8 Things to Consider Before You Buy Your Next Lens

By: Andrew S. Gibson  

Prime lenses are best for creating portraits like this one, taken with the aperture set to f/1.2 to blur 

the background.

Are you thinking of buying a new lens for your camera? Stop, and read this article first.
One of the hardest things to achieve when buying new camera gear is clarity. Why do you need a new lens, how much should you spend, and where does it fit into the big picture of your gear acquisition? Once you are clear on these points, it makes the process of deciding which lens (or lenses) to buy next much easier.
Let’s look at eight things to consider before you buy that new lens:

1. Budget – how much do you have to spend?

Everybody’s budget is different, and the amount of money you have to spend determines which lenses come into consideration. But, no matter what your budget, hold that figure in mind while you read this article. You may see things in a different light afterward.
My approach is to own as few, good quality lenses as possible. In other words – don’t over buy. Keep the big picture in mind. What lenses would you eventually like to own for your camera? How does your next purchase fit into this plan? Ideally, you should have a good idea of which lenses you need, and then you can plan accordingly.
This type of thinking can lead to a big shift in what lenses you decide to buy. For example, a few years ago I became frustrated with the size and weight of my Canon system. I was also thinking ahead to some travel plans I had coming up, and realized it was important to keep my kit as lightweight as possible (hand luggage allowances are very low and strictly enforced in New Zealand airports). That led to the decision to switch to the Fujifilm X-Series system. I now have the lightweight kit required for traveling.

2. APS-C or Full-frame?

Most manufacturers offer both APS-C and full-frame cameras in their ranges. But this makes buying lenses even more confusing.
Let’s say you own an APS-C camera. But at the back of your mind you think you might one day buy a full-frame body. That raises the question – do you buy a lens that works on APS-C bodies only (the advantage being that it is probably smaller and lighter than a lens that would fit a full-frame camera) or one that fits a full-frame body as well (which will probably be larger and more expensive)?
Tricky question to answer, isn’t it? And that’s not even taking into account the difference that sensor makes to the lens’s angle of view.
Ideally, you should decide when you buy your first camera body whether it should be APS-C or full-frame, then stick to the same sensor size in the future. It greatly simplifies the lens buying process, and eliminates a lot of confusion.

What do these two lenses have in common? They are both 35mm f/1.4 lenses. The Canon one (left) is much bigger than the Fujifilm lens (right) because it is made to fit a full-frame camera. This is a good example of how sensor size, affects lens size.

3. Don’t fall into the focal length trap

The focal length trap is the belief that you need zoom lenses that cover every conceivable focal length. For example, if you start off with an 18-55mm kit lens, then buy a telephoto zoom, you might feel that you need one that starts from 55mm so that you don’t miss out on any focal lengths in between.
This simply is not true. The next point explains the way you should be thinking about lenses.

4. What subjects are you going to photograph?

Continuing with the 18-55mm kit lens example, you may find yourself considering the following second lenses: a 50mm prime as a portrait lens (giving you the benefit of high quality imaging and wide apertures), or a macro lens for taking close-up photos of insects and flowers, or wide-angle zoom for landscape photography, or a super-telephoto for wildlife and sports photography.
The key point here is that lens choice is related to subject. The subject always comes first. Once you know what you are going to photograph, you can choose the best lens (or lenses) for the job. Focal length is a secondary consideration.
In other words, don’t buy a lens because you think you should own it, buy it because you actually need it.

