Four Sins You Can Forgive Yourself For When Breaking Into Professional Photography
I’ve come to forgive myself for most of them, anyway …
#1 BEING A FINANCIAL MORON
I was in confounding debt and had just quit my full-time job. My plan was ridiculously naive: turn what little talent and gear I had into a full-time living as a professional photographer. To my credit, I managed to survive and land enough gigs to almost pay my bills. Only, I was so desperate for paying gigs that I ended up doing work that made me want to cry.
Most of my revenue was coming from corporate events. Worse, I was charging dear friends ridiculous rates for headshots in order to deal with a growing panic and inability to make ends meet.
I began to dread photography gigs. I had turned away from a successful career at age 40 to follow my heart. To begin to hate photography was to rip out a part of my soul and pour lemon juice into the wound.
There was no way to dig myself out. I was weeks away from having to declare bankruptcy and I had to concede that I was indeed a financial moron. It happens to more of us photographers than anyone talks about.
I began to educate myself. I read How to Feed a Starving Artist, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and even called my sister (the only fiscally conservative member of my family). I realized I had to learn about money and start talking with my partner about our finances, a taboo subject until this moment.
We barely avoided bankruptcy and managed to consolidate our debt, but this required that we cut our monthly spending by more than two-thirds. We built a plan and started to get a handle on just how much debt we had amassed.
Knowing our numbers and having a plan helped to lower the stress we were feeling, but I didn’t expect the sudden explosion of creative projects on my plate. I found myself yearning to re-invest my time in my craft.
As David duChemin once told me, a state of financial panic is an awful place to create from. He’s so right.
#2 UNDERCUTTING LIKE A BASTARD
There are a ton of “professional” photographers spouting vitriolic criticism at the epidemic of low-cost photographers bursting onto the scene. This is bullshit. The best, in any industry, have no issue commanding the rates that allow them to live and pursue their craft. Anyone who complains about newcomers destroying their business is likely no longer at the top of their game, if they ever were.
This may be harsh, but perhaps people should focus less on the passionate hopefuls and more on their apathy or lack of investment in their craft. I expect it is far easier to blame the newcomers hopeful for their break.
Undercut like a bastard and ignore anyone who tells you otherwise. You have to want it more than the established few. You have to be willing to work harder and for less remuneration.
Clients know they are taking a risk when they hire someone for $1,000 when their normal photographer would charge them many times more. But if your work rocks, and you seem reliable, they may take that risk and give you a shot. Knock it out of the park and you may have your first big client.
Sure, you are going to charge more one day. I talk about raising rates in the next section. And you are also going to underbid a job, land it, and fuck it up. Your job is to do everything in your power to not let this happen, but accept that it will. Learn what you can from any disaster and then ensure that you deliver the shit out of the next one.
Everyone starts at the bottom. One day, if you work hard and want it badly enough, you will be making good money as a professional. When that happens, please remember that you were one of those youngsters fighting and undercutting to get your break. The day we become complacent, and blame the next generation, is the day we risk being dumped for a hot and motivated newcomer who has the added bonus of being half our rate.
#3 BEING A RATE SLUT
I felt a lot of pressure to start upping my rates in my second year as a photographer. I kept seeing what other photographers were charging and my self esteem was attached to the rate I charged. As a result, I began to raise my rates.
A client would hire me one week and then find my rates had increased the very next week for the same type of engagement. This caused many of them some consternation, and rightfully so!
The time to raise your rates is when you have to turn away business or you are unable to eat. Full stop. When you are fully booked and have to turn away jobs, this is when you can afford to raise your rates.
I ended up scaring away my best clients and I refused some free gigs that I really wanted to do, only how could I do something for free when I was telling my clients that they had to double their budgets? Looking back, one of those gigs I refused pretty much made the career of another photographer. Worse, I didn’t have enough work to keep me engaged and shooting.
I’m not saying to take all free work. There are clients who don’t value photographers and expect to get everything for free. These people deserve to be sent packing. But free jobs do not necessarily mean you aren’t valued. If you have the time and it would rock in your portfolio, then by all means, consider taking them on.
I spent a year chasing clients away. I wish I had spent that year attempting to be fully employed and working on my craft as many days out of the month as possible. Instead, I wasted a lot of momentum and time fretting about raising my rates every time I talked with a new potential client.
Nowadays, I focus on filling a certain number of hours every week with photography. Some of these are my personal projects, but many are client gigs. One of my best clients pays the lowest rate I offer anyone. I adore them and they adore me. We do some pretty awesome work together.
One day I will have to raise my rates, and I might lose them, but the time for that is when I am having to turn down awesome opportunities because my calendar is full.
Forget about your hourly rate. It’s bullshit. Concern yourself with one thing: being fully employed.
#4 FEEDING THE ADDICTION
I have more camera bags than gear to put in them. I’ve bought lenses for the price of a small car that I never use. I’m an addict and gear is my drug of choice.
Photography is an expensive craft that is built on the back of innovation. Every month, someone is launching sexy new gear that promises to make you a super star. Do you have that 1.2 lens yet? Yes? We now have the pro glass version!
I do my best to recognize my addiction and only buy something when not having it would necessitate turning down a job. This is harder than it sounds. Almost every job comes with some requirement that makes me feel like I have to have this new gadget to make the gig go smoothly. But this is not about whether or not a job will go smoothly, this is about whether or not I would be able to do the job without said piece of equipment.
Almost always, it’s possible to do the gig without buying anything. It might require me to work harder, or kludge something together, but if I can do the job without it, then boom, I shouldn’t buy it.
Almost every photographer suffers from this addiction. You’d think that this would allow us to band together into one large support group and put a stop to purchasing all this shit that just sits on a shelf. Instead, it makes us a very desirable and easy group to market to.
The people who make the most money in photography are the manufacturers. And let me tell you, they are loving this influx of amateur, insecure photographers looking to make it as pros. They target our deepest insecurities and tell us that this new item will surely move our work to that next level. This is bullshit. Mastering our craft is the only way to improve our work, but we are easy prey.
And it’s not just the manufacturers. Too many professional photographers participate in this effort to sell us shit we don’t need. There’s a special status to the photographer who is approached by a manufacturer to promote their new gear. YouTube is full of photographers impressed with themselves and how they can now share their kit or favourite gear, often in return for more free gear.
Stay strong and if you do start a support group to fight this addiction, please let me know. I will definitely join!
Final Words
I have fallen prey to every one of these sins. I’d love to say I am completely reformed, but I continue to battle each of them every day. They are part of being a photographer and likely unavoidable, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you find yourself struggling with any of them. You are anything but alone.
If I can leave you with anything, I would paraphrase the erudite Jon Westenberg, that it’s about the doing, not the becoming.
When we start to think of ourselves as “the big professional photographer”, we get caught up in the becoming. We risk being trapped in the spurious pursuit of the best rates, the perfect studio and the latest gear. We lose sight of the work and become captivated with our status in the community, the caliber of our clients and the recognition of our peers.
A life worth living comes from a tireless pursuit of our craft and learning to forgive ourselves for our sins.
Sean Howard is the author of Creators 2.0, the host of Taking the Leap! and co-host of Here Be Dragons. You can learn more at: seanhoward.ca.
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