Preparing for Changes in Commerical Photography

We have been experiencing the fastest rates of change in this industry that we have ever seen.

It took nearly 9 years for Nikon to bring out the F4 after the F3 while today new bodies are almost an annual occurrence.

We expect constant change and we get it.

Version 2 and version 3 lenses.

New and better and cheaper… from cameras to lights to stands and peripherals.

Things change FAST.

What is also changing is the role of the photographer, as well as how the industry works overall.

Especially how the self-employed photographer does their job.

First, we will look at the business as a whole.

More and more independent agencies, multi-media firms, and corporate needs for visual work at every turn.

Corporations need library shoots for their social media.

Small businesses need library shoots for their social media.

Entrepreneurs and Solopreneurs need library shoots for their social media.

My bud John shoots personal branding images for entrepreneurs, speakers, and people who need to have a more professional presence in a myriad of social media settings.

These were not even viable markets 15 years ago.

Now add animation.
Now add animation (I know several photographers who are taking deep dives into After Effects so they can animate their work for various client settings.)

We added video a long time ago, but it is even a hotter trend now.

Some photographers are adding video production as we all know, but also adding video post of other photographer’s work, as well as directing and producing work for others.

I started as a photographer, became a designer as well and expanded my business rapidly in the early 90’s eventually opening an ad agency with a partner in 1993. We doubled/tripled revenue each year we were in business until we were the third-largest ad agency by revenue in the state (Arizona).

At that point, I was the Creative Director overseeing 6 designers, 4 coders, and 2 account executives.

If I had remained a ‘photographer’ only, that would never have happened.

Now I see photographers billing themselves as art directors, directors, creative sources, visual communications experts… and it is about damn time.

We know what stuff should look like – we do that for a living, you know.

And it is about time we get recognized for all that work and expertise.

What we are seeing is that the diverse and wide demands from our clients mean we need to be well versed in more than ‘just’ photography.

One photographer I know augments his startup photo business by hiring himself out as a digital tech. Another photographer is also a stylist who helps fledgling photographers put together shoots, props, and concepts for portraits and still life.

And we hear that it is hard to sell images online… then I meet a photographer doing 6 figures selling ‘wall art’ – although fairly expensive wall art – online, and it keeps her commercial business focused on high dollar advertising.

It didn’t happen overnight, but if you do not start selling your work today, it will simply take you longer to get to where you want to go… got it?

I am teaching photographers right now how to use typography – not to make them overnight designers, but to equip them with the knowledge to work with designers, or to keep their marketing materials looking great.

Sure there are times to hire a pro designer, but being able to do your own card series, or mini-magazine without looking like a typographic moron is a great skill.

Asset allocation – it can be a bitch when there are more allocation slots than assets, you know.

“Whoever chases two chickens catch none.”

Yeah, we hear all the time to ‘focus’ and ‘niche’ and ‘keep to your own lane’…

Mostly by people who do not do much of anything but tell other people how they should live.

(And we certainly have no shortage of those kinds of people out there.)

Yes, you should focus… but becoming agile in several areas doesn’t mean you have changed focus, you’ve just changed perspective.

For instance, if you are a nature photographer, there are many ways to add to that skill set:

Write and illustrate a book.
Sell posters and large prints.
Do on-location workshops.
Offer location scouting services.
Write how-to articles. 
Use the articles to develop leads for the above projects.
Become a photo guide (different from a workshop) on a few select weekends.
Create a line of camera backpacks or apparel.
Market your work to hoteliers who need work for their rooms/lobbies.
Also, physicians, dentists, hospitals, corporate buildings… all need wall art.
Start an online website for landscape photographers that love —.
And of course LI, IG, FB, and google adwords…

And notice I didn’t say it was going to be “easy”.

It just depends on how much you want it.

As does anything.

I laughingly complain about the heat in Phoenix – July and August were particularly brutal this year – but I also know it must not bother me enough to leave.

Motivation comes from when we DECIDE we are going to do something, or eliminate something (for me, salt), or try something new.

The keyword is DECISION.

As the world is changing so fast around us, I think it is incumbent on photographers and visual artists to see how they can adapt to the change instead of fighting it.

“Nobody is making any money selling prints”…, yeah, you hear that.
Then you meet someone making mid 6 figures doing it.

“Nobody makes any money doing workshops”…, yeah,, you hear that.
Then you meet someone having the time of their lives leading photo safaris in the mountains of Montana.

“I don’ know how to design anything”… yeah, you hear that.
But nobody knew how to design anything without – you know – learning how to design something.

Lynda?
Kelby?
Phlearn?
Youtube?
Community college?

C’mon…

Decide what you want to do, then formulate a plan to get you there, then execute the plan.

Deciding to do something is so much more powerful than ‘wanting’ to do something.

As this business changes, so should we learn to adapt, to lead, to change it up and try paths not so well-traveled.

Hey, you may learn something about yourself along the way.

And you can be a hyphenated creative who makes money with commas and zeros in it.