Bookings down, worried about the future...

[elle_m]

<p>Hello again,</p>

<p>I've been taking a break from photo.net, as I've been focusing on networking, marketing and building up my business and, quite frankly, I found myself coming away from here more discouraged than optimistic.</p>

<p>I really dug in and worked hard the past few months, harder than I've been working these past 3 years, which is really saying something... I can tell you, I'm exhausted. I offered services and freebies to numerous charities and organizations, I networked CONSIDERABLY with personal projects and social events, and I participated in a fairly expensive bridal show that cost me more than it actually made me.</p>

<p>And still... nothing.</p>

<p>For the bridal show I spent the rest of my savings putting a very nice booth together with a number of really nice albums, samples, prints, cards.... I didn't get a single email, sale or inquiry. Meanwhile, the duo down the way from me had a boring trade-show booth, one mac-made album and a couple underexposed prints, and they were bustling. One of the guys had to refer people TO ME because he was so booked up. I put so much effort into the show. I even got my hair and nails done, I dressed nicely and professionally... it was a beautiful, complete package.</p>

<p>I honestly have been racking my brain for weeks trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. My business is not growing.</p>

<p>I have booked only 3... that's right, THREE weddings this year. Once again, I will be having a long, difficult, hungry winter. And that's including my day job (I work 36 hours a week in addition to my photography business, but the pay isn't very good -- I just keep it because it allows me the flexibility I need to work on my photography).</p>

<p>ALMOST everyone who has booked a wedding has requested quotes well below my mid-range prices, and most people don't even get back to me. I only had ONE client this year book the best package right away and not complain about the cost.</p>

<p>And yet, my competition is THRIVING. They already have 3-5 weddings under their belt this season, their facebook pages boast upwards of 600 fans, and comments on blog posts are always so heartbreakingly complimentary. But their work is mediocre at best. They usually have one or two very nice shots and then the rest are blown out, over-processed, poorly-composed filler.</p>

<p>Not to say that I don't have filler, too (I mean, we all know brides want more, more, more, these days), but I always produce at least 50-100 album-worthy images that tell a complete story.</p>

<p>I have spent many tearful evenings on the phone with friends working in other cities, sending editor acquaintences my portfolios, researching marketing options. But this only discourages me MORE because, even though they do offer a healthy dose of constructive criticism (which is always desired) the feedback is positive, and I'm still left with no answers. In fact, one associate suggested my wedding and portrait work is better than my editorial work (which is where I started and assumed I would succeed). He said if he worked for a wedding magazine, he'd seriously consider hiring me.</p>

<p>So WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? Why am I barely getting by? My prices are fair and suit the quality of my product. I'm a decent photographer. I'm nice and relatively well put-together...</p>

<p>At this point I can only come up with two things (unrelated to photography) which differentiate me from my competition:<br>

1) I am not married nor do I have children, which is rare for women my age where I live.<br>

2) I have a day job in addition to my photography job (however, this does not mean I put in fewer hours, I just distribute them differently throughout the week).<br>

But these seem silly, and I'm likely reading into things... maybe.</p>

<p>Also, my style is more "editorial" than "bubblegum."</p>

<p>Advice? Thoughts? Similar experiences?</p>

[theresa_skutt]

<p>Have you thought of being a 2nd shooter, working for someone and letting them deal with the booking headaches?</p>

[elle_m]

<p>Hmm... that makes sense, but I'm not sure if it would be the right move at this point. It would feel and be perceived as a demotion, and I'm trying so hard to save face at this point. I'd essentially be putting 12 hours of stressful miles on my equipment for $200 and not getting any creative control, freedom or rights. Which is not why I became a photographer. I'd almost prefer to just give it up and get a second retail job, if it came down to that.</p>

[rayt]

<p>A few things come to mind.</p>

<p>1. Have you researched your competition to find out what they are charging? Maybe your prices are too high or even too low giving the impression of less than good work.</p>

<p>2. What are you offering? Many clients of today want a DVD of the images and want to print the images themselves or to put them on social networking sites. It is, in my opinion, the trend of today.</p>

