Helping amateur photographers make the transition to paid professionals.

How to find and partner with non-profits to better your photography business

November 23, 2010This is Business

As a newly-minted part time professional photographer, it must take years of hard work, advertising, and great word of mouth exposure to get some face time with the truly influential leaders in your community...right?

Hell naw.

By partnering up with local non-profits, getting involved with their volunteers, events, and boards of directors, you will quickly make a name for yourself both as a photographer and as someone who gives back to good causes in your community.

Let's get the ethics question out of the way: Is it bad juju to 'use' charities as a marketing method?

In any relationship of give and take - whether that's money changing hands between a client and you as a service provider, or between a volunteer and a charitable entity - there is an exchange of value.

Between you and your clients, they're handing you cash in exchange for the value of the art and experience you provide them.

Between a volunteer and a non-profit, the volunteer is providing their time and talent and the non-profit is providing a venue to help that volunteer use their talent for a good cause. The volunteer gains satisfaction, self respect, good karma, and good vibes within that non-profit group.

Donating your time and talents to non-profits - membership directories, event photography, promotional / PR photography, 'commercial' photography for their advertising - provides the receiver with the skilled work of a professional. The giver, yourself, gets the personal satisfaction of helping out a good cause, and the professional benefit of good word of mouth within that group.

So long as both parties agree on an exchange that benefits both parties, there is no ethical question - you're both getting far greater benefit from working together than from the nothingness you both started with. If you do event photography for a non-profit charity ball, and you're listed as the official photographer in the program and advertising, both parties have come away with something of tangible value - they get your great photos, you get their kindness and great word of mouth.

And make no mistake, word of mouth within the circles of volunteers and non-profits is some of the best you can get. The quality of the people is near-universally top-tier, and the folks who are a part of these non-profits from the volunteers to the directors, are the movers and shakers in their circles. Some of the most prominent (and, likely, wealthy) members of your local business community are the same people who sit on the boards of these non-profits.

When you make an impression on them, they will talk – and when they talk, people truly listen.

The guy in the Statue of Liberty suit waving a "GET YOUR TAX RETURN TODAY!!!" sign at me as I fly by on the highway won't get me in the door - but if the fellow who sits next to me on the board of the local business association says, "Hey, you need to check out John Doe for your taxes - he's top drawer," my ears are gonna perk.

Non-profit partnering opportunities

Here are some ways you can partner with local non-profits to benefit your community and your bottom line:

Event photography - Most non-profits put on a variety of events like fundraisers, galas, open houses and such every year. Ask to be the official photographer for the event, and then just cover it like you would any event or wedding. Capture the important players, the memorable moments, the peak action, the smiling faces, and like a good photojournalist, really tell the story of the event with your photos. Post the album of photos on your blog and Facebook for folks to enjoy and download, and provide a CD of hi-res, fully-processed images with a license release for their PR and marketing. As always, the better work you do, the bigger an impression you'll make.

Be a part of the event - Another angle to take on being the photographer at an event is to make your photography a part of the event. If it's a community event, set up a photo booth / scene and take photos of attendees for a price - say, $5 donation to the charity nets a hi-res, fully processed digital file e-mailed within a day or so (here's a good opportunity to ask for the opt-in from folks for your e-mail newsletter). If it's a more exclusive event like a gala, don't charge - just take fun photos, collect e-mail addresses, and make a good impression.

Donate photo packages for silent auctions - Silent and live auctions are as common as baked goods and iced tea at benefits here in Texas. Folks donate pies, art, guided hunting trips, even port-a-potty rentals. Get in on the action by donating a gift certificate for a shoot plus a set of digital files (I like to offer 10). The buyers at these benefit auctions are often from the wealthier end of the community, so besides helping raise money for a good cause, you'll get good exposure during the event and face time with a potentially lucrative client after.

Hold your own fundraising event - Instead of tagging along on a preexisting fundraising event, coordinate with your chosen non-profit and put on your own event. Think about your holiday scene 'events' - photos with Santa, photos with baby chicks and rabbits around Easter - and do something with the same structure. Partner with a local high-traffic business to host the event (the local grocery store here in Bandera gets plenty of daily visitors), get the word out in advance in the local newspaper and on Facebook, have a set time period for the event, and just set up a scene and shoot. Marketed well, you'll get a flood of folks in front of your camera. Sell flat-rate digital packages so you can just mail or e-mail buyers their images - costs you next to nothing. As always, use this opportunity to get folks to opt-in to your e-mail newsletter.

Create a simple gift certificate fundraiser program - Remember selling candy bars and other sundry foodstuffs to raise funds for some extra-curricular trip back in school? Same concept here. Allow your chosen non-profit to sell discounted gift certificates for your photography services, then split the take with them. It's hard to beat having a team of motivated salespeople out working hard to get you new business. Again, if you stick with digital packages, you'll limit your personal costs from the fundraiser. Also, if you only do X shoots per week, be sure you set an upper limit so you don't get flooded with more clients than you can handle. If there are wide-eyed children involved, odds are you'll sell out fast.

