How to succeed as a photographer... Please share what you have learnt...

<p><strong>I received any email from a FaceBook friend who asked for some advice about how to get started & succeed as a photographer. </strong><br>

<strong>I thought I'd share my reply to her with everyone here in the hope you might like to share some of your own experiences. </strong> What have you learnt?, and what has been the important lessons for you?<br>

Here was my reply to her;<br>

".... it's a people business, so if you're a good people person it will help, if not, you'll need work on that.<br>

Be either highly specialized or very wide ranging in the work you do.<br>

Edit your work so you only show your best.... get help from people who know how to do that.<br>

Work very hard to build up a portfolio... then work even harder to re build it to make it better.<br>

Network, network, network... facebook, blogs, twitter, web sites, write, contribute, do free work for charities around your speciality.<br>

Make yourself your first client and experiment and take creative risks... no one is going to see your failures, so go for it.<br>

Look at other people's work, find photographers whom you like and admire and use them to set a benchmark for your own work.... when you catch up, then find new photographers.<br>

Be proud of your work, but allow yourself to be dissatisfied... it will push you forward.<br>

Always reach for the stars.... as they say you may not reach them but at least you'll be in the heavens.<br>

Open your eyes & mind to world around you. Always look, feel, watch, What do you see? Understand that your camera does not take pictures. You do....<br>

Never give your camera the responsibility for making pictures, that's your job. Take the responsibility.<br>

Enjoy life & what you are doing.... it will show in your work and relationships with clients & subjects. You don't need the most expensive camera, you need great ideas.<br>

Seek out and discover what you are good at, it will make the journey more successful. Expect the journey to be lonely and difficult at times.... so build a support network.<br>

Remember that moving forward is often just one step at a time. Work on having small wins while working towards the big wins.<br>

Be kind to yourself. Don't beat yourself up when things go wrong, because they will.<br>

Produce quality.... because there are always clients who will pay for quality. You dont want to get into the low fee end of the market... those clients won't respect you or your work and will not pay well.<br>

Give clients a bit more than they are paying for, the right clients will appreciate it and come back.<br>

Respect your clients but show them that you expect equal respect, but do so in a professional and very friendly way. Don't be a creative prima donna or difficult to work with. Be honest with your clients.<br>

Don't be afraid of them. Tell them what you think and what they need to know and do. The right clients will respect you for it.<br>

Get your camera in front of interesting subject matter, you won't build a portfolio or reputation sitting at home. Stop watching TV.<br>

Get up at 4 am and see what the world looks like when most people are asleep. It's the best time to shoot. Around sunrise is called the "Golden Hour" for good reason. I<br>

n finding new locations or subjects occasionally be unplanned, the unexpected can lead to new discoveries.... go looking for them in places you have never been before.<br>

Ask yourself, what do I like to shoot?, try that first.<br>

Learn how to sell and pick up the phone.... its not as hard as it sounds. And remember you dont need to sell people, you just need to find people who do need photography and then see if you're a fit with their needs or not. If not, thats ok... move onto the next person.<br>

Take advice from people who HAVE succeeded.<br>

Dont expect people , even those close to you, to help or encourage you. People can be strange.This is your journey, only you can drive it.<br>

Build a good quality mail list... send people examples of your work. Build contacts... lots of them... and dont burn bridges.<br>

Help others and share with people. I hope this helps. All the very best and let me know how your journey's going..... Cheers... Steve<br>

PS.... and remember Life is short... dont waste it. If you have a dream, go for it."</p>

<p>What I have learnt...</p>

<p>Great exposure where it counts, both within the camera and in marketing one's images.</p>

<p>Both require more work than realized. </p>

<p>Learn to apply your technical expertise at solving problems under the direction of others. Be quick, efficient and a easy to get along with.</p>

<p>Ditto on the marketing and self promotion, (including word of mouth), and remember that Google can be your friend or worst enemy.</p>

<p>Understand that recent technology has made it possible for a number of would be photographers to enter the ranks, and likewise, allowed some very basic tasks normally reserved for professionals, to either be done by the clients themselves, or less skilled and cheap labor.</p>

