Mentoring by Cradoc
What can you do in a down economy to be sure you stay in business?
Look for a mentor.
Things are tough, but things have been tough before. The photographers who are still in business are the ones who came up with strategies to survive and in some cases actually took advantage of the changes that were happening to build stronger businesses.
I suggest you look for photographers who are adapting to see what they are doing, and use their example as a mentor to guide you through the changes that you need to make to launch yourself to the front of the pack.
I’ve seen a number of examples on the web of photographers in different fields who are changing their business to stay in front. There is the successful nature and outdoor photographer who used to rely on agencies for sales, who has switched to aggressive self marketing, using a combination of a personal web site and Photoshelter to market his work. I’ve read of photojournalists who are going back to school to study multi-media. There are photographers shutting down costly studios and doing more work on location.
Mentoring is a powerful approach to learning. Looking for a mentor, or becoming one, has been a tradition within the photo community for a long time.
Working with a mentor is a shortcut to gaining the knowledge you desire. You want to find someone who has read all of the books, magazines and articles. Someone who has overcome obstacles and whose business works the way you wish yours does. Someone whose photographs inspire you. You find out what they do - and then you mirror them.
You get into their head, you listen to what they say, and you see what feels good to you. You keep what is good and discard or change the rest. You develop your own style. You don’t feel guilty about doing this because if you get good at it, chances are that someday you'll become a mentor to someone else.
The concept of mentoring is the approach we've taken with the Coach sections in fotoQuote. We use examples of successful photographers’ stories to give you ideas of how you can improve your own business.
In fotoQuote there are interviews in the Assignment and Stock Coach with successful Advertising, Corporate, Architectural, Editorial photographers who've worked out the business details for themselves. Now with the inclusion of video stock footage in fotoQuote Pro 6, we’ve added a detailed interview with a Video Shooter.
No matter what type of photography you do, the approach these photographers have shared about their business will be of value to you. In this day and age where everyone seems to have a blog, you have immediate access now to these people and their expertise.
Most pro organizations have forums. If you are not reading them, then you are missing out on great info and peer collaboration. Social networking sites like Facebook can also provide a great way to share ideas and receive feedback.
We give some links below for examples of where we like to look for news about what’s happening in our business:
John Harrington’s PhotoBusinessForum
PhotoShelter’s Blog, A Picture’s Worth
PhotoShelter’s Market Research Resources
Marketing Photos with Mary Virginia Swanson
Photography Blog Black Star Rising
The business that is fueling commerce right now is the business of images, both moving and still. If you take the images out of entertainment and marketing, all that would be left is radio. As a photographer, what you produce is one of the main ingredients that drives our economy, and you need to believe that your customers are willing to pay for it. They can’t run their business without your images.
Value your own work, recognize how it fits into the big picture, develop - with the support of your colleagues - a clear and defendable set of business practices and negotiate everything. The world needs what you do more than ever. And after you've become a better photographer and a better businessperson, become a mentor and share your experience.
The health of our industry depends greatly on the sharing of good technique and sound business practice.