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Putting in the time
Forget about 10,000 hours. If that number isn’t familiar, read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. The short of it is you need 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert. The long of it is in Gladwell’s book. The truth of it is it wouldn’t matter if you needed 1,000 or 100,000 hours, because most people aren’t gonna get there. And the problem isn’t the amount of time, and it isn’t the ability. It’s that most people aren’t willing to do the boring stuff.
Finding Yourself is Hard
We hear it all day long. Find your voice, be the brand, know who you are, and get good at it. Be a specialist. Sure. All true. But there’s being a specialist because you know what you’re doing. And there’s running from everything you can’t do, so no one finds out you don’t have the chops. If you’re ever stuck running in fear, if you’ve ever been secretly afraid you’ll be found out, then you know what I mean. But telling people to suck it up and face the facts doesn’t sell. It doesn’t build friends. Telling people that it’s a long and hard road doesn’t motivate people to sign up for the 3-hour life-changing seminar. And hearing criticism just plain hurts. So who wants that?
There’s more information, more motivation, more inspiration now more than ever. But it’s harder now more than ever, too. Praise used to be hard-earned, the curve was steep, and evaluations were honest. Now, there are no barriers to entry. Everyone has something to sell. And no one is willing to offend anyone. We’re all best friends. As denizens of the new digital universe, we inhabit online worlds of perfectly manicured selves designed to tell us one thing. Everyone loves us. We put up a profile here, a wall there, a circle to the left, and a feed to the right. We remove the little that offends, though most of the ground work for a shiny, happy life has already been laid, and no one will tell you the hard stuff. So it’s up to you, and you alone to move yourself forward. And if you’ve ever found yourself afraid you’re a fraud, be happy. Embrace it. Make it a source of courage to do it the hard way. You will be one of the few, and that will make you strong.
We’re talking about real practice
Gladwell talks about the Beatles, who played day in and day out for four years in Berlin, working through their sound as the played live each night. Not for the glory. Not for the money. For the practice. Because they wanted to play. And if you think a four-year slog is for suckers, then you’re missing out. Success isn’t success if you suck. Done right, repetition breeds versatility. It reveals weakness. It allows for development. Each crowd was different. Each night was different. Each time was different. When you’re not stuck on auto-pilot, every performance is a new challenge, and that’s the key. Henri Cartier-Bresson was famous for his street photography, but have you seen his portraits? He’s no slouch. What about Bill Allard and Sam Abell? Or Jonas Bendikson or Antoine d’Agata? Can they hit it on all levels? Maybe yes, maybe no. It depends how you see it. But the “yes” reaches levels of brilliance, and the “no” is beyond what most professionals will ever reach. So the question is are we pushing through walls and learning to make it work? Or are we on the run? Trying to catch up to our reputation?
It always comes back to the ride. Are you in it for the quick fix and the next trick? Or are you in it to do something and mean something? Are you in it to feel like you’re good? Or to be good? So much of the wedding photography out there is so boring. The same thing from one person to the next. Safe. Secure. Marketable. But dull, dull, dull. And I don’t want to hear about how we have a job and a client and that’s what they want. Nobody who became somebody looked into the future and decided to boldly do what everyone else was doing, because that’s what their client asked for. We owe ourselves better. We owe our clients better.
As good as the technique has gotten, and for all that the talent pool has grown, the divide between those who innovate and those who replicate couldn’t be greater. Because it’s hard to fill in the gaps. It’s hard to see our limitations. And it’s easy to do what you want. It’s easy to learn what you want. It’s easy to go whole hog crazy with a bunch of filters and processing, to snap away at f/1.2, and to just have a couple walk and kiss, walk and kiss, walk and kiss. Tell me you can’t do it with a blindfold on. But can you play with depth of field like Mona Kuhn? Can you find tonality like Sebastiao Salgado? Or get a kiss like Nan Goldin? Kick it up a level. We all can, but we need to want it.
