Have I a misconception?

[rhys]

Have I a misconception that photography will ever provide a worthwhile income?

My business despite advertising seems not to be attracting any customers nor even any enquiries. It is, however, a great tax loss for my wife's business.

Should I instead have opened a mobile computer-fixing business?

[PhotosGuy]

My business despite advertising seems not to be attracting any customers nor even any enquiries. What sort of advertising? Even direct mail has a 2% (I think) return.
Seems like the kind of photography you do has a lot of possibilities? If you aren't covering them, who is, & how do they advertise?
How much of your advertising is face-to-face, where people can connect with you?
How much charity work do you do for the networking possibilities? It is, however, a great tax loss for my wife's business. :D The IRS will want to see a profit after a few years!

[liza]

You have to market constantly and relentlessly to make a go of it. About 1 in 10 new photography businesses actually make it, so you need to find an edge, something that makes you stand out among the competition.

[liza]

I just looked at your website. You need to stop charging by the hour and offer packages and/or ala carte pricing. The pricing on your site is very unclear.

I'd also recommend that you hire someone to design a site for you or that you go with a website from Bludomain, Big Folio, or Livebooks. I'm considering going the Big Folio route myself in the spring, as they offer professional looking sites and have decent customer service.

[LBaldwin]

Rhys,

I like your photography, but I agree with Liza your website has too many directions to different things. It also looks to me to over engineered. I am not saying that as a slam but it is pretty bland.

IMPO you should NOT link your software website to your photography. I would never recommend that a photographer mention anti-pedophilia software and photography. Even if there is not a direct link, just about any Mom who sees you MENTION it and being a family, child, wedding photographer would usually run the other way. You have a world of experience, are well traveled and quite likely misunderstood by us silly yanks.
You are in a VERY conservative location. If your business cards list all of your websites that would the first thing i would fix.

Just my .02 centavos worth.

Les

[PhotosGuy]

You need to stop charging by the hour ... Per-hour rates? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=127979)

[cdifoto]

Have I a misconception?

You have a lot of those.

[cosworth]

Again website.

It is the first place people go after getting your business card. You only get one shot with people these days.

[cdifoto]

Well here's a big fat no-no:

Gallery under development. These pictures are placeholders only.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but that statement gives the impression that those aren't yours. If you are a photographer - selling your skills at taking photos, you definitely do not want to use ANY photos that don't belong to you, stock or not.

[PhotosGuy]

You have a lot of those. No smiley? Did we really need to say that? (No smiley).

[cdifoto]

No smiley? Did we really need to say that? (No smiley).

I guess not, since it'll fall on deaf ears anyway. :rolleyes:

[tiziano]

I didn't find any picture in your web site, apart from the placeholder ones. If I have to hire a photographer, I want to see his pictures.

[kona77]

Have I a misconception that photography will ever provide a worthwhile income?

My business despite advertising seems not to be attracting any customers nor even any enquiries. It is, however, a great tax loss for my wife's business.

Should I instead have opened a mobile computer-fixing business?

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

For the life of me I do not understand you rhys. You are constantly asking for advice then rejecting it on the very next post.

This thread was initiated by you with several of your (Shoot myself in the successful business foot) over and over again.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=376736

Here are just a couple of your quotes

"To be honest I'd rather put money into something I know I will be using like gear. Then and only then into intangibles like websites. I fancy I'll get a higher hit rate from newspaper adverts and flyers." October 3, 2007


How the hell do you expect to have anyone use you as a photographer if you do not get the WORD out?


Another quote from you

"I was thinking about those trendy sites but to be quite honest I don't think personally very much of websites. In fact I'm regretting putting my website address on my advertising as I'd be much happier without one. They're such a PITA to build and some rip-off merchant wanted $400 to build me one (I told him to take a hike). For about 3 hours work I'd pay maybe $30 tops. It's really worth no more than that as far as I'm concerned. If it comes to having to pay more, it'll be cheaper just to redo my advertising!
" September 12, 2007


You do not seem to value another professional's prices so I think you may not value yours. This is probably coming across to any potential clients.

Good Luck, you're gonna need it.

[rhys]

I'm getting to the point where I might get somebody else to design my site. What I have is decent enough but not stunning enough. I might redo my computer site with website baker but later.

Right now my portfolio is first priority. The placeholder photos are mine. The crap at the top of the page is part of the template I've been wondering what to replace it with though or whether it can be removed from the template.

Prices - I really can't make up my mind whether to charge an hourly rate and be straightforward about that or to charge by the job.

[bieber]

Have I a misconception ?

Yes. The misconception, I'm afraid, is assuming that your intuition will always beat out the knowledge of people who are making a reasonable living from photography.

[XTshooter]

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

For the life of me I do not understand you rhys. You are constantly asking for advice then rejecting it on the very next post.

This thread was initiated by you with several of your (Shoot myself in the successful business foot) over and over again.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=376736

Here are just a couple of your quotes

"To be honest I'd rather put money into something I know I will be using like gear. Then and only then into intangibles like websites. I fancy I'll get a higher hit rate from newspaper adverts and flyers." October 3, 2007


How the hell do you expect to have anyone use you as a photographer if you do not get the WORD out?


