The Life and Times of An Upcoming Photographer
: : photograph by Don Mason : :
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about the current day and age of the photography business. To summarize the mood of what I’ve been reading, we’re doomed. I read an interview on Digital Photography School with Kirt Weddle – the photographer who took the infamous photo of Spencer Elden for Nirvana’s album Nevermind. In it, he was asked if he thought the photography industry is becoming oversaturated with non-professionals taking work that otherwise would have fallen to pros previously, and if he thought it’s an issue. He answered, “yep, there is no middle ground now, it’s top tier and bottom of the barrel. We are probably a dying breed.”
That’s a pretty grim outlook on this business. Furthermore, reading up on the increasing failure rate of photography businesses doesn’t leave much hope. So, what’s an upcoming photographer to think? All of this doesn’t bode well for the mental state!
All of this comes at a pretty lousy time for me, too. Business is slowing, and being undercut for a wedding by 50% (I KNOW!) made things even worse. Hearing from other fellow photographers about suffering the same fate (or, even better: being asked to do a shoot for free by a friend) doesn’t sound encouraging, either. With the easy accessibility of DSLRs, it’s easier than ever for any hobbyist to grab a camera and try to make a few extra bucks on top of the steady paycheck from their day job. It can be quite disheartening to hear that a potential client is dropping you for an amateur that will do the job for half the price, which only adds to the aggravation when the working professional is trying to put food on the table and is getting severely undercut by someone who has no regard for his/her comrades. The building frustration has me worried about future business, or the possibility to even survive!
Apparently, my sentiments are echoed. In an article on A Photo Editor titled “Stop Accepting $200 Assignments!“, the author discussed a workshop he and a few other photographers attended, which addressed the issue about the struggles of beginning freelance photographers. Other photographers chimed in about their fears and why they felt the need to bottom feed from all of these low-paying jobs, since the worry of not being able to pay the bills. However, he discusses that the answer is pretty simple: get over it. The beginning of the article is what stands out the most. He states:
I’m a struggling freelance photographer just like many out there, I’m sure. I’m not widely known, nor have I been in the industry for decades with a client list that stretches for miles, but I know the sooner I learn to value my own work and the sooner I learn to value the industry in which I work, the better my business will be, and the sooner those big jobs will start rolling in.
And maybe that’s just it. Maybe the moment we, as photographers, learn to value our work and who we are, we can begin to get those well-paying assignments we rightfully deserve. In the meantime, stop sulking and get your butt in gear! Because of the times, amateurs are always going to be there to undercut the working professional and give us a run for our money (or, the client’s money, more like it). But after reading an article by Chase Jarvis (I’m pretending to do a lot of reading, huh?), he said something that I think needs to be reiterated:
If anybody feels in harm’s way with the changing landscape, there are plenty of other lines of work. But if I may say so–without being too bold–I can pretty much guarantee that those other industries are not immune. They are being forced to innovate, stay fresh and stay nimble to differentiate their product from the next guy’s product. If you somehow think those other industries might sit around and wait for you any more than the photo or filmmaking industry will, you’d better think twice.
This rings true on so many levels. If we let the inevitable change disrupt how we conduct business, we’re never going to succeed in whatever business venture (or even life goal) we pursue. We can let these amateurs ruin it for the rest of us, or we can get together as an industry (as best we can – let’s be realistic: not everyone is going to jump in because they’re only going to see the short-term and not pay attention to the damage their doing to the industry and their long-term… that’s a rant for another blog entry) and learn the power of “no”. It won’t be easy, but holding out for that better job will pay dividends in the long run, I promise you that – it’s a lesson I’m making sure stays in the back of my mind at all times. This industry may be a hard way to make a buck, as Weddle put it, but as Jarvis rebutted, what industry is easy? Being a business owner, there won’t be any cakewalk! I suppose I’ll end this vent session with something I am working on reminding myself everyday: keep your head up, keep the faith, and keep fighting!
Until next time,
- Patrick
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Great post. My philosophy has always been that your work should speak for itself and justify the rate you charge. If your client wants amateur work, then they should go find an amateur as long as they realize that the result will never be the same. You get what you pay for.
Thanks, Jason! I am totally with you about the “you get what you pay for” philosophy. It’s one of those things where you’d love to tell off a client who essentially devalues your work, but I remember reading something from fellow Washingtonian photographer John Harrington, who said that he likes to tell the client that if they’re unhappy with the work from the amateur, they can contact him to schedule a reshoot. I think that’s the nice, diplomatic way of saying, “WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!”
- P
[...] In a previous post, I discussed how it was important that photographers in our industry need to value our work and our industry in order to be paid what we deserve for our work. I echoed the sentiments of Rob Haggart, former Director of Photography for Men’s Journal and Outside Magazine and author of A Photo Editor, who wrote an article that essentially stressed how photographers needed to stop accepting $200 assignments. Part of the problem is, for upcoming photographers, the $200 gigs are all they can get. There doesn’t seem to be any way possible to get those well-paying assignments, and for many who are new to the scene, that can be very real. Trying to build a portfolio from scratch isn’t easy, and while I offered tips in past posts, it may appear easier said than done. However, this circular logic is the reason the photography industry is suffering a downward spiral in the first place. This can all be resolved simply by saying, “no.” This can be extremely difficult, especially when you notice the cobwebs in your wallet and your stomach is growling – the internal debate about sacraficing pride to do a low-paying gig seems ongoing. However, as a community, we must stay strong and hold our ground. It’s a matter of principle: unlike other industries, the photography business isn’t compensated by an hourly rate. Instead, we should be rewarded for our efficiency and timeliness. On top of that, there’s a certain amount of time spent in post-processing that the client doesn’t see. This all boils down to the client’s ability to understand the value of our business and what goes into the process. Without this, there comes a hard-fought battle to try to educate, and while some attempts to do so may be successful, often times the client doesn’t see anything more than a diva pushing a button on an expensive piece of equipment. It’s enough to make you beat your head against the wall! [...]