5 Things Every Photographer Needs to Succeed
I’ve been taking images with digital cameras for the last eight years and in that time I have shot all kinds of images from portraits, weddings, couples, street, and food. I’ve also shot with mobile device cameras, FujiFilm cameras, Ricoh cameras, and Sony cameras. Here are 5 things every photographer NEEDS in order to find ANY kind of success. The list just might surprise you!
The Ability to Notice. What makes you a great photographer isn’t how many megapixels you are packing in a camera, what sensor you are shooting with, or how big your lens is. Sure, some of these things are PERCEIVED to make you seem like you are a capable photographer - but in reality, a photographer’s skills and training begin with being able to notice things. Being able to notice lighting, backgrounds, foregrounds, scenes, and interesting people or objects. A lot of people rave about their new 40-megapixel camera with the latest Sony sensor but when they go out and shoot, they still don’t get the kinds of images they were hoping for. Pro Tip: you are carrying a capable camera in your pocket (your phone) and this is MORE than enough of what you need to sharpen that eye. Sharpening your eye means walking around, observing the world around you, and taking A LOT of images. Many of them will be “trash” but every new image CAN help you improve in a small way.
Organization and Communication Skills. Okay, so you want to strike it out as a real-life paid freelance photographer! Great! You’ve taken enough photos, you are feeling confident about the images you’ve been making and now you want to see how you can make some money from this. When it comes to working with clients, it is wildly understated just how important organizing emails, schedules, timelines, processes, payments, AND communicating all of this effectively to your clients is critical to your success. You could be creating the BEST images in the world but IF you lack organization and basic communication skills to book anything, show up on time, and deliver images on time then what’s the point? This is what we call “the business of photography”. Marketing yourself goes into here too, which I will talk about in a future post. GET organized and learn how to communicate effectively with clients and people and you will be ahead of MOST freelance people out there already.
Develop Your Own Style. There are millions of photographers in the world, each with their own style. After 8 years of making images, I find that my style continues to change over the years. It’s important to develop your own “look” for the WAY you shoot and the way you edit images so people can associate you with a certain look that they might want. If you’re a wedding photographer, then take inspiration from other wedding photographers: learn what you like and what you don’t like and make it your own with practice. This same concept of taking in photography data around you can apply to all the different kinds of photography categories! Right now, my favorite style, which people seem to know me for lately, is being able to shoot a documentary authentic style to my work. Whether this is for an event, a couple, or a wedding, I like to shoot with a perspective that lends more to the viewer really feeling that they were there experiencing it firsthand. I don’t enjoy taking overly posed images with over-the-top backgrounds. I like finding ways of shooting a scene, person, or couple in a way that captures the moment around them too and tells a more meaningful story.
Unreasonable Hospitality. In any service type of work, there is something we call hospitality. It is the ability to produce a feeling of care towards someone. When it comes to unreasonable hospitality, it is the idea that in order to excel you must remember that the way you made people FEEL is the thing you will ultimately be remembered for. I’ve worked with hundreds of clients now and yes I’ve taken great images for them but people seem to reach out to me again for work because of my ability to be prompt, make them feel comfortable, and give them an EXPERIENCE. This also heightens your chances of getting a referral with new clients! The service of photography goes beyond money. At the end of the day you are being paid for YOUR TIME and they are taking THEIR TIME to work with you too. So you have to think about how they can be a worthwhile, fun time for everyone. This can be accomplished in very simple ways. It starts with the initial organizing, reaching out, and scheduling of a project and it comes to life in the way you are in person with a client. Help them feel seen, heard, and understood with the experience and you will have brought the hospitality to the experience!
Stop Comparing Yourself. You will connect with hundreds of photographers through your work. You will make and look at millions of images over the years. Just like everything else in life, there is NO sense in comparing yourself. Remembering that you are part of something bigger: a network of creative people, is a better mindset to have. The sooner you gain confidence in how you operate and what you bring to the table, the sooner the opportunities will come to you. Be grateful for the opportunities you’ve gotten and will get. Understand and accept the success of others around you and learn from them.
There you have it! These are the top 5 things every photographer needs to be successful. Did you notice that I did not once mention a specific camera, piece of lighting equipment, or lens? That’s right! Because those technical aspects of the job can be earned with money. The things I’ve outlined about are things money can never buy and they are the things I truly believe will be far more important in the long term of your career than anything else. Sure better equipment will come in handy, but learning and mastering the above skills will be what stand the test of time when it comes to this industry.
Thanks for reading this new post and if you end up working with me in the future, just remember that the above 5 things are what I will make sure I excel at when it comes to our experience and time together!