5. Should you buy a zoom or a prime lens?

The benefit of zoom lenses is convenience. If you are a wedding photographer it is much easier to zoom from a wide-angle to a telephoto when you need to, than it is to change lenses. If you are a landscape photographer it is easier to use a wide-angle zoom to frame the scene precisely, than it is to change prime lenses (or it may not be possible to stand where you need to get the shot).
The benefits of prime lenses are image quality and wider apertures. Compare an 18-55mm kit lens (typical maximum aperture f/5.6) with a 50mm prime with maximum aperture of f/1.4. There’s a four stop difference 16 times more light) between f/1.4 and f5.6, which helps you take photos with blurred backgrounds, and also to shoot in low light conditions, without raising the ISO too much. That’s why a 50mm prime is a better portrait lens than the 18-55mm kit lens (taking us back to the point about lens choice being driven by subject, not focal length).
Some photographers prefer primes, others zooms – thinking about your priorities will help you decide which is best for you.
For example, if you are a landscape photographer who always shoots at f/8, f/11, or f/16 then the wider apertures that prime lenses have are of little use to you, and a zoom may be a better choice.

Action photos require a telephoto lens and a camera with a good autofocus system capable of tracking moving subjects. A zoom will help you frame the subject accurately.

6. Don’t forget about weight and size

Think about the weight and size of your lenses carefully. After all, you are the one who is going to be carrying them around.
But there is another thing you should also think about when it comes to size, and that is filters. You can save a lot of money on filters by buying smaller lenses. If you’re curious to see how much, do a search for circular polarizing filters and compare the prices of the same filter in 58mm and 77mm sizes. If you need to buy a lot of filters (landscape photographers take note) then you can potentially save hundreds of dollars by buying a smaller (the diameter of the lens or filter size is also smaller) lens.

Wide-angle zooms are ideal for landscape photos and will help you take photos like this. Bear in 

mind that smaller lenses also require smaller (and less expensive) filters.

7. Build quality, weather proofing and autofocus

Most manufacturers have inexpensive, middle range, and expensive or high end lenses. Inexpensive lenses may seem like a bargain at the time, but they won’t be built as well as more expensive ones, and they may also have inferior (i.e. slower and noisier) autofocus motors.
At the other end of the scale expensive lenses tend to be built well, use good quality autofocus lenses (i.e. faster and quicker) and may also be weatherproofed (important if you take photos in bad weather or dusty conditions).
Bear these points in mind when considering a lens. Don’t forget to ask how well the lens is built, whether it is weatherproofed, and the speed and quality of the autofocus motor.

Wide-angle lenses are also helpful for taking photos indoors, where you may not have space to 

move back to use a longer focal length.

8. Brand name or third party?

You can often save money by buying a third-party lens for your camera, but in my opinion it is best to buy a lens made by your camera’s manufacturer whenever possible. Unless you have a specific reason to buy a third-party lens (usually because the type of lens you need isn’t made by your camera’s manufacturer) then stick with OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) lenses. They hold their value better, and autofocus performance is usually superior.
Editor’s note: for a good discussion on that topic, head to: Brand Name Versus Third-Party Photography Gear: Which is better?

If street and candid photography is your thing, then consider buying smaller lenses to help you take photos like this, without being noticed.

9. Image Stabilization*

An Image Stabilizer is a motor inside the lens, that moves the elements in a way that compensates for the movement created by camera shake. It is given different names by different manufacturers (Nikon, for example, calls it Vibration Reduction). It helps you take photos in low light, using lower ISO settings or smaller apertures, than would otherwise be possible. Lenses with Image Stabilization cost more than their non-stabilized counterparts, so think carefully about whether or not you need it, before paying the extra money.
* Some manufacturers, like Sony and Pentax, build Image Stabilization into the camera body, not the lenses.
Hopefully these points will help you decide which lens to buy next for your camera. If you have any questions about lenses let us know in the comments and I will do my best to answer.

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Mastering Lenses
If you want to know more about buying and using lenses then please check out my ebook Mastering Lenses: A Photographer’s Guide to Creating Beautiful Photos With Any Lens.

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How to Choose the Perfect Portrait Lens

By: Andrew S. Gibson  

A question we often get asked at Digital Photography School is which lenses are best for portraits. It’s a tricky question because the answer is subjective. It depends on your budget, personal style of photography and the make of camera. It is further complicated by the relationship between sensor size and focal length.
Let’s start by exploring some of the things you need to think about when choosing the perfect portrait lens.

