0:00 - Intro 0:52 - Why Listen To Me 1:43 - Your Unique Niche & Perfect Avatar 5:05 - Portfolio & Testimonials Are Everything 9:48 - WHO not HOW 14:44 - Find the GAP 19:13 - Less not more 22:22 - Go ALL IN on ONE strategy 23:15 - Your #1 Action Item GRAB 50% OFF OUR SEO FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS COURSE (Link in description)
I disagree with "wedding photography applies to every situation" (just because you know it better). You know, I stopped taking advices from wedding photographers because they have no clue what they are talking about. Every niche (BTW is pronounced niche, not nitch), has a totally different approach and wedding is the only one that aims for the money grab in the first place. It's not easy to do, but still it's not seen as the greatest niche by far. In fact it's a sort of "fast food" photography.
Honestly speaking, this is the kind of information I have been looking for. I am a photographer based in Kenya and I have trying to figure myself out since 2015 and the more I try to find myself the more I get lost. Now I know why. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this video and for so many more of your videos. I really love all your videos so far. Amazing how much you are sharing with us. Thanks!
Great video and tips! This year I'm looking to pivot into more fine art photography and getting those works into art galleries. I'd say my first action is going to art galleries and their different networking events (like meet the artist of this exhibit) and find out what criteria they have for accepting new artists. If interest in my work is shown from that action, the next step would be finding a business that can help me create high quality prints to display and sell in the galleries. Else the action would then be what changes can I implement into my product such that the galleries develop an interest in it.
This is an absolutely BRILLIANT first step Harrison. Getting feedback and understanding what your client wants (or in this case the Galleries) & are looking for is hands down the most important step you can take. Go get em!
Thank you so much. I launch a dog photography business start-up, after s short delay on Feb 1st. The first real action beyond learning and prep is going to be photographing adopted rescue dogs to build my portfolio - this will be by personal invitation only so I don't get overwhelmed. When I have photographed 20-25 dogs and written up their stories, I will be producing a book ('The Rescuers') for all the owners, at cost price, as a momento and a gift for their time. Thank you.
@@heathermtaylor7683 LOVE this! What a beautiful & kind thing to do to kickstart your business :) You should DEFINITELY check out what Rachael Rogers @trailsandbears is doing over at instagram.com/trailsandbears/ - She used a similar model to build a portfolio and now also offers adventure photoshoots for people's furry friends :)
I have to work on all of them but first I have to find my niche, because I am just shooting for the money and some things I shoot I don't like or care about. So that will be what I focus on going forward. Thanks for the info ✌🏿
Thanks for this breakdown. Marketing to one niche and building that up makes so much sense. I’m building a family and animal portrait business now by doing free portfolio shoots. Going to grow it this year while trying to get into second shooting weddings so I can hopefully build the wedding business next year after my family portion is established. Thanks for the great content!
@@bonefixer100 I ended up doing some free shoots for friends that had kids and pets. Asked them to share the photos and tag me as well as leave me a google/facebook review in exchange. Definitely got the ball rolling. Also tell everyone you know that you are a photographer and have a business now. Things will begin to present themselves. Good luck!
Great video. As a professional photographer who has been “trying to start” my business since 2016, this has been a real eye-opener. Thank you for making this video.
This was the best advice! it was perfect for where I am right now! thank you! I spent my whole day trying to make a portfolio that i will probably not be using now. youre awesome bro
Thank You for this video. I'll be working on getting my Niche down to a specific and legally registering my business. I feel a bit lost, trying to build my confidence and take that first step.
Im glad I found this video. Im doing ok now, but it has slowed up and my main reason I think is right off the jump Tip1. I gotta niche down which kind of style I want to go all in on. Right now I do... a lot, and it's fun. But! You're right. I need to go from doing Maternity, Engagements, Beauty/Boudoir and hit one of them and go. Not meaning I can't do the others ever again, but for the sake of getting back on track I gotta rethink my niche. 👍
Second shooter? I live in Minneapolis Minnesota (US) and have reached out numerous times back in May-2022 to wedding photographers that I wanted to work for free. Praised their portfolio, told them my aspirations, and listed out all of my gear. Lots of them have ego's (or perhaps they're scared of me stealing their business) and they never respond back. Since May-2022 however, I've hosted 4 Corporate Photoshoots at our office (office of 3000 people) for free - people give me money for the photos, but I donate all of them to charity (about $5k since May because we cannot be making money on the "side" while being at the office). People give their consent to allow me to use their photos, so to-date, I have atleast 500 pictures of Corporate photos. Some people love their corporate photo so much, that after event, they personally reach out to me asking me to do a family photoshoot of their family (and they want to pay).
This is an absolutely brilliant strategy Violian! Way to go in thinking outside of the box and not giving up when second shooting didn't work for you :) When I started reaching out to studios, I opened up the first 15 pages of google for photogs in my city and messaged every single photographer. I heard back from 4, and wound up shooting for 2. For anyone reading this or who might be discouraged - Often times you just need to up the numbers and amount of activity! Appreciate your share so much :)
So I gotta admit, I thought your video would be just others I have seen until I saw step 4... and that's what I have been thinking for a while now. I want to do something different from the status quo and you did inspire me with some ideas so thank you so much for this video!!! 💖
Knowing that is a great place to be! Truthfully sometimes the only way to figure that out is just to shoot as much as possible in as many areas as possible - You’ll figure out what you are drawn to and enjoy most and have the best knack for naturally, and then you can follow that path! Good luck Emma :)
When you reach out for second shoots to photographers to build your portfolio? How does that work exactly? You go with them and keep the photos for your portfolio or would they keep those ?
Typically both. They take your photos, and after the wedding is published will let you post a few of your own, with credit given to the studio sometimes being required (ex “photo taken second shooting for xyz photo co) It depends on the photog u shoot for, and what u agree together! Some dont want you using photos at all, others are totally fine
Why not wedding and family photographer at same time if I am good at both? I think If you are good at shooting wedding you can be good at family portraits and children birthdays also. The most important thing in photography is learning the light.
