Last Friday, I had the honor of presenting (for 3 hours no less!) at I.S.E.S. Eventworld 2009. The title of my presentation was “Who Are You and What Do You Do?”. I gave a similar presentation at W.I.P.A.‘s Southern California meeting in July. I got an inordinate response at both events when I discussed the two pictures above (found thanks to the incomparable Trisha Hay) and thought it important enough to share them here.
For the picture on the right, who would you rather have as a client? The little girl or her Dad? Would the picture look the same way if there was Anime on the wall? Simple, in order to price well you have to define who you are and what your art is all about. The right client who values your art needs to be able not only to find you, but also resist the pull of your competition (pun intended). Seems obvious, but I can not tell you how many times I hear that “we want to have something for everyone” or, “in this economy, we just don’t want to turn anyone away.” Umm, no you don’t and yes you do.
The image on the left is a little more subtle. It is a picture of a Mardi Gras float on Fat Tuesday. What do you think the crowd would pay for the beads being thrown from the float? What do you think they would pay for them on Wednesday morning? When would you like to be selling the beads? If you know who you are and your relevance to the current state of the marketplace, you can place an appropriate premium on the value you deliver.
Last, did the Great Depression kill the ice block business or did the advent of the electric refrigerator? If you really know who you are and what you do, you will be able to adapt when circumstances change. In the case of ice-makers — shift from iceboxes to selling ice cubes to bars and restaurants. Value is how and where you define it.
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Great post, Sean. I’m grateful that Laura told me about you 🙂
Your post is serendipitous. Tonight, I was creating curriculum for an upcoming workshop , and jotted down my thoughts on this very topic.
One of my favorite photographers, Sam Abell said, “Who we are is the most important thing about photography.”
While this is true for any photographer, it’s even more paramount for photographers who are building their own brand & business.
One of the biggest pitfalls for photographers – and perhaps any creative professional – is visual schizophrenia. I’ve noticed many photographers lack a strong sense of identity. This leaves them vulnerable to the whim of trends. In the course of many portfolio reviews, I’ve seen work from photographers that looks like a collection of the best images from a diverse sampling of stylistic influences. A prospective client looks at their work and has no clear sense of the photographer’s identity! It’s natural to be influenced by colleagues and to think: “If it works for them, it will work for me!”
But while these images are well-executed, they create ambiguity in the photographer’s marketing message, which works against them during the sales process.
In my opinion, the most successful people in any field stand out because of a personal investment in their work. They’ve found a way to express who they are through what they do. This becomes increasingly true in a saturated, competitive market. So, I encourage photographers to ask themselves some soul-searching questions: Who are you? What is your style? Can you articulate this to your client in two sentences? Is your branding and marketing message consistent with your vision? Do your images reinforce your identity?
Start with finding yourself. Then, the clients will find you.
Sean,
I appreciate your expert knowledge and perspective on creative business. I eagerly anticipate each post from you.
WOW! You have a way of opening everyones eyes around you. I will be applying that to my own business today. Thank you!
Another terrific post Sean! Was just having coffee yesterday with a creative here in Portland and we spent some time talking about just this…Value. Providing value and having a clear message that resounds with your clientele is paramount in today’s environment.
Looking forward to your next post…thanks!
I try to be very cognizant of this very concept – to echo your words, it is very easy to get caught up in the recent trends. Like my husband always says, and oh how so eloquently he put’s it “Don’t be a Sheep” essentially, follow your heart and you will be caught up in what is right for you.
I look forward to your posts! Thank you for having the voice to pull it together for the rest of us.
Best,
Heather
Wow – reading this post is like a two-fer deal between what you wrote and what Rachel (part of one of the most inspiring photography teams I know) wrote as well. Wow.
I need to go think and write after this. So inspired!
So disappointed that I was not able to attend ISES Eventworld this year! I surely would have enjoyed hearing you speak!
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