No Entries?

[abril1127]

ug I did the whole give away a wedding once....except I went HUGE I got them a limo, tux, venue, flowers, catering, DJ, wedding cake, jewelry, The dress and me as the photographer. It SUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKKEEEEEEDDDDDDD all that work and I believe it hurt me more than helped me. The brides friends started calling the other contestants ugly names on her facebook account, people would call me screaming. Every contestant already had children and were living with their fiance's......you should of read what they were saying on the forums about the contest. It really became more of a dreaded thing than "helping our community" as it has started out to be. The bride has since hired a photographer twice and it wasn't me.
My recommendation.....DON'T DO IT!

[HillPhotos2009]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I've been reading a lot and studying my cameras (one at a time) and I've learned how to use my light meter! Holy crap. My pictures have improved substantially from learning just that, but I still need a lot more work on my "skill."

I've come under a certain amount of scrutiny by various members of my family because I've been marketing myself as an "amateur photographer." Am I, once again, taking the wrong approach? I figure I'm focusing more on the learning and creative end of photography as opposed to the business end of it anyway, so what gives?

[Tom]

Don't market yourself. While you are an amateur, do it because you love it. Do it because you want to learn. And you will get better. When you are better, then start to market yourself. But don't take on too many things at once. Photography is complicated enough as it is without burdening yourself with everything else that comes with a business. If you market yourself as an amateur, it is going to be hard to get people to take your seriously in a year or two when you are producing great work because they think of you as an amateur and want to pay you as such.

ENJOY IT!

[HillPhotos2009]

Thanks, Thomas!

[MicWayWal]

I disagree with Tom. I think you should market yourself AND your work. But don't label it amateur or professional. Technically you are a professional if you are being paid to produce your work. But I do agree with Tom, in that you don't want to label yourself with something that will be hard to shake and may hurt your opportunities in the future.

Market yourself as you are, don't be anything other than yourself. Don't worry about your family. You will get a much different take on you you are from your family. They know you better than anyone else and that sometimes is not a good thing. Sell yourself and what you want others to see in you.

Remember when everything is equal, People like to do business with people they like.
And when things are NOT equal, People like to do business with people they like.

[Tom]

I think you should market yourself AND your work.

I just don't think it is wise to be in business when you are still learning how to use your gear and how to be a photographer. Deliver shoddy work (which we all did when we were new) and you can burn your referral base.

I really don't think it should be a business until you really know what you are doing photographically. Especially if you are in a small town. Be an amateur and do it because you love it. If you still love it enough to learn how to run a business, cross that bridge when you get to it. But running a business as a way to learn is a great way to have people write you off.

[ronocnikral]

what i don't understand is...

what are you trying to do here? put food on the table with photography? be a national recognized photog? make a little cash here and there?

from there, you need to set goals and write them down. what do you want to do and how will you achieve it?

i'm confused what you want. if you want to make money be rollin' on 24's, shoot a few weddings, sell yourself and get on the lecturing circuit. or invent some widget to sell to photogs. if you want to put food on the table, write down a plan to get there. if you want to make some cash, put that down on paper. of course, all this is easier said than done. it takes work, with some failures and some successes.

either way, if you end game is to be nationally recognized or making money in anyway, what would a screen shot of your current website do to help that? if you don't feel good about marketing, maybe make it into a website to display your work, with minimal words.

[HillPhotos2009]

My goal is not to take over the world one Canon at a time, I'd like to take pictures that I like. I want to make people happy with my pictures. I love wedding photography because I think everything surrounding weddings is beautiful. But I also love shooting little girls and boys flirting over a saddle, bull riders getting stepped on, and people just being themselves.

My website is not designed to appeal to clients or potential clients. My website is for my growth as a photographer. There are a couple of photogs that like to see what I'm doing and I invite their critiques and my website is the vehicle for that exchange.

Is that a little less confusing?

My goal is to be a professional wedding photographer until my husband retires then I'll "retire" so we can travel with our horses. So I've got 27 years to learn what I can, shoot a few weddings, then hit the road with cameras and saddles a blazin'.

[ronocnikral]

my questions were rhetorical. my point being, put together a plan and work towards it.

[J Eddington]

Get a friend to put on a brides dress and go play.