After reading Where are all the goddam photos, something in my head clicked. Not that photographers need a new way of doing things — I’d figured that out already — but that I wasn’t the only one in this same situation trying to do this same damn thing.
Every day I see Photographers making it big. And every day I see photographers loving the craft, doing what they can, and not even trying to make it. But I didn’t realize how many people there are out there in my exact same situation. And most of them aren’t photographers.
I like looking to musicians when thinking about photography because like the public’s taste in music, taste in photography is subjective and attracting people to it is way more complicated than just creating the best image.
– Rob Haggart // where are all the goddamn photos
Creating the “best image” is only a very small part of this. Yeah, Martin Prihoda is awesome. But as I watch him work behind the scenes with Delerium, aside from appreciating the results, which are fantastic, my single strongest thought is, “DUH!”. The lighting is simple. The framing, average. The location, obvious. Yes, it’s a fantastic shot. But it’s certainly not outside of the realm of what I’m completely capable of. But he’s getting paid, and I’m not. So, there’s something more to it than getting the “best image”. A lot more.
The photographer has got to stop thinking they deliver a product TO BE framed. Rather, they need to deliver a product that is already framed. Build the story, build the frame and you can grow the revenue.
Here’s the real kicker, though. You have to have to have something to say. And it’s a hell of lot more work to build that frame.
– Sean Cayton // comment
I’ve always considered this to be the case: in this crazy, overstuffed, digital age, being the best isn’t enough. Lots of people are the best. I’ve got to have a story, and a reason, and a drive. I’ve got to be different. I’ve got to be special. I’ve got to have someone as interested in looking at the subject I’ve selected as I am in photographing it. And it helps a lot if I bring a few people with me.
But if I’m passionate about a subject, and I’m following a particular photographer who distributes (for free) a work-in-progress on that subject, and once it’s finished she asks me to pony up for the book?
It’s a no-brainer. Of course I’m going to, ’cause I’m a true fan.
– Sean Cayton // comment
Regardless of your choice of art form, if you leave out the “big break” effect, the True Fan is the key. For every head-over-heels, stark-raving-mad, TRUE fan you have, there is a circle of friends that surrounds him wishing he’d just shut up about you. And that’s they key.
Anyone producing works of art needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.
A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.
[...] Assume conservatively that your True Fans will each spend one day’s wages per year in support of what you do. That “one-day-wage” is an average, because of course your truest fans will spend a lot more than that. Let’s peg that per diem each True Fan spends at $100 per year. If you have 1,000 fans that sums up to $100,000 per year, which minus some modest expenses, is a living for most folks.
– Kevin Kelly // 1,000 True Fans
I used to think that finding True Fans began with my friends. I thought that if I could impress them with my work, gain their interest, acceptance, and word of mouth, that it would spread like wildfire. What I’m starting to realize is that people aren’t generally stark-raving-mad about their friends. Not publicly, anyway. Not to strangers. And if you’re good friends, then you already know all the people they know, which rules them all out too. I have an example of this exact situation.
I met a girl once at a party. I had only a very vague idea of who she was, but she knew me. The minute she realized I was me she became giddy and star-struck. The whole thing was surreal and amazing. I was high from it for weeks. I wanted more. I thought that the best way to nurture that fanatic was to befriend them. I don’t regret that for even one second as she is a fantastic friend to me. But that whole giddy star-struck thing went away as soon as I became real and human to her.
Friends are often willing to say, “I know a guy who take photos. You should talk to him” when the conversation is directed that way. But friends aren’t the people who post a new blog entry that says “Have you seen Daniel’s newest photo?! OMG, I want to have like 10,000 of his babies!”
Friends are great. They fuel my work, they support its creation, they offer ideas, and subjects, and sounding boards, and shoulders. They are incredible, and amazing, and beautiful, and necessary. But they don’t pay the bills.
I need to attract some fans to my work — some true, stark raving lunatics. Thankfully, I’ve got an excellent, inside source of information on them: I just happen to be one.
We are in a similar boat. How do we make people NEED a luxury item? In my field, people would rather use OTC's than schedule a doctor's appointment that's a $10 copay for them, how do I make them pay $60 for an hour of my time? The numbers are about right; 1000 translates into 50 solidly booked weeks of 4 patients a day for me. I'd still have to be pretty stingy for Christmas presents, but that would pay my rent.
Friends are great, but to count on them to give you any sort of business at all is about the cutest thing I've heard all week.
Ha. Yeah. I didn't expect much BUSINESS, really, from friends. But I
did expect more word of mouth. I guess I expected them to be FANS.
I have presented your services to at least 10 different people that I
can remember. I pimp Jonathan and my parents whenever I feel it's a
good fit. I've intended to make an appointment with you (and email you
about something else) for EVER now… but I keep running out of time
(trying to do it on a work day to avoid having to drive out twice). I
mention Soul Glow any time anyone talks about needing a band for
something. Jess got Rob's Lawn Care company a job up at the bank she
works at. It's just the way I am.