Plenty of people hit the 10,000 hour mark, but most of them have not arrived. Because the boring stuff matters. Photography isn’t just a process of loving what you do. It’s a process of learning to love what you do. It’s getting in so deep that the boring stuff isn’t boring anymore. Remember your perky self everyone secretly hated, because you loved every little thing? The one who couldn’t shut up about it and the new business you started? Who loved the simplest of discoveries ? Nothing was boring back then. We need to find that, not just at the start, but every single day. It’s sexy to hit the five figure weddings. It’s sexy to be featured somewhere. It’s sexy to get a blitz of attention and buzz. Being good has nothing to do with being sexy. Being good is about knowledge, understanding, and translating that into action. Do that, and you’ll get the rest for a lifetime. Do the rest, and you’ll get a big head, but not much else. How many people really survive the test of time? Few things are harder. But make it or not, the effort always takes you somewhere.
People don’t fail because they’re lacking. They fail, because they get lost. Or they never learn to be found. They fail, because there is so much noise and interruption in the world that they can’t find the line through that let’s them just learn to be themselves. It used to be that the simple act of living gave us those answers. Or at least more so. But now, we craft our personas, manage them, and adjust them at will. There are no anchors. But photography isn’t about a picture. It’s about the union between the outside world and the space in your head. And if you can’t settle into the space, the rest means nothing.
Where to go, what to do
So forget about the 10,000 hours. Chasing a number is like chasing a dollar figure. It puts the emphasis on all the wrong things. Make it about 1 hour. The next hour of your life, always. Don’t burn through it with the latest list in American Photo or reviews of the newest gear. No 1DX, no D4. No rumor sites. No online lifestyle magazines. You already know that look backwards and forwards. You don’t need another hour there. And no stalking your favorite wedding photographers, either. Everyone else is looking at the same. It even means putting down the 3 volume set from Bruce Davidson. And I love Bruce Davidson. But if you get the reference, odds are you know enough at the moment. Take a break for now.
Find something you don’t know. Do something you don’t do. Take a look at Robert Adams’ essays in Why People Photograph or dig into The Nature of Photographs by Stephen Shore. Go look at Blind Spot. Think about how a picture can match a sound or a feel. Think about 10 ways to shoot the same object. Or head over to the closest museum, look at something that isn’t photography, and absorb it. Then get back to yourself and rebuild your world to fit what you’ve learned. Next time you’ve got your camera in hand, skip the backlight and skip the big negative space. Those techniques aren’t going to leave you if you step away from them for awhile. Don’t hold on so tight. Besides, Rinko Kawauchi and Hiroshi Sugimoto have you beat. I promise you that. And if you think that I’m at it again – name-dropping away, damn straight, I am. Because these people I’ve mentioned are starting points for what’s out there, not end points. If you want to be a photographer with a capital P, get to know them, then push further.
And if you don’t want to be a photographer with a capital P, you should. Because, I’m not talking about ART. I’m not talking about stuffy people in black turtle-necks at fancy dinner parties, and I’m not talking about Converse adorned hipsters with black-rimmed glasses. And I’m not talking about FINE ART in that predatory way that every manufacturer does at the PDN Expo to try to convince you that you’re only a choice of 10 leathers away from giving your work the aura of godliness.
I’m talking talking about art, as in the thing that is personal. Believing in yourself. And I’m also talking about getting that voice to come through in the pictures you create. Because if it isn’t, what’s the point? I don’t want to hear how the staid composition shows dignity and restraint. I don’t want to hear how this picture is soooo special because of the amazingly sincere smile. You know the one. It looks pretty much just the same as everyone else’s, except you took the picture instead of someone else. As creators, we all get attached that way, but the picture needs its own conviction. And if it doesn’t? Then figure out how to make it speak. Show something more. Everyone saw the smile. What did you see in it that others didn’t? What did you see other than the smile? See Martin Schoeller’s book, Close-Ups. Plain as day, simple as can be, but revealing. Different. They’re not just the same look, the same gaze, or the same portraits you’ve seen before. They are uniquely his vision. He owns them.
