You can find the Marketing 101 over here www.tinhouse-studio.com/product/photography-marketing-101/ I kept the price down on this one so its as accessible as possible :)
Even though "this video isn't meant for everyone" you give us a detailed parable we can all learn from. I know that I was able to apply the practical parallels of this adventure to my own situation and path. You use your own story to make some very important and seriously excellent points.!
100%! So many of us dump money into kit because it's sexy, but it won't make us a dime necessarily. Forget the money though, just investing TIME into test shoots can be so rewarding vs time doing other stuff.
I think photographers tend to get a bit lost in kit. An interesting way to think about the creative aspect is to compare yourself to a writer.... we assume the writer has the basic tools to call themselves a writer first. Secondly a writer would be clearly better served to spend money on travel to locations or visits within the field they are writing about, experience adds a layer of authenticity and maybe a spark of inspiration.... another notepad, leather bound journal, macbook or vintage typewriter dont necessarily add a great deal to the craft. Gear is like comfort food
That was the most inspiring video I have seen in a long time , we all get lost in gear and buying exciting things, now I need lights and a new computer/laptop but I was going to buy a new lens at around a grand but this has made me question myself, do i need it? I don't , well at least not at the moment. This had made me think about what I'm shooting , not what I am using and I think that is where people get lost. Theres a video there " what you really need as a photographic artist "
Sounds like a fine investment, with an almost immediate return. You did well. Not applicable to an amateur like me, except I could take a workshop or course. Not buying a lot of kit right now, but am waiting for Nikon to release the Z 200-600. Good videos, looking forward to your next.
I'm an amateur shooter as well, and believe that there is still something to be said about investing in the creative process. Even if you are just taking pics to hang on your wall, or upload to your instafeed, any investment in creativity can give your portfolio a bit of a refresh. You might invest country travel to get new landscape photos or a trip to a new city for a different type of street shoot. If gardens, flowers and insects are your thing, then look out for garden open days, where there may be a modest entry fee. Maybe the entry fee is to a great sporting event or festival for those great action shots. Even if the investment is just the petrol money to get there, consider that its money well spent getting an image that worth printing to hang in your house. With luck, its cheaper, and of greater sentimental value than buying a random painting. If you like working with models, then your investment could be in time with professional models. The idea being that you elevate your portfolio to the point that some models will be happy to work with you, on a TFP basis, to elevate their portfolio. Maybe you could invest in a makeup artist, or stylist, anything to build your circle of creatives. If you have a group of creative friends that are happy to work with you, TFP, every time you find a cool new location, stunning outfit or amazing prop, then your investment has paid off.
Do you have a list of the colors you use? Need to buy about a half dozen. I do see pastels and lighter colors are best. Yay, break away from white and gray!
Do you have any videos showing how you setup up the 2 tone seamless with the chair at @2:56. I am sure it is very low tech. One roll from front, one from top? But getting the transition line so clean and straight and not curling up?
Hey i love your videos In many of your vids you use terms like the inverse square law… Sometimes you use terms i do not yet know but i cant find them online. Could you therefore do a video about the most important technical laws / terms a photographer should know? Thanks
I suppose the difference is that you spent your money on your visible work, I doubt clients would notice that you were shooting with a new lens/light or even camera. Definitely money well spent..
Its all about the end result. In music theese days, no one care what guitar you use, what program or how its recorded. You basically got youre photography mixed and mastered by professionals and I must say, thoose are the best photos of food and drinks I have ever seen. Investing in creativity is a must if you want to get paid for youre work.
This is weird. Totally thinking of doing the same. So many old school Elinchrom power packs taking up space in the studio. And yeah, they've been much been acquired the same way-"well, if you here to collect this, you might as well take that too?" says the retiring photographer. I'd swap that junk for a updated portfolio any day. Nice one for the inspiration. 📸
Putting it in different terms, the gear is your creative enabler but just having the gear doesn't help you sell your creativity. The test shoot shows off your creativity and helps you sell it. So when spending money: Do you need more kit to enable your creativity? Or do you want to market your creativity?
