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Photography Lessons – Think Outside the Box

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Where is the photography industry headed?

image courtesy of graur razvan ionut

We’re hearing this more and more from photographers; “Every Joe with a DSLR thinks they are a photographer”.  Family members of the bride & groom are competing for the business in the wedding photography industry, right?  Only they’ll do it for fifty bucks and a six pack.  Beats fifteen hundred to three grand in some people’s opinion.  What’s more is that the audience sometimes may not be good enough at telling quality pro photos from the amateurs.  It’s a fact that DSLR sales are way up as more and more consumers join the craze.  There are two ways to look at everything.  Doom & Gloom or Opportunity.  I like opportunity.

Did you know that 8,100 people monthly Google search the keyword phrase, “photography lessons”?  Or that 18,100 people Google search the keyword phrase “photography workshops“?  Some others are “private photography lessons“, “photography lessons for kids” and “digital photography classes” – there are dozens more.

If you can’t beat them, join them. Innovate, create, teach.  So you can’t stop consumers from buying digital cameras, but maybe you can teach them how to use them.  Do you have a local community college in your area?  Do you have a studio with a down day during the week?  Teach a class.  Now you’re the expert.  And guess what?  Now you may just get hired for some work for one of your pupils – while they are still learning of course.  It’s all about connections, and the more you make the better off you’ll be.

So what do you think? Where is the photography industry headed?  How’s your business faring in the digital age?  Let us know.  At MorePhotos, we’re going strong, and we’re here to help make sure you are doing the same; from in-house marketing help & tech support to  SEO specialists.  We want to work together to keep pro photography alive.  I hope this made you think outside the box.

P.S. Need marketing tips?  Read our post: Nine Things you can do to Promote your Photography Business on the Web.

5 thoughts on “Photography Lessons – Think Outside the Box”

  1. Brian,

    It sounds like you have a good system worked out. Make some extra money by providing value & teaching your art. Then when they realize why pros are pros you’re likely to get the business anyway.
    Thanks for reading!

  2. Drew,

    I’ve watched the phenomenon over the last ten years or so – with a jaundiced eye – as some amateurs have delved into the business of professional photography. At first, I admit I was pretty disheartened with the whole idea, watching people offer product that seemed to be woefully lacking in quality. However, rather than a ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ attitude, I attacked it from the standpoint of if they are determined to do it, might as well teach them to do it right.

    I’ve always tried to help fledgling photogs no matter what their reason for picking up a camera, more so if they were actually trying to make money with it. I looked on it as helping keep the reputation of all pro photogs intact, by trying to instruct the newbies in at least the basic fundamentals. In most cases, what happens is usually one of two things – they either thrive on the knowledge and become better photos, or they come to realize the enormity of the task at hand, of becoming proficient, and decide against becoming a photog for hire.

    In addition, I’ve always gone out of my way to impart knowledge to potential customers, for instance if shooting a wedding, demonstrating the difference between mediocre results, and the high quality images that most professionally trained photogs will normally render. Educating the public is as important as educating would be photogs, as it puts in place standards that both the photog should strive for and the public should then expect.

    Jimmy G.

    1. Jim,

      Your perspective is a good one. Teaching the art correctly and teaching the public to respect a good quality photograph. This way the good quality photographers will hopefully emerge and be successful.

      As always, I appreciate your comments.

      Drew

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