Vectorial Elevation Lights at English Bay during the 2010 Olympic Games
There are some things which money can’t buy, like your personality or how good you are at communicating with people. Okay I suppose you could spend wads of cash on programs to brainwash your mind and enroll in communication programs, but you get what I mean. When it comes to your photo business however, you can buy just about anything. Of course, this means you should definitely think hard before you spend.
There are some things that people think they need and end up blowing a month’s pay on, and there are things that are actually well worth the investment but when it comes to actually spending the money, that familiar voice, the one that goes *cheep cheep* starts talking inside your head. I know I’ve beaten this point to death in previous entries, but far too many photographers spend money on equipment they don’t need. I mean why spend $1500 on that 85 mm 1.2 L lens when the $350 1.8 equivalent will do just a good a job in most cases. Or why bother getting that $5000 studio light system when the $2000 studio kit of another brand will cover just as many bases. In part it’s because having the latest and hottest equipment on the market gives you a sense of empowerment, a surface level of confidence which money can help buy, and the illusion that your images will be as good as the pros.
The problem is no one’s going to think so in the end, not even you. Gear is good, but if you’re aiming to be a pro, there are others things to consider.
For example, instead of dropping $400 on that lens you want because someone else you know happens to own it, why not spend $40 for a professional photo gallery viewer like smugmug. Not too long ago I found out that one of my photographer friends uses programs like rapidshare to share photos with his clients, which almost gave me a heart attack. Not meaning to sound arrogant, but if you’re going to charge top dollar for your services (my friend was in this case), then you better deliver a top dollar service, and that definitely doesn’t involve clients clicking on a link and then having to wait 60 seconds before downloading a file.
When you’re just starting out you won’t have many clients coming your way at first–believe me I know–so it’s very important that you create an enjoyable an experience as you can for the ones you do get, and when I say “enjoyable experience” I’m not just talking about the shoot. How easy your website is to navigate, the way you present your clients their photos, sending your past clients something to remember you by such as picture post-cards, all of these are just as important, if not more important, investments as the gear you purchase.
