
Good Luck!


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## photogoddess (Nov 1, 2007)

Some professionals hold everything close and share with no one, some share for a price and others share freely. I'm a firm believer that you get out of life (and business) what you put into it. So, I share with anyone that asks - even photographers in my area.

I started years ago with a borrowed AE1 - I was 19 (1988), a single mom and was hungry. No flash, no back up - just me and a borrowed camera. I took any photo job that I could get. I worked in labs for years making contacts, assisting, doing darkroom work - anything to learn more. Then I 'upgraded' to a Minolta 3xi, a couple of kit lenses and a Ritz Camera flash - still no back up but I shot my heart out and got lucky that nothing ever failed. Extremely lucky. Fast forward to years later. I then had a thriving business with my hubby at the time that wasn't photo related but it helped me to get 'proper' gear - a Bronica with lenses, flash, backs - the works. Now I had that trusty old Minolta as my back up. 

A few years later, I bought my first real digital camera - a Canon 10D, some kit lenses and a flash. Instead of shooting weddings and portraits with it, I continued shooting film until I got used to the digital capture and workflow. Secretly I'm a closet film geek anyways.  By the time 2005 rolled around - I finally felt comfortable shooting a wedding digitally - kind of. I ended up shooting about half film and half digital but in 2006 I finally went 'mostly' digital for client work. Now film is 'just for me'. 

I did photography part time for 18 years - between raising 4 kids and running several businesses; I finally went full time after selling my other businesses, home and property out to my ex in our divorce. It was finally time to chase my dream. 

I didn't need portfolio material except that I needed digital images to put a website together. I started by calling every friend and family member that I could and offered free portrait sessions with the following conditions. Don't ever tell anyone that this was free, tell and show your friends your great portraits. Tell them that I'm in business and give them my number and I get to use the images for anything that I want. I also shot 2 weddings dirt cheap with the same conditions. Scanning years of negs just wasn't feasible - cost, dust, etc... so this was my solution to get the images I needed quickly.

While my website was being built, I started a blog so I could show people my current work and create a buzz. I printed up business cards, post cards and samples using these newly acquired digital images and started handing them out. Short runs from WHCC so I could keep the cost down and update them often. For my immediate family, I gave them mounted images for their homes, handbags with their kids on them, albums & calendars along with stacks of promo and business cards. Then the website went live and I added the images that I had taken. 

I show up to every holiday party, every gathering, every event with my camera and shoot. Their friends, extended family, colleagues and places they do business with see me and my work. I hand out business cards (in a non pushy way - most people ask) and post photos on my blog with a blurb about the event. I've learned that I can't be shy unless I want to go hungry and that it's possible to be a good sales person without being pushy. Just be excited about your work... chimp and show people the back of the camera. You'd be surprised how many people ask for your card right there.  Always, always, ALWAYS have some on hand.

A year ago I was invited to a company Christmas party by a friend. One of those in-home party kind of companies... I was tired and needed to work on my marketing but I had a good feeling about it and went. I brought along a portfolio book and blew the owner away so not only did I photograph the Christmas party but I now photograph ALL of their events AND worked out a deal to provide complimentary sessions to their clients. I provide the postcards, they distribute them and while the session fee is waived, the clients pay for prints.  Tasmanian photographer Tero Sade gives seminars on cooperative marketing just like this. His DVDs are expensive but worth it as they literally walk you through everything - they even include sample letters. Never say free to a client - it cheapens your work. Complimentary with a $... Value is much better. 

All of a sudden I found myself shooting many sessions a week and have my weekends booked up 2 months in advance with the clients that have been sent to me by that company. This is in addition to the referral clients from the friends and family that I photographed and gave all the gifts to. Oh... and the rumor is true... the more in demand you are, _the more in demand you are_. I can literally hear clients shift gears when I tell them I'm booked up for 2 months - there's a new urgency to book that wasn't there before. Some wait for an open Saturday spot, some find the time to come during the week - taking time off from work to do so. 

Maternity sessions... I remind them to call me when their baby is born and comp them that session as well as a new baby gift. Bridal sessions... I remind them to come in for their family portraits or for a couples anniversary session... their weddings if I'm not already doing it for them. Whatever the session is, I remind them of another need for portraits. Parents visiting from out of state? Need an extended family session for grandparents? Anniversary coming up? Getting another year older? How about a boudoir session to remind your SO (or yourself) that you've still got it? I'm excited about my work, about my clients and it gets them excited about it too.

I never EVER forget to take care of the friends and family that help me to get this business off the ground - they get their annual family sessions comped to them as thanks. The usual rules apply but they love seeing their kids all over my marketing materials, studio and even more importantly, their homes and they truly feel like they are part of my business. In truth, they are my sales staff. 

Clients that I click with, that place a good order or are 'regulars' get little extras with their orders. I keep little wallet, 3x3 & 5x5 peel & stick albums on hand for these gifts. I pick the images (usually from their favorites) and they find this little surprise in with their order. If I use their photos for advertising, they get a small box of business cards with their photo on them to hand out to their friends as well. You'd be amazed at how fast cards get handed out to friends and family when it's their images on them.  

I'm on a pro photographer forum and network with other pros. I attend workshops, seminars, conventions and get-togethers. I second shoot for other locals and sometimes they second shoot for me. The point is the get out there and network - some of your best referrals often come from a colleague that's already booked. 

Is it hard? Hell yeah! Is it worth it? Hell Yeah! I'm swamped and yet I'm still trying to build this business into one that is hugely profitable. Within the first year it was self supporting - even with huge computer, software and camera purchases. I don't shoot with that old 10D and kit lenses anymore - thankfully I've been able to buy a 5D, two 30D backups (wooohoooo), some kick ass lenses, multiple flash units, etc... I've never worked so hard but I wake up every day and pinch myself that I have the career of my dreams. Failure is not an option... just remember that!


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## elsaspet (Nov 1, 2007)

Awesome story PG!!!!  Totally inspiring!
And I wanted to add, GREAT sales and Marketing!!!!!  (The fact that your also an awesome photog doesn't hurt)
And that last paragraph sums it all up so well.
*Hugs*


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## Alpha (Nov 1, 2007)

Thank you both for sharing those. Such real tales of hardship and success are rarely, if ever, told on this board. (I don't believe I've even seen them before from anyone here).


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## photogoddess (Nov 1, 2007)

elsaspet said:


> Awesome story PG!!!!  Totally inspiring!
> And I wanted to add, GREAT sales and Marketing!!!!!  (The fact that your also an awesome photog doesn't hurt)
> And that last paragraph sums it all up so well.
> *Hugs*



You're so sweet Cindy! :hugs: I hope that in sharing our stories and information that even one person finds the strength... the determination within themselves to chase their dream. 

Oh... and I almost forgot to add... The more you shoot, the more you learn. Keep pushing yourself and you'll find that things you loved 6 months ago, you may suddenly hate. This is a good thing as it means that you're improving. Once you know you're putting out consistently good work - remember that there is someone out there that will buy it. It just might not be the 1st, 2nd or even 20th door you knock on so keep trying!


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## dpolston (Nov 1, 2007)

OMG PG and Cindy!  

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

That's the kind of answers I needed. You both (and all of you here) are amazing, but post 18 and 20 need to be in a "forum hall of fame"!

David. (I can't wait to meet you all)

BTW - My wife is the one that started this entire thing. She bought me my first real camera (Minolta Maxium 5000) for me when we were 16. She is my number one supporter, right in front of my kids and then my sister. Family is the key.


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## elsaspet (Nov 1, 2007)

If your wife is on your side, you are half way there already.
Go gettum Tiger!


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