Change Your Mindset – Change Your Future

Posted on: 10-3-2019 Posted in: Photography, Seminar / Workshop

I keep running into many of you who continuously have declared that there is no money to be made with photography. With this mindset you are correct, but if you were to look outside of your comfort zone, things could be a lot more different.

Most of you are focusing on your local and community markets, and some of you are doing well. However, there is a much bigger world out there and you’d be surprised how green the grass is on the other side of the fence.

I live in Miami and one would think that Miami is a model mecca with job offerings on every corner. As much as this is true, I only have a few Miami clients by choice. I have finally realized that the earth is not flat since the days of film and have taken on assignments internationally instead. It comes with out-of-box experiences and discoveries. Meeting new, different and exciting people is enjoyable. The best part is that you get to produce it all from a different perspective and learn about international markets, tell stories and feel like Marco Polo doing it all.

About influencers and the social media market

Today’s top influencers have gained notable interest from the commercial photography business. Brand names are forking over top dollars for the right images to support their marketing strategies. This new genre of photography should not be overlooked if traveling and making money is on your future horizon.

Lately, people have been asking me about a few of my images and how much Photoshop I used on them. Well, that sparked the idea in me to write this as a blog post.

The top questions were:

“How did you get the fishes like this? It’s gotta be Photoshopped.”
“How did you get up so high?”
“Was the water this clear, or was it replaced in Photoshop?”
“It’s Fake!”
“I want to go to places like this! Take me as an assistant!”
“Did you shoot any nudes?”
“It must be nice to be able to travel to exotic locations! What do I have to do to be able to do the same?”
“Was this done in a studio?”

Frutti-di-Mare-580 Shooting model Maria Klepchenko and the fishes – Jumeirah Vittaveli the Maldives. DJI Inspire 2 6K Cinema DNG frame grab at 1/120 sec at f/8.0 ISO 200

Behind the scenes video by Mohamd Azmeel

There were a few more questions, but I’d like to bring up something that I keep telling photographers. The worst thing you can do is to lock yourself in a four-walled studio “mentality” to think that things are just magically going to happen. Sure, they probably will, assuming that you have set builders, designers, assistants and a budget to pay for all of your indoor activities as we had in Playboy, right? The point I am trying to get across is that the world is your studio, and a big one, with some of the most beautiful elements to go and capture.

So how does one get to travel without breaking the bank?

This is where the business of photography becomes your best friend. Your ability to identify the current industry/client needs as to what sells and what doesn’t, is how you should approach it and how to monetize your plan.

The key to a winning recipe is not only understanding the business side, but the skills required to practice that aspect of photography. In a nutshell, you must be able to understand and predict what your clients’ needs are and to deliver as such.

Yes, but I like shooting models in skimpy attire instead.”

Sure, we all do, but whoever said that to you, should stop, it’s a total buzzkill. Compromise as I do, make money and you’ll get to do both, a wise man once said.

Why is it that people automatically assume that Photoshop is the great salvation of creativity? There is no such thing. Photoshop does have a place in the industry, but here’s the reality of it all; most of my clients want the images I shoot straight out of the camera and not edited ones. That should sum up everything right there and they get what they paid for.

Why not take lessons from National Geographic, where images cannot be manipulated. Instead, have your photographic creativity rule your images. Photographers get hired for their photography and not their Photoshop skills.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s go back to the original comments with some answers to the questions I have been receiving lately:

Question: “How did you get the fishes like this? It’s gotta be Photoshopped.”
Answer: The image was shot with a drone. (See the BTS video) I combined ground level photography with aerial imagery. Why settle for less when you can add production quality. Hire a drone pilot to boost your offering in the industry. Never automatically assume things when it comes to photography. Also, don’t forget the “fish treats!” You’d be surprised how well sea creatures will listen to you when you’ve got something they want.
Question: “How did you get up so high?”
Answer: See the answer up above. If you question such things, perhaps you have not kept up with the times and what’s been going on in the world of photography.
Question: “Was the water this clear, or was it replaced in Photoshop?”
Answer: The image has zero Photoshop or even color correction. This image was shot in the Maldives, where it’s almost impossible to find muddy water. I like to believe that choosing your shooting location is half of the answer to a photographer’s success.
Statement: “It’s Fake”
Answer: No such thing!
Question: “I want to go to places like this! Take me as your assistant!”
Answer: I choose my assistants from Shoot The Centerfold programs. A great place to start is to become part of our STC community or participate in one of our seminars. This is new since early 2019. We hire and give paid assignments to qualified STC attendees.
Question: “Did you shoot any nudes?”
Answer: I shoot beautiful and attractive models, which at times may include nudes.
Question: “It must be nice to be able to travel to exotic locations. What do I have to do to be able to do the same?”
Answer: Learn photography and the business of photography by stepping outside of your comfort zone. If you wish to see the world via your viewfinder and travel while getting paid, then consider pleasing your future clients and their needs instead of yours. I guarantee that your desires will be satisfied as well. It’s 20% photography and 80% everything else.