14 TRAITS OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PHOTOGRAPHERS

We had a wonderful meeting with Selina Maitreya today. She gave us her list of qualities that all of the successful photographers she knows posess.

They Show Up and :

/ Are talented

/ Understand all of the technical aspects of Photo

/ Continually work to refine and define their style and visual approach to their area of focus

/ Are aware of style shifts and changes over time and work trends into their work as appropriate.

/ Build a body of work not just a collection of assorted images

/ Have a well-developed marketing plan that they pay attention to consistently with 3-5 direct and indirect sales and marketing options

/  Are consistent in their /shooting marketing and servicing responsibilities

/ They continually provide excellent service which includes: researching client’s front end, invoicing promptly, and following up after shoots to make sure everything went well for the client.

/ Instead of saying “I can’t do that”, they follow the Abe Lincoln approach of “ tell me what we need to do and let us find a way”

/ They build community

/ They seek, and accept, and pay for support

/ They don’t let no’s and or rejections impede their progress

/ They give their business the time it needs to succeed 3-5 years

/ They are patient.

What do you think?

While we may not be able to hit every goal on each and every day. we should be way above 70% in these qualities.

Selina’s book:

How to Succeed in Commercial Photography: Insights from a Leading Consultant