Not busy....anyone else in the same boat?

[Foodguy]

It's been an odd 5+years in the advertising world. Crazy busy at times and then dead in the water. The longest down time has been 2 weeks but I find plenty of things to do in that time.

One thing I've noticed is that we used to have a calendar that showed bookings 6-8 weeks out. Now, lead times have become much shorter and it's not unusual to get a call asking if we have any days available that week. I only have a couple of clients that book a project a month in advance.

I've found the best way to get the phone to rings is to book a vacation, and that has proven itself again this year...going away in a week and have had to pass on 2 jobs in that time period.

[Hardrock40]

One day I would like to photograph for pay but that day is years away. I run a small welding biz now outside my regular job and it is really the same way.

I recently went a month with no calls, then in two days I had four. Last week I was getting ready for work when a job came in, needed it right then, had to pass it on to someone else. Thats the problem with a regular job while trying to do side work.

I turn down to many welding jobs due to my regular work in a local plant. I know if I started photography, the same thing would happen.

[ndelacova]

I also go through periods of drought. I was laid off over a year ago from my regular job. Since then, I have shot 4 evening parties, a corporate event, a ground breaking ceremony, two photoshoots, a fashion show and a few other non paying events. I have also shot the graduating class picture as well as produced over 25 yearbook ads. It seems like a lot but in reality, I could probbaly easily do double that amount of work. In slow times, I start to put out about 3 images of my non-paid work out on Facebook to get further exposure and presence. In this time, I have also turned down 1 job and outsourced another. What I am trying to get at is that I am constantly doing something with regards to photography to better my business skills as well as my photography skills. It does help that I have a school as my customer base.

[bigjon0107]

Originally Posted by banquetbear

...maybe the guy you were talking to was picking up some of the attitude you displayed here, or here, or here, or here, or here. You yourself made assumptions that people who shoot with a 600D don't shoot professionally. I suspect you are giving off a vibe that is putting people off working with you. The guy you met today was simply playing games with you.

As I said to you in another thread you need to put your big boy pants on and suck it up. Being in business is hard and you actually have to work hard at it and work to a plan in order to make things work. A lot of people have given you some very good advice in the other threads, but I'm not sure that you are actually listening to them.

The rule of thumb is that if you haven't booked any work in a month, you need to revisit your business plan and change things up. After two months if you haven't booked any work you need to go out and get some part time work (not applicable to you) and after three months you should be shelving your business until either business conditions pick up or you can bring on board an advisor to help you change up your business plan. You are now at five months with no bookings. What do you think you should be doing?

Have you actually got a business plan? Have you done any financial forecasts? Have you committed any funds to marketing? Have you got back up gear? Have you figured out a "consultation to image delivery" work flow?

My advice to you would be as follows:

1) Loose the attitude
2) Forget about yourself for a bit, and figure out what your customers actually want from a photographer. Do some market research. Network. Things like "events organiser have the job of hiring staff, food and contractors" should not be a surprise to you.
3) Create a range of services and product that you know from your research that your potential customers are looking for. Use tools like the AIPA Base Fee Calculator to help you figure out your selling prices.
5) Figure out a way to get the attention of the people you want to book you. Once you have figured out how to do this, write it down. Call it a "marketing plan."
6) Take all the information that you have collected and put it together in one document. Call this document a Business Plan.
7) Make some educated, calculated guesses on how much money you are expecting to make and how much you are wanting to make each month and do this for a whole year. Call this your financial forecast. Add it to your business plan.
8) Give your plan to some people who are experienced in business. Let them critique it. Listen to what they say and if need be rewrite what needs to be rewritten.
9) Read your business plan and put it into action.
10) if after a month things are not looking good, figure out what isn't working and change it, or if you think it actually will work, keep at it.
11) Repeat until you are either making money or you think its time to call it quits.

Or you can ignore this and the rest of the advice that I'm sure the other members here will offer you and you can spend another five months waiting for that "next cold call" to bring in the business. Cold calling can be an effective way of bringing in business in certain circumstances, however it has a very low success rate and you should be looking at other ways of getting your name out there.