Another quote from you

"I was thinking about those trendy sites but to be quite honest I don't think personally very much of websites. In fact I'm regretting putting my website address on my advertising as I'd be much happier without one. They're such a PITA to build and some rip-off merchant wanted $400 to build me one (I told him to take a hike). For about 3 hours work I'd pay maybe $30 tops. It's really worth no more than that as far as I'm concerned. If it comes to having to pay more, it'll be cheaper just to redo my advertising!
" September 12, 2007


You do not seem to value another professional's prices so I think you may not value yours. This is probably coming across to any potential clients.

Good Luck, you're gonna need it.

You took the words right out of my mouth! I can't be the only one that saw this coming months in advance.

[SBCmetroguy]

Should I instead have opened a mobile computer-fixing business?

If you can do that as well, why not do both?

[rhys]

If you can do that as well, why not do both?

Well, it's a good idea. I have worked as a computer technician. I know there's one guy locally doing computer repairs at $100 per job. I figure if I make in-calls at $75 per job that should effectively get me into business. I used to work for the $100 guy and he used tons of illigitimate software. The difference - I would do slightly less but would use legitimate software.

I wonder whether I could get liability insurance to cover both activities rather than having to buy two policies. I guess I could combine roles and call myself SageWorld Enterprises with SagePhotoWorld and SageComputerWorld.

[kona77]

I wonder whether I could get liability insurance to cover both activities rather than having to buy two policies.

That is an excellent question. You should post that on a computer forum where some of them are part time photographers.

[airfrogusmc]

It can take years to build to a point where you are making a decent living. Its not going to happen overnight. If you're going to do weddings listen to some of these very experienced people that have given you good advise. My advise is don't try to be everything to everybody. Define your market and then find out how those in a similar market go after clients. For instance, if you are in about the center $$ wise in your area, some of the things that work for lower and very high end clients might not work for the middle market. High end clients aren't going to bridal fairs and usually find their photographer through a wedding consultant.

[Mark_48]

Random thoughts, cause I really don't know where to start....

- You need something representative of your work to show prospective clients, preferably of the genre of the photography you hope to be successful in. You appear to not have much of anything presently that you personally have done your on website.

- You've bought a lighting kit and the necessities that go along with it. Have you taken the time to learn how to set it up and use it yet? You don't want to practice on a paying client. Start using it and get some critique on this forum with images you've taken.

- If you're presently not employed, find a job that you can tolerate that puts you in touch with people. Some of my first paying jobs were from coworkers and it built on this. Sitting home won't let people know you're an alleged photographer. You need some exposure (the correct kind :)).
Craigslist ad > http://columbia.craigslist.org/crs/480512825.html . Worth checking out??

- Shoot public events. It's good practice, fun, and people will ask if you work for a newspaper - say no and hand them a business card. Also a good opportunity to hone social conversational skills. You may even have an image a newspaper, other publication, or municipal agency will take and give you credit for in publication. Again, a way of getting exposure and your name out there.

- "Resolve to listen more and talk less. No one ever learns anything by talking." A quote from A Guide To A Happy Life by By Lloyd Shearer Copyright 1989.
Ask sensible questions and listen to the answers. The answers you get here are from knowledgable and successful people that are trying to steer you in the right direction.
Full context of A Guide to a Happy Life (http://www.goddess.com.au/Links/GuideToHappyLife.htm) . (I originally found this elsewhere and this site was just a simple Google hit, just so you don't get the impression I hang out in peculiar places.) The message it conveyed was good enough to have a copy residing on the door of my fridge.

- The bulge that may be present in the side of your jacket - lose it. If you think you need something, carry a small canister of pepper spray and keep it hidden. If you think you need more than that, you're hanging in the wrong section of town. I would assume any potential client would certainly think twice about hiring someone who even hinted at carrying. Don't even talk about it to a potential client, they may feel threatened.

- If you really have good technical skills for computer repair, why not use them. A good number of people here probably are doing two jobs. Does "Digital Imaging PC Specialist" sound up your alley? For the folks that just can't get it all connected.

- Network with local folks around you. You may have something to offer them and they may have something in return as well. The "Meetup's" seem interesting. There's a pro photographer up here in Massachusetts that organized the local Meetup group near me.
http://entrepreneur.meetup.com/1037/
http://photo.meetup.com/511/?gj=sj6
www.columbiacameraclub.com

- "I wonder whether I could get liability insurance to cover both activities rather than having to buy two policies. I guess I could combine roles and call myself SageWorld Enterprises with SagePhotoWorld and SageComputerWorld."
Don't put the cart before the horse...first think about the things that are crucial to achieving your goals and then work on the lesser details.

Oh, by the way Rhys, I did buy the book on the Canon Speedlites you recommended. It is a good companion to the Blue Crane DVD.

[tiziano]

Great advises Mark. I'll try to use some of that wisdom myself!