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Ok. We know we have to be able to analyze our strengths and weaknesses as a photographer. You understand you are better at some aspects of photography than others and you’ve dedicated yourself to capitalizing on your strengths and learning how to improve in weak areas. That’s a good start. However, look a little deeper into yourself on a personal level and come to some conclusions about your personality strengths and weaknesses.

Having an outgoing, confident personality might be more important than how well you take pictures when it comes to succeeding in the business of photography. I emphasize “business” because personality really doesn’t matter if you’ve shooting still life or landscapes or dogs…and aren’t trying to sell those images to anyone. However, if you want to sell your images, you have to be ready to also sell yourself.

We have no better example of a photographer who knows how to sell himself than our own Jarmo Pohjaniemi. Is Jarmo a good photographer? Without a doubt, he has become a master. However, is it only Jarmo’s technical skills as a photographer which make him successful? The technical skills can be learned, it’s the intangibles that can make you truly great.

At the risk of embarrassing him, I will confidently state that Jarmo became so successful at Playboy also because of his personality—an eagerness to please, a willingness to listen to and accept criticism and even sometimes accept rejection, the ability to relate to his editors on a personal basis, to make a joke at the right moment, to get serious when the situation called for it, the good sense of when it was time to back off and the ability to change his approach to a shooting based on time or budget, an empathy for the fact that his editor was depending on him, an understanding that when he was on a shoot for Playboy, he wasn’t just shooting for Playboy, he was Playboy. And, of course, Jarmo diligently studied Playboy photography from its beginning until he entered the scene many years ago. He then began to attempt to emulate what he was being published in the pages of the magazine every month. He was alert and aware and he was always optimistic that his ultimate goal, being published in Playboy, was in reach.

Of course, not everyone is bubbling over with the kind of natural self-confidence that Jarmo has in such abundance. Some of us, myself included, have a more laid back type of personality. However, I think I have the ability to relate to lots of different kinds of people, some with big egos and lesser talent, some with big egos and lots of talent, some with little of either. However, I learned that attentive listening is a powerful tool to use in dealing with anyone. When you get the opportunity to communicate with a potential client, even if your personal sales pitch can’t be delivered with Jarmo’s enthusiasm, listen to your client. Show him that you are familiar with whatever his business is. Do a little homework before you approach him so that you can ask an intelligent question. And then listen closely to what he has to say.

Next week I’ll discuss the importance of personality on set, on location and discuss some of the pitfalls that even good photographers sometimes fall into.

~ Gary Cole

Read Gary’s earlier post “Taking a Hard Look In The Mirror”  Pt: 1 here

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