There are so, so many blogs out there from photographers, both well known and amateur alike. They take you behind the scenes, share industry news, compare Canons to Nikons, show you great photos, and discuss technical details ‘till your head spins.They do a great job of providing inspiration, teaching new techniques, and making you think you need the latest and greatest gear. In a nutshell, they have a lot of information to distract you from the business side of things, and that’s a problem.
Don’t get me wrong, with the information most of these sites provide, they are a great value to our industry, and I follow a lot of them. But there comes a time when you need to learn about topics other than f-stops and shutter speeds. When you’re ready to take the next step, where do you turn? Who do you pay attention to?
If one of your goals in this new year is to take the necessary steps towards becoming a professional photographer, then stop reading the blogs that distract you from business, and start reading the ones that will help you.
There are lots of sites that focus on business, marketing, and strategy, and most can be applied to just about any industry. Specifically, there are also a lot of sites that deal with the business of being a photographer with scenarios and ideas that we can better relate to.
These sites discuss just about everything you need to, or should know. Reading these types of blogs will help you see your business from different perspectives, and will give you valuable insight from creative consultants, art buyers (your potential clients), and working photographers (who have been there, done that).
Here’s a quick list of blogs that come to mind at the moment. I’ll keep adding to this list as time goes by, so if you know of a blog or site that would benefit the aspiring pro photographer, please contribute by dropping it in the comments.
Burn’s Auto Parts – Informative blog and great podcasts from Leslie Burns. You can still find about 30 Creative Lube podcasts on iTunes, which once you listen to them, you’ll know the value of them, and hopefully subscribe to the new ones. Leslie also has written a couple of books, that you should pick up as well. With her blog, newsletters, podcasts, and books, you’re sure to give your photo biz a kick in the pants.
HMAb – Heather Morton shares golden information from the perspective of an art buyer. If you want to know what your potential clients like or don’t like about your website, portfolio, and promos, this is one place to find it.
AdBase – These guys not only help connect photographers with potential clients, but they also post good articles to help you steer your marketing in the right direction by keeping you up to date on what works and what doesn’t when it comes to getting your work in front of clients.
Seth Godin – It’s Seth Godin, marketing guru extraordinaire. This is one of those sites that isn’t directed at creatives specifically, but his advice is held in high regards. He’s published many books too, so arm yourself with marketing knowledge.
John Harrington – When you’re ready to start operating like a real business, pay attention to John Harrington and read his blog. The second edition of his must-have book, Best Business Practices for Photographers hit the shelves recently. He explains why things are the way they are, from pricing your work to usage and licensing. You should probably stop right now, and go to your local book store and get a copy – seriously.
ASMP’s Strictly Business Blog – Just as the title says, it’s strictly business. With a team of contributing photographers, including the aforementioned Leslie Burns, there’s lots of information and quick tips for the working photographer.
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