<p>Today's economy means less money, which means.... uhm, let me put it this way: There's a lot more jobs out there looking for free work in exchange for "exposure". This is not a photographic trend, it involves all media.</p>

<p>In short, folks won't hire you just because you have a great portolio... hmmm. Wait. Repeat business comes from a demonstrated ability to create wonderful images on the spot, under their direction, and within budget.</p>

<p>Here is the reality of it...<br /> The timing of a market crash with a media breakdown coupled with a world absolutely flooding with DSLR toting enthusiasts is going to make it very hard if not impossible for many to work full time or even part time as a photographer.<br>

<br /> We are now in a world in that what makes a "good" photograph matters less, everything is cheapened and faked / photoshopped out. Good enough is replacing good when coupled with a price tag of cheap or even free. I have been a working photographer for 20 years and up until last year, things just kept looking up. But not in the past 12 months, it has all dropped off at least 60%. Part of this is my fault in that I was very busy strictly by word of mouth, so I had no marketing plan in place.<br>

<br /> The other problem was that I had hoped to take a sabbatical from paid work and take all of next year to work on the "Kodachrome Project". It is now going to be very hard if not impossible for me to do that given the current climate and the fact that half of the money I had spent 5 years saving up went to living expenses. <br /> My advice? Work hard, shoot really great images of a unique subject or niche, but don't expect too many of us to just hand out free advice or proprietary business info in this climate, that is career suicide at this point. <br /> The old advice no longer applies, for photography as a profession is in serious decline with no end in sight. Hopefully I can turn it around in my neck of the woods, because if I can't, I don't know what the hell I am going to do as photography is more than a job for me, it is who I am and it is my life.<br>

But one thing I never did as I worked all my life was expect the golden ticket of advice in terms of business. I knew that was basically asking someone how to become competition. So I read a lot, used common sense and above all, made better images than my competition in a unique niche.....and I worked very very hard. <br>

I get asked by people on here and other places how to become a photographer. I no longer answer that question because to be quite honest, I don't know the answer, it is a personal journey, everyone is different. <br>

One thing is for sure, no matter what your background or ability, it is going to get harder and harder to earn a living in photography as time goes on. </p>

<p>Daniel, that was one of the most beautiful posts I've read in a long time on PN. That kind of candour is worth more than gold.</p>

<p>I do wonder though: you say your business began to take a hit about 12 months ago despite growing for the previous 20 years. Perhaps the lower expectations (and demands) for quality are not the issue. Well, I hope not - for you, just as much as for me!</p>

<p>Yes, any fool can buy a cheap camera that gives technically great results. I doubt that this is the major factor behind the decline of professional photography. Maybe the media is happy to exploit this kind of myth by forcing prices down - and demanding more output, hoping the sucker working for nothing will keep going, never suspecting that he'll never get that payrise ("You have your 'exposure', as much as you want, and I'll keep the money").</p>

<p>Steve</p>

<p>Thanks for sharing this!</p>

<p>I will add learned to network down not only network up. We will network with those people that have those titles or we believe that they can lead to some business opportunities.</p>

<p>I network with everyone. I been in rooms with fellow photographs and they are too busy talking (networking) with other people with the titles and status. Me I will network with everyone. Once in while something big has landed in my lap because I was kind and respectful to the person that recommended me and they did not have the big titles or status. They just knew the right people that I only dreamed of knowing.</p>

<p>Never! Never! Never! Ignore anyone as they might be the right contact that recommends you to someone else on a project that you would never chance to do on your own.</p>

<p>Bill</p>

<p>Thanks Karim,<br /> I think it will be OK, I just have to market my butt off, get out and shoot as much as I can so I have images to offer clients when things do pick back up and stay off of the internet forums.<br /> This would not be nearly as hard if I were not trying to take on a risky thing like the Kodachrome Project in what is surely one of the worst possible times to be doing so. On the bright side I have plenty of the film and the processing is payed for via third party.<br>

<br /> It's hard though....you read about the $30 iStock Time cover, the lady in the other thread bragging about her "Your shot" in National Geographic that did not pay a dime and the fact the local paper that I used to work for no longer has a photographer but instead hands Canon G10's to reporters and it all starts to look downright scary.<br>

