Posts Tagged ‘photography business’
The number one business killer
the heating system of the heart.”
28 seconds long….
for, well, you guessed it, servicing.
they’re thinking?
over here. So go away. Don’t bug me. Besides, that’s not my dept. We’re in
products, not service. You scumbag! I’m not even going to lift my head and say hi,
back to Solitaire…..”
invisible. The two people that were there had their heads glued to their monitors.
partly because I wanted to show you.
You might call it bad service. Although that is true, there is a bigger picture.
(before they became my client) and no one called them back. For shame.
simply don’t give a crap. Ok, maybe they do. Inside. Way deep down,
if I cornered them and forced them to answer, they probably would say,
yes, I care.
they’d do something about it. Like what they do when they train wait staff
at our favorite restaurant. You KNOW they are well trained. NO ONE ever,
ever, never gets ignored at this restaurant. And it’s because the owners care,
and have taken the time to implement strategies into their day to day
operations that reflect this. Break the rules, and you’re fired. Why? Because
clients matter most. And we must SHOW them. Not just talk it up.
No other reason comes close statistically.
as you walk in. And when you walk in, a smiley, pretty young lady
asks: “How are you?”
photography studio?
last year. How? Well, now I walk in, and now there’s a dude, in a suit! yucchhh!!
Some dude with a beard, older guy, my age. You know, executive
looking guy, grey beard. In a suit. Guess what he’s doing??
head is buried in the computer!! No way!!…way…..this sucks big time…
her about some banking stuff, and asked who he was. I figured maybe he was
some tech dude playing with the computer and doing tech stuff,…in a suit.
Or maybe the CEO of the bank, dropped in, and he had to check his facebook status
and update it to something like: “stuck at a bank with no computer
and had to use the customer service one…how bad is my day…my suit
is wrinkled too…waaa!!”
working!
He’s not even saying hello. And he’s wearing a freakin tie!!! What?? I’m supposed
to somehow be impressed by this dude? Gimme a break….
business when you can’t even take care of the very basics of good customer
service.
yours in photography,
P.S. Read past issues of photography marketing gold HERE
How to create the ideal price list for your photo studio.
having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have
developed the opportunity that was at hand."
~Bruce Barton~
How to create the ideal price list for your photo studio.
maze of confusion. I get the sense also that many photographers,
especially the newbs, treat the price list like a holy grail of marketing.
to clear the air on this one right now and give you some solid strategies on
creating functional price lists. And how to use it as marketing tool. (not marketing strategy)
strategy. For some other business's, it can be. Think about the restaurant industry.
and fine tune the menu to such an advanced level it has become an art form with a solid, measurable and technical strategy.
gateway to that experience. It holds the promise of magic, mystery and a
tantalizing journey of the tastebuds. It is very key!
for maximum results. It is a key instrument. It makes sense.
first big city wedding show. I was doing "research". Looking for ideas
on how to market my own photography business, specifically booking weddings.
that's where it stopped.
at their booths, jamming their prices lists in anyone's hands who passed by their booth.
into their bags. I'm convinced most never got read. They likely got trashed.
One studio was a high end industrial photography place, the other a high volume
franchise photographing portraits.
I created my own price lists, but I didn't truly learn how to create the best
price list for my studio until I learned about marketing.
*your price list is just a tool, not a marketing strategy. It does however have
some elements of design and marketing. Don't rely on it and only it
to grow your photo business.
away in these areas, and the price list becomes secondary. Useful, but secondary.
and how people respond to your prices and packages.
with a great price list alone. You need to go through the 101 smaller steps to earn
their complete and heartfelt trust. No one by passes this step. In time, with market
position, people don't question as much, since the trust is pre emptively earned.
client and their specific needs. IF one for maternity, one for fairy portraits, one
for families etc etc etc. This way, you get to use the price list as opportunity to
better communicate to that market and create specific offers and packages. IE You
may not offer large wall portraits for maternity sessions, opting for smaller,
more intimate products that make sense and use terminology that is consistent.
packaging approach. One way to describe this is: Bronze, Silver, Gold and
Platinum. The lower and higher priced packages are there to put the middle
packages, the "target" packages, in perspective and make them more attractive.
limitations and logical parameters, but overall, you get to decide. In other words,
don't go to your ten closest competitors, average out there prices, and make yours
a tad less. Or, worse yet, ask your clients: "What would you pay for this?"