Commercial photography - Offer to create fresh, effective new photography for your chosen non-profit's PR and marketing. This could be anything from headshots for the directors to a full-day commercial shoot to create exciting new art for an upcoming campaign. Make this a team effort with other talent in your community to put on a full-fledged commercial photo shoot without a penny of cost. Hair, make-up, wardrobe rental, props, locations, permits, models - all can be had for free when you're working together for a good cause. Be the team leader, though - coordinate and direct the shoot yourself, take responsibility, and earn the respect and good will of your peers. Your art will be the final product of everyone's work, so nail it, and then give everyone involved copies on CD.

However you choose to share your talents with the local non-profit community, make sure the resulting photos end up in the local newspaper - along with your byline!

Where to find non-profit partners

If you've been out and about in your community, or read your local paper, you've probably come across countless charities that could make use of your services.

Try to offer your services first to charities that speak to you personally, and whose volunteers or beneficiaries are primarily made up of your target market.

For example, I really enjoy working with my local education foundation, Optimists Club, Kiwanis, Boys & Girls Club, and 4-H groups. Just like you would partner up with a local children's resale boutique to promote your family photography, find non-profits that serve your target market / demographic - the people you meet and network with will be like-minded folks with similar values.

Watch your local paper for announcements of upcoming benefits and fundraisers to see what's going on now within your non-profit community. Your chamber of commerce is also a good resource for getting the scoop on local non-profits. Here in Bandera, we have a community foundation that in one way or another supports most of the local charities - if I was on the hunt for opportunities to help, I wouldn't have to go far to find the right partner.

The main goal here is to find a partner you can be passionate about working with, a group whose cause you really believe in. Volunteering your photography services can make for long hours and plentiful responsibility, but you'll never lack motivation knowing your time and talents are being put to good use helping people and causes you care about.

A word about taxes and deductions

With the ever-present caveat that I am neither a lawyer nor an accountant, here's what I know about the tax and deduction side of your fundraising efforts:

First of all, whatever you think you're worth, you're not - at least when it comes to deducting your service donations on your taxes.

If you donate a big photo package for a silent auction, a big gift certificate for a one-hour photo shoot on location and 10 hi-res digital files on CD...you can only deduct the few pennies the CD cost you.

The only deductions you can take off your taxes are the actual, tangible, out-of-pocket costs related to your donation. If you donate a shoot and 20x30 print worth $500, you can only deduct your actual cost of the print. You get no credit for your time or the market value of your art. Your art, time and talent, in Uncle Sam's eyes at least, ain't worth a dime.

As always in these matters, consult a CPA or Someone Who Knows What The Hell They're Talking About.

Next Steps

• As a newly-minted part time professional photographer, your biggest challenge is rarely bringing your art up to salable levels – the challenge is finding buyers for your art. Donating your time, talent, ideas, and inspiration to charitable causes is good for the soul, the community, and the bottom line of your business. Put a call in right now to your chamber of commerce and ask where you can find some non-profits to donate your services to. If they can't help you directly, they will know who can.
• Jump on Facebook and put up a post asking your friends to tell you what local charities they admire and/or have worked with in the past who they think could use your services. Let their good guidance inform your decision as to who to approach and offer your help to.
• Make the call. Pick a charity, decide what ways you would like to help, then put in a call and find out how to donate your services. They will guide you by the hand so that you both get the maximum benefit from one another. Non-profits will rarely try to take advantage of you, but be sure that whatever work you do, you get a byline and credit for with any usage.
• Get at least one photo project under your belt with the charity, evaluate how the experience went for you, and determine whether you'd like to work with that charity again. You might choose to work with a different charity, play the field, or even add a second charity to work with. Unless you have a particularly bad experience, keep in mind that the longer you're with a given charity, the more benefits you'll reap.
• Brainstorm session: Make a top 10 list of local charities you would like to work with, based on your own research and the recommendations of peers. Which best aligns with your personal values? Which best aligns with your professional goals (exposure in your target market)? Which charities best balance the two? File this away in your Brainstorms folder.
• My writing at PartTimePhoto.com exists to serve your needs as an amateur photographer making the transition to paid professional. I appreciate and welcome your readership, and invite you to click the free “Subscribe” link at the top of any page of this site.
• What has been your experience partnering with non-profits to gain exposure and goodwill within the community? Leave a comment below, e-mail me, or call or text me at 830-688-1564.

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by Outlaw Photographer James Michael Taylor

The Top 16 marketing opportunities for photographers in November 2010

November 11, 2010This is Business

Just because winter is heading your way doesn't mean it's time to let your marketing go cold.