<br /> A couple of weeks ago, I was out shooting stock images. In three separate occasions, I had people lining up behind me with their cameras to get a shot I has specifically set up. In the past I would have laughed it off and took it as flattery. Not this time, I asked them to please refrain and find their own shot. When one person asked why I cared I told them that it was my vision that created the photo, not theirs and I had no idea where their photo might end up as amateurs just give their images away willy nilly. <br>

<br /> To keep this all on topic, hard work, talent, dedication and marketing *should* be the formula for success in photography...but only if the market / public continues to see the value in it.</p>

<p>I do find that good marketing combined with a well thought out business plan ( and get some help with that) plus a good dose of hard work helps many creative people build a very strong business even in tough times. Most creative businesses have traditionally be 'cottage industries'. And cottage industries get killed when the market changes or gets competitive. Things like education & training, business planing, marketing & sales skills and general business process are often lacking. The very nature of many photographers is that they are free sprites somehow removed from that reality. The more sophisticated types of business we see in many other industries are the result of decades of competition and business pressures. Its not nice but if you look at it carefully it presents photographers with opportunities to change and improve for the good.</p>

 

<p>At the end of the day the good news is that the demand by potential clients for images, photographic story telling, using photography to sell their service or product etc etc is exploding. These are also very good times. The question becomes how do creative people position themselves to take advantage of that. There will always be a clients for whom the image is very important to them. That is more so now with all the visual clutter that is out there and the growing need that any particular clients "visual story" needs to work harder to stand out.... So they need to work more closely with their image maker to come up with images which get their story told.

Anyway we could write a How To book on this..... just remember that in times of change there is always opportunity.

Landscape photography is a particular area where photographers almost always never make money for the unbelievable time spend in the field..... yet a guy called Peter Lik makes US$30 Million a year from it. You should see his holiday home on an island in the Great barrier reef off Australia. There is always a way forward for every one. But the path forward may not be where you expect it to be. </p>

<p>the demand by potential clients for images, photographic story telling, using photography to sell their service or product etc etc is exploding.</p>

<p>It is? Do you have any evidence of this?</p>

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<p>These are also very good times.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>These aren't good times at all. I agree with Daniel - it could not be worse, or maybe it could and we just haven't seen it. I don't agree with all his reasons, but he's right when he points out these are not good times.</p>

<p>Magazine pages are dropping 20-30% a year (excluding failed publications, which adds to the percentage.) Newspaper pages are rapidly declining. None of this is good for photographers. Books sales are only slightly down, but art books are a declining piece of the market. All of this is easily ascertained online through industry associations.</p>

 

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<p>a guy called Peter Lik makes US$30 Million a year from it</p>

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<p>This is exactly one example. </p>

 

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<p>The timing of a market crash</p>

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<p>This is a big factor. The money just isn't there. For me personally, two of my three long-term clients are over 90 days. I can't turn them off, because they will pay me at some point and they will use me again and I don't want to lose them, but I'm not making money from them. The other one is in limbo, not really in or out of business. Rates are dropping too. I'm getting a full-time day job if I can find one.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>a world absolutely flooding with DSLR toting enthusiasts is going to make it very hard if not impossible for many to work full time or even part time as a photographer.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>My take is that this isn't it at all. What has really changed is a) the distribution of images, and b) the use of images. Twenty years ago, most good photographers had no way to distribute or sell their images beyond the local coffee shop. There was no internet that made it easy for image buyers to find images that meet requirements, and there was no internet filled with perfectly qualified (relative to what is needed) enthusiasts with web galleries that buyers could track down for assignments. Even ten years ago, the internet was relatively unsophisticated as a photo marketplace. Now it's easy to find anything. The use of images is also quite different. The collapse of print and printed materials and the growth of the web is a huge change. Ten years ago, a company would hire a photographer or studio to shoot its executives, usually at good day rates. Prints would go into press kits and get sent out to companies that might print them. Now, those images are small and displayed on the web. As long as someone can be recognized, it's fine. (Somewhat coincidentally, the rise of casual work environments means that a photo of someone shooting a squirt gun or holding their pet is acceptable for an online company profile.) So that photo shoot that used to involve a photographer, one or two assistants, and a truck full of equipment or a studio, now involves a company employee and the neighborhood park.</p>

