(no subject)
I think I'm starting to believe a little bit in the pay-it-forward/karma thing. I've been doing plenty of free shoots (actually all free shoots) for people in an effort to just network and build up a small portfolio for the biniss. I expected more leads from working with a few people, but unfortunately some clients just suck with advertising...either they don't use facebook at all or they don't want their pictures on the internet..which is all understandable. I'm not going to be an ass and not work with people who are conservative, but unfortunately in the business of art the only way to market yourself is to show your work. So this atl community I was relying heavily on for referrals might not be the best lead.
But sometimes you get a golden opportunity out of nowhere. I photographed a friend's sister's dance performance (which they didn't even ask me to do,) because they invited me as a friend to just attend. I took my camera only because it's always a great stand-in for an absent husband. Didn't think of it as a job at all, and didn't really expect anything to come from it. My friend's sister ended up a) posting the pics everywhere...facebook, picasa, b) attaching my name to the photos, c) posting my blog entry of her pictures on fb as an advertisement for my work, and most importantly d) referring me to other friends. All from something I didn't even consider a job. In addition to all that, she even sent me a super generous/unceccesary gift certificate to my favorite website. So ultimately, being nice did pay off.
It's just an example that you have to keep trying. Everyone and their mom thinks they're a business professional now and they feel the need to give me advice on how to run my business...the one I think about 24/7, the one I stalk other photographers for to study their marketing, the one I'm taking online classes for, etc. The most common advice I get now a days is to make sure I charge for every job. But at least for now, the free/me being nice stuff is leading to more leads than the me being an ass-hole ones are.
But sometimes you get a golden opportunity out of nowhere. I photographed a friend's sister's dance performance (which they didn't even ask me to do,) because they invited me as a friend to just attend. I took my camera only because it's always a great stand-in for an absent husband. Didn't think of it as a job at all, and didn't really expect anything to come from it. My friend's sister ended up a) posting the pics everywhere...facebook, picasa, b) attaching my name to the photos, c) posting my blog entry of her pictures on fb as an advertisement for my work, and most importantly d) referring me to other friends. All from something I didn't even consider a job. In addition to all that, she even sent me a super generous/unceccesary gift certificate to my favorite website. So ultimately, being nice did pay off.
It's just an example that you have to keep trying. Everyone and their mom thinks they're a business professional now and they feel the need to give me advice on how to run my business...the one I think about 24/7, the one I stalk other photographers for to study their marketing, the one I'm taking online classes for, etc. The most common advice I get now a days is to make sure I charge for every job. But at least for now, the free/me being nice stuff is leading to more leads than the me being an ass-hole ones are.