A large part of what determines your price is your ability to sell. Your confidence
and ability to not blink when you quote your price plays a role here.
This is part of learning how to package and bundle your offers.
or exceptions will send doubt to your client. Careful not to create many mountains
or barriers. Your price list should create a clear, direct line of communication
with your client, and do this effectively. It, in a sense, becomes a sales tool when
used for maximum communication.
with me on this on, but I personally believe in being open, and generous
with my price lists. However, not in the sense of using it as a marketing tool.
For me, and my prospects and clients, it becomes secondary. A "oh, by the way,
here's the pricing menu.." sorta deal. I am open with them, but cramming it
in their hands and leaving it at that. I am not into hiding it, waiting and trying to
manipulate the client into coming into the studio first. I much rather focus on
creating a very strong market presence and position first. Sometimes the price
list is used as a qualifier. Scaring some away. But overall, my pricing is easily
accessible. Online, it's not "in your face", but available.
often neglected idea. A gifted product is far more valuable than a gifted, well
designed, super perfected price list. Don't you agree? Enough said.
less than four pages. One page prices lists are used for special event photography
such as fairy day:
See sample:
which you can SEE HERE.
pricing there are dates on them. See example of that here.
my wedding price list was over 24 pages long. AND, I had each one
bound in a black folio style paper binder. It make a wow impression.
And, I booked a LOT of weddings. Still do. I also used it as
a guide to follow when interviewing clients.
incongruities will create tension and confusion. A confused client
is a non buying client.
value aren't any good.
show you.
of gremlins or spam filters).
yours in photography,
Why I Don`t Photograph Teams, Schools and Clubs
longer, work harder, give more than anyone else.”
~Vince Lombardi~
anxious to pay the bills for my young and struggling photography
business, I took on just about every job that came my way. And I was
grateful.
what I loved, photography. No matter that I was up at 5:00AM
to shoot a hockey team before they had a 6:00AM practice.
If I were a lawyer, you`d call me an ambulance chaser. Someone
willing and eager to take on any job.
from the `bread and butter` side of photography than any other area.
I opened my studio? And shot ‘em for two more years
part time. I also waited on tables and disc jockeyed in order
to bring in extra income.You might say I was willing to do whatever
it took to make this situation work out.
So did the Simone‘s, way back when. (the Simone’s are in my opinion
the best portrait photographers on the planet, bar none.)
people throw away perfectly good opportunities because of
excuses and bad reasons. “buts” I call them.
let it in. Don’t slam the door with any buts such as fears, lack of money or
resources. With the right attitude on your part you will manage to put together the
right resources to make it happen. Being resourceful is far more potent and
valuable than having resources.
away chances to acquire big contracts with clubs and organizations or sports teams
and schools. Why? Because I have made the decision that it is not the type of
photography I want to do. Twenty years ago things were different and I took just
about everything. It all helped but I’ve progressed to where I can now pick and
choose.
You must find the market you want to dig for opportunities in and make sure it is
one that will be rewarding for you. Please note that a secret to success is choosing
a market that has potential for reward. Many make the mistake of deciding what
they want to do before picking the “who” they will serve.
of wisdom printed on it. I loved this quote so much, I grabbed one of my favorite
scenic images of an eagle in a tree, a silhouette, and copied this flyer, sandwiched
the two negatives together, and printed out copies for every room I worked in.
To this day I still have one in my office. If you ever watched one of my videos
shot with me in my office, you can see this flyer directly behind me.I also have
another in my studio work area.