I'm not seeing a link to the vlog in the comments. I hopped over to the TinHouse site, clicked on blog, and the most recent is carpark. Am I missing something?
Really good topic and video. Your approach to a photographer’s investment make so much since and would make the photographer’s job so much easier if we would just invest in some help.
I don't think you realize it, but you literally just gave out a cheat code with this vid. Literally THE BEST investment you can make, is your body of work. I had been sort of doing this out of favors and bartering with colleagues, but seeing this vid was eye-opening. Just hire the best people, pay them, and you be the client for once.
However it's not as simple as that because, whether you like it or not, the money you spent is actually pretty irrelevant compared to the talent that you obviously have. Not only to shoot the stylised images you did but to think of the idea in the first place. Most of your audience would not be able to get the same, distinctive and individual shots even if they had ten thousand pounds to spend. That's the problem with so many of these 'how to' type of videos. They may help in some rare cases but they generally all miss the elephant in the room - the fact that most people simply don't have the talent to produce anything other than run of the mill shots.
You can find the Marketing 101 over here www.tinhouse-studio.com/product/photography-marketing-101/ I kept the price down on this one so its as accessible as possible :)
hello there, I'm looking for a vlog link this is it? or you meant something else in video?
This channel is GOLD.
Even though "this video isn't meant for everyone" you give us a detailed parable we can all learn from. I know that I was able to apply the practical parallels of this adventure to my own situation and path. You use your own story to make some very important and seriously excellent points.!
That’s one of the best pieces of advice you can get as a starting photographer or even as an enthousiast reaching for the next level!
Thanks Scott. Appreciate your perspective.
100%! So many of us dump money into kit because it's sexy, but it won't make us a dime necessarily. Forget the money though, just investing TIME into test shoots can be so rewarding vs time doing other stuff.
VERY helpful. thank you.
“investing into creativity is scary.” you nail it. brilliant video.
This video should have billions of views. I guess the camera industry is glad it hasn't!
I think photographers tend to get a bit lost in kit. An interesting way to think about the creative aspect is to compare yourself to a writer.... we assume the writer has the basic tools to call themselves a writer first. Secondly a writer would be clearly better served to spend money on travel to locations or visits within the field they are writing about, experience adds a layer of authenticity and maybe a spark of inspiration.... another notepad, leather bound journal, macbook or vintage typewriter dont necessarily add a great deal to the craft. Gear is like comfort food
Yes this is very true
Yes this is very true
That was the most inspiring video I have seen in a long time , we all get lost in gear and buying exciting things, now I need lights and a new computer/laptop but I was going to buy a new lens at around a grand but this has made me question myself, do i need it? I don't , well at least not at the moment.
This had made me think about what I'm shooting , not what I am using and I think that is where people get lost. Theres a video there " what you really need as a photographic artist "
thank you! nice video and i will start making from now on a cost/test shoot.
Another excellent piece of advice. Congratulations.
So fucking true !! It’s all about the final product! It’s about being creative on the product!!
Sounds like a fine investment, with an almost immediate return. You did well. Not applicable to an amateur like me, except I could take a workshop or course. Not buying a lot of kit right now, but am waiting for Nikon to release the Z 200-600. Good videos, looking forward to your next.
I'm an amateur shooter as well, and believe that there is still something to be said about investing in the creative process.
Even if you are just taking pics to hang on your wall, or upload to your instafeed, any investment in creativity can give your portfolio a bit of a refresh. You might invest country travel to get new landscape photos or a trip to a new city for a different type of street shoot. If gardens, flowers and insects are your thing, then look out for garden open days, where there may be a modest entry fee. Maybe the entry fee is to a great sporting event or festival for those great action shots. Even if the investment is just the petrol money to get there, consider that its money well spent getting an image that worth printing to hang in your house. With luck, its cheaper, and of greater sentimental value than buying a random painting.