<p>3. You indicate 50 - 100 images. Is that enough for your clients? Many expect 500 or more images. Not that I support the model, but again it does seem to be the trend. I have seen on this site where some "Image Capture Specialists" (my term as machine gunning an event by just holding down a button is not photography) seem to think the taking 5K or 6K images is OK, then cut it down to 2K to present to the client.</p>

<p>It is obvious that your competition is doing something, or providing something, that you are not providing. You need to find out what that missing "something" is and provide the same "something". Or offer something that is better within the price points of the competition. Price is a major consideration with economy of today.</p>

<p>Also remember that a lot of people today are used to cell phone pictures and P&S pictures. Anything above that in quality is a major step up for the client. Maybe your images were too many steps up.</p>

[ted_suss]

<p>Elle,<br>

Raymond has some valid points, but it's not totally about price. Yes, you need to find out why these brides are choosing your competition. So who has the answers? Not your photographer friends in other cities, but the brides who have chosen the other photographers. You need to contact those brides and ask them. I understand that there is a fear factor involved, but if you don't find out and face the facts, you'll never really know.<br>

I also sense a reluctance on your part to change. Who are you "saving face" from? If you want to move forward, you'll need to swallow your pride and change one or more major things because there has to be a real reason why others are flourishing and your business is declining. <br>

I hope this helps.</p>

[elle_m]

<p>Hi Raymond. Thanks for your reply.</p>

<p>I'll answer your questions in the order you posed them...</p>

<p>1. I have researched my competition to death lol. To be honest, I'm sick of researching them. My prices are comperable, though slightly more expensive. For others, I'm considerably more expensive. I'm not sure HOW some photographers are offering 4 albums, prints, a 12 hour day of shooting, a second photographer and a DVD for just $1000. Let's just say I'm much cheaper than the long-established studios, and slightly more expensive than the newer vendors.</p>

<p>2. I do offer a DVD of images with all my packages. All my packages, except for the least expensive, also include a high-end ablum and prints, a free engagement session, as well as a second shooter.</p>

<p>3. I shoot more than 50-100 images, but MY selections from each wedding typically fit in that category. I tell every client that before they book, so they know where I stand as a professional. A short day will typically produce 100-300 finished images and a long day will produce 250-500 images. I NEVER shoot over 1000 unless it's a really long day with a lot going on. It's a waste of time, IMO.</p>

<p>I think you're right that my competition is doing something I'm not. But I'm out of ideas as to what it is. We advertise in the same outlets, we know many of the same people, etc. etc.</p>

<p>Your last point has crossed my mind before, but I always dismiss it as my ego getting in the way. But it has been suggested to me...</p>

<p> </p>

[elle_m]

<p>Hi Ted,</p>

<p>Thanks for your thoughts.</p>

<p>I have no idea how I would contact these other brides. It seems rather intrusive on my part, TBH, though I see where you're coming from.</p>

<p>I am only reluctant to change my style, not my business methods. When I say I'm trying to save face, I merely mean I'm trying to maintain a perception that I'm doing well in the community. Perceived failure is not attractive to potential clients.</p>

<p>It seems silly of me to say, "I'm going to start being a photographer who shoots cheesey over-exposed, poorly composed images because that's what sells," as I would never, ever be happy doing that. I became a photographer because it's what I love to do. If I have to do something I find unprofessional, then I'd rather not do it at all and work in retail. I'm willing to grow and change to become a BETTER photographer... not a worse one.</p>

[cliff_nj]

<p>It seems that you believe being a better photographer will help your bookings, when in reality, it's about being better at business. You have been doing the correct activities in the past few weeks....but probably making key mistakes along the way. Did you stand in front of your booth at the bridal show or sit behind it? Did you really try to analyze WHY the booth next to you had more activity?<br>

Starting a business is very hard and most fail. Study sales and marketing.</p>

<p>ps. It may not be a good idea to air this in the public forums if you want to 'keep face'.</p>

[kevin_delson]

<p>Elle,</p>

<p>wish I had more time to respond.<br>

I did read your post and sense your complete frustration.</p>

<p>This is the time to shine.</p>

<p>I will boot an email off to you when I get home.</p>

<p>Essentially, it really sounds like you need to completely re-vamp your marketing efforts and start over.<br>

