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Just who do you think you're shooting for? - part 2 of 1 2 3

by Brett Florens Published 01/04/2012

Please yourself

We have become so intent on pleasing others, that we forget what pleases ourselves. I have heard so many photographers complain about their clients, but let's look at the psychology behind this: if you allow your clients to bully and dictate to you, you unfortunately deserve the clients you get. You need to send out clear messages to your client as to what your brand image is and what type of images you enjoy shooting. Attracting the right client is the first step to ensuring an enjoyable and long career. If you don't like an image that you have shot, then don't blog or post it, no matter how much your client likes it. By doing this you are only attracting more of the same type of client. The switch from shooting for your client to shooting for yourself may take a while if you have already created some sort of brand identity, but the way to do it is to only post the images that you like. The client will still be happy as they have received what they expected, you just won't be using all their images in your marketing and promotional material.

Create your comfort zone

We all enjoy being in our comfort zones and this is where choosing the style that suits you counts. If you are not that great with people and don't feel comfortable posing people, then perhaps a more photojournalistic approach would suit your personality. If you prefer to be more in control and assertive, then a more stylised or traditional style may suit you. Play to your strengths and you will soon find that you develop a unique style that becomes second nature to you and which is eventually identifiable as your own. If you find that it is difficult to experiment with lighting, or poses with existing clients, then go out and choose the location, lighting, poses and model that will enable you to practise shooting the exact images that you would like to shoot in the future. If you are a wedding photographer and you are currently shooting for the same type of market and feel that you want to elevate yourself to a more affluent market, then you are going to have to shoot images that will appeal to a more affluent client. This would mean using models who have the appearance or air of wealth! Hire or make trade exchanges with other suppliers to create images that look authentic and that you have created under your control and creative process. When you get booked by clients who like these types of images, then you are going to need to manage your time correctly on the day so that you can recreate the similar feel and style that you practised earlier. Having successfully shot these types of images when you were practising, you'll have the confidence to pull it off on the day. The client will see that you are confident and will in turn, feed off that confidence and look more relaxed and comfortable in the images, instead of insecure and awkward.

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1st Published 01/04/2012
last update 09/12/2022 14:58:53

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