Play like yourself
If we’re going to sell our clients on the idea that everyone is unique and everyone has value for who they are, we owe it to ourselves to apply the same standard. We deserve that. Not to be our happiest when our pictures look like those of others, no matter how stylish or professional, but to be our happiest when they look the most distinctly different from others. Even when it scares us. Even when some hate it. Even in failure. Because those differences are our chance to contribute to the world. They are the best of us. Stop making boring pictures. Stop making pictures that say “I have skill.” Make pictures that say “I have a belief.” That’s what 10,000 hours is about. Getting past the skill, getting past the technique, and letting us feel comfortable in our own skins for who we are. As Miles Davis said, “Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.”
Every day is Valentine’s Day
It’s easy to hate Valentine’s Day. There nothing like forced romance to undermine the very notion of it. Couple that with the flower stand that jacked up the prices, a 1-hour stop at Godiva, and dinner with the worst menu any restaurant will serve all year, and you have the perfect recipe for misery.
But if that’s one take on Valentine’s day, then here’s another. How about the ones that mattered? Not for the obligation, but for the simple excitement of showing another person that they meant something? Maybe it was big and bold. Mabye it was small and subtle. Maybe it was a younger version of yourself that got all gussied up in the bad clothes with the bad fit, driving a borrowed car for a big first date. Or maybe it was a room filled wall-to-wall with red roses. Maybe it was down on a knee, maybe it was up in the sky, but whatever it was, there’s always some time when it was something. Where it wasn’t ridiculous. Or when the sheer audacity of it in all it’s tacky grandeur was infectious enough to be worth something. Because whether it’s over the top or under the radar, at its best, Valentine’s Day isn’t worth something for the biggest of reasons, but the smallest. Because it is a pretext to act. To do something for someone else. And if you’re excited about it, that’s enough.
Romance is a state of mind. A belief in better things and a constant movement through life together. It is seeing the world as opportunity and not obligation. When you start out in business, it is all romance. Hot, heavy, exciting, and gushy. But as the day-to-day creeps in, and the to-do lists grow, it becomes ever so much more tempting to maybe just let that little thing slip. And maybe that’s alright. But if it is, it’s the greatest peril, as well. Because it’s probably true that no one will care if you didn’t write out that card, you didn’t wrap up that DVD, or you didn’t answer the email the same hour you received it.
The problem is no one, prospect or client, will say anything. In fact, they won’t even know what changed. But they’ll feel it. They’ll feel it when you stop picking up the phone and they go straight to voicemail. When you’re not always smiling when you meet. And when you don’t write out that extra sentence in your emails to show they matter to you. And they won’t care that you were out on a shoot or in the middle of a meeting. They’ll just feel it when you fall out of love with them and what you do. And that’s a guarantee. Because it isn’t about the sum total of your actions. It is about what’s behind it, and clients can feel that. It is about the romance and the passion and seeing each thing not as an excuse to avoid action, but to commit to it. Everything is an excuse to connect deeper. Every day is Valentine’s Day. But better. Because there’s no overpriced flowers, no restaurant cashing in, and no line for chocolates. There’s just you, another person, and the relationship you build. And the one thing you sure don’t want your clients asking is “What happened to the romance?”
Round-up: The Photo Life and the Sony NEX-7
It’s not too often that I have a news round-up. Actually, I never have before. Probably because I don’t really have a lot of news. But, for those of you who are interested in the occasional tidbits of industry information I do post, be sure to like us on our Facebook page. That’s where I post some of the things I do come across.
