Moving Your Photography Career Forward

I have never professed to be a great photographer, rather a good photographer that when put into a situation I can produce an attractive, quality image. I am confident in my abilities and not afraid to put myself out there, and ask for business...

I was having a discussion today with another photographer, and he asked me what I have been up to. Well, I had just finished a corporate photo shoot at a large toursit attraction in Ontario. I was hired to take photos for their marketing and promotional efforts. I spent three days on site and two days editing.

This tourist attraction is very well known in Ontario and the north eastern part of the United States. They also work with organizations all over the globe participating in conservation efforts... so I guess that the thought that this company actually hired me surprised this individual...

This person had the audacity to ask me, "why did they hire you with so many better photographers out there, did you pay to get that gig?"

(A few deep breathes later) I responded, "Well, I targetted 5 companies, kept following up, had a series of meetings with a few of them, I showed them my portfolio and I was persistant... then I simply asked for the business"

I guess my point here is... if you want to be a professional photographer you need to not only be confident in your abilities but you need to always be trying to get new clients... and don't let anyone deter you from your goals... some comments will be out of jealousy... some out of not knowing what to do to get clients...

You have two choices... be the person making money from photography and creating a business, or be the person that is left sitting at home wishing they were creating a career from something they love...