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0789 9915 518 Strategic & Creative Guidance for Photographers

Keeping Your Focus

  • The economy will recover.
  • Before long, clients will be hiring again and seeking out excellence, looking for the very best photographers for their needs.
  • Use this unscheduled downtime to tune up your direction and offer so that you are in the best possible position to attract them.

It is tempting for the mind to wander, to watch too much news, to catastrophise and to feel helpless during this enforced confinement. These are all very natural and understandable feelings in the circumstances.

But as a creative, you have an in-build natural agility and ability to keep things moving. The creative process is rarely smooth and sometimes a jolt or unforeseen hurdle can result in unexpected new directions and exciting opportunities. While at the best of times photographers can feel isolated, it is this ability to withstand and flourish despite going it alone (as you have always done) that will be hugely in your favour.

Use this enforced time for planning and looking ahead: to really inspect, assess and re-shape your offer. Many photographers complain they never have time to update their website or to plan personal projects or marketing.

Now is the perfect time to deconstruct what has been working and what has not, research your arena in depth, gen up on certain skill sets that need improving and come up with new ideas for projects. You will find that this activity will keep you energised and excited about the future.

Here are some suggestions:
YOUR WEBSITE :
Do your image galleries need updating?
  • Now is the time to review new work from both personal projects and commissions from the past year and inject some fresh new work.
  • This will help with SEO and keep your offer from feeling stale
Could the structure and functionality be improved or refreshed?
  • Try to be objective in assessing your existing site – does it load quickly, is the navigation intuitive, are the images compelling and well sequenced, are you clearly showing where your strengths lie and where your competitive advantage lies?
  • You may want to explore different templates offered by your site’s provider or do some competitor analysis to see what might work better.
Is your ‘About’ text really saying something about WHY you do what you do, not just WHAT you do?
  • Clients will often check out this section almost as soon as they enter your site, so make sure it counts and they can get a feel for you, your brand and your value.
  • Spend some time to work out some genuine (not pompous!) visual language that best describes your work and approach.
RESEARCH :
How well do you know your market?
  • Create a list of top 10-20 dream clients who are likely to use the type of work you create.
  • Get to know their websites inside out: their tone, their expectations, the imagery they use; who the decision-makers are; contact information, etc. Use LinkedIn to explore specific names and job responsibilities.
  • Get to know and engage with their social media: connect with individuals, not just the brands.
Who are your main competitors?
  • If you don’t know, now is the time to explore this: check out credits in editorials/advertising, use advertising databases to help you. Explore your own local region in depth.
  • Crawl all over their websites and notice how their offer differs from your own. Use this research to enhance your uniqueness.
Website Search Engine Optimisation Soak up knowledge in your subject area – become an expert
  • Know your photographic history and points of reference – both historic and current photography greats.
  • Read, read, read
  • A great book oozing with pearls of wisdom is: ‘Image Makers Image Takers’ by Anne-Celine Jaeger, which examines what motivates and inspires today’s photographers.
Are your Terms & Conditions up to date?
  • Consider clauses that take non-refundable deposits, Force Majeure and cancellation into consideration.
  • Check out the Association of Photographers website and ASMP for help and advice specifically relating to the Coronavirus.
Social media :
  • Develop your skills using online training tools and videos if you feel you aren’t on the front foot with one or more platforms.
  • Understand tagging and research those that could be most effective for your arena.
  • Keep a lively presence during this period, posting behind the scenes shots, recent commissioned and personal work.
  • Do your research into which clients, collaborators and creative influencers you should be following and engage with them in a meaningful way.
Motion :
  • Consider whether this might be an additional service to bring to your practice. Many clients want still and moving content and you may well be more attractive to them if you are able to offer stills + motion.
  • Research what it could entail for you.
Competitions :
  • Consider which you could be submitting work to in the coming 6-12 months.
  • Research the judges, T&Cs, costs and likely marketing opportunities to ensure they are reputable and worthy of any cost for entries.
Catch up on podcasts and photo blog sites :
  • There are many out there depending on your genre/level of photography, etc. Here are just a couple for starters:
     -  Dear Art Producer provides invaluable insight into how clients and Creative Directors think and what their expectations are.
    -   A Photo Editor is rich in industry know-how and worth exploring daily.
    -  A Small Voice : Conversations with Photographers. Ben Smith interviews a range of inspirational photographers.
TRIMMING EXPENSES :
Retouching :
  • Could this be an area of personal skills development that you charge for yourself rather than paying a third party?
  • Is this an ideal time to improve your skill set?
Go through your usual list of expenses for a typical shoot:
  • How can you reconfigure aspects of this to trim and save money going forwards?
  • Challenge yourself: do you really need to do it this way?

Subscriptions: rationalise what is really necessary.

Camera tech: consider objectively whether there is some duplication or wastage that could be sold.

Use this time to get your TAX in order rather than waiting to the end of the year.
OTHER IDEAS :
Try to consider a range of small, doable personal projects that tests your usual approach/lighting/themes using your current location.
  • Push yourself with what you’ve got. It’s not meant to be easy!
  • Try something you’ve never done before.
  • Often having constraints and limited resources can yield something surprisingly exciting.
Medium and longer-term projects:
  • Allow yourself time to really dig deep and plan some ideas that will help round out and develop your portfolio.
Printed portfolio:
  • If you don’t have one, consider the work you would want to showcase.
    -   Clients will enjoy perusing a beautifully-created folio which showcases a tight selection of your strongest work.
    -   It shows you are a pro and serious about creating a high standard of work.
    -   People will spend more time looking at individual images in a folio than on a website.
  • Check out Delta Design who are considered one of the experts in photographers’ portfolio design and M-Print who offer a personal and unique service for double-sided printing.
Explore other income streams:
  • Use this time to gather existing content or create new work for Stock Syndication.
    -   While income isn’t guaranteed nor the prices very high, cumulatively, over time and with a decent volume of imagery, it can be a very useful way to generate passive income. Not every business can afford to hire photographers.
    -   Use your family, garden, balcony, countryside and home to generate content with embedded ideas and metaphors that could be used in editorial and advertising.
  • Could an aspect of your expertise be offered as an online course that would also be sustainable after the recovery?
    -   Explore Teachable, Zoom
WELLBEING :
  • Ensure you keep connected to trusted/verified information sources.
  • Try to create a rhythm to your day with small highlights and regular breaks.
  • See this whole timeframe as a ‘project’ for you to get your teeth into.
  • Limit the amount of news you ingest: keep to certain times of day to find out the latest.
  • Keep your expectations about what can be achieved day-to-day realistic – you are bound to have different distractions and jobs that need tending to. Pace yourself; be kind to yourself.
  • Consider a new form of relaxation: meditation, indoor gardening, experimenting in the kitchen, making bread, taking time to read, walking in the OTHER direction…
  • Remember: the economy WILL recover. Make sure you have a plan to be ready.