<p>I also think many photographers have a warped view of what the public sees in a photo. There is an issue of technical quality that meets what photographers think people want to see. I recently had someone use a (licensed) photo on a poster, but they used a web image at 800x600 and blew it up. I did tell them that they should never do that again and always ask for a high resolution copy. But people who knew I took the photo kept telling me how much they liked the poster. Let me repeat that - they liked the <em>poster</em> . What they were responding to was the total package, my photo was a significant portion but hardly the most important thing. So the technical quality of the image was far less important than the overall impact of the poster. And that's what many of the arguments here miss - quality can be about more than simple technical quality of an image.</p>

<p>One other comment on what I have found - access is more important than quality. In a limited access situation, the people who are close will do far better than the ones who are far away. This helps photographers at events, in travel, and at news scenes. However, it's a double edged situation. For some things, being there is far more important than one's skills. If someone with a phone cam sees a major unplanned news event, they will do far better than a newspaper pj who is four miles away at the time it happens.</p>

<p>I also find it odd that someone who says "i'm having too much fun making pictures to worry about what to do with them" is handing out business advice to photographers.</p>

<p>Peter Lik has a gallery in my town, I look at the work and some of it is stunning albiet garish, Velvia in 6x17 printed on Endura Metallic. He is established as of 20 years ago, if he were starting out today, I doubt he would make 30 million a year even 5 years from now. I agree with what you have said Jeff, I wrote what I did in an emotional state, not always pragmatic. <br>

I just got a call from a local magazine for Fall images, all niche stuff they know I have. Even one freaking call made me feel a tad better, I have to work hard, be the "insane-angle-man" as one editor calls me. I also have to protect my niche and yet be seen. I am sure Jeff knows what this is like, keep things on the down low to protect against copy cats, Getty creatives telling iStock hacks to "Go shoot that, we don't have that and we need it" and yet get our work out in front of those who will buy it.<br>

So while the comment by Steve of "At the end of the day the good news is that the demand by potential clients for images, photographic story telling, using photography to sell their service or product etc etc is exploding." might be true in terms of content, it is not in terms of price. Look at John Harrington's blog, he uncovers more of the growing pile of dirt every day. <br>

But then I talk to the big guys I know, the heaviest of the heavy hitters and they are all doing well once again, better than 6 months ago. So if they can do it, then I can do it, for I can see and I can shoot. <br>

But getting back to why I even posted here in the first place? It is still going to be really tough and what ever advice you will get in public is going to be almost cliche, not what you need to be doing now. <br>

I once compared success in photography to being a rock star or an actor. I wish it were still that way, but it is not. It might actually be easier to succeed in the music or performing arts now than in photography....and that is just plain nuts.</p>

 

<p>On that last paragraph, I found this in the New York Times:</p>

 

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<p>Visual media will never disappear. But as is the case with music, the idea that it can be executed by the gifted few has come and gone.</p>

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<p>Good find Jeff.<br /> I like it when people stand out, wether it be in music, acting, woodworking, photography or painting. I think many people like it when talent stands out, it inspires, transforms and defines the potential in all of us. <br /> But all of these passions take time, regardless of tools or methodology and none of it comes out of the womb on a DVD that a parent is supposed to insert in their child upon cutting the cord so to speak. So some earn a living at it and should if they are good enough.<br>

<br /> So now music, photography, all kinds of things that were harder to execute with precision are now easier for nearly everyone to do. Who do we look up to? Who deserves to be paid then? With much of the gloating from those who did not quite "make it" in their chosen field of passion in the arts, there is a horrible stench of bitterness from many and it begs the question of what will become of the arts and will they be important? Here is a great example of bitterness and gloating over people losing their jobs, might want to enter with a 10 LB bag of sugar in the raw:<br>

<br /> http://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=480730&page=1<br>

<br /> This just blows me away, the outright nastiness of those who never made it in photography practically celebrating those who have lost their jobs..<br>

