Finding Jobs - The Next Step

[SHIFTcanadian]

So now that Ive got all my business stuff set up (permits, dba, tax permit, etc etc etc) its the next thing to find the jobs.

Automotive are pretty easy to get word of mouth for me.

How do yall find your seniors/grads/wedding/engagement jobs?

Ive posted ads on craigslist, hit up local schools and what not, but if I want to do this full time starting December 1st, I really need to pick up business a little more.

Any tips?

[klynam]

Seems those that know wont tell and those that tell dont know...lol...well, in the same market at any rate.

You have a nice clean site. Some of the pics aren't doing you any favors but we all have to start somewhere.

I'd say trade out some work to get more shots - quality shots - on your site. Then really work the word of mouth angle.

Forget Craigslist. It's useless for real jobs. Too many "hobbyists" on there. So many that it's hard to actually give stuff away on CL, much less charge for it.

Keep working the schools. Trade out photo sessions for "modeling" by seniors. Get them to put your photos (and website links) on their Facebook pages. Offer a spiff (Abercrombie gift card, $20) for each senior that books with you (and actually pays in full.)

Take copies of your bridal/wedding photos to the bride's hair stylist. Offer a small commission to her for referrals that book (and pay in full.)

You're going to have to work it long, hard, and from every angle to be a full time gig in about 45 days...

[SHIFTcanadian]

Well the site just got redone, its not an excuse but it will help. All of the photos will be traded out. The wedding ones are terrible (by my standards) and are being replaced.

It got a massive overhaul in the past few days including a proofing section, and online blog (which will be put up tonight), and rework of galleries. Also the music will change.

I spent the past 4-5 months just doing TFP shoots, so there are plenty of good images that will help.

Thanks for the help!

[HotHolly]

The workshop we are doing in Abilene on the 26th of this month goes into getting clients in detail. How to find them, get them, get paid, and keep them. When you finally figure it out, its a big duh! (And it took me a long, expensive time to figure it out).

#1 - People HAVE to know you are there. Get your name out there. And youre a photog - it should be visual.

#2 - WOM - this is gold. You want WOM. There are lots of creative ways to get WOM, but odds are you already have a way to tap into something that you may be over looking. One guy that sat in our marketing class a while back had overlooked his boat club. When he tapped into that client base, he booked 11 sessions within 2 weeks.

#3 - Get over it. If youre shy, get over it. If you cant ask for money, get over it. If you think you suck, get over it (and get better). If you think anything that will hinder your client base, figure out how to OVERCOME it and get over it. If you have issues asking for money, you'll never be able to make a living at this.

#4 - Pay Attention to your pricing and structure. You can front load, back load, evenly disperse. Generally speaking, people will be all over a cheap sitting fee, but you MUST make up the difference on the back end. I did a free session for a loyal client this past week and I already have $800 in orders from that free sitting.

I guess Im saying, its not just where to get clients, its how to get them to book a session, and how to get them to buy stuff too. They are all intertwined.

[brad]

Remember, too, that what works for Person A in Market B at Time C may not work for you... even if you are in the same market. The BEST you are going to get is a complete set of instructions of how Person A did it... but their "success" is also contingent on market and timing, which you will never, ever be able to duplicate.

Holly's advice above is great.. and it is similar to what I just gave on another thread that I can't find right now....


Edit: Here it is: http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...ad.php?t=85650

[STP Images]

What Holly said plus a new item:

#5 - avoid Crapslist like the plague.

Dragging through the bottom feeders for clients is not the way to start a revenue stream for a business (said in the same cadence as Dean Wormer's "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life").

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by Paraquat

What Holly said plus a new item:

#5 - avoid Crapslist like the plague.

Dragging through the bottom feeders for clients is not the way to start a revenue stream for a business (said in the same cadence as Dean Wormer's "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life").

lol. Of course. That was a given. CL - bleh!