I still believe in, and if you want to know the secrets to success, read every
word, every message, and take it seriously like I did.
ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one
elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid
plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence
moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have
occurred. A whole stream of events issues form the decision, raising in one’s
favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material
assistance, which no one could have dreamt would have come their way.
I have learned a deep respect for one of
Goethe’s couplets:
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”
-W.H. Murray-
But, as was for me, as is for them, they were at the time “opportunities”.
required me to focus on my futur, not on the present moment.
we’re going and it is an area that demands the most of us
in terms of faith, focus and, as Einstein believed in, creativity.
decide for us, for the wrong reasons.
and running your own photography business.
incomes through pensions, spouses or whatever. They are missing
out. Why? Because they don’t have to. They aren’t forced into being
innovative. They are at risk of being too “comfortable”.
ready to throw in the towel and get a real job tough (I been there a
few times), I read those lines again, and get clear.
When and what do you delegate your activities in your studio…and why?
environment in which you first find yourself.”
~Mark Caine~
motorcycle. You can follow my adventures and personal projects, if you
like, such as the Antigonish, Nova Scotia 5 Mile Road Race I just ran in in
Luna Sandals, and other craziness, by friendin me on facebook.
CLICK HERE
question lies the answer to growth success, prosperity and freedom.
how most people in business aren’t entrepreneurs (E=entrepreneur)
loud! This made too much sense.
He talked about how we’re busy, burning out, doing it, doing it, doing it, doing it,
doing it, doing it, doing it,…etc etc etc
The secret is to learn to delegate, and knowing what to delegate. In a nutshell
Michael states that optimally one should be spending 90% of our efforts on
strategy, and 10% on the hands on.
of the employee (bing! fries are done!), but mostly-this is how I understood
it anyhow- a large part of strategy is marketing.
be simple about this. It also includes not only the acquisition of clients
(which, in a nutshell is what marketing is all about), but in the aftercare,
the handling and on going maintenance of said clients, once you got em
in the door.
so to speak. I called it, for lack of a better name, the Marketing101,
marketing activitiss and strategies chart.
but I’m trying here. Bear with me.
always delegate.
and do all things, with the goals and complete intention of peeling away
these delegatable activities as soon as possible.
you guessed it, more marketing. Marketing is everything. Let’s always be clear on that.
what you do to bring your client to the door and what you do to keep
them coming back.
tasks. For instance, displays. The action of getting out there, creating
contacts to have awesome places to display, and the creation of said display
should not be delegated. But, once you have the strategies in place, then
by all means, free up your time by outsourcing and hiring minimum
wage help so you can better spend your time on the big picture
and further your marketing strategies.
Success in your photography business- How long should it take to achieve?
~Henry Ward Beecher~
posted the question about what to do when a client calls and only
wants the files burned onto a DVD, and they want t cheap. They felt
that they, since they were just starting out, and, they DID not
have a studio, they only attracted these kinds of calls.
bigger picture that this scenario begs to be questioned…..
inform them and let them go, not giving it another thought, unless we can
(and we try but don’t lose sleep over it-)help them
see the light.
…….it takes years to build a solid market position. And in this field, one needs to constantly work it. I do, all the time. And I didn’t become a success
overnight…hmmm, about 25 years so far, and the last 15 have been the sweetest.
But I never, ever take it for granted nor keep my eye off the ball. This has nothing to do with whether you have a studio.
If you moved into a studio next week, would that change everything? not much….
I say that, because we tend to look for external solutions. When the real
answer is
constant, steady marketing…takes time…..takes time….don’t assume any
success or profits any other way.
Rob…”
what I was speaking about.
millionaire mindset dude. (I subscribe to his blog. He’s a smart dude
and his observations are always bang on.)
“How long does it take to get to where you want to be?
The answer for most people is ‘Too long!’ In our culture of instant gratification, the
likelihood that it can take years to become a millionaire is enough to keep most
from ever trying.
