What a difference a day makes.
A wise man once said (and if he didn't, I'm saying it now!), "You don't realize what you don't know until you meet someone who does know." Well I have met that someone, and he is Marc Weisberg.
I took a one-day seminar with Marc and my head is still swimming. Not only does he do amazing images, but he also has a system for his workflow, for running the back-end of the business, and dealing with customers from the very first phone call. Basically everything you've wanted to know about how to run your own photography company, he has the answers. And you know his answers are right because he's very successful at it already. In fact, I predict he will one day soon be one of the premiere wedding photographers in the country.
I learned a LOT. So much I'm still trying to digest everything.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Back from San Jose
Well here I am, back from San Jose. I must confess, I didn't get all the shots I was hoping for, but I did learn alot. And since the whole purpose of this blog is to share my knowledge, let's get to it.
The first thing I learned is that it is extremely difficult mixing business with pleasure trips. My wife and I were meeting friends up there so we had no car and it wasn't really our itinerary. Our friends were extremely generous, and drove us around to the wineries and were even kind enough to take me to a place where I could shoot the Golden Gate bridge. The difficulty is that it's best to shoot early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun is lower in the horizon. That way you get that beautiful golden light and no harsh shadows. When we were at the wineries it was usually around noon-time so the light was very harsh, and when we went to the Golden Gate it was a little too late so the images were much darker than I had hoped. I also took much longer than they all thought and were worried about me as they waited in the car and I was gone for nearly an hour. That wasn't really fair to them. I think in the future, I'll either take trips specifically to get shots, or I'll make plans to go out and take shots during certain blocks of time or on specific days. That way I can get where I need to be when I need to be there and not convenience everybody else. If you want to be serious about photography, make it a priority.
The second thing I learned is that it's really good to know your equipment by feel. When I finally got to where I wanted to be to get the Golden Gate shots, it was fairly dark. There were no lights at the beach/park, and I didn't have a flashlight on me. When I use my camera for shots like this, I always do the auto-feature that snaps 3 shots at 3 different exposures - one step below the "ideal" exposure as indicated by my built-in light meter, a shot at normal exposure, and a step above "ideal" exposure. To do this I have to go into the menu on my camera and set it up. I couldn't see the buttons at all on my camera, but from memory and by touch I was able to find the menu button and advance to the correct screen, which I could see on the LCD. As I said before, the shots didn't turn out as well as I would have hoped, but I was still able to attempt to get the shot under less-than-ideal circumstances. Know your equipment.
The third thing I learned is I still wasn't as well-prepared as I should have been. Before leaving on the trip, I had removed the ring from my 70-200mm lens that is used to attach the lens to a tripod because it weighs much more than the camera. This would have been an ideal lens to use for the Golden Gate shot, but in the dark with what little light there was quickly fading away, it was impossible for me to try to re-connect the ring to the lens and use it in time. Had I attached it earlier, I could have pulled the lens out and used it. Who knows? That might have got me a much better shot than what I took. Or I should just put a flashlight in my backpack so I can work in low-light situations (I think I'll buy a Microlight). Either way, preparation is critical.
In the end, the trip was wonderful. We did lots of wine tasting, had a lot of great food, and had a fantastic time with our friends. I did get some vineyard shots and pictures of wine barrels that may be usable for stock photography - I'll try submitting them and see what happens. But one thing is for sure - I will be better prepared for my next outing.
The first thing I learned is that it is extremely difficult mixing business with pleasure trips. My wife and I were meeting friends up there so we had no car and it wasn't really our itinerary. Our friends were extremely generous, and drove us around to the wineries and were even kind enough to take me to a place where I could shoot the Golden Gate bridge. The difficulty is that it's best to shoot early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun is lower in the horizon. That way you get that beautiful golden light and no harsh shadows. When we were at the wineries it was usually around noon-time so the light was very harsh, and when we went to the Golden Gate it was a little too late so the images were much darker than I had hoped. I also took much longer than they all thought and were worried about me as they waited in the car and I was gone for nearly an hour. That wasn't really fair to them. I think in the future, I'll either take trips specifically to get shots, or I'll make plans to go out and take shots during certain blocks of time or on specific days. That way I can get where I need to be when I need to be there and not convenience everybody else. If you want to be serious about photography, make it a priority.