As the owner of what I am sure must be the photography blog with the fewest actual pictures on it (something I hope to remedy with the impending re-design I’m working on), I thought I’d share a few more of the images from my post on The Photo Life. And speaking of that, thanks to Rachel LaCour and Elizabeth Villa for making this happen. And another thanks to Bobby Wagner and Parris Whittingham, whose insights from our weekly get-togethers really helped me dig deep. Writing the article was a blast, and knowing that it was on someone else’s blog really made me push myself. Check it out: A Case for True Authenticity in Photography.
Also, speaking of images, I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Sony Alpha NEX-7 back in December. I was working on a write-up, but I just haven’t been able to get it done. I’ve decided to bail and give a quick summary instead. I figure there’s already a plethora of others who have done a better job than I would. I will say this. This camera is hot, hot, hot. Not perfect. Not enough to get me off the rumor sites waiting for more, but if you have any love for mirrorless cameras, it definitely raises the bar. If you’re interested in the NEX-7, here are the three reviews to check out:
At DP Review
At Steve Huff
At Luminous Landscape
All of the images here were taken with the Sony NEX-7
Now onto the question I’m sure no one is dying to know: Can you use the NEX-7 as your primary camera for a wedding? The short answer is yes. Absolutely. But with some reservations. Now why the hell would anyone want to shoot with a mirrorless camera as their primary camera, you say? I’m glad you asked. Because I’m getting old and my back hurts at the end of a 10-hour day. But seriously, why wouldn’t anyone? I regularly shoot with a D3S on one shoulder and a D3 on another. They’re bricks. Amazingly capable bricks, but bricks, nonetheless. A small, light camera is fun. It makes you want to move. Up, down, left, right. It makes you want to go for the extra shot. Even 8 hours into the day, when you know that not a single soul would ever care if you didn’t bother to try, you’ll still care about whether you’re shooting an inch too high or an inch too low. You don’t worry about your body swinging into this person, your lens banging into that. You don’t get tired. You just go for it, because it’s so light, it feels like an extension of your arm. Now, I get this isn’t true for everyone, but if you haven’t played around with a small, portable camera, at least try it. You shoot differently. See what comes out of it.
So what else? Being able to use the LCD screen is a joy. I can shoot overhead, underhand, here, there, anywhere I want, really, and I can do it in seconds. The viewfinder is great. Not perfect. But crisp and bright. I like to focus manually when I can. I like knowing where the camera is focused. It helps me play with the focus area and control the mood of the image. The peaking feature allows me to easily focus in manual mode. The dials and ISO adjustments are dead simple to use and quick to adjust, and most controls are customizable. All in all, an excellent effort with high marks for usability and quality.
A quick caveat for those who like taking shots of newspapers and comparing corner to corner sharpness and noise at ISO 3200. You will not be thrilled. The NEX-7 doesn’t measure up on that count. It not a pixel-peeper’s dream camera. The question isn’t about quality. Plenty of SLRs have the NEX-7 beat. The question is how the camera you use affects the way you shoot. Who really makes 30×40 prints of a dancing shots? If you do, it’s not the way to go. Since I don’t, I think it’s more than good enough. I’ve tried a 10×15 at ISO 3200 and it looked solid. I will confess that 3200 was grainier than I hoped for. But once you scale down the 24 megapixels and run a noise filter in Lightroom, it’s not bad at all. And at lower ISOs, 24MP provides plenty of resolution.
I wanted a camera that would be fun, that took decent images in lowlight, that would let me focus in manual mode effectively, and that I could carry without thinking about it. The NEX-7 hits the mark. Are there shortcomings? Most certainly. If you’re looking for fast action shots or there’s just a lot going on – let’s say you’re really into hugs in receiving lines (I actually am – I love hugs), you want rock-solid, rapid-fire autofocus. The NEX-7 won’t cut it here. Also, at a distance, the peaking isn’t great. It’s hard to tell what’s in focus. The autofocus is slow and clunky. Acceptable, but not inspiring. The lens selection stinks. And one of my big irritations is that you can’t use the magnify feature when manual focus assist is off. Manual focus assist is the feature that magnifies the image automatically when you adjust the focus. How often do you need the magnify with it on? It would seem to me that magnifying the image would be most useful when you have manual focus assist off. I don’t get that.
