Photography Business Frustration

[Angel317]

Hello Everyone.

I am new to DPS forums so forgive me if I have posted this in the wrong place.

I have a question...

I fell in love with photography about 3 years ago. Since then my sister, my friend at work and my neighbor all have taken an interest in it as well. I think its great that they found a hobby but they have all turned into a competition for business. When I started that was my intent was to get good enough to make a little extra cash (and they all knew that and "supported" me.) They all three have tapped me for information on gear, prices, advertising, technique, etc. Now I don't get hardly any calls and my extra cash is next to nothing.

I know shame on me for being so generous with my information but I felt they would have respected my space and NOT take my business. We all have other circles other than the one they are in with me. Plenty of opportunity for them to get their own repeat business without taking mine.

It seems as though they enjoy rubbing my nose it from bragging on their gigs to posting their new purchases on Facebook along with their photos.

All of this just makes me want to throw my hands up and quit. The field of photography is so vast that its overwhelming at times and its then that I say I don't want to deal with this anymore. Then I see the investment in my equipment and don't want to throw my money away.

How do I get past all of this garbage and get my mojo back?

[Saralonde]

Welcome to dPS, Angel.

I moved this out of Assignments to this section for you.

[Jim Bryant]

That's what happens in using dSLR PhD cameras (Press here Dummy)! Taking pictures have become so easy that a caveman/cavewoman can press the button and get a good snap!

[BigFuzzy]

Welcome to DPS Angel!

I see it this way. They must be doing something better than you to be getting the business you no longer get.

They either advertise better.
Or promote better.
Or take better photos (which advertises and promotes on it's own)

If any (or all) of these things are happening, you simply have to work on fixing that deficiency. They're technically not doing anything wrong and if they're trying harder than you, you're the one doing something wrong (or not doing as may be the case). Remember, photography is a very small percentage taking photos, the rest is business acumen!

Don't begrudge their sucess is my advice. Kick their collective asses at doing what it is you want to do. I promise you, if you advertised, sold, marketed, promoted yourself better and had some kick ass images to back it up, you'd have ALL their business.. right?

Good luck, and start fighting back!

[gturner]

simple - make sure you take better photos.

[docxnoel]

Welcome to DPS Angel,

+1 to BigFuzzy

I can relate to your business situation, our family have an optical laboratory business which is operating for more than 15 years, in our area we are just the one who have this kind of business, so all the private opticals and clinics with their optical jobs are passing to us, and we are comfortable about that situation, providing a quality job from recieving and delivering the products, a year ago there is one rising optical laboratory which placed in our city, so we have now already a competitor, and they even offering much low prices than us, also offering free picked up and delivery, its really alarming on our sides, so we need to have a reality check, what we will do to stay our costumers and not to transfer to another one...the thing we do is we rate our own service quality and we study how to satisfied our costumers without lowering our prices and having into free picked up and delivery, the best answer is if you really have the name in the business with known quality of service and taking more improvement for customer satisfaction, there is no doubt that your customers stays with you, to prove that, one of my customers try the service of our competitors biting for the low price, after a while they came back to us, because she realized that a little price difference is not worthy than a quality and efficient service.

[faeriegodess612]

Yeah, I've only been working in a photography business for three days now, but one thing is already very apparent. It's all about the behind the scenes action. The taking of the pictures is only maybe a few hours of each work day. The rest is mostly editing, customer service, packaging, etc,..that is, if your getting the business to keep you busy.

Print up a brochure, and market yourself. Print flyers and pass them out at a local grocery store. Put an ad in the phonebook. If you don't have a webpage, make one. If you do, make sure it's one of the first in a listing on a Google search. Find a local decal and/or sign shop and see how much it would cost to have them make you a decal or magnet for your car. There's many ways to market yourself,...but you have to have a quality product, for a reasonable price. Don't short change yourself, but don't price gouge like so many photographer's do. Everybody says,..OMG!! I'd never charge that little!! But they are usually the ones that are fully booked for the next couple of months. To someone on a smaller scale, if it makes you enough to be happy, and comfortable, after ALL expenses for the business itself are paid, then who needs all that?

[Le Simons]

never ever give up !
if it is what you want to do then buckel down and make your product stand out front .
people will see the quality of your work and it will all change your way.
good luck, And keep shooting
have a great day
Le Simons

[Jim Bryant]

Do all the above. Especially marketing and getting your name out there. Most folks don't understand the business of photography, what their costs of doing business is, or take in account all the extra time it takes to edit, post process, take orders, full fill and deliver print orders. Even burning CD's and DVD's takes time. Good luck.....

Learn everything about the business and while others get discourage and give up photography as a business, you'll remain to service your customers.

Get John Harrington's "Best Business Practices for Photographers", great book that will educate you on what it takes to run a successful business.

[gdegerman]

Great reading. I have two reflections.

I believe Jim is right, the photography business has changed and "pro" photographers now have to compete with "point and shooters". I do not regard myself as a "pro" photographer, and I do not look for photo-jobs (I have an other job). However, people in my network keep coming to and ask for various photo shots, sometimes I even advice them to get a "real" photographer.

So how should a photographer compete? Marketing is definitely the key, and I have been thinking a lot about how a photographer should market him/her-self. It is definitely not that easy!

Do you have any thread there at the forum where you list/review various market activities for photographers?