(Did’ja like that line? Took me hours. Nah, just kidding; it slid off my brain right onto the Word doc.)

A quick visit to the Special Days page at About.com offers up a smorgasbord of opportunities to get the attention of your target market. You can look ahead to any month of the year, and if you let your imagination run, you'll get more good ideas to market your part time photography services than you know what to do with.

Always be on the lookout for inspiration - in holidays; in advertising from other industries you see in magazines, newspapers, or on television; in sports, cultural and community events, etc. I'd suggest keeping tabs on the About.com calendar above, your local community calendar (via your newspaper, chamber of commerce, or visitor's bureau), and at least one pop culture magazine or web site so you can stay tuned into the zeitgeist.

Here's what caught my eye for November 2010:

(My apologies for not getting this list out sooner in the month - my daughter Athena Corinna was born Nov. 1 in Austin, Texas, so I've been busy falling madly in love the past week - sue me! But this explains why I don't below cover Cookie Monster's Birthday, National Candy Day, Hug-a-Bear Day, or other special days earlier in the month. I’m not purposely hating on the Cookie Monster, I assure you.)

1. Winter Wearables

Autumn leaves are peaking in color (at least here in Texas), so with the colder weather comes some beautiful outdoor scenery to work with on your photo shoots.

Colder weather also means cold-weather fashion: thicker clothing, sweaters, turtlenecks, fur-lined coats and boots, gloves, snowsuits for your northerners, and here in Texas, long johns, dusters and felt cowboy hats. This is a great opportunity to do a fashion article for your blog, letting readers know what kinds of winter clothes make for fun and lovely portraits.

Little blue-eyed girls in fur-lined hoodie coats? Instant riches, my friends.

If you're not fashion-inclined, find someone who is and work with them on a blog post, preferably someone who sells clothing in your town and would not only know what they're talking about, but have an incentive to help you out. Just get them talking about what looks great and feels great, then write what they say in your blog, giving credit where it's due.

Now, take it up a notch: pick a client family to do a 'fashion photo shoot' with for this blog post. Offer them a few hi-res, fully processed images on CD for their time - odds are, they'll buy some extras (as always, the more great art you produce, the more you earn, just as it should be).

This is a great opportunity to do some co-op marketing. Get your retailer friend with whom you wrote the blog post to let you borrow some of their featured fall fashions and dress your client family in the sweet duds. Offer the retailer a set of poster-framed 20x30 prints (on sale for $9.99 at Adorama this week) from the shoot to display in their store. On each print, put your logo prominently in one corner, their logo in the other, and have business cards handy at the register.

As always, take it yet another step further: offer the copy and images from your blog post as a package to your local newspaper for their Lifestyles section. With any marketing effort, never stop asking yourself, "What's the next level?"

Client wins, co-op marketing partner wins, you win.

2. Child Safety and Protection Month

Doing special photo shoots to benefit good causes is a great way to get exposure and earn trust with some of the most influential people in your community - those who run and support the charities and non-profits.

Seek out a hyperlocal charity that supports child safety, protection, and/or advocacy, and donate a portion of your proceeds for the month to them. Or hold a special benefit shoot with a retail partner and donate all proceeds. Or set up a fundraising program for students to sell discounted photo gift certificates to their teachers, neighbors, friends' parents, and parents' friends - split the proceeds with the chosen charity.

There are many ways to combine good business with good causes and co-op marketing so that everyone involved benefits.

3. Peanut Butter Lover's Month

You know, being a little wacky now and then can get attention and boost your likeability in your target market.

Messy food shoots can be fun. The most common is the cake smash for toddlers on their first birthday, but if this makes for good photos, why not extend the idea to a family shoot?

You could do a photo shoot featuring your client family chowing down on their favorite foods.

You could co-op with a local restaurant or bakery to do impromptu shoots with their eat-in customers. One of my favorite chow-down shots was at a local hot dog stand here in Bandera, where I caught a well-mustachioed local absolutely slamming a massive hot dog with all the trimmings. It was a hilarious photo, and everyone wanted a copy.

If you want to stick with the peanut butter theme for the month, you could do a series of weekly blog posts throughout the month with entertaining photos encouraging folks to celebrate Peanut Butter Lover's Month. One week, a high school senior girl with a peanut butter mud mask. Another week, a doe-eyed kid grinning through a peanut butter sandwich with holes cut in it for the eyes and a big smile. Another week, stack a bunch of peanut butter cups as high as you dare, and get a cute kid to do an "OH MY GOODNESS!" face in awe of the pillar of candy.

You laugh! But this is the kind of stuff mothers eat up, pun intended. Think like a smart marketing manager for the Peanut Butter Foundation of The Universe - if you had to do a series of fun billboard ads promoting peanut butter, what would you do?

Advertising badass Donny Deutsch said that every rising-star ad agency has to have some cheeky work in its clips to be noticed.