The second thing I learned is that it's really good to know your equipment by feel. When I finally got to where I wanted to be to get the Golden Gate shots, it was fairly dark. There were no lights at the beach/park, and I didn't have a flashlight on me. When I use my camera for shots like this, I always do the auto-feature that snaps 3 shots at 3 different exposures - one step below the "ideal" exposure as indicated by my built-in light meter, a shot at normal exposure, and a step above "ideal" exposure. To do this I have to go into the menu on my camera and set it up. I couldn't see the buttons at all on my camera, but from memory and by touch I was able to find the menu button and advance to the correct screen, which I could see on the LCD. As I said before, the shots didn't turn out as well as I would have hoped, but I was still able to attempt to get the shot under less-than-ideal circumstances. Know your equipment.
The third thing I learned is I still wasn't as well-prepared as I should have been. Before leaving on the trip, I had removed the ring from my 70-200mm lens that is used to attach the lens to a tripod because it weighs much more than the camera. This would have been an ideal lens to use for the Golden Gate shot, but in the dark with what little light there was quickly fading away, it was impossible for me to try to re-connect the ring to the lens and use it in time. Had I attached it earlier, I could have pulled the lens out and used it. Who knows? That might have got me a much better shot than what I took. Or I should just put a flashlight in my backpack so I can work in low-light situations (I think I'll buy a Microlight). Either way, preparation is critical.
In the end, the trip was wonderful. We did lots of wine tasting, had a lot of great food, and had a fantastic time with our friends. I did get some vineyard shots and pictures of wine barrels that may be usable for stock photography - I'll try submitting them and see what happens. But one thing is for sure - I will be better prepared for my next outing.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
I Left My Heart in San Jose...
Flying up to San Jose, CA for the next 4 days. We're visiting some married friends, but I'm really hoping to get out there and get some shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, the lighthouse at Pigeon Point in Pescadero, and shots in Napa Valley. That's my goal anyway. If I get even half of that done I'll be pleased.
Pictures of what I get will follow...
Pictures of what I get will follow...
Starting the Business...
I kind of romanticized having my own business. Being in charge. Working for yourself. Take as long a lunch as you want. Well, I'm not quite there yet. I've actually taken the conservative route and I'm doing this photography thing as a side business while I work at a real 40-hour per week corporate job. I think for the photography business it's the wisest choice. There are a lot of people doing photography here in Orange County, let alone California, and I know I could not make enough doing it to live the life I can afford with my regular job. My advise is unless you have a ton of money in savings that you can afford to do your business full-time, or your idea has a niche market that will rabidly go after your product and/or service, you might do the same thing.
Still, there are certain steps you need to take when starting your own business. In a nutshell that's as follows:
1. Pick a company name or use your own name. If you choose a company name (like "ACME Photography"), you need to fill out a "doing business as" or DBA with the state and city where your business will take place. If you use your own name, you usually don't. When you do a DBA, you go to city hall and they will check to see if the name is already in use. If it isn't, it's yours! But to be sure, some places require you file your new business name in some sort of periodical just to inform everyone you exist and make sure nobody else has the name. This can vary, so check with your local city.
2. If required - get a business license. Some cities require you apply for one, some don't. My city didn't. Check with your city and find out. Lots of times you can find out on the web if you do or don't.
