Interested in knowing the average salary of a photographer? Well the answer to such a questions is always a little more complex and therefore requires a little thought before a solid number is able to be given. First of all, it should be noted that there is a wide discrepancy between the earnings of photographers. Some make very little money, others spend more money than they make, while still others make decent livings, some of whom even make upwards of $100,000 a year. However, according to statistics the average photographer makes between $14,000 and $54,748 with the median falling somewhere in between those two numbers.
If you want to be a photographer who makes more money than average you’ll need to be very strategic with how you approach your career. Below are some tips to ensure that you earn as much as possible during your tenure as a photographer.
1) Get as much photography education is possible. This industry is very “status” oriented. The more education you get the better chance you have of finding someone will want to employ your services. Photographers with more photography and artistic education will earn more than those without.
2) Another equally important, if not more important element to a successful and profitable photography career is to shoot as many great shots as possible of high profile events or people. Being able to name drop, or event drop in this industry will ensure you can charge the best rates in the industry. Try your hardest to get a couple high profile people, places or things under your belt. To the average person or business your credibility will automatically shoot up. Imagine you’re looking to get some family portraits done and you have the option of choosing two different photographers. One of the photographers has photographed a couple of celebrities while the other hasn’t. You will probably be more likely to want the higher profile photographer. Buying photography is very emotional just like all other buying. While the photographer who photographs celebrities isn’t necessarily better than the other photographer, but the public will see it that way. Plus, when they tell their friends who their photographer is they will enjoy saying “they are the same photographer that photographed ____________ (insert high profile name or event here)”.
3) Get as much experience as possible and build a breathtaking portfolio. In this industry you can greatly improve your earning potential by having a strong eye for detail. Look at other photographers portfolios and incorporate all of the most eye catching elements into your own portfolio. Always present yourself in a professional manner and make sure you get to show people your work and talk about your accomplishments.
4) A photography career requires a wide degree of creativity. You’ll need to be able to change with the times and quickly change to meet someone else’s photographic expectations. Working as a photographer means you’ll be working in a very competitive environment. This is because many creative and entrepreneurial people feel passionate about this industry. You’ll need to ensure you separate yourself from the pact with your own unique style and good sense of creativity. Buy various style magazines and photography journals. Watch creative movies and learn as much about fashion as possible. The better your understanding of style the more employable you’ll be.
The above will hold true whether you are like half of the photographers out there today and self employed or if you are employed by a company or other institution. Being able to tell a story visually can be a very exciting thing. Now you just have to find a way to be able to do it and get paid for it!
Jun 30, 2011 | | Photography
Unless you get a thrill out of telling people you had your pictures taken by a celebrity photographer, the name tied to the person taking the picture does not add value to the purchase of photography services. Value in the photography industry is measured by the quality of the image divided by the price. Thus, a low price tied to a low quality image does not represent a high value because the quality pulls down the value measurement. Similarly, an extremely expensive price tied to a good image is not high value because the high price pulls down the value.
Since price and quality work in tandem to determine value, the determination of value in the photography industry is not always straight forward. This article suggests some three questions a consumer of photography services should consider when seeking out value in his portrait purchases.
Hollywood Connections Do not Add Value
Does the photographer tout famous people as part of his clientele? While people who photograph famous people generally do quality work, the fact that a photographer has the rich and famous as his clients does not normally mean their images are better than those who don’t. It means they have connection. Since connections to the Hollywood crowd does nothing to add to the quality of a photographer’s work but usually does add to the price the photographer feels he can charge, a photographer touting his famous clientele is a sign that price and profits for him and not high value for you the client is his primary focus.
Work that Resonates with You Does Add Value
Does the photographer’s work resonate with you? Since people are unique the work of some photographers will resonate with a particular person more than others. This often leads to the fortunate experience of having the work of a lower priced photographer provide higher value than that of a higher priced photographer. When the work of the lower priced photographer resonates with a client, the client finds an image that for him has a high quality quotient. Since the price is lower and the quality is high the value the client receives is also high. Therefore, a person seeking high value should ignore what others say is quality and find a photographer whose work they can connect with.
A Smooth Workflow Does Add Value
Has the photographer been in business long enough to establish industry connections and an efficient workflow process? This question is different from the first question. The first question exposes connections that add no quality but plenty of price to the product. However, there are connections that do improve quality. Positive working relationships with assistant photographers and print companies are examples of relationships that will make the photographer’s workflow run smoothly. A smooth and efficient workflow means a photographer can provide a quality product at a high value price. Since it takes some time (at least 2 years but not 20 years) to setup these connections and workflow processes the amount of time a photographer has been in business is an important indicator of the value he can provide.
While value is related to price, it is not the only factor to take into account when determining the value a particular photographer can provide. Value can be diminished by a photographer’s connections that add to the price but not the inherent quality of their work, work that does not internally resonate with the client and a photographer’s inefficient workflow.
Jun 30, 2011 | | Photography
When searching for a for a wedding photographer you may have likely come across the term reportage, or photojournalism. It is a real buzz word in the wedding photography community right now, but what does it mean?
Reportage photography is where a photographer will try to photograph their subject without them being aware of them. In wedding photography this creates a very natural and real shot, one that will accurately depict the atmosphere and characters on your special day. The reportage style is often genuine and unobtrusive.
Adopting this style will give your clients a complete record of their day, from start to finish. It is often a favoured choice for the bride and groom as they are not over ordered around by a photographer.
The contemporary approach is to spend time capturing natural images, rather than creating unnatural images and looking for candid pictures to get real wedding photos that happen during their day, leaving them time to enjoy it.
Be dedicated to documenting events as they unfold, with a relaxed and natural approach, unobtrusively capturing the details of the wedding day with sensitivity, intuition and experience; blending in seamlessly with the guests. Of course every wedding wouldn’t be complete without the occasional, formal shot. But I often find from talking to my clients that the formal shots are for the benefit of the extended family; it’s the natural shots that will carry real meaning for the bride and groom, and for years to come.
When shooting reportage photography, I favor the Canon 24-70mm L Series lens. It is simply an excellent lens! At 70mm you can capture stunning portraits and all the macro details, wind the lens to 24mm and you can achieve a great subtle wide-angle look. The wide angle is superb for capturing large groups of people, building interiors and exteriors. It has a brilliant ability to replicate vivid colors, and work in low lights indoors. Perfect for reportage photography.
Jun 29, 2011 | | Photography