Hey Sandra! Yes you can be excellent at all 3, but in your MARKETING, you'll find you have better results when you're focused on one specific client :) But lots of people do more than 1 and find a way, I just wouldn't focus on trying to build a business doing all 3 - I'd start with 1, THEN branch out
100% in person is best IF you are the kind of personality who is good with face to face & meeting new people. If you struggle with that, sending a quick DM or email where you share your concept for how you can help THEM and see if they're interested works great... Then you take the convo forward from there via facetime, skype or in person
Well I can't say for sure because I've never been to Czechia, but let me encourage you Jiří: There are a million wedding photographers in pretty much EVERY city :) That's why finding that specific niche & building a NETWORK who refer you can help so much! Either way, hope you got something helpful out of this video!
This is incredibly helpful, as someone who's been a full time photographer for 6 years, I have realized all the things that MATTERED that I skipped on, and the things that don't matter that I prioritized.
Oh man can I relate to this Logan! I have 100% been there (and CONTINUE to get these things mixed up all the time!) Sometimes having an outside perspective is what it takes to see it.
As a hobbyist photographer (I don't really need to monetize it) it's great to know the way to possibly turn hobby into additional profit. What is more, based of my experience, this video incredibly useful for any freelance business development! You Sir, deserve praise and gratitude for sharing the universal knowledge. Awesome video, keep up the good work, thanks!
Thanks so much Dżonson! So glad to hear you found some gold in here. Totally agree, the principals of sales and marketing stay the same across pretty much any industry, because the way PEOPLE work & think is always going to be pretty much the same, regardless of where you go. Thanks for the comment!
Awesome video and business fundamentals! I've been "launching " my business for far too long, and you summed up everything I've been doing wrong or not focusing on. Thx! I need to double down and start down my niches and go deeper for starters. I have a few things I enjoy doing and should focus on those.
Great to hear Michaex! Sounds like great steps to take. For me I've found it's all about committing to doing ONE thing at a time, vs 10 different things. Looking forward to hearing your progress 6 months from now!
Great video!! I recently jumped into contacting venues and event halls directly and it's made a HUGE difference, not only in what types of jobs I now have access to, but in how I feel as a professional. Sitting down with local people and figuring out how we can work together feels awesome. I'm going to buckle down and do it even more!
@@ditermejia6027 Things I’ve noticed thus far: 1. Know your audience and just focus your effort there. 2. Build your audience based on what you WANT to do and venues that also do that will be easier to talk to. 3. Get comfy with a little bit of rejection & getting ghosted, it happens sometimes. 4. Bring your A game but be open to collaborating instead of running the conversation. :) Hope these help!
You talk about the things that most don’t talk about 👏 always finding gold on your channel!! I’m sometimes short on ideas when it comes to thinking outside the box..would love if you could use some examples for product photographers in your videos 😄
Hey Victoria! Thanks so much - Glad you're finding some gold in there :) For sure, that's a great idea! What specific struggles are you running into w/ product photography? Lmk and I'll try to bring some ideas up!
@@SignatureEdits Yas, always sir 💪👏 I guess coming up with those clever ideas when it comes to marketing and finding clients! Example, when i do my Alt text SEO on website photos, I know you love to use the venue names and location, but I don’t have any specific location to put in there because I shoot skincare/cosmetics for small businesses from home. So not sure how to find examples that would better apply in my field for how to market. Thanks for the reply!
@@VictoriaCkk Gotcha! Honestly with the kind of clients you're getting, SEO probably isn't going to be the best method for generating leads. If it were me, I'd probably look more into cold outreach on LinkedIn or Shopify Facebook Groups - Start by answering questions on there & creating workshops / valuable posts for your ideal client, teaching them how they can get good product photos at home, or the 8 types of images they can use to increase sales by 54%, or the 3 KEY photos every skincare brand needs to CRUSH IT on instagram etc. This organically builds trust & relationship while also providing value & reciprocity. Once you have enough content like this out there, it starts generating and bringing you leads on autopilot. This TH-cam Channel for example does something similar - I give away a TON of what I know for free, which builds relationship and if the fit is right might lead into a sale of a premium product or service. Hope this helps!
@@SignatureEdits This is incredible stuff, thank you SO much for taking the time to write this out !! Great ideas, will get on it asap. This helps a lot, and so has been your channel! Thanks Ryan 🙏
Hi Ryan. Thank you sooo much for this very helpful video. Sounds so easy, once you know. I'm just starting out. I am very interested in the creativity of BOUDOUR PHOTOGRAPHY. Then my mother died very recently and I am now also drawn towards FUNERAL PHOTOGRAPHY. Any comment would be gratefully appreciated.
This video has been the most helpful video I have come across! I have always had a love and passion for photography. I am finally stepping forward and pursuing a career in that field. Starting from scratch is very challenging and there is so much to learn : ). You have touched base on all the major concerns and questions that I had. I currently have no portfolio and this was helpful advice on how to get started. Thank you so much for sharing! You have gained yourself a new subscriber.
We learned the hard way about not niching down and marketing correctly. We have been all over from portraits, weddings, senior pictures, and branding. It's so hard to choose just one but we must. Now the hard part for me is trying to create another brand name for the specific niche market.
Thank you so much. I launch a dog photography business start-up after a short delay, on Feb 1st. The first real action beyond learning and prep is going to be photographing adopted rescue dogs to build my portfolio - this will be by personal invitation only so I don't get overwhelmed: I have 6 people. When I have photographed 20-25 dogs and written up their stories, I will be producing a book ('The Rescuers') for all the owners, at cost price, as a momento and a gift for their time. Thank you.