The truth is few businesses make money in the first four years. In fact the average
business takes two years to lose money, two more years to pay back the money it
lost, and three more years to become profitable. In other words, it typically takes
seven years for a business to succeed.
For a lot of people that’s way too long, but for most fields of study, work, or
career, it takes about seven years to become a master. Seven years seems like a
long time, and in some ways it is, but in seven years how much older will you be
regardless?
One of the prime rules for success also happens to be one of the hardest to
swallow. I choked on it for a while, maybe because it’s so painfully obvious and
avoidable: that time is going to pass anyway. Seven years from now, seven years
will have gone by. Three years from now three years will have gone by, so
Secrets of Creative Genius
Secrets of Creative Genius
hockey. But I never played on an organized team. All my friends did, but me.
Instead, I grabbed my skates and stick and every day after school headed out
to the local rink and played “pick up” games.
back to play some more. It was what we did and loved to do.
the ball over and over.
we all did. Hockey players were my heroes. I had t shirts with
their caricatures and names on them, the way many girls have
Justin Beiber on their clothes. Players like Jean Beliveau, and my
favorite, the “roadrunner”, Yvon Cournoyer.
Cournoyer’s legs were so muscular that his pants had to be specially tailored to fit his legs. He constantly practised his shot using a lead puck that weighed more than four pounds and was soon known for his quick and heavy wrist shot.)
puck and made it over the blue line. He was fasssstttttt!! (I get chills to this day
when I think back to those days in our house, tee vee turned up, Saturday night, the Montreal Canadians played some other big six team, especially one their biggest rivals, the Boston Bruins, and Yvon got a breakaway….my mother would yell so loud the roof would raise a few inches. She being, in spite of 100 scottish descent, a hard core Montreal Canadian
fan like no other…)
participation, I don’t feel so bad for not being a team player.
is, according to Gene Landrums research, “introspective loner”.
snobbish, others creepy and still others may thing me a dreamer and
stuck in fantasy land.
extensively, likely more than any other success author out there, has created
a list of secrets of Creative Genius. Here is that list:
*tend to be introspective loners
traits? Has anyone ever tried to make you feel bad, less then, or critized you for
not “fitting in?”
drummer, as they say. Going alone and not conforming is not always
easy, since we feel pressured, we bend, break and conform. Sad.
states, “follow your bliss”…..
“If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been
there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is
the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who
are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. I say, follow your bliss
and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were
going to be…”
There are no “secrets” to creative genius, but there are clues and hints,
and characteristics that we can look for, nourish, enhance, live and
encourage in ourselves.
this applies on so many levels. So take a good hard look at yourself,
look at that list, and go kick some serious butt. It’s what were here for.
“It’s a bad time to be a photographer…there’s no money in photography anymore…”
you stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you
cannot do.”
~Eleanor Roosevelt~
on believing and beating the odds….a quick story
about one of the greatest women athletes, Wilma Rudolph…
weighed 4 1/2 pounds. The bulk of her childhood was spent in bed. She
suffered from double pneumonia, scarlet fever and later she contacted polio.
After losing the use of her left leg, she was fitted with metal leg braces when
she was 6.
medical care. She was from a large family. She was the 20th child of 22
children. Her father was a railroad porter and her mother was a maid.
Her mother decided she would do everything she could to help Wilma to walk
again.
every week on a long bus trip to a hospital to receive therapy . It didn’t help,
but the doctors said she needed to give Wilma a massage every day by
rubbing her legs. She taught the brothers and sisters how to do it, and they
also rubbed her legs four times a day.
By the time she was 8, she could walk with a leg brace. After that, she used a
high-topped shoe to support her foot. She played basketball with her brothers
every day.
Three years later, her mother came home to find her playing basketball by
herself bare-footed. She didn’t even have to use the special shoe .
She won three gold medals in the 1960 olympics….”
and hard work, your odds of success are severely limited.
that Jaco Fourie, one of the best wedding photographers I have
ever met, was coming to Canada to put on a multi-day workshop,
and that there was three spots left (me thinks he sold out, but
if you’re interested, click on the link and follow to his original
page…) That link again is here. Just go look at his work and tell me his wedding
images aren’t some of the coolest, high impact wedding photography you’ve ever seen.