So, no, it’s not the perfect camera. In fact, I’ll probably still be picking up a D4 when it’s available. And I’ll go to the D4 when I need speed, when the light gets really low, and when it’s a must-have moment in a tough situation that pushes what’s humanly possible. But the longer I’ve shot, the more I’ve realized that those must-have moments don’t come by nearly so often as it seems. The beauty of weddings just as often lies in the moments in between. When things aren’t moving a mile-a-minute, and when there’s nothing you absolutely have to get. Then, out of nowhere, something just happens. And it’s magic. And the NEX-7 is great there, because it encourages you to explore the world. To keep the camera up, to seek, and to find. At least for me, what I will lose by not carrying a full-fledged SLR in my hand, I more than make-up in the extra energy and creativity something this small, light, and usable affords me. Call me crazy, but I’ll hazard a guess and say that more times than not this season, you’ll find an NEX-7 dangling from my shoulder.
Stillness and stagnation
Stillness is being present. It’s absorbing what’s around you, allowing the silence to grow loud. Stagnation is being stuck. It’s spinning your wheels with the brakes on. Generating so much hustle and bustle that you block everything else out. It’s easy to become so focused on trying to get somewhere you forget to actually get there.
We commonly use the word routine in a derogatory fashion. As something lacking in excitement and devoid of value. But if we let ourselves take it all in, we change. In fact, we always change, whether we want to or not. But being present lets us grow.
Imagine this. Every day, you take a picture of the same thing. You do it any way you like without a concerted effort to do it the same way. You come back to the series 10 years later. Same thing. Probably very different results. You’ll see how you’ve changed as a photographer and a person. Now reverse it. You give yourself a different project every day. Watch what you do. Maybe you always research things first. Maybe you look for inspiration. Maybe you grab a coffee mid-day to reflect. Maybe you stress out near the end of each project. You see your patterns. You see how you repeat yourself. Constancy reveals change. Change reveals constancy.
So if you find yourself stuck and pressured, it needn’t be for not. Breathe. Settle in. Enjoy your time with yourself. It often feels like everyone is going somewhere, and you’re not. But it’s not whether everything around you changes. It’s whether you change the way you see everything around you. You can be still without being stagnant. They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. I think the reverse holds, as well. The more things stay the same, the more they change.
Forget the value, remember the values
Stop thinking logically. A simple psychological fact: justification and explanation come after action. In other words, people work backwards. If I ask a stranger to hold a spot in line for me, he’ll like me more for the inconvenience, not less. Why? Choosing to help me leads to conclusion he must like me. Why would someone help a person they didn’t care for? It’s the subconscious at work, and the implications are vast. Action creates result. Barriers dissolve. And logic finds its limits. You create the result. You don’t find it.
So if you’re hitting your pricing and going into your meetings value first, you’re coming at it from the wrong angle. We are built for connection. Forget the logic. Show what you stand for and what you’re about. Yeah, price can matter. But not to the clients you want. The people who are in it for the value are the ones that don’t care about the service. They just need it done. If efficiency is your game, and commodity is your name, maybe that’s your target, but if you’re about the photography and you’re on a mission (and you really should be – life’s too short), that’s a death spiral of increasing work and diminishing returns. Don’t show your value. Show your values.
What you can learn from Angry Birds
Do you really calculate exactly what will happen, or do you just launch the bird and see what happens? Sure, you make your best guess where to toss it, what you think will happen, and whether it will work. But it’s a guess. Mostly, you let ‘er rip and see what happens. Then you either refine it or you try something new. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
There’s a lot to be said for trying, trying, trying. Sometimes, just testing things out in the real world is the easiest, fastest, and best way to find answers. Because you never know what’s going to happen when you throw something out there. You’ll always overlook something, underestimate this, or overestimate that. React to it, refine it, and do it again. But, mostly, let ‘er rip.