Great video! Some solid steps to actually do instead of vague concepts! Thank you for this. I am also thinking a lot about building a photography business and keep running into discouraging advices or just how easy you can fail. This video is so good that it helps you to at least start and see how far you can go with it
I wouldn’t niche down if you’re only starting. First of all, you might not know what you like yet. If you’re like me and you live in a small town, you won’t survive if you’re too niche. If you can’t diversify and pivot your skills to another genre you’re gonna go extinct every time there’s a big change to your economy: lockdowns weren’t exactly great for wedding photographers but product photography and e-commerce boomed
Hello thank you so much for this incredible video! You mentioned that you have a photography company in three different countries. Do you have a video explaining more details about this? This is a dream of mine.
I know photographers are a dime a dozen in my area, but my idea is I would take pics of whatever small event (graduation, ballgames, recitals, etc.) the person wants photos of so that they can live in the moment and not have to deal with a camera/phone and taking pics. No editing, props, or sessions. Basically, you want to live in the moment at an event and not take pics, I'll do it and send you the pics. Any advice on starting out with prices would be great. Do I do hourly or flat rate to begin with? I would start locally and a client would have to pay for my way into the game for example and confirm I can shoot photos as well. This would start as a side hustle as well.
i'd LOVE an American Photographer to come to the UK and try and start a business here, I think that photography is one of the most underrated and poorly paid industries in the country..
Beginner photographer here looking towards starting a business. Was stuck on a lot of the how to and what to do, but this video was stellar. Took notes while watching. Thanks so much!
Phenomenal content and great information man, so simple but easy to overlook. Thank you for planting the seed, subscribed off of this video alone, looking forward to viewing your others. Thanks again!
These are great tips...thank you so much! I am not looking to be a photographer, but I am looking to network with them for my decorating business. So these tips come in handy and I can get an idea of what the photographers go through.
So helpful! Love the clear, concise, and digestible information-thank you! I'm gearing up to officially launch my business; I've been scared to niche down, but I think it's really going to help! Now I just have to figure out the marketing aspect..I love the WHO not HOW & idea of collaborating and networking in the community, and think that will definitely help me build my business.
One of the best videos I have watched regarding starting a photography biz. I am a 55 year old who lives in Florida and really struggling with getting something new started. I used to have a travel photography biz but in Chicago and moved to Florida. I broke my knee cap right after that and trying to put some new things in place. This video broke it down so well. Thank you for making this.
Awesome down to earth video, you hit the nail on the head when you talked about watching all kings of videos and not implementing any, thanks for this reminder 😊
Not sure if contacting other photographers will help with your portfolio. Most of them are afraid of concurrency and most of the times you can't use their photos for you portfolio. It depends on the project though. You have to get around that and look for a context or create the context yourself. Another problem is the overflooded markets. Wedding photography is way too contested by too many photographers and it's really hard to get into it and have constant clients. Many go for this, because they think it's an easy money grab.
You're right, it all depends on the project and the photographer! I've had mixed results when 2nd shooting - Personally when I hire a 2nd shooter, I always allow them to use images for their portfolio (I just ask they wait until after I post the wedding and that they tag me / credit "wedding shot for XYZ photo" when they post to social)
Step 1 Say i do just oe thing and i do it better than anyone else. Wait i thought we were just starting out??? I watch these videos as an aspiring photographer i currently shoot for free to to get a portfolio, i think thats a good tip but it somehow never is given. Like you wanna be a fotographer you now write online taht you only do weddings and you have never done a wedding before ever and have no pics to show???? Guys when you make videos like this actually imagine for a second if it would work if you had to start from the beginning because some of us do and these tips are stupid
I understand where u r coming from! AND, just fyi, I DID start exactly the same way as you - and i did it shooting for free, doing ONE kind of photography… so while you may feel these tips wont work, at least in my experience they have :) Good luck, and feel free to go a different route - i certainly dont have all the answers!
I agree with you and I strongly push newbs into second shooting or assisting pros. Kids these days skip this step and just start shooting low budget weddings with for pennies.
You makes this so clear and easy to understand. Thankyou, I have spent a few years just muddling thru, finding just a lot of snobs in the industry. Would LOVE LOVE LOVE the opportunity to second shoot for you!!! Subscribed and will continue to follow you. Keep it up!
Is it okay to be all things to all people if you have a separate website for different niches? Or does Google penalize you for this? Can we talk about the people who actually don't care if you specialize? Because I believe there are a lot of people who think I need a professional photographer, maybe I'm just thinking about my clients who literally start out as a commercial client and ask if I can photograph their family portraits for Christmas or the professional model who had a baby and now wants me to photograph their maternity photos? Some people really do think that their photographer can do it all, the thing is I can because of my experience at doing so many different photography genres. It's just really hard to think about putting all my eggs in one basket because truthfully, I want to put the eggs in the basket that I think will make me the most money.
Hey Jamil! Great points. You're right - Once you have a client, THAT is when often it doesn't matter so much, because they already know your work and know YOU and trust you. Specialization is most important on the front end of your marketing - First for SEO, because there is almost ZERO chance of ranking for competitive searches like "your city wedding photographer" if you have a website that showcases many types of photography. Second, because specialization you can charge a LOT more potentially. A doctor might make $200k a year. A surgeon might make $800k a year. An open heart surgeon might make $2 million + a year (Made up numbers, but you get my point!) Experiment for yourself - I definitely don't know it all. But if it were me, I'd have separate websites for the terms you're most focused on. Doesnt mean you STOP doing any other kind of photography, but you'll generally have more success focusing your marketing onto the one genre you really want to go deep in.
@@SignatureEdits Thank you for your reply. I don't want to confuse and turn off potential clients because of too many genres and my analytics show me that I am because it's not that I'm not being found. It's a lot to think about but not that difficult a choice when I think of making more money because of niching down! Thank you for your insight.
In the beginning that's probably what ALL of us are motivated by! But the money itself is just a reward / receipt of bringing value to the marketplace. The better motivation is to provide value and make an impact, because when you do that the money will follow. Whereas if you just chase the money, you won't always take long term strategic actions. Just my perspective - I'm often wrong!
