Archive for November, 2010

I ran across a recent Facebook post from a fellow photog who was lamenting losing a potential wedding client because another photog undercut his price.  While I have empathy for the photog who got cut out, there is much to be learned from this simple transaction.

First, it sucks when another photog cuts their price in order to get the business.  It sucks for you because you lost a client and potential revenue.  It sucks for the cutter because even though they got the business, they have cut their potential profit (and profit is what puts food on the table, my friends) and they have trained the client that (a) price is the focus, and (b) everything from here on out is negotiable.  Not a good start to a business relationship — and we all need to remember that this is business.  And, last but not least, it sucks for the client.  No, really, it does.  They have de-emotionalized the joy of purchasing and receiving a customized, personal art form and have turned it into concrete, rationalized dollars and cents.  And I feel sorry for them.  Now, I totally get that everyone has a budget, and in today’s economy we all must learn to live within our means.  That’s not at issue here.  What is at issue is that two photogs were in the running for this client’s purchase of wedding photography, and evidently their prices were similar…let’s just say, close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades.  Instead of choosing the photog whose work was “better” (which is always subjective) or the photog whose personality “fit” better, this client turned it into a decision based purely on $….or did they?  Which leads to my next point, crucial lesson for any photog who struggles to make a dime or grow their business.

I submit that perhaps the decision wasn’t based purely on dollars and cents. I believe that either the losing photog or perhaps even both failed to provide a clear differentiation between themselves and other photogs in the running.  Let’s take this one step further:  One or both failed to get the client emotionally engaged — in their work, in their products, in their personality…whatever it was that comprises whatever it is they are trying to sell.

Custom, creative photography is not a rational product.  You don’t buy it by the gross.  You don’t have it manufactured overseas. You can’t purchased a 64 gallon drum of it at Costco.  Yet so many photogs lead with price.  Or the number of items included in the package.  Or the size of the album. Or the print credit.  Or .  The purchase of custom, creative photography should be emotional; whose work inspires the client?  Allows them to visualize themselves in the photo? Tingles their senses? Makes them cry?  Triggers the right side of the brain?  Then, which photographer’s personality engages the client? Makes them feel welcome? Encourages trust? Implies that the total experience will be enjoyable?

This is what we sell and how we sell, my friends.  Don’t get caught up in price wars.  It’s a downward spiral that cannot be won.

Create great work. Inspire your potential clients.  Engage with them on a personal level.  The rest will follow.  :)

I had a great time teaching fellow professional photographers at the recent Wisconsin PPA Shootout held at the beautiful Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake.  The purpose of the shootout was to get us out of the standard dark lecture halls that we all have seen and used for “standard” seminars and to get us out shooting alongside our students, learning with cameras in hand.  Very cool, and my two and a half hour class flew by quickly because I had so much to cover.

The essence of my shootout was outdoor wedding and engagement photography– how to pick locations, how to work in sun and shade, how to pose and direct, and how to work fast.

We scheduled the start of the class at noon…the worst light of the day, of course.  But, that is the reality that we wedding photogs deal with.  Much of our location work needs to happen in the heart of the harshest light of the day.  The upside was that this gave me a good opportunity to teach everyone there how to work with full sun and incorporate high speed off-camera flash to even out the lighting and to create bold, saturated, stunning images.  These first few images were taken at the start of the class on the beach of Elkhart Lake — in brilliant full sun.

In addition to the technical and creative aspects of shooting into the sun and using it as a backlight, I also taught some of my Walkabout techniques:  how to “see” locations, spots, angles, leading lines, colors, textures…whatever…that would make for excellent image settings.  These next images demonstrate some of the spots we found, all within the central courtyard at the Osthoff.

Finally, we ended with a few images shot on the side of the lobby.  I wanted to demonstrate how to use off camera flash to balance the scene and hold detail in the outdoor scene visible through the window.  Then, how to work with ambient light, even if it was from incandescent lamps.  And to wrap it up, sometimes it is nice to just find great light and put the subject in it. :^P

Thank you to my wonderful volunteer models:  Eric and Lauren, and Mykola and Anastasia.