1. What about the lenses you already own?

It may be that you already own a lens that you haven’t thought of using to take portraits, but could actually do the job quite well. Do you have a 50mm prime? Or maybe a 100mm macro lens? A 70-300mm zoom? All of these are capable of being great portrait lenses.
Even if your only lens is a kit lens, you may still be surprised by how well it performs (within its limitations). You can read more about that in my article Why Your Kit Lens is Better Than You Think.
Getting to Know Your Lenses will also help.

2. Do you need a zoom lens or a prime?

Prime lenses are great for portrait photography. One advantage is that they have a wider maximum aperture than a zoom lens covering the same focal length. This is useful for creating images with shallow depth-of-field (a common technique in portraits). It is also handy in low light, as it lets you take photos with faster shutter speeds or lower ISO than you could with a zoom with a smaller maximum aperture.

Another benefit is image quality. Prime lenses tend to have less elements than zooms, and the result is that image quality is better, and they produce sharper images with more contrast and less lens flare. If you’re on a budget (see next point) then an inexpensive prime will give you better results than an inexpensive zoom.

3. What’s your budget?

This is an important consideration because, as with most things, good quality lenses cost more. The best example of this is Canon’s 50mm lens range. There are four models, ranging from around $110 to $1600 in price. That’s a big difference, and your budget determines which model makes it to your shopping list.
More expensive lenses usually produce sharper images with less flare. The construction quality is better, they may be weatherproofed and have better or quieter autofocus mechanisms. The difference in image quality is usually greater between expensive and cheap zoom lenses than it is between expensive and inexpensive prime lenses.
The other trade-off (besides cost) for better quality built lenses, is extra weight. Top of the line lenses are usually made of metal and are heavier than the less expensive plastic lenses.
Bear in mind that good camera lenses should last decades, and sometimes spending more up front is beneficial in the long run. In the words of Sir Henry Royce (of Rolls-Royce):

“The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten”.

4. What focal lengths do you require?

The answer to this question depends on the size of your camera’s sensor (our article Crop Factor Explained tells you why). Rather than discuss specific focal lengths it’s easier to split lenses up into four categories. Once you’ve figured out what category of lens you’re interested in, and whether you would prefer a prime lens or a zoom, you can investigate which models are available for your camera.

Wide-angle lenses

Wide-angle lenses are good for environmental portraits – those where you keep your distance a little from the subject and include their surroundings. They are generally not as good for close-up portraits as they distort your subject. Here are some examples:

Normal lenses

A normal lens is one with a focal length equivalent to around 50mm on a full-frame camera (that’s around 35mm on an APS-C camera, or 25mm on a Micro four-thirds camera). You may have read that these lenses give a similar perspective to that of the human eye. It’s a debatable point, but there’s no doubt they are interesting for portraits, occupying the middle ground between wide-angle and short telephoto lenses. They can be used for close-up portraits, although not completely without distortion (see image left, below)

A “normal” 50mm lens portrait

A short telephoto 85mm lens

Short telephoto lenses

These lenses are often called portrait lenses because they are an ideal focal length for taking flattering photos of people. You can move in close and take images without distortion, or step back and include the entire figure without moving so far away that it becomes difficult to communicate with your model. If your short telephoto is a prime lens, you get the additional benefit of wide apertures. Best of all these lenses, especially primes, tend to be reasonably priced.
My favourite lens for portraits is an 85mm prime lens (you can read more about it in my article How a Humble 85mm Lens Became My Favourite). (see image right, above)
If you have an APS-C camera then a 50mm prime lens is effectively a short telephoto. Yes, I’ve written about 50mm lenses too – let me point you towards Nifty Fifties – Why I Love 50mm Prime Lenses and Why a 50mm Lens is your new best friend.