And I could write out pages and pages of stuff on this topic. However it is better when you talk to someone in person b/c you start to get ideas about how that tip would relate to you and bounce stuff back and forth. Boat guy took the principle of the idea and ran with it. We used to get our client base from the country club. Worked great. He tweaked the idea for him and his situation.

Then the rest of those variables are still at play. Like what do you say when someone calls and asks - how much is your session fee? How you answer that question is HUGE!

I have to go. Im supposed to be doing something else I dont want to do. Good luck new almost full time newB!

[toverman]

I've heard of extremely successful photographers who have jumped into full-time work with both feet and never looked back. But without fail, at least the ones I knew, had one year's worth of income in the bank before they did it.

For some photography disciplines, December is the slow season (as in really slow). Good luck!

[SHIFTcanadian]

Well, to be fair, I have put away a bunch of money from working as an accountant.

Im still probably going to get a part time job until I cant do both anymore, and ive widdled down my expenses to almost nothing a month (other than rent & utilities & school loan payment) so I dont need to make that much income to live.

Im just sick of sitting at a desk. Im not doing what I love, im doing what puts food on the table, and Id like to try to do something that I love & put food on the table at the same time.

even if that means raman 3x a day. :)

[toverman]

I definitely didn't want to discourage you! Sounds like you have a plan.

My marketing plan relies heavily on creativity and little on paid advertising (for now). So far, so good, but it's not the fast track.

[Outlaw]

Just to touch on the senior market, I get almost all of my senior work through MySpace. I haven't even had time to venture into Facebook, which I hear is poppin' right now.

Take advantage of social networking to connect with local seniors, then reflect that connection by building some content up that draws their attention. Shoot some local high school sports and events, plays, etc., and post them to galleries on your site. Use your MySpace to send readers to those galleries. Make a production of it! I can promise you from experience, if you establish yourself as "the" photographer with the seniors themselves instead of trying to compete for parents' attention, you will do good business. I use the income from my senior work to fund the growth and marketing of every other part of my business.

[Aric C. Hoek]

It’s funny that you ask this question Ryan as I am working on an audio CD right now and one of the chapters actually talks about this question. I have actually given this issue a great amount of thought. Here is what I have for you right off the top of my head.

If I were to do it all over again, this would be what I would tell myself. This would be the fast track to getting started in the world of Professional Wedding Photography. The economy is in the crapper right now. Lets see if we can get you going as fast as we can.

First, you need to purchase your most important piece of equipment. A cell phone dedicated to your business that you only answer in a professional tone. Don’t worry about a business card as of yet. Don’t even worry about equipment as of yet.

Second, you need to have a day timer to book your appointments in. As a wedding photographer you can never ever be late. Ever. Not even one minute late. You are selling your time to your clients, not just images. It is your solemn duty to be on time and to perform to the best of your abilities.

Third, you need to have some sample albums to show your potential clients. To do this, you need to shoot at some weddings. So, join your local professional photographic organization as an inspiring member. The day you join, ask the president of the organization to send out a blast email to all of the members offering your services as a free assistant! Make sure your new phone number is in the email.

Once you get a bite, go to a handful of weddings and learn the culture. After you have attended a few as an assistant, ask the photographer if you can second shoot. Make sure that you inform him or her that you would like to use the images in your own portfolio in order to produce a sample album. If you have been a fabulous assistant up to this point then it will be hard for the photographer to say no.

If they do say no, then drop them like third period French and contact the president again that day. Don’t procrastinate. Ask if he or she will send out another email to the members. Make sure the email states that you have some experience as an assistant and are now looking to be a second shooter for free with the stipulation that you get to use your images in an effort to create your own sample albums.

Someone will take you under their wing. Before you attend that first wedding as a second shooter you do need to have a few items in place.

You should have a list of your 10 favorite wedding photographers. From these ten photographers, pick a detail shot, a cake shot, a departure shot, a first dance shot, and a ceremony shot from each. These are shots that you can do that will not get in the way of the lead photographer. Find a way to bring these favorite shots to your wedding as a second shooter and attempt to emulate the photographers works in an effort to create the most professional looking portfolio you can in the shortest amount of time.

