Not Your Normal Photography

Hello,

 

I was just wondering if anyone has come across the ad "The Secret of

Making $2,970.00 In One Weekend Photographing People and Pets"

 

I came across this in Shutterbug Classifieds

 

I do occasional freelance work (through friends and family) however

losing my job for a camera company which outsourced (yipee NOT) I

feel its time to start seriously on my work.

 

I was thinking is this course worth it? Its priced at $295 USD to

$992 USD, run by a husband and wife in North Carolina who have no

technical training just marketing skills but make loads of money

through marketing there work.

 

I have a major in Marketing, but as an Freelance Assistant for

nearly 10 years, I always take photographs (or try to) that are

technically correct and of course what the client wants.

 

Maybe I am just lazy I dont know

 

Has anyone or does anyone know of any courses to improve ones self

esteem and go out there and make some serious cash...or is it based

purely on creativity and doing a fantastic job (even though the

client doesnt even know, but its self gratifying to have the work in

your portfolio).

 

Thanks in advance

 

Em

No course that claims you'll make $X is worth it. I could write a course about how to make $10,000 in one weekend snapping photographs and that course would be a few sentences long and go something like this: Snap photo of Pope and Brittney Spears making out in Times Square. License said photo to 1,000 newspapers for $100 each. Presto, you have made $10,000...

 

There are no secrets to making money being a photographer. You need to know how to run a business, know how to provide technically flawless images, indentify a need and fill that need.

 

The hard part, as you know, is to "identify a need". Having a major in Marketing I'm sure you realize - if you stop and think for a second - that your money will be much better spent marketing your work to clients. $295 will buy you 500 full color postcards and the postage needed to mail them... You'll even have some money over for labels etc...

 

If you're interested in selling your images as stock I recommend the book Sell and Re-Sell Your Photos 5th ed, by Rohn Engh. Also, check out Rohn's website at www.photosource.com I'm a stock shooter myself and while stock is hard to break into it can be very rewarding in the long run, especially if you manage to find a niche shooting something you really enjoy.

 

If you're interested in portraits, weddings, commercial work there are others with more experience than myself that'll hopefully contribute good advice about those areas. As far as general info the book Focus on Profit is a very good read.

 

Hope that helps.

This scam, and others similar to it, has been around for years. First off, go to google.com and just key in the dollar amount $2970.00: it's a "magic" figure that appears many times. Secondly, try to figure just how much money you'd have to gross to net out $2970.00 in one weekend. Remember, photography isn't all profit! Say, ideally, you did 5 sittings a day for 2 days at $600 each. That's $6000 gross, and you'd have to clear HALF to make 3 grand. It ain't gonna happen.Further, how many kids and pets have you shot professionally?If you truly have a degree in marketing and were an assistant for 10 years, you should already know the answer. Call around to some studios in your area and ask them if they ever have 10 bookings on a single weekend doing kids and pets for that kind of money. Sears, Penny's, and WalMart may shoot kids all day long, but we're talking $19.95 to $29.95 a pop. And tell me, what do you get for your 300 to a grand, a book with no return address or phone number?

Anyone can buy, listen to, and enjoy a classic composer like Beethoven or Bach, but that is not going to make 'everyone' ready to compose like either man on a classic CD.

 

 

 

 

Same goes for photography: if you are in the right place at the right time, and the right customer wants to spend $$$$$s, you are going to be in business.

 

 

 

 

 

(Every wonder why spam rhymes with Jeff and Pam....?)

Thanks for your reply.

 

The photographers I have worked for have been involved in commercial work. I am currently living in Europe (I am Australian)and need a head start and was thinking that a course or something could help me have more confidence entering the industry.

 

The photographers one of which was a marketing guy who would get all soon to be wedded couples in a room do a presentation and show images once a couple agreed the others would follow and before we knew it he was booked for all the couples.

 

I guess you are all right.

 

 

Thanks for your help..

I don't know about Europe or Australia, but Ammerican television and e-mail spams go 24/7 about get-rich-quick-and easy schemes in nearly every field, from realestate, to photography, to buying up surplus this or that, to endless work-at-home scams, like stuffing envelops. If you patiently research each one of these thoroughly, you'll soon learn that most are unrealistic if not downright dishonest. The only ones making any money are the actors, and the scammers selling the books, CDs, and tapes. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. If you want to make a good living in photography, you must know your craft well, be relentlessly ambitious and focused, find your niche or specialty, and learn about business. YOU have to go out and beat the bush, because the world is NOT going to beat a path to your door....trust me.