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Telephoto lenses

Telephoto lenses are often used by professional fashion and portrait photographers for the compressed perspective and their ability to isolate the model from the background. The downside of telephoto lenses is that they tend to be more expensive than shorter focal lengths, especially if you’d like one with a wide maximum aperture. They are definitely heavier as well. Having said that, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive lenses, especially zooms, in the 100mm-200mm range.

Selecting a focal length

If you’re unsure which focal lengths appeal to you, try this exercise. Go onto Flickr or 500px and do a search for portraits. Mark any you like as favourites. When you have marked at least twenty, go and have a look at them together. Examine them carefully and think about why you liked each one. Are there any common themes? Which focal lengths are used the most? Are the photographers using wide apertures for shallow depth-of-field? Are they predominantly black and white or colour? Is the photographer using natural light or flash? Are they predominantly close-ups or environmental portraits? The answers to these questions may help you decide which lenses to shortlist. Read more: 5 Easy Steps to Choose the Perfect Prime Lens for You

My thoughts

I’m going to be specific and tell you exactly which lenses I use. My favourite lens for portraits is my Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 prime lens. I use it for approximately 80% of the portraits I take. I also use my Canon EF 40mm f2.8 pancake lens (it’s a moderate wide-angle) on my full-frame camera and, occasionally, a Canon EF 50mm f1.4 or EF 17-40mm f/4L zoom. The next lens on my list is a 24mm prime, and when I buy one I’ll no longer use the 17-40mm zoom for portraits. I favour primes over zooms because of image quality and the wider maximum apertures.

Your thoughts

Now it’s time to share your personal experiences. Which lenses have you purchased for taking portraits, and how did they work out?

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Understanding Lenses

I’ve written two ebooks for Canon EOS users about camera lenses. Click on the links to learn more about each one:

• Understanding Lenses: Part I – A Guide to Canon Wide-angle and Kit Lenses
• Understanding Lenses: Part II – A Guide to Canon Normal and Telephoto Lenses

How to Make Brilliant Photos With a Short Telephoto Lens

By: Andrew S. Gibson  

Short telephoto lenses are one of the most versatile and useful types of lens you can buy. But before we get into why that is, let’s define the term short telephoto lens. It is a lens which is slightly longer than “normal”, which depends on the camera format you are using, see below.
On a full-frame camera, lenses with a focal length between 85mm and 135mm are considered short telephoto lenses. For APS-C cameras, lenses with focal lengths between 50mm are 100mm are short telephotos. On a Micro Four-thirds camera, lenses with focal lengths of 40mm to 70mm are short telephotos.

Prime versus zoom lenses

Of all the lenses that cover these focal lengths, primes are the most exciting. They tend to be smaller than zoom lenses and have the additional benefit of a wide maximum aperture, allowing you to experiment with bokeh and shoot in low light conditions. They are also less expensive than common telephotos like a 70-200mm zoom.
If you have a full-frame camera, you can’t go wrong with an 85mm prime lens – one of my favorite focal lengths for full-frame. If you have an APS-C camera, a 50mm prime lens, or the 55mm end of an 18-55mm kit lens, is a short telephoto. 50mm primes are great value for money and go well with APS-C cameras.
If you have a Micro Four-thirds camera there is a choice of prime lenses with focal lengths of 42.5mm and 45mm you can buy.

How to use a short telephoto lens

Now you know what a short telephoto lens is, let’s take a look at how you can use one to make good photos.

Short telephoto lenses and portrait photography

Short telephoto lenses are ideal for portraiture. I’m quite happy to take one camera and one lens – a short telephoto – on a portrait shoot. This simple approach helps me concentrate on communicating with the model and building rapport, essential for creating good portraits.
I’ve used two short telephotos for portraits – an 85mm f/1.8 lens on a full-frame camera and a 56mm f/1.2 lens on an APS-C camera. Both are great lenses, super-versatile for portraiture. You can get close to your model and fill the frame with her face, or stand further back and fit her entire body within the frame.
Even at the distance required for this, you are still close enough to talk to your model and direct her. Try doing that with a 200mm lens from a distance – it’s much harder.
Short telephotos help bring a sense of intimacy to your portraits that is harder to obtain with longer focal lengths. I made both these portraits with a 56mm f/1.2 short telephoto lens on an APS-C Fuji camera.