This video is SO helpful!! I have watched multiple videos aiming to do this same thing (help new photographers) and this has been the most helpful one. Thank you!!
Thanks for great inspirational and very informational video, that I believe it will help a lot of people. For me #1 action is deciding what genre of photography I am going to proceed. Wish you all the best! Great content, please keep doing it !
Thanks Ugur! Right on - Once you've got that genre narrowed in you can go ALL IN on becoming amazing in that space. It will definitely accelerate your progress! Good luck my friend :)
For sure, that was a good lesson in photo-business. A bonus point for mentioning MTB several times. That used to be my main "niche" for years, as a free-lance photographer/writer. With a few extras in outdoor raids and races, women sports, actors headshots. So... you deserve a lesson in French. Free of charge, my pleasure. The word "niche" (used on purpose in my first paragraph) has no "t" and its pronounciation is "neesh", simply. For once, a French word without any complicated sound... how nice ? But with a double-meaning ! It means "small hole or tiny cavity in a wall, mainly to display a statue or an accessory (cult, decoration, architecture)", but it also means "the house of the dog".
Very informative! Thank you for sharing the knowledge. I’m a complete beginner and looking to pursue my hobby and start a small business. How does one start a portfolio? Is there a consent process that needs to be in place before one posts pics of various faces?
As a photographer that "does everything", I'm not seeing much buisness, I'm 19, broke, with a client every once in a while. Starting by finding a niche and building a strong portfolio (specifically weddings). Reaching out to 2nd shoot is really important for me as I have some work but definitely not enough when it comes to weddings.
Great video. I've been struggling with the business side of things after recovering the last year and a half from a brain injury, but my passion for my photography is what kept me fighting and got me through therapy every day. Now I am trying to turn that passion into a business. I see your videos talk a lot about weddings, but as a Beauty/Fashion photographer I am having a hard time even finding the people to shoot to build a proper portfolio, let alone get noticed for bookings. Those who I have had the pleasure of working with loved my work, but those shoots were in my phase of relearning my lighting during recovery and are not consistent to use in my portfolio and I don't have friends/family where I moved to be able to talk them in to shoots.
This is a fantastic video that I showed to a friend who runs a £million internet marketing business and he agreed! I’m starting a headshot and portraiture company and have spent today shilling my work to recruiters, as per your idea of building a ‘team’. Not many bit the line, but I’ll be emailing them all tomorrow regardless. Many thanks.
Loved it! As a new photographer kind of lost on how to start and kind of overwhelmed with all TikTok and Instagram being advertised as the only way to do it, this video was VERY enlightening! Thank you! =)
You've really made me think...I'm going to concentrate on targeting the WHO and use that to get my name known locally. I'm starting by doing photo shoots for a local dog rescue charity. People get one print for a nominal fee, I'm donating all the proceeds to the charity, as they rescue dogs from kill shelters in Eastern Europe. I'm hoping this raises awareness of my business in the local area and gets me known. I'm going to ask all of the people involved for references and if I could use their photos for my portfolio...that way my portfolio should be expanded and my online reputation too. Thanks for your ideas.
0:00 - Intro
0:52 - Why Listen To Me
1:43 - Your Unique Niche & Perfect Avatar
5:05 - Portfolio & Testimonials Are Everything
9:48 - WHO not HOW
14:44 - Find the GAP
19:13 - Less not more
22:22 - Go ALL IN on ONE strategy
23:15 - Your #1 Action Item
GRAB 50% OFF OUR SEO FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS COURSE (Link in description)
Enjoyed! Helpful!
I disagree with "wedding photography applies to every situation" (just because you know it better). You know, I stopped taking advices from wedding photographers because they have no clue what they are talking about. Every niche (BTW is pronounced niche, not nitch), has a totally different approach and wedding is the only one that aims for the money grab in the first place. It's not easy to do, but still it's not seen as the greatest niche by far. In fact it's a sort of "fast food" photography.
Feel free to disagree! Do what works for you - I certainly don't know everything :)@@claudianreyn4529
Honestly speaking, this is the kind of information I have been looking for. I am a photographer based in Kenya and I have trying to figure myself out since 2015 and the more I try to find myself the more I get lost. Now I know why. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this video and for so many more of your videos. I really love all your videos so far. Amazing how much you are sharing with us. Thanks!
You are so welcome! When you have some momentum and you want to take things further, head to my site for other resources :)
Great video and tips! This year I'm looking to pivot into more fine art photography and getting those works into art galleries. I'd say my first action is going to art galleries and their different networking events (like meet the artist of this exhibit) and find out what criteria they have for accepting new artists. If interest in my work is shown from that action, the next step would be finding a business that can help me create high quality prints to display and sell in the galleries. Else the action would then be what changes can I implement into my product such that the galleries develop an interest in it.
This is an absolutely BRILLIANT first step Harrison. Getting feedback and understanding what your client wants (or in this case the Galleries) & are looking for is hands down the most important step you can take. Go get em!
Thank you so much. I launch a dog photography business start-up, after s short delay on Feb 1st. The first real action beyond learning and prep is going to be photographing adopted rescue dogs to build my portfolio - this will be by personal invitation only so I don't get overwhelmed. When I have photographed 20-25 dogs and written up their stories, I will be producing a book ('The Rescuers') for all the owners, at cost price, as a momento and a gift for their time. Thank you.
@@heathermtaylor7683 LOVE this! What a beautiful & kind thing to do to kickstart your business :) You should DEFINITELY check out what Rachael Rogers @trailsandbears is doing over at instagram.com/trailsandbears/ - She used a similar model to build a portfolio and now also offers adventure photoshoots for people's furry friends :)
Would love to know how this is going for you Harrison :)
I have to work on all of them but first I have to find my niche, because I am just shooting for the money and some things I shoot I don't like or care about. So that will be what I focus on going forward. Thanks for the info ✌🏿
BOSS! That's great. Good on ya!