<br /> In some ways I think this will all shake out, but it will never be as good of an age for the arts as it once was. This is one reason I want to move away from commercial work and do nothing but fine art in a darkroom. It's not that I feel it is better than other work or pays better, it will be where I derive the greatest satisfaction in my life and in my work and that...in theory...should translate to the best imagery I can make and the best potential for income I can generate.<br>

<br /> We have to re-invent our selves Jeff, people still do care and even if it is not a 6 figure salary anymore, it is better than the alternative....I think.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>A couple of weeks ago, I was out shooting stock images. In three separate occasions, I had people lining up behind me with their cameras to get a shot I has specifically set up. In the past I would have laughed it off and took it as flattery. Not this time, I asked them to please refrain and find their own shot. When one person asked why I cared I told them that it was my vision that created the photo, not theirs and I had no idea where their photo might end up as amateurs just give their images away willy nilly.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>OMG! Daniel! You da' man. You're my hero. That took some massive "huevo's" to say that to those people. Was wondering when someone was going to do that. LOL!</p>

<p>Jeff, good point on visual media. Guess that's why Google has an "Image" search feature and not one for "Music". Have a collection of some New Age/Prog Soft Jazz music selections by some 20 odd individual musicians I recorded to cassette off an Austin, Texas FM Jazz radio signal back in '89 and can only find one by name on the web and just bought the CD for it. A lot are instrumental so can't find them doing a search by lyrics.</p>

<p>Steve, I think what you wrote is a positive way to look at things, but since you own a design firm and don't really *need* to make money off of photography, what practical business advice do you have given the current market, steep drop in ad revenue, halts in high end real estate and resort development, etc.<br /> <br /> Does your design firm still employ quality photography and photographers as much as before the crash? Do you use more microstock with shrinking client budgets?<br /> <br /> Don't get me wrong, I think it is always good to be positive and I am somewhat battered lately I will admidt, but with a little investigating on my part, it looks as though you are actually in the position to speak from the perspective of the art buyer which is more timely and pertinent advice than the somewhat "Motivational Speaker" approach you have used above...<br /> <br /> So from an art buyer's perspective, what advice can you give *good* photographers who actually work with design firms like yours but have seen a steep decline in paying projects and medium to high end stock use?<br>

<br /> That would be far better value in terms of advice than the same old "Reach for the Starrrrrs" stuff we all hear day in day out....</p>

<p>I'm with Daniel on this one.</p>

<p>First, as a designer I actually sell lots photography to my design clients as a big part of what we do.... lots of it. And its no push over, clients are very aware of iStock. Yes its harder, but clients are buying, and buying big if they see it meets their needs. You need to shift them from thinking its about photography to its about their brand & business image and communication effectiveness.<br>

Second, Design and photography are no different.... Cheap computers, clever software, globalism and every man & his dog setting up shop at home did to the design industry what DLSRs and photolibaries are doing to photography. ( even the clients are doing some of their own design work now) And we are all equality effected by the economy. But when I go selling my self to potential clients I dont talk design & show off a portfolio like 98% of photographers are still trying to do. Im talking to clients about about their business and marketing issues and problems, about the issues they are having around how to make their brand stand out & cut through in an increasingly crowded market and what I might be able to do as a Visual Marketing expert to help them.... Im not their to sell myself as a designer or photographer. There is a big mind shift here in thinking. Photographers who see themselves as photographers will be killed off. <br>

Each segment of the industry needs its own fine tuned business position and strategy. For most creative people its no longer about "pretty pictures, personality & portfolios" Its about really understanding what each potential clients business needs are and working out how you can help them meet those needs with the skills you have. So in the clients world where their brands & message are being drowned with visual clatter, brands fighting to get noticed, lots of images looking the same or generic, consumer not seeing or noticing your clients messages, what can photographers do to help clients with these problems. Your clients are having lots of marketing problems. The good news is people with skills in creating outstanding cut through imagery can help. But you won't be able to help if you see yourself as a photographer.... You are a Visual Communications Expert and Consultant who can help clients build their brands and get their message noticed. You just happen to use photography as your tool. This is a mind shift. Dont fight it, just think out it. It also requires photographers to move out of their comfort zones..... thats uncomfortable, requires new learnings, up skilling and thinking in new ways. IF you get angry, unset and hurt in the process, thats normal. Every sigle business in the world has their moments of stress and seismic shifts... as my business coach would say, " So what are you going to do aboutit.... what the plan?"</p>