Is your marketing mix all class with no sass?

Even venerable automaker Bentley gets its hands dirty when the time is right.

4. National Children's Book Week

The second week of November focuses on children's books, which opens up a bunch of great marketing opportunities.

Donate a portion of proceeds to your local library's children's literacy programs for all clients who book for or during this week. Make sure your clients - and your chosen library - are well aware of this effort.

Offer a perk (percent or flat cash discount, free 8x10 print or digital file, etc.) to clients who bring in a new or gently-used children's book for donation to your library or another local charity that serves children (think shelters, children's homes, services for abused/neglected children, child protective services).

Use your blog to bring attention to local children's book authors and illustrators - do headshots of each person featured.

Again appealing to families, share information on local children's story time / reading and literacy programs at your library. Work with your library to photograph one of these events - while asking parents' permission to use the image on your blog, you'll get face time with a nice set of potential clients.

Aside: Does this sound like an unusual marketing tactic? That's the whole point - do you see your competition doing these things? No? Exactly.

Set up a photo event in coordination with the library's family reading night. Have kids dress up in costume as their favorite book character and do a quick, fun portrait of each kid. Get each parent's e-mail address and send them a copy of their kid's image. Instant top-of-mind brand awareness with those families.

And as always, make sure the local newspaper knows about any special public event you're putting on in coordination with the library or any local charity - both before and after, a preview and wrap-up. Double up on the positive (and free) press.

5. American Education Week

Any special date(s) celebrating education gives you the chance to work with your local school district - again getting face time with families.

Seek out your school district's Education Foundation (or similar program that raises money to support teacher-initiated programs like netbooks for middle schoolers, etc.) and network with their board members. Offer your services as a photographer to cover their events and fundraisers - and offer to submit those photos to your local newspaper. Position yourself not just as an artist, but as someone knowledgeable in public relations and desirous to help how you can.

Set up a photo fundraiser for said foundation.

Work with local arts programs (art, music, theatre), which are almost always struggling for funding, to do class fundraisers. When I was in choir in high school, to fund our annual contest trip to Florida, we sold more candy bars than I could count - but we also sold Glamour Shots photo shoots. Offer a 50-50 split on discounted gift certificates sold by the kids - help them out with ideas on how to sell them, and to whom. You'll dig into your profits, but you'll curry much favor with the class, the teacher, and the families of the kids involved - not to mention lots of new clients to turn into repeat buyers.

Do a photography workshop for students. Most high schools have photography and photojournalism classes, and welcome professionals in the field to speak to the class. I recently did a two-hour portrait photography workshop with my county's 4-H Photography Project. Never pass on the opportunity to establish yourself as the expert in your field in your community. High school career days are another chance to move from being "a" photographer in your community to being "the" photographer.

6. Veterans Day - Nov. 11

You can't go wrong with a military discount.

Beyond the typical percentage discount, though, what can you do to better serve those who serve our country?

Offer free family portraits for active military, up to one per year. You don't have to do a full-on shoot, just a good family group portrait, and offer the best image as a hi-res file, all for free. The 15 minutes you invest total will mean the world to that family, and endear you to their entire circle of military friends and family.

Offer to photograph one military homecoming per month, first-come, first-served. These can be incredibly poignant, emotional, eternally-cherished images, when families are reunited after excruciating time apart. You will never forget the first time you photograph the emotional face of a father holding his baby for the first time after a long deployment. I suggest only offering one or two of these each month, though, because they can be very time consuming and far from home if you live in a rural area like I do. It's worth it, though - both for your soul, and your reputation as a professional photographer.

Offer free annual individual portraits to veterans. Have them in full dress, with medals and awards. Use dramatic lighting, deep shadows, and give them a portrait to be proud of. Again, military families are appreciative and fiercely loyal to anyone who goes out of their way to honor their heroes. You won't find better word of mouth anywhere.

Work through your local military moms group, VFW, American Legion, and support groups to get the word out to the right people.

7. National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day - Nov. 14

This is a great one to get buzz and conversation going on your business' Facebook page.

Blog a funny anecdote about the most horrifying thing you ever pulled out of your fridge, and encourage readers to leave comments about their own scary finds. Extra credit for photos of the offending food product. Pick your favorite and gift them with a certificate for a shoot and set (maybe five or 10) hi-res digital files on CD. Get folks talking - and sharing - and interacting with your business.

On a more charitable note, as with the children's book suggestion above, have folks bring in non-perishable food items for your local food bank and receive a perk (discount, free print or file, whatever you like - it doesn't take much).

8. America Recycles Day - Nov. 15

Green is the new black, as they say - reducing, reusing, and recycling are topics that are popular and can earn you respect with most people.

Use this as an opportunity to blog about recycling groups and efforts in your community, and to talk about your own personal and professional efforts to recycle - paper, ink cartridges, plastic products, batteries and their proper disposal, etc.