After I emailed y’all, I received this email:
Isn’t it interesting, people ( like you) have resorted to selling “how-to videos” to make
money. Sandy Puc is known for this in the U.S. She tours all year and never takes a
single photo at her own “studio”.”
optimistic and up beat, and this was like a volley of stinging arrows,
so I got a little defensive….)
babies and families. I make another 5% through education, which I do through a
neurotic need to help others, and my other 5% through real estate investments, which
are largely long term investments, since I do NOT have a pension to rely on.
Your observations are dead wrong. Sorry. Jaco and many, many others I know are in
the same boat as I.
Your views are poisonous and likely the true cause of your frustration and/or failure, if
indeed you’re experiencing any- or frustrations. Just saying. You’re arrows and attitude
sucks. The truth is I am calling it the way I see it and I do want to help, but your
comments are wearing me thin. You can hate me now and unsubscribe in anger as
others who feel the same way have done.
respectfully,
Rob”
of Robin Hickman, who lives and works in Bozeman, Montana,
has a stay at home wife and three daughters. And, he’s totally crushing
it when it comes to running his photography studio.
it’s because he believes. And he has the right attitude.
myths that he chose to believe in, therefore painting himself
into a corner and creating his own reality.
information. (his email had a heavy dose of anti-information selling to it.
I know there are debates going on right now, with some photographers
believing that any selling is somehow wrong, tainted and takes away any
and all credibility from the information being delivered….uh? I don’t get it.
I want information and devour it. Without it I would suffer and get stale,
dull, whiney, and god forbid, maybe even negative. Heck, I don’t care what
your background is. You could be a mailman with great research skills
and if you brought to me, say, for example, the top 20 best all time poses
for brides and how to light them, and put all the energy and effort into this
product, and it was good, I’m buying it! Or should I say, “investing” in it.)
want to invest in it. I have boxes and boxes of cassettes and books, DVD’s, CD’s and
manuals all information on growing myself, growing my business.
have large teevees……
in his email. She cleared this up a while back in one of her recent webinars,
and here’s what she told me recently…….
At the max of my carer I was shooting 1250 session a year (by myself) and my staff
did another 750-950. We had 7 shooters, 38 employees. We were a high volume
moderately priced studio. It was that year that I reached my goal of 1.5 million gross.
(But I sold my soul to do it) The good news is that shooting that much volume, I
gained skills. To be fast and efficient
At that point (I was really burned out) So I decided to become a high end boutique
studio. To be honest, I was tired of killing myself. We raised our prices, changed our
look and tried to emulate the look and feel of success. We slowed our session count
but did not loose money in the process. Today, I shoot 4 days a week. Tuesday
Friday. I still shoot 7-10 a day (because i like that) I do not shoot weekends at all.
I have two other shooters. One that only works 3 days and does no more than 9
sessions a week and one that only shoots 1 day a week
we LOVE to work with each other and we LOVE our clients.
Changing my life has enabled me to share my knowledge with others. I love being an
instructor, but that will never take me away from my true love..Shooting.
Can you let (name withheld) know that I do indeed shoot more sessions that most
photographers do in a year. This year I will shoot about 350 (all by myself) in addition
my staff will shot another 750. It is true that we used to shot 2300 a year so we are
down, but that is a choice I made so that I could teach.”
in any business, the rules are the same. It takes hard work, risk, constant and steady
growth in the face of adversity (for many, these days, it’s the “economy”- but as Robin
mentions in his interview, in spite of a tough economic downturn in his area, he’s still
very busy.)
So don’t buy it, that….“It’s a bad time to be a photographer…there’s no money in photography anymore..”….nonsense.
Some random thoughts on success and marketing from the road…
“If education is too expensive, try ignorance.”