I made this one using a 50mm lens on an APS-C camera. The aperture was set to its widest setting of f/1.8 to make the background go out of focus.

A technique you can try when making portraits with short telephoto lenses is to find something to shoot through, such as grass, flowers or the leaves of a tree, while using a wide aperture to throw it out of focus.

Short telephoto lenses and close-up photography

If you don’t have a macro lens, short telephotos are also ideal for close-up photography. Use them either with extension tubes, or a close-up lens that screws onto the front of the lens like a filter. Both tools reduce the minimum focusing distance of your lens and let you take interesting close-up photos of subjects like flowers.

Short telephoto lenses and landscape photography

Short telephotos also have their place in landscape photography. They come in useful for isolating part of the landscape and creating compositions that are flatter and more minimal than what you can create with a wide-angle lens.
I used a 56mm short telephoto to create the following landscape photo, with a neutral density filter to obtain a shutter speed (exposure time) of 180 seconds. As a result, the sea and clouds are transformed into a smooth blur. The figures on the distant pier are also blurred.

Short telephoto lenses for street and travel photography

Short telephoto lenses are also good for street and travel photography. They let you keep a little distance from the subject, and help you create simpler compositions by including more of the background.
If you ask somebody you see on the street whether you can take their photo, then a short telephoto lens lets you do so without getting too close and intruding on their personal space.

Vintage lenses

Finally, there is another type of short telephoto prime lens for you to consider. Vintage manual focus lenses are available on Ebay and can be used on your camera with an adapter. These lenses are easiest to use on cameras with electronic viewfinders which have tools like focus peaking to help you focus accurately.
I made this portrait with a Helios 58mm f/2 lens. This lens is known for the swirly bokeh effect you can see in the background.

Conclusion

Short telephoto lenses are versatile and relatively inexpensive. They help you create beautiful photos, especially portraits.
What lenses do you prefer to use for portraits and other subjects? Let us know in the comments!

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Mastering Lenses
If you’d like to learn more about buying and using lenses then please check out my popular ebook Mastering Lenses: A Photographer’s Guide to Creating Beautiful Photos With Any Lens.

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My Most Common Portrait Mistake

By: Rick Berk 

Here, I managed to avoid making the mistake, even though I shot the lens wide open at f/1.2,  by having my subject keep both eyes on the same plane. The look is striking, in that the depth of field drops off immediately and the image softens dramatically after the area of sharp focus around the eyes.  Exposure was 1/6400, f/1.2, ISO 200. Camera was EOS-1Ds Mark III, with EF 85mm f/1.2.

We all make mistakes.  Even the best photographers I know make a mistake now and then. And usually, we all have one we can’t get seem to stop making. For me, it’s a different mistake for each type of photography, whether it’s a portrait, a landscape, or some other type of photography.  The secret to getting better as a photographer is overcoming these mistakes and to stop making them.
When shooting portraits, my biggest problem isn’t lighting, or posing.  My problem is with my own settings, especially when using my favorite portrait lens. That would be the Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II.  This is a lens with incredibly smooth bokeh, and a unique look, especially when shot wide open. And I do love to shoot it wide open.  But it does require some extra care when doing so, which leads to my most common mistake.