Doing it your way
Two things never to forget. The value of who you are. And the value of putting in the work. No work, and the brand doesn’t mean much. No brand, and the work doesn’t mean much. If you have the time to sit and wonder, to check your email, sneak a peak at Facebook, or grab an afternoon coffee, then you have the time to deepen your brand. It’s easy to fall into a rut or leave tattered edges unattended. But if the devil is in the details, so too is salvation. A brand is a deep commitment that extends into every action you do, great and small. Not just how you take the pictures, but how you hand them over. Not just your email, but the signature in the email. Not just choosing your words, but owning them. It is truly a case of walking the walk. As my father used to say, there are no shortcuts.
And speaking of my father, I bought him a new Macbook Air for Christmas this season. I hadn’t played around with the latest Mac OS, Lion, yet, so it was the first time for me. But something was wrong. The scrolling was backwards. Normally, you put two fingers on the trackpad and pull down to scroll down. But now you push up to scroll down. It was distinctly disorienting.
Apple refers to it as natural scrolling, but I think of it as a paradigm shift. Before, it was about pulling down, because it was a metaphor for pulling the scrollbar down. With Lion, you push up, because the metaphor is no longer the scrollbar. The metaphor is direct interaction. We touch the content, like we do with our phones and tablets. I was impressed by their willingness to believe, to act on their beliefs, and to do what they felt was the best thing. To imbue their actions not just with business value, but to try to impart actual value. The need wasn’t there, but the effort was made to think different. It’s not just about moving your fingers up or down. It’s a statement about whether we interact with interfaces or content. It is a willingness to re-examine every part of what they do, and to risk change when it ain’t broke. Will it work? That I don’t know. I found it unsettling. Does the trackpad truly tie-in to the screen? Should it? Can it? Time will tell. But it’s not about the success or failure here. It’s about the depth of the effort.
We all know Kodak filed for Chapter 11. But that’s not the real story, here. The story is Fuji survived. They diversified, applying their technology in other areas, while embracing the digital sensors that Kodak pioneered. They committed to exploring new avenues and taking the lumps that go with it. They didn’t sit on their brand, fighting to preserve a dead way of life. They didn’t rely on size and presence, while ignorning the changing landscape of the photography market. And they didn’t just sit and wait, in fear of change. Instead, they dug deep, they took what they had, and the reinvented it for a new world. They supply films that coat monitors and reduce glare. Their chemicals are used in make-up. And, of course, they remain present in the competitive photography market.
And that’s what it is about brands. It’s easy to let things go. It’s easier yet never to get started. But if you ever feel that there isn’t that much of an opportunity to project your vision into the world – that you need the business first, and the values and brands will develop later – banish the thought. The two go hand-in-hand, and the opportunities abound. It’s in every little thing you do. Every habit you’ve acquired, every value you have, and every thing that appeals to you. It’s in every bit of time you use for every task you do. Inject your values into each part of your business, and they will add up to a sum total greater than the parts. They represent a belief. A faith. Values. A person. And these are things clients can get behind.
20 Tips to Get Started With Your Business (Part 2)
And as a continuation from yesterday’s post, here are tips 11-20.
11. Share your ideas and find people whose opinions you value
People who you respect can help push you, prod you, and challenge you. Sometimes, we need others to hold us accountable for our actions. It’s hard to be the boss and the the employee at the same time. Treat these people well. Make them part of your extended team.
12. Do things for others
People want you for you. But they really want you for you because of what you give them. So if you find yourself with the time and without the inspiration, just ask yourself how you can make other people’s lives better. There’s always something. It needn’t and shouldn’t be change-the-world stuff either. It can be one simple thing after the next. We’re all content producers in this day and age, and those who create useful content are those who attract attention and acquire devotion. Useful content is still a rarity. Most people broadcast who they are and what wonderful things they can do. But remember things like throwing one more recipe out there for how to make mac and cheese isn’t something the world will consider useful. Well, unless it’s damned amazing mac and cheese – I recommend starting with a bechamel, adding gruyere and cheddar with a hint of smoked paprika in a pan, and finishing in the oven with some bread crumbs on top. Works for me.