<p>PS ( I am also a photographer)<br>

PSS I normally dont spend this much time on Photo.net.... im at home with the flu. Happy for people to keep in contact im on facebook http://www.facebook.com/Steve.Coleman.Photographer</p>

 

 

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<p>You are a Visual Communications Expert and Consultant who can help clients build their brands and get their message noticed.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>What are you going on about? Do you know what photographers do?<br /> <br /> <br /> I can just see it now, I call up a fight promoter who I know needs a regular photographer and tell him he can a Visual Communications Expert and Consultant working with him. Let me give you his response, as clean as I can make it: "I need a f-ing what? You can buy your tickets with everyone else!"</p>

<p>Or the guy who I'm doing some catalog work for in the next couple weeks. He wants someone to show up with some lighting and a camera while he arranges models. I can say, "Hey wait, you need a Visual Communications Expert and Consultant to tell you what to do. That's me!" I hope he pays for the cab fare home.</p>

<p>I don't know about the Visual Communications Expert stuff, either. I'm pretty sure that the people I have met lately are interested in thinking about maybe hiring a good, all-around photographer that will deliver decent services that they can afford. I say this because I listen to their inquiries, and they're not often in genres of my immediate specialty. </p>

<p>I can see in some respects how the skills that might contribute to being a "Visual Communication Expert" would count: web page authoring, putting together an electronic disk of some kind, knowing how computer settings and communications would affect an image. But, I'm with Jeff on those words. </p>

<p>If I said, "I'm a visual communication expert," then about 90% of the sassy people in my area would then respond with an obscene hand gesture. </p>

<p>Most of the more successful photographers in my area that I've met are generally good all-around photographers who have found their marketplace niche. They deliver completed projects of sound quality for reasonable prices. Over time, they accrue a fair portfolio and move up in the market. Some come; some go; some persist. The ones who seem to last the longest are the ones who put up with the work and stick to business basics.</p>

<p>But, being too glossy with the language would probably not go over well with most customers. I guess you have to know your target market, and proceed accordingly. </p>

<p>Im exaggerating to stress a point. If what someone does is catalog work, great. But 95% of catalogues all look the same.... cheap and mass produced. I bet those clients tender the work out to the cheapest photographer or better still they do it in house themselves now. But I have seen some catalogs that make their clients business and products stand out and make them different for their competitors. I bet these clients value their image and have very high production values. I would bet that many of these clients spend real good money on photography because they see it not as a functional picture taking process but as part of their business visual branding and marketing... something to be valued and managed together with a great team. I bet the discussions that happen in each of these two different types of companies are very different... do you have discussion with clients mostly about costs, timing and functional job tasks or do you have discussions with clients about their their image, the visual equities of their brand, how you can make their business stand out and be seen in ways which help their business. As i said it a mind shift. It requires work to make the jump both in understanding and in practice. <br>

I do.... it works.... </p>

 

<p>PS... if you are happy fishing where your fishing, thats great, just ignore me. If however you are not happy fishing in that place you need to find a new place to fish and you may need to find new ways to fish. The fish are still out there, they may be different fish and eat different food but they are still hungry. The world is spinning and it will not stop for any of us. </p>

<p>I have discussions about photographic needs. It's that simple. I'm not selling a whole lot of BS wrapped around it. Either they want me to take their photos or they don't.</p>

<p>My clients know their market far better than I do. I can give them suggestions, but most of the time, they have strong ideas about what they want to do. What I try to give them is a better experience with a photographer than they get otherwise, not a new age sales pitch.</p>