Camera settings my downfall

When shooting the 85mm f/1.2 wide open (or even close to wide open), and close up, your depth of field is paper thin. If you were to focus on an eyelash, the eye itself would be out of focus. It’s that unforgiving. When done right, it creates a beautiful image, where the eyes are the sole focus. When done wrong, it ruins the image beyond repair.  The mistake is easily fixed; it just requires that you pay attention as the pose shifts, adjusting the aperture to give you the proper depth of field. In addition, if that paper-thin depth of field is what you want, simply adjust the pose so that it works for the shot.
This is probably my least favorite mistake, in that it’s not something that can be fixed in post.  Sometimes things happen quickly and it’s not possible to turn the dial that quickly. But sometimes taking a deep breath, and mentally running through the settings, is a good way to ensure you get the shot you want.  Is my shutter speed fast enough? Or slow enough? Do I have enough depth of field? Or too much? Is my ISO too high for the lighting conditions?  Or not high enough? It’s a mental checklist that can take only a second, but can ensure that you get the image you want.

In this image, also shot at f/1.2, because the model’s eyes are not on the plane, the right eye drops out of focus. The effect is disconcerting, and a mistake I make more than I’d like. It would be so easy to turn the aperture dial and stop down enough to give me the proper depth of field. I just need to remember to do that.  Exposure was 1/4000, f/1.2, ISO 100. Camera was the EOS-1D X, with EF 85mm f/1.2L II lens.

For this image, I stopped the lens down to f/5.6. This game me enough depth of field to keep both eyes sharp, while the background remained out of focus. Exposure for this one is 1/100, f/5.6, ISO 100. EOs-1D X with EF 85mm f/1.2L II.

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How To Survive a Down Economy As A Photographer

By: Annie Tao 

Image by kwerfeldein

You can ask 10 photographers what they think is their key to success in a bad economy – okay, flat out terrible economy – and you may get 10 different responses. Recently, a fellow photographer who had been following my blog commented that he wished he was busier, “but not Annie-busy!” He was stating this because I post client photoshoot sneak peeks on my blog every few days. Being a successful photographer is more than having a lot of business, it’s also about being profitable and, more importantly, being happy. That last point may sound hokey, but if having one photoshoot every few weeks makes you happy or making just enough to send your family on vacation is what you strive for, then that’s success.
Hearing this new term, Annie-busy, made me think about how I’d explain to other photographers what I’ve done in this economic recession that has kept my business flourishing. Though there are certainly other things that can be added to this list, here is what has been working for me.
There are three main points:

1. Have The Right Attitude

Even if you are a leader in your field, you need to keep learning new things – whether they are new gadgets and equipment or new techniques. You can take classes, attend seminars, and read industry publications. You can connect with other photographers to brainstorm ideas and learn tips.
Once you feel complacent and have an attitude that you don’t need to learn anything further, you will fall behind the pack.

2. Don’t Wait For Business

Whether you are busy with multiple photoshoots every week and a positive cash flow or your camera is collecting dust, there are many things you can do that can help your business.
Take action.
Here are some ideas to get you started: Can you update your portfolio? Are there vendors you wanted to try? Is there anything you can improve on your website? Are there things your competition is doing that you are interested in doing/having (ie, cool paper products, a blog)? Is there a way to expedite your workflow? Did you want to try out a new technique?

