Let the Photographer Help You
Recently I was asked to bid on a rather big job and to be honest I was very excited to do so. The job required travel, multiple shoots in multiple locations and, while not out of reach for me, would still present a challenge and give me an opportunity to be creative.
While working with my client we did the usual overviews, strategy planning etc. I took the information given to me and I worked up an estimate and presented it to the client. When I spoke to them a few days later the client was a bit taken back over the cost. Although they knew that their original budget was very, very low they didn’t expect the cost to be almost 4 times the planned budget.
Consumer Value or Valued Customer
Which is more important: consumer value or being a valued customer? It’s true that every person wants to get a great deal. After all, who doesn’t like saving money? One has to ask though, is that more important than being valued as a customer?
As our world gets smaller the distance between individuals seems to be becoming greater. Personalized services are becoming more valued due to the fact that they are indeed getting rare. In an age of mass marketing, cookie cutter solutions, assembly line products and one size fits all where has personal service gone? It seems that very little is made or done for individuals any more. More often than not things are marketed in a way that is supposed to be personal when in fact the product or service is not personalized at all.
So how do I try to provide a personalized experience for you, my client? Easy, I work with you.
I think I have said it before on this blog, my first job in life was working for a family business gutting fish all day – week old fish at that. That job taught me a lot of lessons when it comes to my business and a lot about life in general. When you work for family you are not just another employee. You are expected to do twice as much for less than half the paycheck and no recognition.
Today I run my own business and I want my clients to think of me as that family employee. I am going to do as much as I can, as often as I can, for as long as I can and I want you to get the credit. My goal is to make you look as good as possible and the only way I can do that is to understand your wants and needs. That means I have to work with you, understand the problems you have and help you find solutions that solve those problems.
Why Harry Potter Is Actually a Photographer
My wife is a huge Harry Potter fan and hasn’t missed a single book or movie. She follows the info on the internet to get peaks into how close the movies will be like the books. She gets lost in the books and movies and she is a huge JK Rowling fan.
So in honor of my wife, JK Rowling and the last Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, I wanted to say that I think that Harry Potter is actually a photographer. Let me do a little comparison.
- Harry Potter goes into a situation only having a very general idea of what needs to be done. All he really knows is that the end result will be good.
- A Photographer goes into a shoot knowing only that he needs good results and has only a general idea of what the situation will be. (Especially true for wedding and event photogs)
- Harry brings out the best in people like Neville Longbottom.
- A Photographer needs to make everyone look their best.
- Harry finds beauty in the oddities like Luna Lovegood.
- A Photographer loves the joy in finding beauty in the oddest things.
Light (Not Time) Is Money
A couple of weeks ago I posted an article called Recipe Of Light where I made an analogy comparing photography with cooking and great photographers with world class chefs. The comments ranged widely from photographers, clients and mentors. Each had something to say about my points and views. I heard everything from “You should use the analogy of an automobile because people can relate to how cars require gasoline and maintenance,” to “Great quality is not a requirement for most people.” One photographer even pointed out all the ‘ingredients’ I didn’t mention.
No What Ifs
I hear it all the time and I wonder why. People are constantly asking the same question and I understand it but I don’t know why they are constantly asking the same old question. I mean, why wonder about it? Do something about it. It seems like I hear it even more frequently now too. You meet someone and you get to talking about this or that and then they say it. “What if…?”
My Client’s Advocate
Every once in a while things don’t go as planned. I was recently contracted for a shoot for an advertisement in a rather high end magazine. My client is the advertiser and not the magazine but the magazine is who connected me with the client. My client wasn’t sure he needed a professional photographer; he was one that thought he had a camera, and he could take the images himself and they would be ‘good enough’ for the ad. After a long consultation and some negotiation, he was willing to “give me a try.”
The shoot went well and the images were more than the client had anticipated. He was very happy with the results, in fact I would have to say that he was actually impressed with the differences between what a professional photographer could do compared to what he himself could produce. That was when he realized that ‘good enough’ probably wasn’t.
All is going well, I was paid, the images were delivered to the client and the magazine. My part was basically done; so I thought. Continue reading
Keep It Simple (Stupid)
Complication is easy – While simultaneously applying downward pressure and twisting in a counter clockwise motion to create upward movement, creating a release of pressure and separating multiple items bound together. Also known as unscrew it. However, anyone who has tried to loosen a screw with a stripped head knows that simple isn’t always that easy.
So just how does one keep it simple? Obviously that entirely depends on what the ‘it’ is. In my case it’s usually photography or getting the right image for you. So what if the image you need is complicated? That is where experience comes in; anyone can make the simple complicated but experience is what can make the complicated simple.
Recently I was contracted to photograph a large mansion in the Poconos of Northern Pennsylvania. This home has 6000 square feet of living space just on the first floor. Included are bathrooms, sitting rooms, a large foyer, an entertainment lounge, a koi pond (with huge koi) with a bridge and 3 meter waterfall, dining room, formal living room, two bedrooms, mud room, hot tub and full size indoor heated salt water pool, not including upstairs or the full basement! To capture the ambiance of this home is not an easy task. Continue reading
Save Money With Photography
As a professional photographer I hear all the time “I have a digital camera; can take the pictures myself. Why should I pay you?” In fact I was speaking to a potential client yesterday who said exactly that. He is a retired developer who started out as a painter doing very high end residential painting. He has been known to charge as much as $25,000 or more to paint a New York apartment. He understands the idea of a high end service, but more importantly he understands the need for high quality work.
As with painting high quality photography can save you a lot of money in the long run. In the short term, when done correctly and done at the right time, it can make you money too. As my client pointed out it may take him weeks to prepare a space to be painted and painted properly. Some say why bother? The prep work isn’t seen “once you slap a coat of paint over it.” That is sometimes true, for a little while. Over time the lack of preparation can allow heat and moisture to affect the paint and how the paint binds to the surface eventually leading to discoloration, pealing and flaking. Then the prep work, or lack of it, does matter; the initial job may look OK, not fabulous, but OK and the overall quality begins to suffer. Before you know it you have to strip away the ‘old’ paint and start over. Continue reading
Integrity
Integrity – from Merriam Webster’s Dictionary: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values; incorruptibility
Heck of a word. It’s not the word though, it’s everything it stands for and everything it doesn’t. Many people and companies say that they live by a code of integrity. I won’t say that they do or don’t; I will say that it is a tall order to fill.
I am a firm believer in everything that this word stands for and all that it means I strive to be integral in everything I do every day not just my business. Do I succeed? I feel that I do; I feel that the reason is this is just a part of the ‘code’ I live by. In my life I try to live in a honorable fashion and that honor is at the core of everything I do. As long as I am quoting dictionaries… Continue reading
Happy Holidays – Free Gift (Really, It’s Free)
About 10 days ago I finally got around to sending out my holiday cards. A bit late but at least I got them out! They were on time for those who celebrate Christmas and Yule, but they were a little overdue for those celebrating Hanukah. What can I say? Hanukah was early this year. I know, plan better. If you celebrate one of the other winter holidays all I can say is Happy [insert appropriate holiday here]!
I wanted to send cards to everyone I know but I don’t have everyone’s mailing address! It seems that many who got the snail mail version of the card liked the image very much (yeah, the one above). I always want to give something to everyone. The problem with that is I am a photographer, not a millionaire. Details. Continue reading