9. Button Day - Nov. 16

Must I even suggest it? Do button photo shoots! Give all button-wearers this day a discount or perk. Have a local shop that sells antique buttons, or a local custom swag shop that makes and sells them? Put on a photo event in cooperation with them.

Hold a Best Button Contest on Facebook - encourage folks to put on their best buttons and take self-snapshots, then share those pics on your page. Winner gets a free digital photo package (shoot plus five or 10 hi-res, fully processed files on CD).

Another aside: I love donating or giving away digital photo packages. They cost nothing but time and a CD, maybe some postage to mail it, and those images have a real value associated with them. They are worth something, and your clients know it. Unless you're booked solid, use these to grow your portfolio and get face time with new clients in as many ways as you can use them - contests, donations to silent auctions, etc.

10. Homemade Bread Day, National Young Reader’s Day, Take a Hike Day - Nov. 17

This is a busy one! Here's a threesome of ideas:

Homemade Bread Day - Feature a local bakery on your blog, share information on your local food bank or soup kitchen and how readers can volunteer, do a "break bread with the family" promotion with a local bakery to encourage family togetherness.

Young Reader's Day - Same tips as noted above for National Children's Book Week. Focus on local authors, illustrators, library, literacy programs, family reading nights. Give perks for children's book donations for the local library and children's non-profits.

Take a Hike Day - If you're the outdoors type, you probably know where the best hiking trails (and associated fantastic scenery) are in your community. Ours here in Bandera County are found at the Hill Country State Natural Area, for example. Work with the entity that maintains those trails to set up a special photo hike for amateur nature photographers. Do a walking workshop and give tips on how to best capture the vistas, small details, and even self-portraits along the trail.

Protip: Show your hiking buddies how to set their camera's self-timer, put the camera on the ground facing up at an angle, and capture a truly impressive self-portrait as they look out dramatically upon the face of nature. Camera on ground, pointed up at 45 degrees, either 45 degrees or 90 degrees off from the sun, subject in a proud stance facing the sun. Dramatic, lovely, and soaked in beautiful blue sky and clouds in the background. Flip it 180 degrees and get a great silhouette shot in front of a lovely sunset.

11. Mickey Mouse's Birthday - Nov. 18

Offer perks to clients who bring in Disney books or DVDs for donation to the library or a local charity.

Not a bad time to add a set of Mickey Mouse ears (in both children's and adult sizes - trust me on this one) to your props closet.

Work with a local day care to do individual portraits of the little toddlers in the Mickey Mouse ears. Compile into a collage for your blog. Wish Mickey a proper birthday. Parents will love it.

Are you seeing some ways to use your photography to market your services in ways other than the obvious? F8 and Be There, my friends.

12. World Hello Day - Nov. 21

Get out on the street and, by golly, say hello! Skip the gimmicks today and just be out amongst your community, be where your target market is. Carry your camera, shake hands, hand out business cards, visit, and if the subject seems friendly to it, do some simple and fun man-on-the-street headshots. Gather e-mail addresses (or, to be less pushy, give them your card and ask them to e-mail you) and send every person you shoot a copy of their photo.

It's a 'duh' statement, but being seen with your camera, taking photos of people, is a really great way to promote yourself as a portrait photographer.

13. Stop The Violence Day - Nov. 22

Remember McGruff the Crime Dog, mascot of the National Crime Prevention Council? This is all him.

Put on a special for law enforcement and their families.

Or better yet, like for the military folks mentioned above, offer a free once-a-year family portrait.

Or better yet, talk to your local chief of police and/or sheriff and discuss doing portraits of every officer, in uniform, including a big group photo for the year. Give them a nice framed 20x30 group shot of the whole department to hang in the station (your logo in one corner, theirs in another, just like with the retailer).

Do a fundraiser photo event to benefit your area Fallen Officer Fund.

14. Thanksgiving Day - Nov. 25

Craft a nice blog post talking about what you're thankful for in your life - open up a bit and let folks learn about what you hold dear. You're not just a business, not just a photographer, but a real person with a real life and real feelings of appreciation for the great things in your life. Don't hesitate to share.

About now is when you want to start encouraging folks to think about their Christmas photos. If you're like me, you hate having Thanksgiving stuff pitched before Halloween, and even more so hate Christmas stuff being pitched before Thanksgiving. With Thanksgiving out of the way, it's the perfect time to get folks on board with your Christmas photo offerings. Most importantly, let them know the best timeline for booking their shoot, shooting, buying, and mailing their holiday.

If you sell custom Christmas cards featuring family portraits, show and promote them. If you don't, offer alternatives - either digital files and lists of vendors to buy custom cards from, or bulk print packages so folks can buy a mess of 5x7's to slip inside their holiday cards to send to family and friends.