3. Get a Federal Tax ID Number. This identifies you to the federal government as a legitimate business. This means you have to pay taxes as a business (if you make a profit), but it also allows you to do write-offs for business expenses. I got to write off my new camera, lenses, and trips to Washington DC, Seattle, and New York because I have this ID# (my father-in-law is an accountant so he figured it all out for me - check with an accountant to see how it works). Without this ID#, the feds don't know you have a business, and if you start writing things off without it, you can get into trouble. This also lets you get things like a resellers permit (which I'll explain next) and business accounts at banks. Some vendors you work with may require to see it too.
4. Resellers Permit. You need this if you are selling a product. Since I'm doing photography, I can use this to sell prints of my photographs, or even framed prints of my photographs, and charge whatever I want to charge. Now if you aren't selling anything physical yourself, you don't necessarily need this. You can upload your photographs to Websites like Shutterfly and sell your photographs through them if you purchase a business account. Stock photography sites like iStockphoto or Photospin will sell your photographs for stock. Since they are the ones actually selling your photographs, you don't need the resellers permit - they do. And because they do, they are required to charge people sales tax, as are you if you get a resellers permit - as long as you are selling something physical like a print or even a CD with images on it. Interestingly enough, if you provide a customer with an image via e-mail or a non-physical way, you don't have to charge them sales tax. That may change in the future, but right now it's the rule - at least in California. With a resellers permit you can also get discounts at certain places. For example, you can buy frames wholesale and get a discount through them if you provide a resellers permit proving you are a legitimate business and you'll be reselling what you're purchasing.
Now this is what I did to start my business. Check with your local and state governments to make sure of your rules so you don't get in trouble. And as I mentioned before, if you use other vendors like Shutterfly or iStockphoto, you don't even need the resellers permit - but technically you can't sell your physical prints or CDs to other people.
How did I learn all this? Talking to small business owners and doing research on the web. That's all part of having a plan as mentioned in the previous post. Your results may vary, so do the research and find out what you need.
Still, there are certain steps you need to take when starting your own business. In a nutshell that's as follows:
1. Pick a company name or use your own name. If you choose a company name (like "ACME Photography"), you need to fill out a "doing business as" or DBA with the state and city where your business will take place. If you use your own name, you usually don't. When you do a DBA, you go to city hall and they will check to see if the name is already in use. If it isn't, it's yours! But to be sure, some places require you file your new business name in some sort of periodical just to inform everyone you exist and make sure nobody else has the name. This can vary, so check with your local city.
2. If required - get a business license. Some cities require you apply for one, some don't. My city didn't. Check with your city and find out. Lots of times you can find out on the web if you do or don't.
3. Get a Federal Tax ID Number. This identifies you to the federal government as a legitimate business. This means you have to pay taxes as a business (if you make a profit), but it also allows you to do write-offs for business expenses. I got to write off my new camera, lenses, and trips to Washington DC, Seattle, and New York because I have this ID# (my father-in-law is an accountant so he figured it all out for me - check with an accountant to see how it works). Without this ID#, the feds don't know you have a business, and if you start writing things off without it, you can get into trouble. This also lets you get things like a resellers permit (which I'll explain next) and business accounts at banks. Some vendors you work with may require to see it too.
4. Resellers Permit. You need this if you are selling a product. Since I'm doing photography, I can use this to sell prints of my photographs, or even framed prints of my photographs, and charge whatever I want to charge. Now if you aren't selling anything physical yourself, you don't necessarily need this. You can upload your photographs to Websites like Shutterfly and sell your photographs through them if you purchase a business account. Stock photography sites like iStockphoto or Photospin will sell your photographs for stock. Since they are the ones actually selling your photographs, you don't need the resellers permit - they do. And because they do, they are required to charge people sales tax, as are you if you get a resellers permit - as long as you are selling something physical like a print or even a CD with images on it. Interestingly enough, if you provide a customer with an image via e-mail or a non-physical way, you don't have to charge them sales tax. That may change in the future, but right now it's the rule - at least in California. With a resellers permit you can also get discounts at certain places. For example, you can buy frames wholesale and get a discount through them if you provide a resellers permit proving you are a legitimate business and you'll be reselling what you're purchasing.