Finally: in answer to your question, yes, I am booking jobs, and I am booking them in a frequency greater than what I had forecast. And I am going after the same market that you are, in fact I took a booking from an Australian company a couple of weeks ago. If you do your homework, loose the attitude and work smart and hard and listen to the advice offered to you you improve your chances to succeed significantly. All the best.

Read this once then read it 2 more times. We tried to have a discussion in the other similar thread you started, and once people began to point out some flaws you may have you bolted. I am not one to sit around and have a little pity party with someone (and it looks like the others here think close to the way I do) so I am sorry if that is what you are looking for. The fact of the matter is photography companies are making it. People that follow the tips and suggestions as outlined above, business people, those who are willing to work HARD are making it.

If you had not had a job in 5 months you need to completely rethink what you are doing. Do you need to diversify? Improve marketing? Just blow up and throw away everything you have done so far and try again, get out of the rut. Also, just as a side note, if you haven't had a job in 5 months I don't think you quite have the luxury of being as picky with the type of jobs you take like you currently are.

You asked about us personally and no, i am not in the same boat as you. I have grown 500% in the past 12 months including being put on retainer by a company and about to sign on for another.

[MichaelAnthonyPhotography]

You have to decide how serious you are about doing this. Business is not always a "I f you build it, they will come," scenario (although sometimes it is).

If you plan on making this your full time job, and being dedicated, you have to give it 100%. I am fortunate enough to operate in a large market, with high competition, but also a high demand for photography. I don't know about the market that you are in, but I will say this, in the last year we have grown by 300%. Word of mouth is 70% of my business, organic searches are 20%, and advertising drives 10%.

I haven't looked at your work because I could not find a link to it, but take a serious look at your portfolio and decide if it is going in the direction you want it to.

If you are not improving then you are going backwards. Keep that mentality.

[bigjon0107]

Originally Posted by lensfreak

The funny thing is today I spoke to a prospective client and they laughed at me when I told them the model of camera I use. Yes they asked about what gear I use. Yes they snickered and laughed and said I would never get a job with that camera!!!!! They commented that it was an amateur home model camera and it was rubbish.


My camera is a 5Dmk2......looks like Joel Grimes uses a s**t camera too, along with the many other talented and well respected pros who use the same model. Have we all purchased the wrong camera?

You mentioned that you are calling on corporate clients for product photography, and I believe you have mentioned before that they were larger clients with pretty big marketing departments (in a previous thread). If this is the case, their expectations could be more along the lines of a Hasselblad digital system. While the 5D2 is a very capable camera (I own one as well), it is not even close to the best tool for product photography.

[Ryski]

Just had a very busy couple of months, which I didn't expect
Corporate/Advertising/Fashion.

[SMP_Homer]

I'm halfway through my busy wedding season, and if I could clone myself, things would be great!

Inquiries for future wedding dates are down, but bookings for 2013 are ahead of what bookings for 2012 were at this point a year ago

[airfrogusmc]

I'm usually really busy in June (most fiscals end June 30th) so everyones trying to spend any money they have left. July is usually a little slow. Last year was insanely busy in July , this year as usual. I only do corporate advertising/commercial work.

One thing thats changed is payment. Used to be usually 30-45 days was the norm. Now its 60-90....

[Thomas Campbell]

Man, it goes up and down. I went like a month without inquiries then booked 4 weddings in a week. I don't think I am ever going to get used to the roller coaster.

[Jethro790]

Originally Posted by lensfreak

trying to get work. i have a normal 9-5 job and have been catching up with people and handing out business cards.

The funny thing is today I spoke to a prospective client and they laughed at me when I told them the model of camera I use. Yes they asked about what gear I use. Yes they snickered and laughed and said I would never get a job with that camera!!!!! They commented that it was an amateur home model camera and it was rubbish.


My camera is a 5Dmk2......looks like Joel Grimes uses a s**t camera too, along with the many other talented and well respected pros who use the same model. Have we all purchased the wrong camera?

Anyone who judges your worth as a photographer by the camera you use isn't worth getting worked up about.

[Thomas Campbell]

Originally Posted by Jethro790

Anyone who judges your worth as a photographer by the camera you use isn't worth getting worked up about.

I don't care how shallow or stupid people are. I want their money.