13. Forget about the pie in the sky
Yeah, big ideas can be great. So are big campaigns, big dreams, and all that other stuff. But getting things done is even better. So don’t forget about the routine items. Giving one client a call a day to say hello and help them out could easily lead to more business than creating an earth-shattering manifesto.
14. Create a website and blog with genuine content and character
People go to a website to learn about who you are and not just what you do. If the only way you tell them about yourself is by showing what you do and jumping straight into a portfolio, you’re missing out on a great opportunity. And don’t write your content like a CV. Get some character in there. It’s endearing. Showing what you do might be what gets people in the door, but showing who you are seals the deal.
15. Find your identity
You are your identity. Don’t try to build your brand based on everything you think you should do. Not even on everything you always wanted to be. Build it on who you are. If you’re down to earth, make it part of your business. If you’re sophisticated, make it part of your business. But don’t worry about being what you’re not. Forget notions of what it is to be professional. Focus on your strengths.
16. Build your identity
Once you’re ready, spend the money to get a designer to create an identity. Most people won’t know enough about the language of design to get the level of polish they want. If things like kerning, leading, descenders, and baselines sound foreign, find someone who can help. But remember, a designer, even a good one, can only work with what you give them. Be ready to know what you stand for and represent if you want to get the most out of the experience.
17. Be organized
Tag your photos. Sort them. Keep them in places that are accessible. At first, it will slow you down, but at some point, you’ll miss out on opportunities to submit them, show them, and feature them. It will help generate publicity and business, and the process of staying organized will help you assess your growth and development. And don’t forget to keep back-ups of everything. The more, the better.
18. Smile when you pick up the phone
Just do it. It works.
19. Don’t pick up calls from 800 numbers
Don’t do it. It’s never a client.
20. Go all in
If you’ve decided to go for it, go for it. Don’t hold back. Don’t create safety plans in case you fail. Don’t go easy, so you have an excuse if you do fail. Giving it all you have is the best safety plan, and it’s the best excuse to have if you fail. Half in, half out never gets you anywhere.
20 Tips to Get Started with Your Business (Part 1)
Not too long ago, a good friend set out on her own to start a new photography business. She got her studio (looks great), she put up her shingle, and she started her marketing. Then, she said to me, “Hey, you should write something for people starting their businesses on Ground Glass.” So here’s to her, and here are tips 1-10 on starting your own business. Tips 11-20 will come tomorrow.
1. You can’t take it with you
Time goes fast. Faster than you can imagine. Sometimes you’ll hit everything right, sometimes you won’t. Either way, the moments of glory are fleeting, the money is never enough, and though the images may grow in emotional value, all but the most exceptional ones will deflate in business value as styles change and you do, too. You’ll have two things at the end of it all. The relationships you build, and the insight you acquire. They will give you fulfillment, and they will keep you on your toes. If you focus on these two things, luck will find you.
2. Believe in yourself
The first thing on everyone’s mind is how to get money quickly. If you need to pay the bills, by all means, get them paid. But don’t let it bog you down. My video team shot 55 weddings the second year doing it. This was a huge number to us, and it was a huge disaster. The money was great, but we barely managed to stay on top of our backlog for the next 3 years. That money came at the expense of growth, improvement, and fun. I have no doubt it cost us more than it gained.
At some point, every business owner needs to make the transition from the day-to-day to the future. Even when you’re just getting the bills paid, try to free up a little time to soak it all in, process it, and make plans for tomorrow. Believe that putting time in for yourself is essential, even if it means letting go of a little bit of business. Letting go of the present frees up space for the future.
