Business Trends

As technology changes so do methods of presentation. In this article I set out to discover what type of portfolio photographers have found work best and, from the buyer’s perspective, what type or types they prefer. As I conducted the interviews among art directors, photo reps, and photographers it all began to boil down to this: how do you get your work seen by potential clients and how do you craft an effective portfolio that makes sense to them and represents your craft and passion?

While Uncle Ned might be bragging that he can take care of the photography at his niece’s wedding with his D-SLR with built-in flash, amusing and sometimes bitter experiences have taught prospective brides that there’s nothing like an experienced photographer to do the job right. But getting yourself and your work in front of that group of brides and wedding planners can be a challenge, and that’s what this month’s column is all about. We’ll take a look at changes in the business model, including portfolios, marketing materials, networking with wedding vendors, and bridal shows.

Tips To Make Your Site A More Powerful Marketing Tool
The marketing and business aspects of websites is an ongoing process. Unfortunately, many photographers fall behind in keeping their websites up-to-date with new images, cleaner navigation, search engine optimization, and getting clients to respond to the site. It may be due to the purchasing aspect...

For this month’s column, we look at how to turn your love for wildlife photography into a serious business. I interviewed the husband-and-wife team of David and Jennifer Hemmings who have been particularly successful in the wildlife photography field.

Beyond learning how to handle cameras and photo equipment, working as a photo assistant will teach you many lessons that will go a long way toward helping you build a successful career. Skills you’d most likely garner include learning about project management, studio protocols, location procedures, dealing with clients, preproduction and postproduction work, and more. These are all essential business skills and can often be learned only “on the job.” Indeed, talk to many established pros today and you’ll find that’s how they got their start.

For our annual discussion on the business of wedding photography, I spoke to three wedding photographers who are finding success in doing what they love. One of the keys to their success is that their marketing ideas and tips illustrate top-of-mind awareness, which helps keep them foremost in their clients’ minds.

Professional sports photography for the editorial market is an endangered species. Unfortunately, a lot of it has to do with editorial clients turning away from the professional photographer to sports enthusiasts who are willing to trade their photos for season tickets.