Is the era of "Paid Photographers" drawing to a close?

chauncey wrote in post #9160049
A mediocre photographer that is a great businessman will do better than a great photographer that is a mediocre businessman.

And a great photographer with a great office manager and a good account will beat'm all.

airfrogusmc wrote in post #9160055
And a great photographer with a great office manager and a good account will beat'm all.

So the photographer is in the studio, the office manager is in the front of the store, and the accountant is in the back room. Who is getting the clients?

airfrogusmc wrote in post #9159897
Wouldn't most photographers with degrees probably would move into commercial work now anyway one reason is what you've just mentioned?

Depends on what the degree is in.

RDKirk wrote in post #9160256
Depends on what the degree is in.

So true. People often get degrees or even doctorates in fields that do not lend themselves to earning a good income.

Case in point, I have a Th.D., which is not even good for wrapping fish (the parchment is too stiff).

Dooooooooooooooom!!

RDKirk wrote in post #9160254
So the photographer is in the studio, the office manager is in the front of the store, and the accountant is in the back room. Who is getting the clients?

Accountant in his/her office somewhere. They're usually there to just make sure your on track and taxes are paid on time and correctly. Doesn't marketing fall under the responsibility of the office manager.

RDKirk wrote in post #9160256
Depends on what the degree is in.

Well most of the B/A BFAs and even a few MA And MFAs (in photography) all started by working for commercial photographers. One of my old professors left teaching and has been doing furniture photography for the past 15+ years and is highly successful. He owns his own plane, new corvette and an incredible 5,000 + sq ft house.

the profession probably wont disappear but its definitely starting to look different. I often paraphrase an opinion I picked up on another forum. Using the analogy of building a house (likening it to the photographic profession), he said “photographers believe they are architects when they are really only interior decorators. With or without them the building goes up, it just may not look as pretty”. I believe the guy was talking about wedding photographers but I think it applies to other parts of the profession as well. In fact in the past year I’ve been to two wedding where there wasn’t a professional photographer at all. One couple just couldn’t afford it but the other just chose to spend their money elseware. In both weddings, what were the "formal" shots were taken by friends with DSLR’s and in the second one each table had a disposable camera with a note asking the guest to take pics and drop the camera in the brides pouch before leaving. In my opinion photography is like any other art, its only worth what someone will pay for it. As the demand goes down so does the worth (monetarily speaking anyway).

Not at the high end of wedding and portrait work. People hire you and pay you the big bucks if they like you. In my particular area, there are eight nationally known portrait and wedding photographers within a 2-hour drive from me. They all live in small towns and draw clientele from as much as eight hours away--when their clients don't pay for them to travel for "destination portraiture." They all do top-notch work that varies only by the tiniest degree in artistic skill, although they do have different styles.

The real difference between each of them and between me is not talent, it's not location, it's not education, it's not our accountants or our office managers, it's each of our own personalities, getting out, meeting people personally--not through an agent or an office manger--but attending the events our clients attend, belonging to the associations our clients belong to, pressing the flesh, and making them comfortable with us. For them, this is not about business, this is all about getting personal and being personable, being someone they are comfortable inviting into their homes and lives.

RDKirk wrote in post #9160700
Not at the high end of wedding and portrait work. People hire you and pay you the big bucks if they like you. In my particular area, there are eight nationally known portrait and wedding photographers within a 2-hour drive from me. They all live in small towns and draw clientele from as much as eight hours away--when their clients don't pay for them to travel for "destination portraiture." They all do top-notch work that varies only by the tiniest degree in artistic skill, although they do have different styles.

The real difference between each of them and between me is not talent, it's not location, it's not education, it's not our accountants or our office managers, it's each of our own personalities, getting out, meeting people personally--not through an agent or an office manger--but attending the events our clients attend, belonging to the associations our clients belong to, pressing the flesh, and making them comfortable with us. For them, this is not about business, this is all about getting personal and being personable, being someone they are comfortable inviting into their homes and lives.

I did medium high to high end wedding work for a lot of years. All medium format. When I moved on to do what i'm doing now 12 years ago my min wedding was $5500. I, like most of that market and the really high end market got most of my work from consultants or repeat business. When I stopped doing weddings I was at 35-40 a year. Plus I was working full time as the staff photographer for a hospital.

I have a very good friend that starts now at $12,000. Only does 30 or so a year. He has an office manager that takes care of all the stuff a manager would take care of but the high end market around here is more about getting referrals from other brides or wedding consultants. His father is his accountant and he has had the same office manager for years. I wouldn't say he 's a great businessman but he was smart enough to get the right people around him and learn the client base inside and out.

I agree - it's not. But but true quality, creativity and beautiful images are still quite mysterious and bewildering to much of the population.

From cave painting, to papyrus, to canvas to digital tablet to dSLR, anybody can pick up the "tool" and make an image. But not everyone can create a beautiful landscape, incredilbe architectural image or attractive senior portrait with their cell phone camera.

ConDigital wrote in post #9132355
...........Photography is not the bewildering craft to the average person that it once was. This distinction can only become even more blurred with the passage of time.

Ah, but did you actually see what they shot vs. the pro's work, who were you just addressing the sheer GIGO volume of the P&S's .

ConDigital wrote in post #9159755
I.......The last few weddings I've been to the amount of P&S's the guests were using the couple could have been satisfied with just those results.

RDKirk wrote in post #9160254
So the photographer is in the studio, the office manager is in the front of the store, and the accountant is in the back room. Who is getting the clients?

This is where MM comes in handy. TFP anyone?

Karl Johnston wrote in post #9162729
This is where MM comes in handy. TFP anyone?

You entice people to be your clients with M&Ms?

20droger wrote in post #9163956
You entice people to be your clients with M&Ms?

Thats one way of getting people in the door!