I'll shoot some ideas later to you this evening.</p>

<p>BTW; your quandry has little to do with photography or weddings; it's just business. </p>

<p>The only way you will lose out is if you quit now.</p>

[ted_suss]

<p>Your analysis of your competition appears to be by your own research and opinion. When you're at a bridal show, are you getting contact information? Are you getting any appointments? If so, you should have phone numbers. Call them, ask them and send them a simple thank you note or inexpensive gift for being honest with you.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Did you stand in front of your booth at the bridal show or sit behind it?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>At a show where you are speaking with brides, there should be no front or behind, the booth should be open and inviting-IMO.</p>

[rayt]

<p>Well, Ms. M, I don't know what to tell you. I have lost weddings for the reasons I cited. Cost in my experience has been a factor and that may have more to do with the area of the country so I don't discount others opinion. Maybe you have bad breath (that was a joke, don't slam me). But there has to be some reason.</p>

<p>I have lost weddings because some bloke will do it for $300.00 even though the highlights in the dress are blown, focus issues, posing problems, etc. I will not do a wedding for anywhere near that price no matter what the circumstances. When the prospective client balks at the price I point out they spent a lot on the dress, a lot on the catering, a lot on the reception venue. I explain that those are transient items, gone when the day is done (who wears the dress again?). I explain that the pictures will last well beyond the event and are a way of sharing the event with others that could not attend and with future family members. Now is not the time to skimp on the cost of photographs.</p>

<p>I stress to prospective clients that when choosing a photographer that price is not the primary motivation. I tell the prospective clients to look at the brides dress for detail. I tell the prospective clients to look for good color balance (is that dress white, white, white). I stress that this is a one time (well for some) event that is not be skimped. Some have said that they have a relative that takes really good pictures of flowers so they are going to photograph the wedding for free. Oh well.</p>

<p>I do offer a DVD slideshow of about 10 to 15 minutes of the event. I put the show together in a couple of hours using images from the event that I choose. I add enhancements such as motion, varying transitions and special effects to make an interesting DVD to play on a TV. It is part of my package as I only offer one package. Does it help? I don't know but I would guess probably not that much.</p>

<p>I have had some prospective clients that see me some time after the event and say they wish they had listened to my advice. I can only apologize that I was not able to convince them otherwise before the event.</p>

<p>Fortunately I do not have to make a living at this stuff. It would be too difficult. I know many excellent photographers that are in the same boat. One is also an instructor in photography for a local university on a part time basis. He also has another job to pay the bills. He had to drop his prices substantially (by about 70%) and change his packages to offer a DVD to compete with the others. If it were not for his full time job he would be starving.</p>

<p>In my opinion digital has changed all the rules. The intelligence of even low end DSLRs have changed the landscape. The cameras are able to adjust to varying lighting and scenes with reasonable success. Auto focus, auto exposure, image stabilization and such have radically changed photography from the film days and the hand held light meter. This has flooded the market with photographer wanna-bes that can offer low end services.</p>

[senor_crocodrillo]

<p>There is no silver bullet for the purgatory that lies between Craig's list and the high end... it usually takes a mix of things to take your business to the next level. Without more specific details, including a link to a portfolio, and your location, it's impossible and almost pointless to try to give you targeted advice as to what's going on, which is what you really need.<br /> Honestly, if you are intent on keeping your anonymity, I think you'd do better to contact a career counselor with experience in the industry than post here.</p>

[elle_m]

<p>Hi Cliff and Kevin. Thank you also for your feedback!</p>

<p>Cliff, I didn't sit behind my booth (I think that's Sales 101, no? lol), but I am a more reserved person than others. I am friendly and chatty, but I'm not a "salesman," IYKWIM. Believe me, I've tried so hard to analyze why the booth down the way did better than I did. In fact, I got along swimmingly with all the photographers at the show, and we chatted about our techniques. So far, I'm only able to determine that there's something inherently and irreversibly repulsive about me. I joke, but... that's how I feel.</p>

<p>Kevin, I really appreciate that! I'd love to learn how to re-vamp my marketing efforts. But I feel like I've tried everything short of standing naked on a street corner with a sign above my head lol. I would have thought ONE of my efforts would have paid off by NOW lol.</p>

