Edit, November 2010: I am pleased to announce that I have condensed the content of my How to Become a Pro Photographer series into a concise, richly illustrated 27 page eBook that contains all the info, professional insight, links and resources included in the blog posts.
The great benefit of having it in eBook format is that you can have all the info at your fingertips, in one place, right on your computer or iPad.
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The Business of Photography
Most of us became photographers because we love the creative process of making images that tell a unique visual story about the world around us. When we first started out, we were drawn by the excitement that comes from making a permanent reflection of our own artistic drives and perceptions.
As our technique and craft improves and our personal vision becomes more defined, some of us decide to make it our profession. This is were the trouble starts. This is where the business part comes in.
We’re primarily right brain people. We’re creative. We focus on the subjective, the random, the visual and the intuitive. We tend to focus on the whole picture first, then focus on the details later. That’s why we bought cameras and chose a career that revolves around creativity.
Business, on the other hand, is analytical, sequential, verbal and it focuses on the details. These are all left brain ways of thinking. Often times these clash with what may come more naturally to us, and the result is that we’re just not always the best business people.
That’s not to say that all photographers are right brain people and can never become good at business. In fact, I would argue just the opposite.
Photography is a very technical craft that requires significant left brain functions, like calculations, numerical values and estimations. It attracts all kinds of left and right brain predominant people. It’s no wonder that so many doctors and lawyers take up photography as a hobby, it probably allows them to be creative while still using the exacting analytical aspects that are familiar to them.
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Want the rest of the info: Get the eBook.