Thanks for this breakdown. Marketing to one niche and building that up makes so much sense. I’m building a family and animal portrait business now by doing free portfolio shoots. Going to grow it this year while trying to get into second shooting weddings so I can hopefully build the wedding business next year after my family portion is established. Thanks for the great content!
Curious as to how you are going about doing this. Family and pet photography is what I am interested in currently.
@@bonefixer100 I ended up doing some free shoots for friends that had kids and pets. Asked them to share the photos and tag me as well as leave me a google/facebook review in exchange. Definitely got the ball rolling. Also tell everyone you know that you are a photographer and have a business now. Things will begin to present themselves. Good luck!
Great video. As a professional photographer who has been “trying to start” my business since 2016, this has been a real eye-opener. Thank you for making this video.
Right on Paul! The last 6 years have no doubt been full of growth and set you up to make unreal changes in 2022. I'm rooting for you!
Im in the same boat...let's smash 2022 though!!
That makes two of us bro
How is it going!
This was the best advice! it was perfect for where I am right now! thank you! I spent my whole day trying to make a portfolio that i will probably not be using now.
youre awesome bro
ONE THING, ONE THING, ONE THING
Thank You for this video. I'll be working on getting my Niche down to a specific and legally registering my business. I feel a bit lost, trying to build my confidence and take that first step.
AMAZING! The first step is the hardest, but we learn the most through doing :) YOU GOT THIS
Im glad I found this video. Im doing ok now, but it has slowed up and my main reason I think is right off the jump Tip1. I gotta niche down which kind of style I want to go all in on. Right now I do... a lot, and it's fun. But! You're right. I need to go from doing Maternity, Engagements, Beauty/Boudoir and hit one of them and go. Not meaning I can't do the others ever again, but for the sake of getting back on track I gotta rethink my niche. 👍
Who not how. Gold!
My #1 action is building my portfolio
Sweet deal! Portfolio is key. Once you've got that, everything else is downhill :) Good luck Sean!
Second shooter? I live in Minneapolis Minnesota (US) and have reached out numerous times back in May-2022 to wedding photographers that I wanted to work for free. Praised their portfolio, told them my aspirations, and listed out all of my gear. Lots of them have ego's (or perhaps they're scared of me stealing their business) and they never respond back.
Since May-2022 however, I've hosted 4 Corporate Photoshoots at our office (office of 3000 people) for free - people give me money for the photos, but I donate all of them to charity (about $5k since May because we cannot be making money on the "side" while being at the office). People give their consent to allow me to use their photos, so to-date, I have atleast 500 pictures of Corporate photos. Some people love their corporate photo so much, that after event, they personally reach out to me asking me to do a family photoshoot of their family (and they want to pay).
This is an absolutely brilliant strategy Violian! Way to go in thinking outside of the box and not giving up when second shooting didn't work for you :)
When I started reaching out to studios, I opened up the first 15 pages of google for photogs in my city and messaged every single photographer. I heard back from 4, and wound up shooting for 2. For anyone reading this or who might be discouraged - Often times you just need to up the numbers and amount of activity!
Appreciate your share so much :)
So I gotta admit, I thought your video would be just others I have seen until I saw step 4... and that's what I have been thinking for a while now. I want to do something different from the status quo and you did inspire me with some ideas so thank you so much for this video!!! 💖
Wow, thanks Dan! That's great to hear. Looking forward to seeing what's next for you!
I'm behind all the steps because I still just need to figure out what kind of photography I want to hone in on
Knowing that is a great place to be! Truthfully sometimes the only way to figure that out is just to shoot as much as possible in as many areas as possible - You’ll figure out what you are drawn to and enjoy most and have the best knack for naturally, and then you can follow that path! Good luck Emma :)
very helpful, thank you!
You're welcome! Thanks so much for the comment
Fantastic!
Thank you! Cheers Sandra!
Great Video!
When you reach out for second shoots to photographers to build your portfolio? How does that work exactly? You go with them and keep the photos for your portfolio or would they keep those ?
Typically both. They take your photos, and after the wedding is published will let you post a few of your own, with credit given to the studio sometimes being required (ex “photo taken second shooting for xyz photo co)
It depends on the photog u shoot for, and what u agree together! Some dont want you using photos at all, others are totally fine
Thx
No problem!
Why not wedding and family photographer at same time if I am good at both? I think If you are good at shooting wedding you can be good at family portraits and children birthdays also. The most important thing in photography is learning the light.
Hey Sandra! Yes you can be excellent at all 3, but in your MARKETING, you'll find you have better results when you're focused on one specific client :) But lots of people do more than 1 and find a way, I just wouldn't focus on trying to build a business doing all 3 - I'd start with 1, THEN branch out
I'm in headshots, business specifically
Right on Joshua! Thanks for sharing
No problem, I posted your video to my LinkedIn as well 😀
I m gonna send a proposal mail to wedding venues in my town ! Is it better to meet them in person or just send them an email?
100% in person is best IF you are the kind of personality who is good with face to face & meeting new people. If you struggle with that, sending a quick DM or email where you share your concept for how you can help THEM and see if they're interested works great... Then you take the convo forward from there via facetime, skype or in person
I book about 8 weddings per year, it is not very easy to book more, we have a milion wedding photographers here in Czechia :)))
Well I can't say for sure because I've never been to Czechia, but let me encourage you Jiří: There are a million wedding photographers in pretty much EVERY city :) That's why finding that specific niche & building a NETWORK who refer you can help so much! Either way, hope you got something helpful out of this video!
This is incredibly helpful, as someone who's been a full time photographer for 6 years, I have realized all the things that MATTERED that I skipped on, and the things that don't matter that I prioritized.
Oh man can I relate to this Logan! I have 100% been there (and CONTINUE to get these things mixed up all the time!) Sometimes having an outside perspective is what it takes to see it.
As a hobbyist photographer (I don't really need to monetize it) it's great to know the way to possibly turn hobby into additional profit. What is more, based of my experience, this video incredibly useful for any freelance business development! You Sir, deserve praise and gratitude for sharing the universal knowledge. Awesome video, keep up the good work, thanks!