<p>Anyway, thanks again everyone.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>I would say that if you did everything you could find to try, you are missing some factor that is not commonly considered. Probably no one can really help you unless they actually meet you, see your work, know your target market, and is a marketing consultant as well as photographer.</p>

<p>I would start out <em>trying</em> to talk to brides that don't book you. You usually get very poor response, since people don't really want to bother talking to you if they didn't book you, and then, they don't want to have to tell you anything negative. Of the brides that answer, some will just give you a sympathetic fib so that they don't have to say anything negative. Still, you can get the occasional bride who will be honest with you, and these might be eye-opening. A gift, as Ted suggests, in the form of an informative article/list of tips in the form of a 'bride's checklist' or 'scheduling tips for photography', may help you get some responses.</p>

<p>As for talking to friends, or even professional associates or aquaintances, it would be 'more so' that they won't tell you anything negative.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

<p>What have you done with Search Engine Optimizing your website? How are you using Google Analytics? How and what key words are using? have you thought about buying ad placements with google that are relevant to your area and your specialty? </p>

[marc_henry1]

<p>Elle,</p>

<p> I can readily appreciate the frustration of trying to bring in business in an incredibly competitive market. Could you perhaps add a link to your site somewhere to give an idea of the sort of work you are doing ?<br>

One point I would make is that confidence is a very large selling point in any engagement. Perhaps your recent run of bad luck has led you to lose some of the confidence that your potential clients want to see ? I have no idea whether this is true but finding the balance between being a blatant 'salesperson' and coming across as a confident professional clients want to work with is a tricky balance.<br>

Regards,</p>

<p>Marc</p>

[ted_suss]

<p>Elle,<br>

Are you not booking people who you are meeting with or are you simply not getting any appointments? Also, do you have a picture of your show booth/display?</p>

[elle_m]

<p>Thanks for all the responses!</p>

<p>Nadine, maybe I will try to contact some of the brides. I had a few interested brides earlier in the year -- a few I even met with -- but they didn't end up booking with me. Perhaps I'll start there. It's not like I'll be losing their business AGAIN.</p>

<p>I was actually pretty strategic in the friends and associates I contacted regarding advice and critiques. I have friends I'm close to who only ever say, "I love your work!" I rarely go to these people for advice -- I don't trust their judgement because they will never say anything critical. They either don't WANT to say something negative, or they don't know enough to do so. So I went to people I have an honest working relationship with. And believe me, when they need to get serious, they do. I'm not opposed to critique -- heck, I spent 4 years having my work torn apart by professors and industry professionals. You get used to it and learn who you can go to in order to grow.</p>

<p>I'll try to answer a few of the other questions as well...</p>

<p>No, I've actually not purchased google ads, though they are relatively cheap, so that's something to consider. I believe my website is supposed to be search engine optimized, though I didn't do it manually - it's supposedly built-in. Perhaps I should investigate this further. Perhaps the system is not ideal...<br>

Key words include "photography" plus my location, venues, style, prominent names, etc.</p>

<p>As I use this site to vent sometimes, I think I'd prefer to not post any of my work or my website, though, once again, I realize that hinders you fine folks in helping me.</p>

<p>Confidence may very-well be an issue. I have a hard time talking myself up in front of others. I feel like I'm bragging. It's a challenge, indeed.</p>

<p>Ted, I'm simply not getting any appointments. I have plenty of students and aspiring photogs contacting me asking for advice, but brides will rarely contact me, and if they do, they never want to set up a meeting -- they want a price list and then they stop returning my emails. Which says to me they are looking for "cheap."<br>

I've had a few appointments: 5 -- 3 booked.<br>

Unfortunately I do not have a photo of my booth. However, I went with a unique approach -- kind of a cozy inviting atmosphere as opposed to a trade-show style set-up.</p>

<p>Thanks again, everyone!</p>

<p> </p>

[picturesque]

<p>Maybe you are doing all the right things for price point brides that are below where you should be looking. If your locale supports the price point bride you are targeting (does it?), maybe you aren't finding those brides.</p>