Start planning a big Christmas photo event related to family portraits for holiday cards. For example, my local visitor's bureau always has a fun Cowboy Christmas scene set up outside their office during the holidays. I'll set up a photo day with them to book a series of quick 15-minute shoots making use of their scene, then market it and sell as many sessions as I can line up.

Along the same lines, look at coordinating doing photos at or during special holiday events in town. Here in Bandera, we kick off December with a Shopper's Jubilee event, including living nativity and caroling on the courthouse lawn.

What's my take on Santa photos? Well, it's more complication than I personally care to deal with, but is there any question they make money? Have you seen the lines for "Photos with Santa" at the mall? Mercy. You'll pocket checks as fast as parents can write them.

If you like volume work, just copycat the mall setups, but make sure you have a good Santa and a great Christmas scene.

If you prefer a little more structure, do the Anti Mall Santa thing - do a Santa scene, but book scheduled sessions instead of having a free-for-all.

If you want to go high-end, I saw a fellow photographer once do something magical with their Santa photos.

They built a Santa's Workshop scene from scratch, hired a great Santa, and for each and every child, went through an entire series of little moments and scenes, creating a photo story - the child entering the workshop, wide-eyed with wonder; the child playing with the toys; Santa sneaking up and peering through a window, unnoticed yet by the child; Santa knocking on the door to the workshop, and the child answering it, excitedly finding Saint Nick on the other side; child hugging Santa; showing Santa their favorite toys; the traditional sitting on Santa's knee shot; a close-up of the child's face in Santa's arms; waving to Santa as the child leaves the workshop...

And then they sold parents albums of this photo story, with templates of graphics and text for each page and scene. It was the same experience for each child, exact same set of photos, exact same story told session after session. It was outrageously expensive and high-end customers bought it whole hog. The first album they sold paid for the construction of the scene, props, and 'renting' Santa for the entire day.

If you've got access to the right luxury market to pull off an epic photo event like this, by all means, don't let me stop you - it's money in the bank. Just make sure your clientele can handle the price tag - if not, you'll eat a lot of cost with too few buying clients to make up for it.

15. National Cake Day - Nov. 26

Throw a big pot luck cake party. Everyone brings a cake, everyone eats cake, everyone gets a free mini photo session. Invite a select set of kids - like a daycare class, or the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts - to attend and share in the cake-scarfing fun.

Do fun free photos of everyone, collect e-mails, send everyone copies of their photos.

Events like this are fun, get great buzz, are shared well on Facebook and social media, and asking folks to sign up for your e-mail newsletter as a part of attending the party is a great way to build your subscriber list. Any time you can trade digital files and a fun experience for the e-mail address of an active or potential client, you're going to come out way, way ahead in the long run.

This cake is not a lie.

16. Mark Twain's Birthday - Nov. 28

Great day to offer a simple Huck Finn scene and photo event along a river or creek. Encourage clients to dress their kids in overalls and straw hats, and accessorize with cane fishing poles (you'll probably have to provide the fishing pole as a prop).

You could also go the Mustache route and recognize fine 'staches this day. Would make for a fun self-portrait photo contest (Best Mustache!) on Facebook, or you could do a trio of dramatically-lit portraits of the fellows you know with particularly awesome facial hair, then feature them on your blog.

Show your clients you know how to have fun.

Pick a Holiday, any Holiday

By all means, you don't have to make use of all of the above ideas to run a successful photography business this month.

Don't be overwhelmed by all of the opportunities you have to market your business - it's easy to be so overcome with options that you end up doing nothing at all.

Pick any one thing that gets you excited, and do it full on, no holds barred. Let the success (or sometimes, lessons learned) from that one thing give you the confidence and experience you need to do one other thing. Then another. Then another.

If nothing else, I hope you see that there are myriad ways to market your photography and get folks excited about you - your art, the experiences you provide, the culture of your business. You can co-op with other business folk, you can help charities and non-profits, you can get hands-on involved with the community, you can make a difference in one or many lives, you can have fun, you can throw a party, you can be silly and serious and sassy and sensational and solemn and surprising and special in your market.

We are truly blessed to do what we do, my friends.

Next Steps

• Are you booked solid? If not, sift through the many ideas listed above, and pick out all the ones that really resonate with you, with your friends, with your family. Lay out a plan for how you can make those ideas become a reality in your business, and then how to get the word out to folks who would be interested. This will be the first makings of your monthly and yearly marketing plan, which will be one of the best investments of thought and time you’ll make to grow the success of your business.
• Use Facebook, use your blog, use your e-mail newsletter, and most importantly, use your feet - get off the computer and go talk to folks; get them excited about what you're doing to better your business and your community. Approach folks with an attitude of enthusiastic opportunity instead of a sour-note sales pitch.
• Brainstorm session: If you could pick one special day this month and go hog wild with a fun and awesome photo event for it, what would it be? Where would you shoot? What kind of scene? What time of day? Who would you coordinate with? How could you get the word out about this event to the right people? How many sessions could you book? How much would you charge, if anything at all? What will the buzz and face time with new clients be worth? If this is so awesome, why aren't you doing it? How can you overcome those obstacles? File this in your Brainstorms folder.
• My writing at PartTimePhoto.com exists to serve your needs as an amateur photographer making the transition to paid professional. I appreciate and welcome your readership, and invite you to click the free “Subscribe” link at the top of any page of this site.
• What marketing opportunities are you going to take advantage of this month? Leave a comment below, e-mail me, or call or text me at 830-688-1564.