<p>OK, I'll bite again....<br /> <br /> I know exactly where Steve is coming from, but I might word it differently. One of the reasons that I have even gotten 5 figure jobs with NO marketing or NO self promotional tools like a good website in the past is that I approach my involvement in what the client needs from a team player standpoint, not an individual walking into a room full of non-photographers. I am also one of the easiest and most passionate shooters to work with. If a shoot is not going the direction the clients needs it to or things just need to change direction, I happily go that way.<br /> <br /> So I 100% agree with what Steve is saying, I am not so sure I would call my self a "Visual Communication Expert" though. I am a photographer, I will hopefully always be that. But I also know that I am a "Creative Professional" in what I offer, because it is really going to become a one man show in some ways the way it is all going. While it is not good to be jack of all trades and master of none, the days of living on master of one are gone, there is going to have to be some diversity in there somewhere, that is why I am considering launching my own agency, that way, I am reaping more of the income and working directly with clients, using my talents and those I will employ.<br /> <br /> It's just damn scary, I waited WAY too long to launch a comprehensive commercial website and now I am scrambling. Add to that the fact that I am going to be traveling the country on and off for over a year shooting for a book project and not be able to even take some paid gigs and I am really risking it all at this point. The bummer is the project can not be put off, it is history after 12/2010. Jeez, if I sold all this expensive Leica and XPan film equipment and the 1,000 rolls of fresh Kodahchrome I have, I could fund a ton of stock shoots and some hefty self promotion.<br /> <br /> But that is not what life is about. It is about taking risks and this one for me is a doozy, I don't even have a publisher yet. But I have the whole darn world watching me now, waiting to see what this "Kodachrome Project" is going to amount to, so I have to push on. It might end up being the best self promotion I could ever think of, or it might totally flop as I drain my bank account because I have no income for the rest of this year and most of next.<br /> <br /> I am a decent photographer, but I am also a good guy to have around on a shoot, to break the ice, to engage people in laughter or wonderment, whatever, if need be. So all I can do is work harder, I have had it pretty easy for the past 10 years so maybe it is payback time and I can deal with that.<br /> <br /> But what I can not deal with is the loss of so much work that the dream of doing something that is more for the greater art than for profit being lost for ever. There will never be another Kodachrome and there will never be another Kodachrome Project. If I fail to realize this dream because of this damn economy and the business model it is creating, I could very well see selling all my gear and getting out of photography for good, job, hobby or otherwise.<br /> <br /> That is what is on the line and that is what is truly scary for me.</p>

<p>I am amazed at how closed minded people can be when faced with a new idea or a new way of working. I don't understand the extreme negative response to Coleman. It appears to me that Steve Coleman has elevated the level of communication with his clients, which is hard work. He has to know his clients and their needs , perhaps better than the clients themselves, and be able to communicate his ideas without alienating the client. Again , hard work. I guess some people are willing to go the extra mile, try the new idea, work harder, be more creative , rather than sulk in self pity about how tough things are and how good times used to be. The cream always rises to the top. The best do whatever it takes, even if it means doing something in a totally different and new way.</p>

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<p>Thanks John, as a photographer and designer my clients come to me because im an expert not a functionary. An expert gets to offer advice and help to a client around the issues of client problems and then get to do an important job with a much better budget. A functionary gets paid to do what they are asked to do often in a very task driven environment and normally at the lowest quoted price. So while my clients are marketing experts and know their business and brands better than I do they still look to me to be an expert around areas of Visual communication. ie how can I best express their brand or marketing need or objective visually. I hear a lot of photographers talking about the economy, the lack of work or the low fees or no fees issues but i dont hear lots of talk about what they are going to do about it. Im just trying to offer some suggestions which i know work. These days being a very good photographer with a great portfolio, good personality and lots of skills and contacts is just the cost of entry, that just gets u to the starting block thats all. Whats happening in the world is that everyone is now being moved back onto the starting block and a new race and many photographers, specially the longer established and skilled photographers dont link it. Well thats life. Calling my suggestions New Age BS is not helpful to this discussion. Its a bit head in the sand. <br>

Read a great short book called "who moved my cheese" What im saying is not new Jeff, its what most business do every day. Its just that a lot of this is new to many photographers.<br>

I do not believe in economic resesions. Nor do i worry about low fees or no fees. Whats that great unofficial mantra of the US Marine Corps " Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome" Woo Hah</p>

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<p>believe.....fully believe.....that you are the best damn photographer out there. Without that you're sure to fail. It doesn't matter if you never sell a single friggin image.....but just believe you are the best.......and strive to be better. From what I've seen 99% of photographers never achieve fame until after they are dead and buried. So the best you can do....is do what you love.</p>