3. Think Outside The Box

I come from a Marketing background, so in my opinion, the three biggest reasons for one product’s success over another is Marketing, Marketing, Marketing. In this case, your “product” is you.
With that said, think about what else you can do to market your business.
You first have to have good online presence. So make sure you are happy with your website, and happy with how you and your business are presented to the public.
In addition to the traditional marketing methods, like advertising where your target audience will see the ad, there are also marketing avenues that are more effective… and often free! A good example is Relationship Marketing. It starts with creating a relationship with your clients. If your client refers you to someone else, that is 100 times more effective than having 100 people see your ad. Also, you can talk to business owners who share the same clients. You may be able to find common interests and run a co-promotion or find a way to help each other out. In this kind of economy, many businesses have to cut their advertising and marketing budget, so you may want to consider a product/services trade.
In the last few years, social networking has been growing in popularity, but it has also proven to be the new way to advertise. And it’s free! Networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, are places millions of people frequent every day. I have gotten clients within minutes of an existing client posting their photos on their Facebook page. It is like getting an instant referral because that person knows my client, and referrals go a long way in this industry!
Another consideration is expanding your business in the form of your product line or even type of photography. I started out as a lifestyle photographer specializing in children, maternity and families, then tried out commercial photography and event photography this year – and really liked it! The commercial and event photography balances out the fast-paced, running-and-jumping-with-the-kids-til-I’m-sweating kind of photography! Expanding what you do to other types of photography will also expand your client base.
If you do this, don’t forget to stay true to yourself. Know what makes you happy and don’t change what you love only to grow your business. Clients will be able to detect your passion, or lack thereof, for the business. Plus, your artwork will reflect how you feel, so stick to doing what you love.
So test the waters, think outside the box, don’t wait for business to come to you, and have the right attitude regardless of the state of the economy.

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10 of the Biggest Business and Marketing Mistakes Photographers Make

By: James Maher 

Photographers can be some of the best business people around or some of the worst. But realistically, if you’re building a photography business, you probably didn’t get into it because you enjoyed business and marketing. This is why some photographers struggle at being successful. They got into it for the passion, and then wake up one day to the reality that it is a business like any other.

Dancer Portrait

However, fear not. The business and marketing aspect of photography can actually be rewarding and interesting. It’s necessary to learn it to be able to succeed, but once you start to see it work, it becomes empowering. It’s a way to guarantee your success as a photographer so you can continue to do what you love.
But you can’t do that if you make too many mistakes. Here are the biggest mistakes that I see photographers make (and which I have also made myself).

Mistake #1 – Not charging enough

Business portrait photography

How much you charge is going to be the backbone of your entire business. You cannot let clients lowball you over and over again. By doing that you are lowering the perceived value of the work for the entire industry, and you are not even giving yourself a chance to succeed. By not charging enough, you will inevitably go out of business. Even if you feel desperate for a job, know that it will take up time that would be better spent on marketing yourself to get jobs that pay what you need to survive and thrive.
Many young photographers are afraid of losing jobs, but that’s a regular part of the business. You should not feel bad about it if the client cannot afford you. If they can’t afford you, then it was never a real job in the first place. How can you do good work or create a portfolio worthy piece if you’re not being paid enough to have your heart in it? In addition, these cheap jobs always end up to be the biggest headaches anyway. Every photographer has a story from when they were starting out about that client who just wouldn’t go away.

Commercial Photography

Even worse than a client lowballing you, are situations when you do not charge enough! Sometimes you will have no idea that a client has budgeted much more than you quoted them. A simple and fantastic question to ask to help you handle confusing pricing situations is, “What is your budget?” This question is sometimes not appropriate, but there are many ways to say it, such as telling them that you offer multiple levels of service based on the cost and asking what their budget is for the project. Or if they say they are tight on budget, you can offer to help them and simultaneously ask what they can pay. When introduced in the right way, this can get your client to lay all their cards on the table.

Mistake #2 – Not responding to inquiries quickly enough

Musician photography

Every ounce of business development and every second of time spend on the tedious aspects of building a business serves the specific purpose of getting someone to contact you with a job. Well then answer them! I get nervous if it takes me 24 hours to respond to an inquiry, and the clients usually come back thanking me for responding so quickly. If you answer your emails and calls efficiently, then you immediately put yourself ahead of the majority of photographers. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told that we were able to have a whole back and forth and book a job before a competitor even replied.
In addition, responding regularly and efficiently will add to their comfort in working with you. Showing that you are responsible enough to do this also shows them that you are probably responsible in all aspects of your business. It is a great way to set the tone for what working with you will be like and can be excellent for gaining referrals in the future.