3. Don’t get stuck on metrics
People pop on and off the radar faster than you can say “rockstar.” Metrics like money, followers, hits, and likes are fun and addictive, but they’re no substitute for quality. Deep and specific is almost always better than shallow and broad. Don’t machine gun your sales, marketing, and networking activities. Treat it like a sniper. Pick what you want, and perfect it. One devoted fan will spread your gospel far better than 1000 random followers.
4. Don’t listen to anyone who says it can’t be done
The only way to know something will work is to see that it’s already been done. The only way to innovate is to do something that hasn’t been done. See the dilemma? If you believe in something, go for it. If it’s really revolutionary, most people will say it can’t be done, because it will threaten them. Your success will challenge their beliefs, it will make them feel smaller for not thinking of it or not trying it, and it will make them jealous. Being bold is hard enough. Forget about the naysayers, forget about the doubts. Be proud of what you do. Whether you succeed or fail, never stop trying, and never stop believing. Don’t be too hard on the naysayers, either, though. It’s a natural human reaction, and they’ll come around.
5. Never blow off anyone, but don’t take everyone in
You’re never better than anyone. You’re never worse. But some clients will help you grow, and some won’t. Don’t be unkind to anyone. No one deserves that, and most people don’t realize they’re being irritating. But don’t let them sink the ship. Some people are going to be sinkholes for your business, and it’s alright to just say “No.”
6. Never be afraid to fail
All greatness risks failure.
7. Give anything away you want, but not your core product or service
Give advice. Give gifts. Give help. You are in business to give. Giving is helping. But never give away the thing that’s keeping you in business. Don’t give away the product or service. Don’t give away your talent. It sets up the wrong expectations, and it devalues you. Do you want to be referred because you’re cheap or because you take great pictures?
8. Sweat the small stuff
It’s not the big things that differentiate you. It’s the sum total of every small thing. The opportunities to create a brand, create an impression, and leave your mark are in every detail of what you do. How you write your email, how you say hello. Whether you go the extra distance in delivering your pictures, how you stay in touch with your clients, what you blog about, and how often you do it. Do them well.
9. Don’t sweat the big stuff
Don’t let the big things get you down. They’ll feel like the weight of the world, but usually, you won’t be able to do anything about them. At least not easily. They’ll just leave you paralyzed. Get back to the small stuff. Working on the small things will keep you moving, make you feel better, and actually help solve the big things.
10. Advertising is a first or last resort. Skip the rest.
There are two times advertising works. The first is when you’re getting things going, and you need someone to take notice of you. Usually, this is going to be in cheaper publications that target people looking for bargains. The second is when you’ve really made it and brand awareness is your objective. Those publications are usually going to be exclusive ones that reach people who don’t care about the money. For everything in the middle, use the time and money you save from running ads to run your business, give more to your clients, and insulate your business. Amazon cut out their marketing and created the Amazon Prime program. What do you think endeared them more to their customers?
Five to watch: The Post-Editorial Movement
Today’s theme is the Australia and the Pacific Northwest. Call it Post-Editorial, call it Post-Vintage. Call it fine art, call it documentary. Call it whatever you like, but if you’re looking for inspiration and you haven’t come across these 5 photographers, then here’s a bit of fun. These are in no particular order, but one thing that binds them all is a remarkable ability to cross boundaries and transition styles. They bring a varied and rich palette to their work that pulls from multiple disciplines. Dreamy and ethereal at times, intimate and raw at others, their work complex when need be, and simple when called for. And if you’re not following the wedding photography scene in Australia, poke around. I’ve been seeing a lot of impressive work coming from the region in general. Well worth the time spent.
Dan O’Day (www.danodayphotoblog.com)
Sean Flannigan (seanflanigan.net)
James Moes (portfolio.jamesmoes.com)
Samm Blake (www.sammblake.com)
Jonas Peterson (jonaspeterson.com)
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