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by Outlaw Photographer James Michael Taylor

How to name your photography business

September 23, 2010This is Business

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Between the anxiety of deciding on a business logo and name, it's a wonder photographers (and most entrepreneurs) ever get their dreams off the ground.

Paralysis by analysis has been well-covered in other blogs, and I'll share in a future article my own thoughts on the issue and how it afflicts photographers, but it's something that strikes us creative types with unusual force.

Many thanks to reader Bill M. for spurring me to write this post - naming your business can be a huge stumbling block when you're trying to maintain the momentum of launching your part time photography business.

I'll give you my Number One solution for the problem, and then offer a few other options for folks who may not appreciate my flair for simplicity.

You Are Your Business

Let me get this out of the way: The name of your business is bloody irrelevant.

Xerox sounds more like an alien planet than an office equipment company.

Google isn't even spelled right.

If you kick ass and take names, if you better your art with every shoot while treating people right and getting your name out there, you're going to do business - no matter what name you go by.

If you have a few million dollars in startup capital and you're trying to establish a completely unique brand identity in the worldwide market, then by all means, pay a consultant six figures to create a brand identity for your new empire.

If you're starting a part time photography business to serve your hyperlocal market on weekends, then cut the crap: name your business after yourself.

John Doe Photography.

Jane Smith Photography.

When people buy into your business as a part time photographer, they're buying into you as an artist. They want your style, your personal attention, the art and experience you create for them.

You now have permission to get past the paralysis and go do something that will create results: make art and market yourself.

But Jaaaaames...

Okay, okay, naming your business after yourself is really easy, and truly my best advice for a new photographer, but it wouldn't be a James Taylor post if I didn't explore the issue in some depth.

If you've got a cool name that just screams "Brand!", you're not reading this article, so what if you have a really weird or unfortunate name?

Goodenough Photography might not send the right message. Slaughter Portraits could go the wrong way. Ball Photos? Just...ya know. There's potential confusion.

But really, coming from a small Texas town settled by the Polish and featuring a host of middle European names (Kuykendall, pronounced keer-ken-doll, for example), I can honestly say I have never run into a business of any sort that I turned away from just because of their name.

If you look at the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) elite, the Waldens, Sarah Petty, their name is their brand - it carried them way beyond portrait photography and into the education and speaking sectors.

Nobody hires Sarah Petty because her name is Sarah Petty. They hire her because she can rock awesome photos.

If you're struggling with naming your business, name it after yourself and get on with being a photographer.

After all, you can always change it down the road if you want.

...

I'll wait for the grognards to catch their breath after that one.

...

When you talk about changing things - your prices or your business name, usually - all the fatalist advice of the grognards comes pouring in.

"Oh noes! If I change my name or my prices, my customers will hate me or forget who I am! Any decision I make now I have to stick with for the rest of my life!"

Shaddap. No you don't.

Datsun seems to be doing just fine as Nissan. Many folks have never heard of Relational Software, but anyone who's been on the Interwebs for a while will recognize Oracle. Even the biggest brands can change names, merge with other companies, or get swallowed whole and still do good business as usual.

Don't be so self-absorbed as to think the name of your business - and its longevity - will make or break your business.

Your business name will have little long-term affect on the success of your business, and a name change down the road won't kill it off, despite what you may hear elsewhere. If you have a good thing going, a recognized and beloved brand in your market, think long and hard before you change it - but if you really want to, never forget, you're the boss.

My own business is a prime example. I started out as Taylor Photography and ran my company as such for seven years. As I began to branch out into other fields - publishing, freelance writing, web site design, etc. - I made the change to Outlaw as my overall brand, making my portrait business Outlaw Photography.

Bandera, Texas, where I've grown up, graduated, and enjoyed my careers in journalism and photography, is the self-proclaimed Cowboy Capital of The World. A great deal of the community's identity is wrapped in cowboy hats, boots and spurs, and the Western experience.

When I launched the Outlaw brand, I didn't lose a single customer - that's not what they care about, no more than I cared when Billy Gene's Restaurant changed to Brick's River Cafe. I care about my chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. Your clients care about your photography.

So why did I make the change? Because I wanted to. It made me happy.