Thanks so much Dżonson! So glad to hear you found some gold in here. Totally agree, the principals of sales and marketing stay the same across pretty much any industry, because the way PEOPLE work & think is always going to be pretty much the same, regardless of where you go. Thanks for the comment!
i completely agree with you bruh this is super helpful!
Awesome video and business fundamentals! I've been "launching " my business for far too long, and you summed up everything I've been doing wrong or not focusing on. Thx!
I need to double down and start down my niches and go deeper for starters. I have a few things I enjoy doing and should focus on those.
Great to hear Michaex! Sounds like great steps to take. For me I've found it's all about committing to doing ONE thing at a time, vs 10 different things. Looking forward to hearing your progress 6 months from now!
Great video!! I recently jumped into contacting venues and event halls directly and it's made a HUGE difference, not only in what types of jobs I now have access to, but in how I feel as a professional. Sitting down with local people and figuring out how we can work together feels awesome. I'm going to buckle down and do it even more!
Wonderful! That is so so great to hear - Pumped for you!
Started doing this as well! Any tips??
@@ditermejia6027 Things I’ve noticed thus far: 1. Know your audience and just focus your effort there. 2. Build your audience based on what you WANT to do and venues that also do that will be easier to talk to. 3. Get comfy with a little bit of rejection & getting ghosted, it happens sometimes. 4. Bring your A game but be open to collaborating instead of running the conversation. :) Hope these help!
You talk about the things that most don’t talk about 👏 always finding gold on your channel!!
I’m sometimes short on ideas when it comes to thinking outside the box..would love if you could use some examples for product photographers in your videos 😄
Hey Victoria! Thanks so much - Glad you're finding some gold in there :)
For sure, that's a great idea! What specific struggles are you running into w/ product photography? Lmk and I'll try to bring some ideas up!
@@SignatureEdits Yas, always sir 💪👏
I guess coming up with those clever ideas when it comes to marketing and finding clients!
Example, when i do my Alt text SEO on website photos, I know you love to use the venue names and location, but I don’t have any specific location to put in there because I shoot skincare/cosmetics for small businesses from home. So not sure how to find examples that would better apply in my field for how to market.
Thanks for the reply!
@@VictoriaCkk Gotcha! Honestly with the kind of clients you're getting, SEO probably isn't going to be the best method for generating leads. If it were me, I'd probably look more into cold outreach on LinkedIn or Shopify Facebook Groups - Start by answering questions on there & creating workshops / valuable posts for your ideal client, teaching them how they can get good product photos at home, or the 8 types of images they can use to increase sales by 54%, or the 3 KEY photos every skincare brand needs to CRUSH IT on instagram etc. This organically builds trust & relationship while also providing value & reciprocity. Once you have enough content like this out there, it starts generating and bringing you leads on autopilot. This TH-cam Channel for example does something similar - I give away a TON of what I know for free, which builds relationship and if the fit is right might lead into a sale of a premium product or service.
Hope this helps!
@@SignatureEdits This is incredible stuff, thank you SO much for taking the time to write this out !! Great ideas, will get on it asap.
This helps a lot, and so has been your channel!
Thanks Ryan 🙏
Hi Ryan.
Thank you sooo much for this very helpful video.
Sounds so easy, once you know.
I'm just starting out. I am very interested in the creativity of BOUDOUR PHOTOGRAPHY.
Then my mother died very recently and I am now also drawn towards FUNERAL PHOTOGRAPHY.
Any comment would be gratefully appreciated.
This not-turning photography into a job is golden advice🎉🎉🎉
Glad it was helpful for you Tolok!
This video has been the most helpful video I have come across! I have always had a love and passion for photography. I am finally stepping forward and pursuing a career in that field. Starting from scratch is very challenging and there is so much to learn : ). You have touched base on all the major concerns and questions that I had. I currently have no portfolio and this was helpful advice on how to get started. Thank you so much for sharing! You have gained yourself a new subscriber.
Hi. Curious as to how you are starting the process. Same here. Perhaps can collaborate on the process.
We learned the hard way about not niching down and marketing correctly. We have been all over from portraits, weddings, senior pictures, and branding. It's so hard to choose just one but we must. Now the hard part for me is trying to create another brand name for the specific niche market.
This is MASSIVE Grant. Can't wait to hear your progress as you take this next step :)
Thank you so much. I launch a dog photography business start-up after a short delay, on Feb 1st. The first real action beyond learning and prep is going to be photographing adopted rescue dogs to build my portfolio - this will be by personal invitation only so I don't get overwhelmed: I have 6 people. When I have photographed 20-25 dogs and written up their stories, I will be producing a book ('The Rescuers') for all the owners, at cost price, as a momento and a gift for their time. Thank you.
Keep me posted on this Heather - So awesome!
❤
How is it going?
I just thought wow that superman guy from that series is also a photographer now
Agree 🤤
hahaha thanks Cheline ;)
Planning to start my own business, believe you me. You are a life saver, have benefited greatly from this video, big up
Great video! Some solid steps to actually do instead of vague concepts! Thank you for this. I am also thinking a lot about building a photography business and keep running into discouraging advices or just how easy you can fail. This video is so good that it helps you to at least start and see how far you can go with it
2:37 that's called the mitral valve (or sometimes called the bicuspid valve).
You know your stuff Keith! Thank you :)
@@SignatureEdits haha thanks. I'm a nurse. I wouldn't count on me to do your heart surgery though 😂
This is so useful, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, experiences, and insights!!
Glad it was helpful! Good luck Kevin!
#1 Acyion Item: contact venues, planners, Ministers, etc....remember WHO not HOW!
I wouldn’t niche down if you’re only starting.
First of all, you might not know what you like yet.
If you’re like me and you live in a small town, you won’t survive if you’re too niche.