~Dan Kennedy~
Traveled with some good friends and did quite a bit of walking, exploring
eating and as usual, marketing.
more inspiration, more ideas, partly because I am removed from my
usual routine, partly because I am in a new place and my guard is down. Relaxed.
Open and receptive to ideas. I love it.
much inspiration. Maybe it’s just me. For me however, marketing isn’t just
about business. There is a large creative side to it. It also involves personal
development and improvement. Everything plays together and one influences
the other. When I improve and challenge myself, it spills over
to many other areas in my life, including my abilities as a photographer,
marketer or as a person. It’s not something I care to “turn off”.
The one audio I listened to was a summary of the book entitled The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. Amazing.
Here are the main points I got from listened to Brian Johnson’s distillation and summary:
*there are four agreements:
- Be impeccable with your word.
- Don’t take anything personally.
- Don’t make assumptions.
- Always do your best.
I was impressed by the ideas and content in this book, and trying to explain it in a brief email would not do it justice. However, the big picture I got was truly enlightening.
Impeccable means never go against yourself, or others. No judgement, no blame. Feeling hurt by what others say steals force and energy.
I learned that when we’re not doing our best, there is a gap between the level we’re presently at, and our best. THE DIFFERENCE (the “gap”) is where depression, anxiety and disillusionment lives.
Knowing that, why not bridge the gap, and go for being the best we can be? Always. And without guilt, fears, or worse yet, worrying about others and their opinions.
When we reach for our personal power, we transcend social conditioning. With clear intent and impeccability.
Who stops us from being free? We stop ourselves. When we move towards constant improvement, we start applying what Tony Robbins calls CNEI (pronounced KaNei), which stands for Constant Never Ending Improvement.
Isn’t that what life’s all about?
The worse a person is, the less he or she feels it. (It’s called denial) Catching yourself noticing a negative is NOT a weakness.
This awareness makes you stronger if you let it.
“Detection of inner negativity is not a negative act, but a courageously positive act that makes you a new person” says Brian Johnson.
My first thought was, “without the guilt or pre-conditioned nonsense that typically gets in the way.”
Something to think about as we focus on improving ourselves.
What is your gap? That space where you’re at and that place that is your best.
Something to think about. With clarity and intent…
Success in photography isn’t determined by outside, external forces.
“When people say to me: “How do you do so many things?” I often answer them without
meaning to be cruel: “How do you do so little?” It seems to me that people have vast
potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the
risks. Yet most people sit in front of the TV and treat life as if it goes on forever.”
~Phillip Adams~
Success in photography isn’t determined by outside, external forces.
It’s an inside job. Photographers think these crazy thoughts…
I will “get it right and succeed when…”:
*I have the right price list
*I have the right camera gear
*I master the right lighting technique
*I achieve a “certification”
*I using the right computer system
*I take that workshop
*I can take beautiful portraits like so and so
*I win awards
*I win the respect and admiration of my peers
On and on….you know what I mean. We’ve all been there,
or, we’re in the middle of this insanity right now.
Worse yet, are those who fall victim to outside
influences and use them as excuses.
I would be successful if:
*Only I was born with the right “talent”
*I wasn’t stuck in this job
*I didn’t have all these kids to get through school
*My spouse wasn`t such a (insert favorite reason why he/she is a complete
vapious malcontent)
Whatever.
Sure, you may have responsibilities. Yea, maybe that
other photographer takes amazing images or has a cool MAC computer.
But none of these matter. Seriously.
The key is getting off your behind and leaving your behind behind and focusing
on the future. Your future. The truth is (oh oh, here comes, the moment of truth..)
you’re scared. Yup, it’s fear. I know, I deal with it all the time.
I expect it.
And when I start a new venture, I expect to get challenged every time.
It’s like as is the universe knows and says to me: “Oh yea, you desire to achieve
that!!?? ha! take this then, and pass that test, and then we’ll talk…”
That’s where most folks stop. And rest on their excuses for lack of courage.