As I'll always advise you, it's your business - toss my advice out the window if your head or heart tell you to go a different direction. If you truly feel your name is not the best option for your photography business, here are some other fun ideas to play with:

Everything Else

• Your Town: This is another no-brainer option. Just name your business after the town or county you do business in. Bandera Photography would work just fine here in Bandera. In most communities it's kind of cliche, but it works, and it gives you both immediate name recognition and placement in the market, as well as the best keyword combo for local search engine optimization. A play off of this is your local school mascot. Bulldog Photography would do just fine here in Bandera. Bobcat Photography wouldn't be out of place in Medina.
• Specialty: You guys and gals know I'm all about 'scratching the niche,' and naming your business after your specialty will give you instant credibility with your target market. If I want a portrait of my dog, Taylor's Puppy Portraiture will get an automatic look from me. If I want someone to photograph my daughter's youth soccer game, Taylor Sports Photography of Bandera will probably be my first stop. Whatever it is you want to do - weddings, pet portraits, quinceaneras, senior photos - including it in your business name can give you a foothold in that market.
• Style: If you have a unique enough business or artistic style as to be known for it, you might consider implementing it in your business name. What traits could warrant this? Maybe your black and white portraiture is to die for, so you step up and name your business Taylor Black and White Portraiture. Perhaps your work imitates the look of fashion magazines, so Taylor Fashionable Photography it is. Aric Hoek of Solaris Studios is the Master of Shadows. I'm the Outlaw Photographer.
• Local Flavor: If your community has certain flavor or overarching theme, you can play off of it for your photography business name. Bandera is the Cowboy Capital, Fredericksburg promotes the hell out of its German heritage (every third store is named Opa's this or Oma's that), Austin is proud to be weird, and so on. Tap into your community's identity and sense of self for inspiration.
• Something Wholly Unique: Be the next Xerox, Google, or Flickr. Especially since the boom of Internet businesses, weird but unique names have exploded and become much more common than 'name names' like Ford or Trump. If you can come up with one that doesn't sound like you're choking on a chicken bone, turn it loose.

God help me, but I'll say it: you can also go the cutesy, clever, or punny route. Just reference any small salon in America: A Cut Above... The Hairy Times... Hairbrained Barbershop... Curl Up N' Dye... Stop'n'Chop... Hair Apparent... The Hair Port...

I'm gonna be sick.

But if that's your thing - if that sort of shenanigans fits your personality and makes you giggle all the way to the bank, again...don't let me stop you.

Legalities of Naming Your Photography Business

Alright, I hate to spoil the fun with caveats, but there's some due diligence you want to undertake before falling in love with your new business name.

Easy: Plug your business name into Google. See if the name's already in use. If so, do they own the domain for it? Do they claim a trademark on the name? If they do, you may still be able to use your preferred name if the conflicting business doesn't sell in you area. If there's a possibility for confusion in the exact same market, it's probably best to go for something else.

For example, there are actually several companies named Outlaw Photography across the United States, and in fact, outlawphotography.com goes to one fellow's site and outlawphotography.net goes to mine. Has it ever hurt either of us? Of course not - we are in completely different markets.

Easy: Whatever name you choose, you'll need to visit your county clerk and file a Doing Business As with your new company name on it. As a part of this process, they'll show you where to look to make sure your chosen name isn't already taken in your county.

Less Easy: Do a trademark search on the appropriate web site. I may be daft, but I've had almost random results using this online trademark search engine. But it's worth a visit.

If you really are John Smith reading this, there may be a heck of a lot of Smith Photography studios across the country. Frankly, who cares? If you capture just a fraction of the photography business in your own community, you'll stay booked solid with as much work as you care to handle. What another John Smith named his business two states over from you is irrelevant.

Next Steps

• Ready? Set? Go! I'll give you three minutes to pick a name for your photography business. Like, seriously. You've got three minutes to get this over with. What are you waiting for? Get out a pen and paper and start writing. Be done before you read any further.
• Now was that so hard? Okay, it can be excruciating to make that call, but congratulations on making it. You mind is now released from the torment. Take a deep breath, accept your decision, and let it be.
• Brainstorm Session: Now give yourself permission to be completely unhindered. Write down every funny, cool, or weird name you could have named your business. You'll find your creativity is much more active now that you're not being serious. You never know - you might just come up with something brilliant. File this in your Brainstorms folder.
• Jump on Google, do a trademark search, and go visit your clerk's office to finalize your name check and file for your DBA. Congratulations! You're official!
• My writing at PartTimePhoto.com exists to serve your needs as an amateur photographer making the transition to paid professional. I appreciate and welcome your readership, and invite you to Subscribe at the top-right of any page of this site.
• How did you decide on the name for your photography business? Leave a comment below or drop me an e-mail.

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by Outlaw Photographer James Michael Taylor