If you can’t diversify and pivot your skills to another genre you’re gonna go extinct every time there’s a big change to your economy: lockdowns weren’t exactly great for wedding photographers but product photography and e-commerce boomed
This was awesome and incredibly helpful, just what I needed
Thanks so much
Hello thank you so much for this incredible video! You mentioned that you have a photography company in three different countries. Do you have a video explaining more details about this? This is a dream of mine.
I know photographers are a dime a dozen in my area, but my idea is I would take pics of whatever small event (graduation, ballgames, recitals, etc.) the person wants photos of so that they can live in the moment and not have to deal with a camera/phone and taking pics.
No editing, props, or sessions. Basically, you want to live in the moment at an event and not take pics, I'll do it and send you the pics.
Any advice on starting out with prices would be great. Do I do hourly or flat rate to begin with? I would start locally and a client would have to pay for my way into the game for example and confirm I can shoot photos as well.
This would start as a side hustle as well.
i'd LOVE an American Photographer to come to the UK and try and start a business here, I think that photography is one of the most underrated and poorly paid industries in the country..
Beginner photographer here looking towards starting a business. Was stuck on a lot of the how to and what to do, but this video was stellar. Took notes while watching. Thanks so much!
@3:30. LOL kido. I would pick the most experienced one.
Can we all appreciate how beautiful the lady surgeon is.
I LOVE THIS THANK YOU
You're so welcome!
Fashion photographer here, in the midst of launching and creating my portfolio
Thank you for the tips. This video has been really helpful :)
Really useful, honest advice - thank you!
My action step I will do is reach out to wedding photographers and see if I can do some second shooter work.
Phenomenal content and great information man, so simple but easy to overlook. Thank you for planting the seed, subscribed off of this video alone, looking forward to viewing your others.
Thanks again!
You really summed it up for me and gave me the kick I needed to get my act together for my photography biz going. Thank you.
Awesome Julie! Go get em!
how do you ask clients for testimonials?
These are great tips...thank you so much! I am not looking to be a photographer, but I am looking to network with them for my decorating business. So these tips come in handy and I can get an idea of what the photographers go through.
I really need to determine my one thing (niche) to do, and focus on that
This was extremely helpful! I am in the midst of building my business and your ideas have helped me think differently
I’m currently rebranding and niching down into weddings. Thank you for the video!
So good to hear - Good luck Autumn!
This is a very very very very helpful video
So helpful! Love the clear, concise, and digestible information-thank you!
I'm gearing up to officially launch my business; I've been scared to niche down, but I think it's really going to help! Now I just have to figure out the marketing aspect..I love the WHO not HOW & idea of collaborating and networking in the community, and think that will definitely help me build my business.
You can do it! So good Sally, excited for you! 👍👍
One of the best videos I have watched regarding starting a photography biz. I am a 55 year old who lives in Florida and really struggling with getting something new started. I used to have a travel photography biz but in Chicago and moved to Florida. I broke my knee cap right after that and trying to put some new things in place. This video broke it down so well. Thank you for making this.
Awesome down to earth video, you hit the nail on the head when you talked about watching all kings of videos and not implementing any, thanks for this reminder 😊
Thanks so much Mikko! Yep - I'm guilty of it myself all the time! Speaking just as much to myself as anyone else :) It's all about what you APPLY!
Not sure if contacting other photographers will help with your portfolio. Most of them are afraid of concurrency and most of the times you can't use their photos for you portfolio. It depends on the project though. You have to get around that and look for a context or create the context yourself.
Another problem is the overflooded markets. Wedding photography is way too contested by too many photographers and it's really hard to get into it and have constant clients. Many go for this, because they think it's an easy money grab.
You're right, it all depends on the project and the photographer! I've had mixed results when 2nd shooting - Personally when I hire a 2nd shooter, I always allow them to use images for their portfolio (I just ask they wait until after I post the wedding and that they tag me / credit "wedding shot for XYZ photo" when they post to social)
Thank you for your wisdom and help. I appreciate you.
Happy to help! GOOD LUCK!
Step 1 Say i do just oe thing and i do it better than anyone else. Wait i thought we were just starting out??? I watch these videos as an aspiring photographer i currently shoot for free to to get a portfolio, i think thats a good tip but it somehow never is given. Like you wanna be a fotographer you now write online taht you only do weddings and you have never done a wedding before ever and have no pics to show???? Guys when you make videos like this actually imagine for a second if it would work if you had to start from the beginning because some of us do and these tips are stupid
I understand where u r coming from! AND, just fyi, I DID start exactly the same way as you - and i did it shooting for free, doing ONE kind of photography… so while you may feel these tips wont work, at least in my experience they have :) Good luck, and feel free to go a different route - i certainly dont have all the answers!
Fantastic video 🙏🏿
Thank you. That sure was insightful
Very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Shooting second!
A beautiful step to take! Right on Ruth
Get so good no one can ignore you..
I agree with you and I strongly push newbs into second shooting or assisting pros. Kids these days skip this step and just start shooting low budget weddings with for pennies.
SOOO true. Everybody wants to skip steps (myself included) but ironically it just slows you down in the end! Well said
You makes this so clear and easy to understand. Thankyou, I have spent a few years just muddling thru, finding just a lot of snobs in the industry. Would LOVE LOVE LOVE the opportunity to second shoot for you!!! Subscribed and will continue to follow you. Keep it up!
So glad to hear that Robyn! I hope you get some serious traction with the things you're applying!
Is it okay to be all things to all people if you have a separate website for different niches? Or does Google penalize you for this? Can we talk about the people who actually don't care if you specialize? Because I believe there are a lot of people who think I need a professional photographer, maybe I'm just thinking about my clients who literally start out as a commercial client and ask if I can photograph their family portraits for Christmas or the professional model who had a baby and now wants me to photograph their maternity photos? Some people really do think that their photographer can do it all, the thing is I can because of my experience at doing so many different photography genres. It's just really hard to think about putting all my eggs in one basket because truthfully, I want to put the eggs in the basket that I think will make me the most money.