Courage and confidence, by the way, are skills. We hone them. And they are
essential. Right up there on the list of tools of the trade. Far, far more valuable then
any of the aforementioned tools like gear, computers, and talents.
Far more.
And there is no better proving ground or class room for honing this skill
than in business. Business is the greatest guru. And far more important than just
about any intentions or plans you may have, or skills and talents you may
possess, is the ability to take action. Get moving on it.
This, above all else, matters more than anything else. The quicker you get started,
the quicker you will fail, fall and falter. But that’s an essential and constant commonality.
Failing. What you do with it is what matters. Failing is your greatest teacher. Call it tuition
fees if you like.
My approach has always been: Ready, shoot! aim…..
Of course, you work with what you have already. This, again, is what
holds many back and barely gets most out of the gate. I seen it too often. One way
to describe it would be “analysis paralysis”.
One of my favorite tools is the humble notepad. This is where many dreams
begin and many grand ideas take root and start to breath. Sounds silly, I know.
But being innovative, creative, bold and daring is the true genius. Not any of those things
I listed was above. Sure, own a nice MAC, you belong in that club of those who
know and feel the same connection. The same as a Harley owner who rides along,
sees another of his fellow brethren and they smile that knowing smile of belonging.
These things and a whole list of others are not the keys to success. You need to look
beyond and deeper within. Sure, they are are great and fine to participate in, owning awesome
lenses, getting certified might be cool, being showered with praise and admiration
and a thousand other ego gratifying games, all fine. But my advice to you is to recognize
them for what they are if indeed you play these games. Be honest.
You are infinitely better off moving ahead, constantly, even if you are screwing up
and fumbling. I don’t know what it is with me, but I screwed up so many times I’m convinced
many would have died a hundred deaths of embarrassment. Somehow, somewhere,
I simply did not care. And still don’t. Whatever. Think what you may, the only opinion
that matters is my own and whether I am living life to the fullest potential that I was put here
for. And dam it, I’m going to have a blast while I’m at it! Why not.
Isn’t that what it’s all about?
yours in photography,
Robert Provencher
Guilty by association-The rise and fall of professional photography associations
that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own
talents.”
GUILTY BY ASSOCIATIONAssociations are pretty guilty at times of keeping people back. Naively we let it
happen to ourselves. A lot of people join associations; and they can be wonderful
resources, so don’t get me wrong. I loved going to all my associations. I used to
attend as many conferences and conventions as was possible.And I love the camaraderie and the friendship and all the events and seminars and
print competitions. But there’s often the inner politics and all the BS that goes
along with it that complicates things and side tracks issues, and really, their attempt
is to try and keep people in the dark either on an individual level or through
committees and/or board of directors.Most of these cases are nothing more than frustrated individuals, fearful of your
success, jealous that you are successful, and either not able to succeed themselves
for whatever reason, letting their frustration manifest itself by controlling others
through mandates, by-laws, rules and whatever else the committee or position they
belong to allow as them to control. It’s sad, but an inevitable reality. It’s called
politics, and it’s human. Simple.Associations worked at one time, largely because they were the only
game in town.There were no options. So, they created their own
game, their own culture, their own hierarchy, awards, symbols,
rituals, programs, handshakes and secret passwords…all of
which may have worked at one time. But not anymore.
