Does Income Alter the Way You Shoot?

[Loupey]

For those of you who make some/most/all of your income with photography, do you find that what and how you shoot has changed with the more income you generate? Especially at first when you started generating income.

Or did you always blaze your own trail regardless and the clients just came to you?

[mwfanelli2]

For those of you who make some/most/all of your income with photography, do you find that what and how you shoot has changed with the more income you generate? Especially at first when you started generating income.

Or did you always blaze your own trail regardless and the clients just came to you?

Well, I'm no pro but people/companies do ask me about selling photos to them once in a while. Recently, that happened a few weeks ago from a postcard company.

However, I give away the use of these photos for free. I have always worried that if I took money my attitude would change and I'd always be thinking "will someone buy this"? I'm not good enough to be a pro but, even as an amateur, this is a problem... at least for me.

[Sebastian]

Yes.

Not the income directly, but rather the pressures and expectations that come with an exchange of money. The whole thing about shooting for pleasure is that it's not burdened down by anyone's expectations but your own.

[Lori11]

It really has not changed for me except I think I now shoot better. I raised my bar and my expectations on my shooting when I made it a business. My own stress comes from the sale, not from the shooting or the $$. The biggest problem I have is when others do give their shots away, it cuts hard into my sales. My shots are good, but why pay if they can find someone to do it for free? The worst part about giving them away for free is, you will never be able to charge that person for your work at a later time. Then the money you lose then is yours.

[Loupey]

Michael - thanks for responding.

Not the income directly, but rather the pressures and expectations that come with an exchange of money. The whole thing about shooting for pleasure is that it's not burdened down by anyone's expectations but your own.

Well stated, Sebastian. I appreciate your input.

Lori - that's terrific that it hasn't really changed you. Yeah, the relative low cost and availability of digital images does make it more difficult than ever to keep prices high. Those who know and appreciate good images will continue to pay what these images are worth (we all hope).

[Loupey]

Over the years I've noticed two things that have changed for me (not necessarily for the better):

1) I don't shoot as much of the more common subjects that I used to shoot "for the sake of it" or for creative purposes. Instead, I find myself patrolling bird forums or talking to rangers to try to locate more "saleable" subjects.

2) When I'm shooting, I will often shoot it with two distinct styles. One for ME with a tilt towards the "artsy" side. The second type which is much looser compositionally (for later cropping around text blocks and page formats) and shot more documentary style.

I find internal conflicts occuring when there is time enough to get just one shot. Shoot for me or for sale? I suppose in an ideal world we would always shoot for ourselves and damn the world since they would buy it from us if we were good enough.

[jetrim]

In the beginning I did a lot of "people" shooting for free, simply to build up my body of work. That's mostly changed now, but it HAS changed the way I shoot to some small degree. When you're shooting for yourself, if you screw something up, it's a bad day, but not the end of the world. When shooting for a client, it absolutely positively must be right, the first time, so I tend to be a lot "safer", while still maintaining the style I was hired to produce. Unlike the stuff Loupey shoots, most of my stuff involves a whole team of people to produce, another reason to get it right as fast as possible. You don't want to have to assemble (and often, pay) a makeup artist, hair stylist, wardrobe stylist, assistant(s), and model(s) because you failed to deliver what the Art Director was expecting.

What I will still shoot for free on a regular basis is charity fashion shows. I look at it as donating my time to the cause, and it's a good PR opportunity. That and model testing, which is always an ongoing process.

[mwfanelli2]

It reThe biggest problem I have is when others do give their shots away, it cuts hard into my sales. My shots are good, but why pay if they can find someone to do it for free?

Well, a pro is unlikely to give away stuff for free other than some pro bono work once in a while. When amateurs such as myself give away photos for free all the time, it won't do anything for your sales. There is no way I can compete on quality. I doubt that the places I have given my stuff to would ever pay you much anyway. The offers have always been only a couple hundred each.

If a pro feels competition from an amateur at my skill level, perhaps that person needs a new career!

[Lori11]

Apparently I pushed a button that I didnt mean to. I shoot mostly race photography where free photos are a problem. I love my job, no stopping for me!

[mwfanelli2]

Apparently I pushed a button that I didnt mean to. I shoot mostly race photography where free photos are a problem. I love my job, no stopping for me!

No buttons pushed! I just think that many pros just don't have enough confidence in their own skill set.