Additionally, before you go to your first wedding as a second shooter you should have a blog up and running. Write the truth, that you are a beginning photographer and will shoot weddings on a budget. Make sure that your entries have appropriate search terms that people on Google will look for such as Budget Wedding Photography Houston, or what ever city you are from. I need to look at your profile to see where you are from, but I am on a roll here and don’t want to stop typing right now.

Make entries telling people all of your photographic history. Tell them about the steps you are taking to become a professional. Write passionately and someone is going to book you.

Want to sell more product? Then tell a good story.

With each wedding you second assist at, put the best images into your blog. Make sure to include search terms and links pointing back to the location you photographed at so when someone does a search for that location your blog might possibly show up as a result. What might that search term be? Lets say that the name of the facility you second shot at was Shining Stars. (Best I can come up with in two seconds) Individuals might search for “Photography at Shining Stars” . Make sure this is the title to your post, and not “Images from my first wedding” No one is searching for “Images from my first wedding” on Google. Or at least Brides-to-be aren’t searching for that term.

This is an OK start and should take a bit of time. My guess is though, that you can join your local organization today, and they can have an email out to all of the members in less than 48 hours if they approve of you and your efforts.

If you don’t have a complete camera set right now, then you can rent one when it is time to be a second shooter. Better yet, rent the camera rig weeks before your first event as a second shooter so you already know how to use it before you show up. Download a copy of the camera manuel before you rent the camera so you don't waste your time when you have the camera rented. Make sure you have set up some photography assignments that you can do on your own, so when you do rent the camera you can really learn how to use it.

Advertising is next, and that is another discussion all together. You mentioned Craig's list, and that's good because it is free. Try putting your wedding images onto flicker. Go to flicker now and do a search for Houston Wedding Photography and see what comes up. Title your images appropriately using the correct search terms so they work for you.

Hope this helps, and good luck! It's a good fast track plan.

Plano. You’re from Plano.

[pbyd]

Well said Aric, this should be the first thing new photographers read.

[tiffanymck]

Originally Posted by Outlaw

Shoot some local high school sports and events, plays, etc., and post them to galleries on your site. Use your MySpace to send readers to those galleries.

Sounds like a wonderful strategy. I know the highschoolers I taught would be all over this. Just to be safe I was wondering. . . If you were putting people on your webpage for advertising purposes, would you have to have a model release form? Eventhough you are using myspace to get to the link, you are still technically advertising right?

[Outlaw]

That's an age-old question Tiffany, but I think it boils down to some common sense and intention.

A lot of your marketing, particularly where you are providing no-cost value as a means to an end (such as shooting and posting sports and events and posting them online as a means to making connections with potential portraiture clients), I don't think really falls into the traditional sense of advertising. Model releases are needed (not a lawyer, just my opinion, etc.) when how you use the image could make the viewer believe the subject in the photo endorses a certain commercial product or service.

In the case of posting sports and event photos online for free, so you can establish rapport with clients who will eventually become portraiture clients, is pretty fair territory. When in doubt, seek the blessings of the principal, athletic director, or event sponsor. Most will be thrilled that you're offering to shoot and post for all to enjoy at no cost to the viewers.

The only time I ever, ever have needed or made use of model releases was when I licensed images for commercial use, or used them as a part of the design of my web site. If I MySpace it, blog it, portfolio it, or otherwise use it for 'informational' instead of 'commercial' purposes, I haven't used a model release.

After 10 years of doing this exact kind of marketing, I haven't had a single problem with any parent, coach, or administrator.

Yes, I probably could be sued under some specific legality, but then couldn't we all for something in our lives.

Now the newspaper that I work for is blatant in using staff photos for in-house advertising. No model releases, no asking for permission, no notifying the subject. We regularly run house ads that feature young dance school students and high school athletes in the newspaper, and they are advertising our online print sales service. Sounds pretty commercial to me, but the corporate legal department doesn't flinch.