Who are you doing this for? Who are you looking to get to hire you?
A lot of the time when we're starting out we forget why we're doing this. We forget the thrill we got whenever we planned a shoot just for us. We stop looking at our goals and slowly they die. And then the career we picked becomes tiring and boring and repetitive. Take tme to photograph for yourself. I know sometimes I need an excuse to do something so innocent and I tell myself it's for stock images and sometimes I decide to post them for sale. But I know that if the only photography I'm doing is commercial I won't stay in love with my decision to pursue photography as a career.
“Don't forget that you made this decision and you need to own that every day. Put in the work to make your dream happen.”
It's not all about the client in this job. Like any career that really involves you, you need to be on top of your game. You cannot afford distractions, depressions, and dumb decisions. You need to love what you do. And believe me, it's still work. But you can't let yourself be upset with your decisions cause you need to be 110% commited to them. Otherwise your work will suffer.
Ever taken a photograph for a class that's last minute. and you don't really try to edit it and you get a poor grade on it? That's what you can no longer afford. Your "grades" from clients can really help your business or really kill it. Don't forget that you made this decision and you need to own that every day. Put in the work to make your dream happen.
Who is Your Audience?
It's great to know how to do all kinds of things and all kinds of skills. And in photography that's crucial. You need to develop a whole army of talents to sell. Can you do a bomb senior photo one day and a sweet maternity shoot the next? It's critical that you develop a style that can transfer itself to all kinds of photography.
But it's even more crucial to know who you're taking the photo of. You need to know this person, this family, this business. Because it's important that they come through in the photo too. Talk to your client and get to know them. Try to have a session before you photograph them to get to know what they like, who they are, what they're looking for from you!
It's also really important to know who you want to see your photos. Who are you targeting? Are you strictly a fashion photographer that gets hired out by places like Vogue? Then you probably shouldn't have random animal shots on your socials and website. Are you a family and newborn photographer, a wedding photographer, a fine art photographer? Know who you're selling to. And know what you're selling!
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