Hey Jamil! Great points. You're right - Once you have a client, THAT is when often it doesn't matter so much, because they already know your work and know YOU and trust you.
Specialization is most important on the front end of your marketing - First for SEO, because there is almost ZERO chance of ranking for competitive searches like "your city wedding photographer" if you have a website that showcases many types of photography. Second, because specialization you can charge a LOT more potentially. A doctor might make $200k a year. A surgeon might make $800k a year. An open heart surgeon might make $2 million + a year (Made up numbers, but you get my point!)
Experiment for yourself - I definitely don't know it all. But if it were me, I'd have separate websites for the terms you're most focused on. Doesnt mean you STOP doing any other kind of photography, but you'll generally have more success focusing your marketing onto the one genre you really want to go deep in.
@@SignatureEdits Thank you for your reply. I don't want to confuse and turn off potential clients because of too many genres and my analytics show me that I am because it's not that I'm not being found. It's a lot to think about but not that difficult a choice when I think of making more money because of niching down! Thank you for your insight.
👏👏👏👏👏👏
What a great piece of content! Thank you so much for the details and you kind approach to building network! Love it
Glad you liked it Thanks Georgy!
Good video. I'm already doing a lot of these things, but I've gotten some new ideas.
Excellent! Glad to hear it Romie!
What if you're motivated by money?
In the beginning that's probably what ALL of us are motivated by! But the money itself is just a reward / receipt of bringing value to the marketplace. The better motivation is to provide value and make an impact, because when you do that the money will follow. Whereas if you just chase the money, you won't always take long term strategic actions. Just my perspective - I'm often wrong!
Hey when on the website to practice on some new photos and it not loading is something wrong
Hey! Sorry about that - site had something weird. Should be fixed now! signatureedits.com/free-raw-photos
I need to choose the niche that i like and build an awesome portfolio!)
AWESOME! Simple yet powerful.
This video is SO helpful!! I have watched multiple videos aiming to do this same thing (help new photographers) and this has been the most helpful one. Thank you!!
AMAZING! So glad it's been what you needed Ellie :)
Love this, so much great info!
So glad! thanks derek!
Thanks for great inspirational and very informational video, that I believe it will help a lot of people.
For me #1 action is deciding what genre of photography I am going to proceed.
Wish you all the best! Great content, please keep doing it !
Thanks Ugur! Right on - Once you've got that genre narrowed in you can go ALL IN on becoming amazing in that space. It will definitely accelerate your progress! Good luck my friend :)
Definitely narrow down my niches to be more focused niches than generic:-D
This is CRUCIAL - an excellent step! Right on Anas
fyi Niche is pronounced like "neesh" 😜love the info tho!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who notice him saying it like that
Haha depends where you're from Wesley! In Canada it's more often said "Nitch"
For sure, that was a good lesson in photo-business. A bonus point for mentioning MTB several times. That used to be my main "niche" for years, as a free-lance photographer/writer. With a few extras in outdoor raids and races, women sports, actors headshots.
So... you deserve a lesson in French. Free of charge, my pleasure. The word "niche" (used on purpose in my first paragraph) has no "t" and its pronounciation is "neesh", simply. For once, a French word without any complicated sound... how nice ?
But with a double-meaning ! It means "small hole or tiny cavity in a wall, mainly to display a statue or an accessory (cult, decoration, architecture)", but it also means "the house of the dog".
the best video ever?! Yes! Thank you for those specific questions you asked! Best tips for a beginner/intermediate!
#firsttimefirstcomment-and-watched-premiere
haha I love it! Thanks for the comment & the premiere view ;)
My testimonial: Dude, that was the shit! Many thanks!
Haha thanks bro! Love this
Exellent video & points...👌👋
Thanks Steve!
Very informative! Thank you for sharing the knowledge. I’m a complete beginner and looking to pursue my hobby and start a small business. How does one start a portfolio? Is there a consent process that needs to be in place before one posts pics of various faces?
o wow! This is so great! It will be my Bible for now on!
Glad it was helpful! 👍👍
I love your design 😍
Thank you! 😊
As a photographer that "does everything", I'm not seeing much buisness, I'm 19, broke, with a client every once in a while. Starting by finding a niche and building a strong portfolio (specifically weddings). Reaching out to 2nd shoot is really important for me as I have some work but definitely not enough when it comes to weddings.
Great video. I've been struggling with the business side of things after recovering the last year and a half from a brain injury, but my passion for my photography is what kept me fighting and got me through therapy every day. Now I am trying to turn that passion into a business. I see your videos talk a lot about weddings, but as a Beauty/Fashion photographer I am having a hard time even finding the people to shoot to build a proper portfolio, let alone get noticed for bookings. Those who I have had the pleasure of working with loved my work, but those shoots were in my phase of relearning my lighting during recovery and are not consistent to use in my portfolio and I don't have friends/family where I moved to be able to talk them in to shoots.
You're so right about finding a niche and owning it! I too, learnt that the hard way! Great video.
This is a fantastic video that I showed to a friend who runs a £million internet marketing business and he agreed! I’m starting a headshot and portraiture company and have spent today shilling my work to recruiters, as per your idea of building a ‘team’. Not many bit the line, but I’ll be emailing them all tomorrow regardless. Many thanks.
Loved it! As a new photographer kind of lost on how to start and kind of overwhelmed with all TikTok and Instagram being advertised as the only way to do it, this video was VERY enlightening! Thank you! =)
You've really made me think...I'm going to concentrate on targeting the WHO and use that to get my name known locally. I'm starting by doing photo shoots for a local dog rescue charity. People get one print for a nominal fee, I'm donating all the proceeds to the charity, as they rescue dogs from kill shelters in Eastern Europe. I'm hoping this raises awareness of my business in the local area and gets me known. I'm going to ask all of the people involved for references and if I could use their photos for my portfolio...that way my portfolio should be expanded and my online reputation too. Thanks for your ideas.