<p>What happened to your referral pool? Usually, when you shoot a wedding, and the clients are happy, they tell others, and you start building a referral pool, and you don't ever want to come to the end of that string of referrals.</p>

<p>Also, be sure you are making clear why you are worth the more money you are charging.</p>

<p>And, I don't believe a website sells for you. It functions as a convenient way for people to see your work, but as a selling tool, and particulary a cold calling tool, it is not great, so all those google words and what not don't make a lot of sense to me as far as spending a lot of money. Maybe for photographers playing the 'lowest price in town' game, but not otherwise (just IMHO).</p>

[j_marie]

<p>I'm sorry that you're having such a difficult time. It seems that wedding photography is becoming cut throat, and since there are so many photogawannabee's crawling out of the wood work, the competition is fierce. I think that location may be a factor? There are photographers that swear that they do no advertising, and rely on word of mouth only. I don't think that is the norm though. Jasmine Star is a wedding photographer out of orange county, Ca who claims that she's never advertised or marketed at trade shows, only via social networking. I do mostly family/ children's photography, but I've been approached about photographing a wedding and I'm not up for it, it seems too stressful. They want to pay someone $500 and get a DVD, prints, albums, etc. But I know that she charges $7500 and up so go figure.... *sigh* I couldn't imagine not having a 'day job, the market is too unpredictable to rely solely on the income from being a photographer, unfortunately. </p>

[john_h.1]

<p>Is there a theme to your marketing? Something that instantly says and/or shows prospective clients that you are the kind of photographer they would want to utilize over others?<br>

A different subject but marketing is everything and surely there are ideas methods open to you. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/business/media/11adcol.html</p>

<p> </p>

<blockquote>

<p>the duo down the way from me had a boring trade-show booth, one mac-made album and a couple underexposed prints, and they were bustling.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Sounds like they are giving you an open door.</p>

 

[bill_dewberry]

<p>If you go over to the creative live website, there are some videos by Jasmine Star where she talks about how she became established in wedding photography, and there is a series by her strictly about the business side. . You can watch a couple portions of each there for free. May give you some thoughts and ideas.</p>

[zack_zoll]

<p>Elle, there is another thing to consider too: you said you got your hair and nails done. How were they done? Did you look attractive, sexy, studious, frumpy, successful, smart, trendy, what? More importantly, how does that fit in with the clients that you're after and your rate structure?</p>

<p>If you (extreme examples here) show up in a BMW with Gucci sunglasses and a Dooney and Bourke purse to talk to Midwestern clients, they might think you're some sort of upitty city girl, and you don't understand the sacred bond of marriage. On the other hand, if you show up in an equally expensive Ford pickup (they do make $70,000 pickups!) wearing Ariat riding boots to talk to a city couple wearing horn-rimmed glasses, they might think you're a hick. You haven't even discussed the issue of price or shown what you can bring to the table, and you may have already made a terrible first impression.</p>

<p>'Looking good' is not the same to everyone, and you could easily set a poor tone if you're not careful. You want to make sure that you fit in. If I'm shooting something for older folks (I've done a few Red Hat events and a whole bunch of fundraiser galas), I usually wear a tweed blazer and a vest with a pocketwatch. I always wear a tie, even if I'm the only one. If I'm doing something for younger people, I wear a charcoal suit with a white french-cuffed shirt, and I often take off the tie and undo the top button if everyone else is 'business casual.' I also make a point to always wear at least one piece of nice jewelry - either a gold ring, or sometimes I wear a gold pocketwatch chain. It helps to look successful, so that people think you have more work, and you're not clinging to this one job.</p>

<p>That only gets you to the first impression, but it helps a lot. I think you hit the nail on the head with the confidence part. You're right to not want to sound braggy, but you still need to tell them you're good. If it helps, replace the phrases, "I'm good at," and, "My style is..." with, "I can do that for you," and "I'd be happy to give you..." As in, "You want cinematic-looking group shots like you see in the magazines? I would be happy to do that for you." Try to phrase everything not in terms of what you can do, but in terms of what you can do <em>for the client</em>. Make it all about them, even though the conversation is really about you.</p>

