[If you happen to be sick of my incessant philosophical waxing, scroll to the bottom of this message for some crunchy tactical treats!]
Not to be a dummy, but “if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.”
Ask any photographer I’ve coached, I’m big on challenging comfort zones.
For 13 years I’ve asked folks, “What’s the biggest challenge holding you back today?” And I’ve gotten hundreds of not thousands of answers to that question.
Some markets suck, straight up – there are towns and cities in America and around the world that are absolute black holes for reaching a full-time income as a professional photographer.
But…that’s almost never the biggest obstacle for folks.
(My photography company, Outlaw Photography, has thrived in rural Texas towns from populations 900 to 1,850, though I’ve never been afraid to reach into the markets like San Antonio and Austin!)
What’s holding you back is almost always the internal game.
“I’m not good enough… I’m not getting better fast enough… It’s already too late… I don’t have time / talent / camera gear / social media skills / sales skills… Everybody has a great camera on their phone today… I’m too old/young, too boring/nerdy, too introverted, too awkward, too YouNameIt.”
Just a word of encouragement today: your obstacle is your opportunity.
Where you feel like quitting is where most photographers want to quit. Why you want to quit is why most photographers do quit. And that’s why you have to learn to love the obstacles you face, internal and external: because they’re barriers others refuse to break through, mountains others fear to climb.
If you can fight past what’s holding you back today, you can reach rare air, where there is less competition and even more opportunity (clients, creativity, cash!).
Do that enough times, and you can own your zip code as a professional photographer.
Do it more, and you can own your area code and beyond.
The opportunity is there. The universe will definitely test your resolve, how serious you are about making your dream come true.
Let me encourage you today to stand up, fight forward, and pass that test.
Scared? Self-defeating? Self-sabotaging?
E-mail me and let me know what you’re feeling. We’ll work together to get you the breakthrough you so desperately need. 🙂
James Michael Taylor
www.parttimephoto.com
P.S. You asked for tactics? I got tactics! When was the last time you called your past clients to check in with them? Ask about how they’re enjoying their photos, if they need any extra prints, and if they’ve thought about their next photo shoot – fall is coming this month, leaves will be turning, pumpkin patches will be popping up, Halloween costumes are on sale now… Sounds like great opportunities for some discounted ‘event’ shoots, such as partnering with a local church pumpkin patch or school fall festival, to tease your clients back in front of your camera. Want to brainstorm ideas? E-mail me and let’s talk. 🙂