If you like working with models, then your investment could be in time with professional models. The idea being that you elevate your portfolio to the point that some models will be happy to work with you, on a TFP basis, to elevate their portfolio. Maybe you could invest in a makeup artist, or stylist, anything to build your circle of creatives. If you have a group of creative friends that are happy to work with you, TFP, every time you find a cool new location, stunning outfit or amazing prop, then your investment has paid off.
Ya, look at all the comments. This video was brilliant 👏 .
Do you have a list of the colors you use? Need to buy about a half dozen. I do see pastels and lighter colors are best. Yay, break away from white and gray!
Do you have any videos showing how you setup up the 2 tone seamless with the chair at @2:56. I am sure it is very low tech. One roll from front, one from top? But getting the transition line so clean and straight and not curling up?
Hey i love your videos
In many of your vids you use terms like the inverse square law…
Sometimes you use terms i do not yet know but i cant find them online.
Could you therefore do a video about the most important technical laws / terms a photographer should know?
Thanks
I suppose the difference is that you spent your money on your visible work, I doubt clients would notice that you were shooting with a new lens/light or even camera. Definitely money well spent..
Yep I feel a lot of togs get hung up on getting a new lens or body which does something marginally better than what they already own
Absolute gold.
Its all about the end result. In music theese days, no one care what guitar you use, what program or how its recorded. You basically got youre photography mixed and mastered by professionals and I must say, thoose are the best photos of food and drinks I have ever seen. Investing in creativity is a must if you want to get paid for youre work.
Wow that was valuable information, that's money well spent good info.
This is weird. Totally thinking of doing the same. So many old school Elinchrom power packs taking up space in the studio. And yeah, they've been much been acquired the same way-"well, if you here to collect this, you might as well take that too?" says the retiring photographer. I'd swap that junk for a updated portfolio any day. Nice one for the inspiration. 📸
Putting it in different terms, the gear is your creative enabler but just having the gear doesn't help you sell your creativity.
The test shoot shows off your creativity and helps you sell it.
So when spending money: Do you need more kit to enable your creativity? Or do you want to market your creativity?
I'm not seeing a link to the vlog in the comments. I hopped over to the TinHouse site, clicked on blog, and the most recent is carpark. Am I missing something?
haha I dont know. I will try and find what I said I would do. I filmed this ages ago and only uploaded today.
pretty good advice!
I sold 3800$ us of old photography equipment I wasn’t using. It’s very freeing. I got Stuff I believe I’ll actually use and not just collect
Really good topic and video. Your approach to a photographer’s investment make so much since and would make the photographer’s job so much easier if we would just invest in some help.
this is bees knees info my guy
Whenever I find someone who appreciates the 5DsR it makes me really happy. I have videos on my channel SPECIFICALLY about its resolution.
Hey Scott, what's your eBay account? (I did watch your video honest)...
I don't think you realize it, but you literally just gave out a cheat code with this vid. Literally THE BEST investment you can make, is your body of work. I had been sort of doing this out of favors and bartering with colleagues, but seeing this vid was eye-opening. Just hire the best people, pay them, and you be the client for once.
what could it possibly be?
If you guess right I will be amazed haha
👏👍😎
i'm gonnarob a bank to buy my canon eos r. I'm from brazil. kkkkk
However it's not as simple as that because, whether you like it or not, the money you spent is actually pretty irrelevant compared to the talent that you obviously have. Not only to shoot the stylised images you did but to think of the idea in the first place. Most of your audience would not be able to get the same, distinctive and individual shots even if they had ten thousand pounds to spend. That's the problem with so many of these 'how to' type of videos. They may help in some rare cases but they generally all miss the elephant in the room - the fact that most people simply don't have the talent to produce anything other than run of the mill shots.
Boooooo