Now this is what I did to start my business. Check with your local and state governments to make sure of your rules so you don't get in trouble. And as I mentioned before, if you use other vendors like Shutterfly or iStockphoto, you don't even need the resellers permit - but technically you can't sell your physical prints or CDs to other people.
How did I learn all this? Talking to small business owners and doing research on the web. That's all part of having a plan as mentioned in the previous post. Your results may vary, so do the research and find out what you need.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
So You Want to Start a Business?
I haven't really read any books on starting a business. Actually, I have some books on the subjet, but I haven't read them yet (I find myself reading books on photography first). However, I think there are some characteristics an individual needs if he or she wants to start a business. These aren't anything new or revolutionary and you probably already know them, but here they are:
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on who you ask), I've tended to have these traits for most of my life. Can people who don't have these traits start a small business? I suppose it's possible, but I have never met that person. Perhaps you have. All the small business owners I've been in contact with definitely do possess these traits.
And while they sound like very positive characteristics at first, they can be negative too. From what I've read and what I've seen, small business owners who possess these traits can be a bit obsessive when it comes to their business. This can have a negative affect on friends and family if it's not controlled. I know I have to balance my need of wanting to take pictures, work on pictures, and grow my business with married life. There are always things that need to be done, but I still need to make my personal life a priority or else it will start to suffer. I'm sure many people have not done this and have suffered a lot because of it. This is something to keep in mind when starting any business.
If you already possess these characteristics and you're thinking about starting a business, photography or otherwise, you have what it takes to get it going. If you feel like you don't have these traits, you might either want to re-evaluate your goal, or partner up with someone who does possess them. Not all creative-types have the business personality, and there is nothing wrong with that, but somebody on the team should or you'll have a difficult time.
- Drive - once a goal is set, moving towards it constantly
- Persistance - not giving up despite setbacks, always working on improving
- A plan - setting goals, figuring out what needs to be done to get things done
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on who you ask), I've tended to have these traits for most of my life. Can people who don't have these traits start a small business? I suppose it's possible, but I have never met that person. Perhaps you have. All the small business owners I've been in contact with definitely do possess these traits.
And while they sound like very positive characteristics at first, they can be negative too. From what I've read and what I've seen, small business owners who possess these traits can be a bit obsessive when it comes to their business. This can have a negative affect on friends and family if it's not controlled. I know I have to balance my need of wanting to take pictures, work on pictures, and grow my business with married life. There are always things that need to be done, but I still need to make my personal life a priority or else it will start to suffer. I'm sure many people have not done this and have suffered a lot because of it. This is something to keep in mind when starting any business.
If you already possess these characteristics and you're thinking about starting a business, photography or otherwise, you have what it takes to get it going. If you feel like you don't have these traits, you might either want to re-evaluate your goal, or partner up with someone who does possess them. Not all creative-types have the business personality, and there is nothing wrong with that, but somebody on the team should or you'll have a difficult time.
Monday, July 16, 2007
How Did I Start?
So let's start at the beginning - how did I get interested in photography? I think for some, it begins with one picture. I realized this when I checked out Jim Janaard's photo website. In case you don't know who he is, he is the founder of Oakley - a company that makes high-end sunglasses and other apparel, and he is currently working on the RED Digital Cinema Camera Company.
If you look at the History portion of his website, he shows you the first picture he took that made him want to do photography (it's a nice one). I hope to post my first picture that gave me hope - first I have to find it, then I have to scan it! But I'll try to explain it to you.
