Found this interesting,..

[faeriegodess612]

This was in my Facebook News Feed from "You Are Not a Photographer" Even though I don't take photos for money, ( Or photos at all lately ) I found it interesting.

I'd suggest reading this too.

These are from Peter Jensen Bissell's Blog.

How to be a Photographer. ( When everyone is a Photographer )

During my journey down this interesting road, I meet and talk with many new people, and some, after hearing what I do, ask me if I am worried about photography’s rapid spread to the masses – They undoubtedly have noticed (as I have) the increasing availability, choice, and quality of photographs and photo services these days. They will say things to me such as “have you noticed a drop in business now that so many people are taking cool pictures themselves?” Or “do you find it hard to make money? I feel like everyone owns their own camera these days”.

These are very good questions, and the people asking them are right to worry about my livelihood. In the last few years, we have a seen an explosion in photography, hastened by several things, among them a decrease in cost and increase in availability of cameras, equipment, and editing software, increases in technology, (lower-cost cameras now take better photos, and most people have access to in-depth editing programs on their Androids or iPhones) and a much easier infrastructure within which to share these photos (Facebook is the perfect start for anyone looking to launch their photography service business – Just a few pro bono sessions, some watermarks, and Boom! You have a photography business.)

Photographers have certainly noticed this trend, and many don’t like it. Websites like You Are Not a Photographer poke fun at people who start photography “businesses” with little or no training. I won’t deny that I’ve had some laughs myself (seriously people….no white vignetting, ever!) but after the joking, as professionals we are all faced with the same pressing question-

How can we (continue) to be a photographers, when everyone is a photographer?

Or, more specifically…

How can we continue (or begin) to make money in a field of art that is ever-increasingly available to just about anyone?

The answer is not to buy a better camera or new equipment,

or to stay on top of the latest technological innovations,

or get more Twitter followers,

or enroll in master level photography classes.

There will always be someone with better equipment than you.

There will always be someone who has the latest “thing” before you.

There will always be someone with a bigger reach of influence than you.

There will always be someone who has been shooting longer and has greater skill.

Focusing on being the best in any one of these categories may help in the short term, but ultimately it won’t get your business anywhere.

The answer is that you’re going to have to care your ass off about your customers, and create and provide a unique experience and a truly amazing service.

For every level of photographer, there is now TONS of competition – The market is totally flooded. Great photos of anything are now easy to come by. The service many different vendors provide is essentially the same.

The only thing left to make your clients decide to choose you over the other options is the experience you create for them through your own personal brand.

Technical skill, equipment and networking are still very important pieces of the puzzle, but they’re not enough anymore. Photography is no longer the specialized trade it once was. It is now an art form open to the masses, and the one biggest factor in determining a photographer’s success will be if they are able to build a brand that focuses on delivering connections, delight and service that goes above and beyond what the customer expects.


DISCLAIMER: I did not write this. This is copy pasted from here. I DO NOT TAKE PHOTOS FOR MONEY.

[mosgood]

A wealth of info in these articles. Thanks for sharing, FG.

[SwissJon]

God how I wish a few companies I've had the misfortune to deal with would read that..

[NathanFranke]

Originally Posted by SwissJon

God how I wish a few companies I've had the misfortune to deal with would read that..

Ha ha....yeah.

[Nicole]

While it is good that you posted your source, I think it is preferable to post a small snippet of the post with a link to the remainder so that the author's blog gets the traffic. No reason not to discuss it here, but I believe it is more fair to the original content creator that way.

[faeriegodess612]

Originally Posted by Nicole

While it is good that you posted your source, I think it is preferable to post a small snippet of the post with a link to the remainder so that the author's blog gets the traffic. No reason not to discuss it here, but I believe it is more fair to the original content creator that way.

Yeah,..I was kinda wondering about that. Sometimes though I think someone see's a link and theyre like, OMG another thing to click on. But, Meh. I'll just post the link like I normally do next time.

[SwissJon]

I would post the first paragraph or two then post a link with the words "carry on reading". If you cut midsentence then people will be more inclined to click.