<p>And be a little pushy. Don't end the conversation by giving them your card and saying you hope to talk to them soon. End the conversation by asking, "So when can we get together to talk about what you'd like to do for your wedding?" It's just like asking for a date. "So when will we get together again?," almost always works better than, "Would you like to call me?" It's another confidence thing. You're letting them know that they want you, and not asking them.</p>

<p>Lastly, look for ways to get involved in the community whenever you can. If there's a local art scene, go to gallery openings now and again, preferably with your camera. If you hear of a local store doing a special event (we have one that does outdoor fashion shows a couple times each summer), call them up and ask if they have a photographer. If they say no, tell them you'll do it for free, provided you get credited on any images they use, and you can put them in your portfolio. If they say yes, ask if it would be okay to come and shoot anyway. Word of mouth is much more effective than paid advertising, and you might be surprised how many people a gallery owner knows. If you have a studio space, try throwing special events. If youre on Facebook, look me up - www.facebook.com/zack_zoll . I'm throwing a WWII GI and Pin-Up Girl photo shoot, and I've already gotten a little business from it - and the event isn't even for almost two weeks!</p>

<p>I'm not a freelance shooter. At least, not anymore. I was, and now I mostly just teach. But in the last year, I've shot one wedding (with two more this summer), a well-paying fundraiser, a poorly-paying fundraiser, I got to cover a speech by Gloria Steinem (and bring my mother to meet her!), I juried a high school art show, I did a few headshots, I've been in two art shows, one of which resulted in my piece getting put into a large newspaper as the show's advertisement, and I've done plenty of one-on-one photo tutoring. ALL of this is without a cent paid in actual advertising. With the exception of one of the weddings (a friend's sister), every single one of those jobs came to me because I'm fortunate enough to be plugged into a network of people that know each other. In the case of one of the art shows, the gallery owner actually called me to tell me that she was having lunch with a friend of mine, and the friend said, "Oh, you're having a show? You really need to have Zack in it then. Let me give you his number."</p>

<p>If it sounds like I'm bragging and ranting about myself, I apologize. I just want to impress upon you that looking good, being confident, and knowing a lot of people goes a very long way in getting jobs. It's sad, but those things are actually more important than being a better photographer than the other guys.</p>

[indraneel]

<p>Lots of good advice... but at the risk of sounding blasphemous, are you sure you're following something you're capable of? There's one suggestion about a career counselor and I second that. Even if you don't actually go to a counselor, it might be beneficial to figure out your strengths vs the demands of the industry. At the least it will be a big pointer towards what you might need to work on. It might even help you rethink your entire strategy (deciding what to shoot and what to sell) for this industry or any other. Maybe even change your day job... Anybody can do anything, but why not spend some time to pick the battles that are waiting for you?</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>I'll probably come across as more harsh than I need to be, but I feel I need to say this: are you sure wedding photography is where you should be? Sometimes, technical ability and good-natured efforts simply cannot compensate for that creative flair which will make people justify, to themselves first, why they should pay you, say, more than the $500 a Craigslist photographer might demand (with all the caveats that entails).</p>

<p>I'm saying this because I've worked with truly gifted, for example, sports photographers who cannot, for the life of them, take a nicely lit portrait, no matter how hard they may try. They are technically excellent (you have no idea how demanding high-end sports photography can be until you've tried it!) but they simply cannot translate those skills. It happens and there's nothing wrong with it...</p>

<p>Personally, I don't like weddings (or, let me be more accurate in saying I don't like the weddings where I live) - they are dark, crowded affairs with little to no room for creative input. So I avoid them. Sure, people have come to me and asked me to shoot weddings and, sometimes, I do that for them. Is my wedding work as good as, say, my fashion or my travel work? Not by a long shot and, even though all my clients have been extremely satisfied and generated tons of referrals, it;s something I do not intend to follow - I would be doing those people an injustice and a disservice.</p>

<p>Maybe, just maybe, you should rethink things a bit? True, maybe people have seen your absolute best and thought they were nice, but what percentage of those "best" come in any one wedding? If you only get 1-2 astounding images per wedding, then maybe that's why people stay away...maybe your estimate of what you're worth simply cuts you off from your intended market. I know it may sound harsh, but have you thought about reducing your prices until business picks up and then, slowly and patiently, working towards something higher?</p>