I was 18 years old and at Sea World with my parents. My dad had a decent SLR (that's single lense reflex - a camera that is larger in size than instant cameras and usually has interchangable lenses) and let me borrow it when I went to the top of what was known then as the PSA Skytower. It's this ride that holds a ton of people and slowly rotates as it rises up and gives you a great view of the area. At the top of the ride, I shot a picture of a pier off in the distance that had what looked like a rollercoaster on it. I didn't think much of it until I had the film developed, and although I was using color film, the image actually turned out looking black and white because of the tinting on the windows of the Skytower, and because it was overcast that day. The silohuette of the rollercoaster could be seen, as well as patches of sunlight that was coming through the clouds. I had the image blown up and hung it in my room. The blown-up image is long gone, but I still remember the shot, and remember it made me think I might have a decent eye for photography. Up until then, I felt like all the other pictures I'd taken while growing up were just snapshots. THAT was a photograph.
So I started reading books on the subject, from the very simple to the more complex. Books on basic camera operation, books on composition and technique, and later, as digital became more popular, books on Photoshop. I went all out to learn as much as I possibly could. I learned about aperture and shutter speed and how the two work together. I learned about ISO settings and which ones work best for what kinds of photos. I learned that slide film is better quality than regular film, so I shot with that even though it was more expensive to develop.
After a while I felt like I needed some feedback on what I was doing, so I decided to look for classes. Fortunately, the classes found me in a way, when I was shooting pictures at the San Juan Capistrano Mission, and met Robert Hansen, who was teaching some students there. They say, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear..." and sure enough he did.
So for a while I took classes from him on different aspects of photography. I even worked as a photo assistant for him a couple of times. All these were great experiences, and he gave me a lot of encouragement and the belief that I might be able to do something with my photography.
So that's how I started out - with a passion for knowledge. The next step was to try to make a business out of it.
After a while I felt like I needed some feedback on what I was doing, so I decided to look for classes. Fortunately, the classes found me in a way, when I was shooting pictures at the San Juan Capistrano Mission, and met Robert Hansen, who was teaching some students there. They say, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear..." and sure enough he did.
So for a while I took classes from him on different aspects of photography. I even worked as a photo assistant for him a couple of times. All these were great experiences, and he gave me a lot of encouragement and the belief that I might be able to do something with my photography.
So that's how I started out - with a passion for knowledge. The next step was to try to make a business out of it.
My First Entry
So here I am, going after my dream. I admit it might be a longshot, but I want to do it. I want to be a professional photographer.
Well, I sort of am. I'm at least a part-time professional photographer. Part-time in that I already have a full-time job designing e-learning at an insurance company (name withheld to protect the innocent). Professional in that I've had two people pay me to take pictures of their kids and I have 3 pictures accepted at iStockphoto.com. They haven't sold yet, but they were accepted.
So this blog is about me trying to "make it" in the world of photography. I'm going to tell you how I started, what I'm doing, and how I plan to get there. And although this focuses on photography, this really applies to anyone trying to start a small business of their own, or trying to get into a career they know they'd love to do for a living. I have a friend who is trying to live his dream of being a professional writer. You can see his blog at www.imminentfiction.com.
If you've stumbled across this blog and you want to see my photos and what I'm trying to sell, you can check out my webpage at www.stevenmjohnson.com.
I hope you find this blog helpful and informative. For me, I think it will be an interesting way to chronicle my journey.
Well, I sort of am. I'm at least a part-time professional photographer. Part-time in that I already have a full-time job designing e-learning at an insurance company (name withheld to protect the innocent). Professional in that I've had two people pay me to take pictures of their kids and I have 3 pictures accepted at iStockphoto.com. They haven't sold yet, but they were accepted.
So this blog is about me trying to "make it" in the world of photography. I'm going to tell you how I started, what I'm doing, and how I plan to get there. And although this focuses on photography, this really applies to anyone trying to start a small business of their own, or trying to get into a career they know they'd love to do for a living. I have a friend who is trying to live his dream of being a professional writer. You can see his blog at www.imminentfiction.com.
If you've stumbled across this blog and you want to see my photos and what I'm trying to sell, you can check out my webpage at www.stevenmjohnson.com.
I hope you find this blog helpful and informative. For me, I think it will be an interesting way to chronicle my journey.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)