I guess I expect others to act as I would.
“This photographer I know took an awesome photo of a barn. I bet you'd
like it.”
“You look great! You should talk to my friend about getting some
photos done. He's awesome and would certainly work with you for cheap
if not free.”
“Do you have any photos of your new baby yet? No? You should see
Daniel James. This guy is awesome!”
I think I expected too much.
I do think a FAN is a difficult thing to find. It requires a shift in mindset that really, I even haven't achieved for myself. I trade services with my landlady, because it's convenient, but I haven't gotten needled myself in over a year. I got into it to begin with because I seriously thought I was going out of my mind, or I'd never have considered paying for it. (And while intellectually I would find it interesting, if I had that much of a nutcase in my office, I'd find it more drama than I wanted even on a professional level.) And photography is just something I rarely think about.
Some people talk about me a lot, and some people actually get me business. I haven't quite figured out what makes the difference. I suspect it's the circle of wealth, which again, not exactly my social net. ;)
It's very hard to keep the 'art' separated from the 'business'. The business end of it is marketing. No artist, no business can thrive or grow without good marketing.
I like Kelly's approach but patronage is very old school. Today you need a good marketing plan and the best marketing plans focus on niches. Wegmen has his dogs, Geddes has her kids in costumes. What's your niche?
Giannatti covers a lot of photography marketing ideas on his blog: http://wizwow.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the link. I'll intend to dig deeper into it this weekend.
And you're right. It's about a niche. One of the best ways to earn the
True Fans that Kelly mentions is to specialize in something. That's
what draws the fans in the first place.
If we use the music analogy again: a musician that does folk one song,
bluegrass the next, then heavy metal, followed by a techno song isn't
going to do very well (unless content ties them together, i.e.
political, humor, nerdy, etc). This will fly (and bring more awe to
your fans) once your famous. But not in the beginning.
Part of my trouble is that I am varied. I need a niche. It's okay to
experiment now and again, or to do so in some other place, but I need
one niche to focus my time and energy on and gear my advertising and
marketing efforts in that direction.
I've got some soul searching to do.
Ha. Yeah. I didn't expect much BUSINESS, really, from friends. But I
did expect more word of mouth. I guess I expected them to be FANS.
I have presented your services to at least 10 different people that I
can remember. I pimp Jonathan and my parents whenever I feel it's a
good fit. I've intended to make an appointment with you (and email you
about something else) for EVER now… but I keep running out of time
(trying to do it on a work day to avoid having to drive out twice). I
mention Soul Glow any time anyone talks about needing a band for
something. Jess got Rob's Lawn Care company a job up at the bank she
works at. It's just the way I am.
I guess I expect others to act as I would.
“This photographer I know took an awesome photo of a barn. I bet you'd
like it.”
“You look great! You should talk to my friend about getting some
photos done. He's awesome and would certainly work with you for cheap
if not free.”
“Do you have any photos of your new baby yet? No? You should see
Daniel James. This guy is awesome!”
I think I expected too much.
It's very hard to keep the 'art' separated from the 'business'. The business end of it is marketing. No artist, no business can thrive or grow without good marketing.
I like Kelly's approach but patronage is very old school. Today you need a good marketing plan and the best marketing plans focus on niches. Wegmen has his dogs, Geddes has her kids in costumes. What's your niche?
Giannatti covers a lot of photography marketing ideas on his blog: http://wizwow.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the link. I'll intend to dig deeper into it this weekend.
And you're right. It's about a niche. One of the best ways to earn the
True Fans that Kelly mentions is to specialize in something. That's
what draws the fans in the first place.
If we use the music analogy again: a musician that does folk one song,
bluegrass the next, then heavy metal, followed by a techno song isn't
going to do very well (unless content ties them together, i.e.
political, humor, nerdy, etc). This will fly (and bring more awe to
your fans) once your famous. But not in the beginning.
Part of my trouble is that I am varied. I need a niche. It's okay to
experiment now and again, or to do so in some other place, but I need
one niche to focus my time and energy on and gear my advertising and
marketing efforts in that direction.
I've got some soul searching to do.
I do think a FAN is a difficult thing to find. It requires a shift in mindset that really, I even haven't achieved for myself. I trade services with my landlady, because it's convenient, but I haven't gotten needled myself in over a year. I got into it to begin with because I seriously thought I was going out of my mind, or I'd never have considered paying for it. (And while intellectually I would find it interesting, if I had that much of a nutcase in my office, I'd find it more drama than I wanted even on a professional level.) And photography is just something I rarely think about.
Some people talk about me a lot, and some people actually get me business. I haven't quite figured out what makes the difference. I suspect it's the circle of wealth, which again, not exactly my social net. ;)