Fortunately we can recognize and by-pass, tolerate the game and know our own
priorities, as long as we are aware and focused. You are in charge of our own
destiny: you get to decide and you get to dictate. Not some committee or sense of
self worth derived from belonging to one.Don’t let anybody dictate to you what the rules of the game are. You get to decide
what the rules of the game are. And you get to decide how far it is you want to go
and how fast you want to get there. Don’t let external influences, either through
association or individuals or people that you look up to tell you otherwise.Success in an inner game. It’s our own deal, not contingent on belonging to an
association. Out of frustration and what seemed like a ridiculous price tag to join,
I did not renew my membership to my own association.Yes, I dropped out.I quit what was to me a place that, in spite of all the aforementioned B.S, gave me
huge opportunities and way back when I was starting out, was my life blood
for education and inspiration.I did however get to express my views to the then current board of directors
at an annual board meeting (sounds so official, don’t it). And although
I sincerely felt that the promises they were then making were to amount
to a hill of beans, and, that the ideas and thoughts that I expressed at that time
were being heard by none (the equivalent of walking into a kinder garden class
and trying to explain velocity- at that age they ain’t ready for complex thoughts and
ideas- same with the “board”- simply not ready) I showed up anyhow and expressed myself.I stood up and for a few minutes tried to explain to the board what an associations
true purpose was. It was and is a very simple idea.The ideas and practices behind what drove associations in the past no longer work. They are archaic.
Out dated. So in essence associations need to get with the times. And the times are
all about information. Yes, we’re riding high in the information wave. Many predicted this years ago. (one of my favorites being Alvin Toffler).An association needs to be two things.They are:
*a venue for information. Niched, focused information, since information
is plentiful and overload can be an issue nowadays.*a venue for people of like mind to connectAnd do this at low cost. It is NOT a for profit and growth,
unless and until those profits can quickly be rolled back into
benefits that the members can touch, see, feel and experience.
But that’s asking for a lot, especially from a membership that is run
by volunteers.There are a few other ideas (IE ethics, rules of conduct,…) that can be thrown into
the mix, but they are miniscule in comparison to the big two ideas I mentioned.A photography association, in my opinion, cannot be a
policing force. Yes, doctors and lawyers have associations
where they have the power to remove members, or slap
‘em on the wrist. But we’re photographers. We can’t control
and monitor any more than a music association can control
musicians.So our best bet is keeping the cost down, sharing ideas, creating
a place where we can do just that, and forgetting all the rest.Ever heard of the saying: “What is a camel? Answer: A thoroubred
designed by a committee.”When committees try to tell us how we should behave, and what the “rules” are,
when the rules are not that important, (unless, again, you’re a doc or lawyer-
which reminds me, why don’t they have more control over financial planners
and stock brokers?) then the members suffer. And enrollment drops.Yes, enrollment drops. Membership is not mandatory. Never was. In the past,
you joined if you wanted to learn and grow and make great friends of like mind.That was then, this is now. Times have changed. Haven’t they? Boy,
have they changed!But associations haven’t. And they wonder why and what’s happening.They try some things, but to no more effect and no better results
than moving the deck chairs around on the Titanic.The core problem, again, has resulted from the ease of information
that is available (the internet in case I need to spell that out for you)and the pure immensity that the tidal wave of information
has flooded our industry with, and all other industries with.For those who are eager, and willing, and have the desire
to grow, the world is at their finger tips. A few clicks and you
can access more information, can walk into
some of the best classrooms, and unlock the secrets to the universe
for free or little cost. Many online photography forumsSo why join? This question needs to be answered.Why join?I asked and could not come up with an answer.What begged the question the most was new members and prospects asking me why
they should join. I couldn’t lie to them anymore. I had no answers for them,
or for myself.I often thought about events such as WPPI and why they were so successful and
growing. It must be simple: put together a low cost, no nonsense affair
where many can gather, share, grow and learn, and oh yea, a kick
butt trade show, and watch them show up. Simple. Very, very
simple. No bull, no committees (actually they have committees, but
you don’t hear about them the way you do in professional non-profit
associations), no vacuums to fill.And it works.And associations can learn and grow. But the people
involved need to get over themselves and see the big picture.Will this happen? Who knows. Personally, I don’t have much faith.
I hear rumblings from members, prospects and from those who
matter a great deal, the trade.Time will tell. Meanwhile, I urge you to stay
true to yourself and know what you want and where
you want to go.Having that on your side will be your greatest asset and tools.
From there your desires and ambitions will track you to
the right information and people.Achieving that is far, far more complex, and possible
than any other time. The world is at your fingertips.
Just decide…..
yours in photography,
