For Photographers

Why Not To Lower Prices In A Poor Economy

No Comments

Architectural photographer Brad Feinknopf explains why photographers should not lower their prices in a slow economy:

Please, do not let a poor economy bring the industry of photography to its knees by merely bending to market pressure. (…) We, as architectural photographers, bring great value and please do recognize that! (…) we are assisting our clients to sell their wares, to generate new business, to help them win awards and sometimes, even get them published. Without architectural photography, the publications would merely be words, as would be the websites. They do need us and, believe it or not, most value what we do. We need to value it, too. Do not forget the value you bring and demand adequate compensation for that value.

– Brad Feinknopf

It’s worth reading his entire blog post to understand the clothing store analogy that he uses. Although he refers to architectural photographers, the analogy Feinknopf uses also applies to other professional photographers.

 

Chequing and Saving

1 Comment

Some professional photographers may still have to write cheques to pay bills, models, stylists, assistants, etc. When your customized business cheques run out, there’s no need to buy refills through your bank. Purchasing cheques from a third-party printer can be much less expensive.

There are a few companies in Canada that produce cheques which meet the same standards and have the same security features as the cheques purchased through your bank.

Although cheques are becoming obsolete, if you need custom business cheques, consider ordering from a third-party printer, (very often another small business), rather than automatically buying from your bank. I recently purchased a bundle of cheques for 53% less cost than from my bank.

 

Firewire 800 Card Reader

2 Comments

Since Firewire 800 card readers are no longer sold by Sandisk or Lexar, even though many photographers still use FW800, it may be difficult to find a suitable speedy card reader. Apple’s painfully slow rollout of USB 3 also doesn’t help.

For photographers who need a FW800 card reader, there’s good news and bad news:

The good news is that there’s one company which still sells a FW800 card reader. The card reader, which is sold in Canada, is small, reasonably priced and, when in stock, delivered quickly by Canada Post.

The bad news is that the card reader works only with UDMA compact flash cards. However, it won’t work with first-generation UDMA cards such as the Sandisk Extreme III (30MB/s). So if a photographer uses older compact flash cards or other formats such as SD cards, it will still be necessary to carry another card reader.

 

Penniless Canadians

No Comments

Starting tomorrow on February 4, the Canadian Mint will no longer be distributing pennies. The once copper but now mostly steel coins will be taken out of circulation, melted down and the metal recycled. The last one-cent coins which were minted on May 4, 2012, cost 1.6¢ each to make.

After tomorrow, banks will not distribute pennies to their customers but the public can still use the pennies they have. Businesses which accept cash are being asked to change their pricing policy to accommodate our new “penny-less” world.
Continue reading →

Stealing Souls

No Comments

During a portrait session, if the subject jokingly asks if my camera will steal their soul, I’ll answer, “I hope so.”

It rubs me the wrong way, a camera. It’s a frightening thing. Cameras make ghosts out of people.

– Robert Zimmerman (aka Bob Dylan)

Sometimes a photographer will try to steal a bit of their subject’s soul. This is what separates a great portrait from an average one. Ideally a portrait should allow the viewer a moment’s chance into the subject’s world.
Continue reading →

Photographers and crooks

1 Comment

Just in case you were wondering:

 … we photographers are nothing but a pack of crooks, thieves and voyeurs. We are to be found everywhere we are not wanted; we betray secrets that were never entrusted to us; we spy shamelessly on things that are not our business; and end up the hoarders of a vast quantity of stolen goods.

— Gyula Halász (aka Brassaï) 20th-century Hungarian photographer/artist.

 

If I’d had the nerve, I’d have become a thief or a gangster, but since I didn’t, I became a photographer.

— Emmanuel Radnitsky (aka Man Ray) 20th-century US photographer/artist.

 

 

When Customers Say No

No Comments

The photographer sends a photo quote and the customer either says “no thanks” or, more likely, doesn’t respond at all. The photographer is left wondering what went wrong.

A customer will say no to an offer because it’s the easiest reaction when they don’t have enough information or they don’t fully understand the photographer’s offer.

The customer may not know:

• How they can benefit from the photography.

• How well the photographer can complete the job.

• If they can fully trust the photographer.

• What their photography job really requires.

• What’s at stake by choosing a cheaper photographer.

When a customer says no, it may be an indication that the photographer did a poor job of informing and assuring the customer.

 

css.php