Attention: Posing is dead. Or not?

Just a little while back, I read a post championing the end of posing.

Why you might ask?

What it came down to was the fact that posing is self-serving. It’s basically bait for likes. A flimsy form of self-validation, where we, as photographers, do nothing but satisfy our egos and further our art at the expense of the client.

And I won’t say that it’s never true.

And I won’t say that there’s any shortage of self-absorbed people (though, aren’t we all in some way or another?).

But as much as I’m all for serving the client, it makes me think about one of my favorite two quotes in the world…

It comes … Read more...

OK, I’m not too proud of some of what I’m going to share, but today, I’m going to talk about something you have to know if you want people to buy.

I heard this back when I had my brand agency, but to be honest, it may be even more important in a hot and crowded market like ours, as photographers.

Anyway, here’s the deal…

After a bad run of business, I was nursing some drinks with Steve, a mentor of mine. I was expecting a sympathetic ear, but instead, he burst out laughing.

“Spenz, man!” he chortled (I never knew why, but he always called me Spenz). “You’re doing business wrong!”

A tiny part of me wanted to smack … Read more...

The Ultimate Survival Guide to Build A Thriving Photography Business Right This Second

There are easier professions than photography. There are jobs that pay more. There’s work that demands less. But for all that, there’s something magical about having a camera in your hand. About living life, not just as an observer, but as a creator. The photography landscape may be changing at breakneck speed, but that doesn’t mean there’s no way to make it work. And there’s help.

I asked each of the 39 experts one simple question:
What’s working in the photography market right now?

The answers ranged from timely strategies that could only exist in the here and now to tried-and-true principles that are just as important … Read more...

You don’t expect your 11-year-old son to hit on the secret formula to all success.

But sure enough, that’s just what happened the other day.

Now, before I get into it, pop quiz…

How do you take a blog title and get as much as 327% more people to click on a link with 73% more shares? Look at this title:

“What are some ways to pose better at your wedding?”

At the end of this, I’ll show you exactly how to fix it to get big time improvements in views and shares.

But getting back to the secret to success stuff, last week, my son just picked up a new toy called an Ozobot.

As best as I can … Read more...

There are two types of pictures.

Pictures about something. And pictures of something.

And while taking pictures of crying brides and smiling kids is all well and good and pays the bills, the real question isn’t what you show in your pictures. It’s what you make people feel. That’s what voice is about. And it pays the bills even better.

Because voice isn’t just a luxury for the arteeeste. It’s about you.

And if you want a devout following who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about any other photographer but you, it’s everything.

Truth is, 99 photographers out of 100 couldn’t tell you what their pictures actually say. They rely on pregnant moments and showing their skill. But it … Read more...