Mistake #3 – Not having a focused business plan

Business or corporate photography

You need to know how you are going to make money. Having a focused plan with an income target, price per job needed to reach that target, and a strategy to reach clients will become the basis for your entire business. The more focused that plan is, the more focused you will be. Figure out the strategy with the most potential to help you make a living and start with that. Focus on that before you waist your time on anything else. You do not want to fragment yourself too early in the building process.

Mistake #4 – Not setting aside enough time for personal work

Fine art photography

Personal work is what you do to renew your passion for photography. Without that, it will be very difficult to succeed in the photography business. However, it is also the way that you get jobs and build your portfolio. It’s where you test out new strategies and ways of photographing, and it is a way to improve overall at your craft. If there is a type of job that you want to start booking, then build a portfolio of work that will help sell you as a photographer to those clients. They don’t have to know that this portfolio wasn’t made of paid jobs, and in many cases they will enjoy knowing how passionate you are in pursuing your personal work.

Mistake #5 – Not researching colleagues/competitors

As a business owner, you need to know what’s out there. Learning from your competition and even your friends is incredibly important. Go through their work and figure out what you like and what you dislike. Try to figure out the different ways that they market themselves and where their jobs come from. See how they use social media and where they get press from. Learn their pricing and test out their website.
All of this information is so important to helping you find your way. Take the best aspects of everyone you research, and put them together into your own plan. All of the information is out there for you to be successful, it’s just up to you to find it.

Family photography

Mistake #6 – Not having a plan for editing and delivering

One of the biggest problems that I see newer photographers have is that they take way too much time editing. They end up missing deadlines, wasting their time, and worrying too much. This is not a good situation for anybody and is one of the quickest ways to hold your entire business back. Learn to cull your images from a job quickly. Right away, knock 800 images into the top 200 or 150 as fast as possible and work from there. Organizing and attacking a job’s editing in an efficient matter will make your life so much better, and it will make your clients very happy.
Always tell a client that you will deliver a job to them a couple days after you plan to (under promise over deliver). That way you will look very good when you deliver the work early, and if you have some unfortunate setback or issue in your life, you will still have extra time to complete the job.

Mistake #7 –  Not doing enough local networking

Writer environment portrait

Friends, family, and colleagues are your first line of people who can help you gain work. The second line is your local area. Figure out the businesses and people in your community that might need your services, and figure about the best way to reach them. Find business meet-up groups, local meet-ups, and trade shows that occur in your community and become a part of them. And this tip doesn’t mean that you should only show up once and never again. Become a regular part of them. Spend more time socializing within your community and that will come back to you business-wise.

Mistake #8 – Not using a mailing list

Business portrait photography

Social networks come and go. They all change constantly and hold you at their whim. While they are necessary to be a part of, social networks are in it for themselves, not for you. Diversify your marketing and build up a mailing list of all your contacts, clients, and friends. This way there is nothing between you and reaching them with important news. Mailing lists have a significantly higher open and click-through rate than social networks, and won’t charge you (per email) to reach your list.

Mistake #9 – Trying to do too much all at once

Event photography

There are so many strategies to market yourself in photography. Every situation is unique, and every marketing plan should be different. It is important to learn as much as you can about marketing, but at the same time you need to prioritize. Five strategies done with a small amount of your attention on each will be much less effective than one strategy with all of your attention focused on it. Spend some time to figure out which strategies will have the most potential for your situation and rank them. Then start with the first one and over time move down the list.

Mistake #10 – Not putting yourself out there

Artist / Writer Portrait Photography

Nobody is going to give you an opportunity if you don’t ask. The biggest difference between the people who make it and the people who fail is that the ones who succeed will wake up tomorrow and take these steps. None of this is rocket science – it just takes dedication, organization, and follow-through.
Many people won’t give you an opportunity the first time you ask. Learn to take rejection because rejection isn’t that bad. It means you’re pushing yourself and it’s inevitable along the way. Keep a thick skin and pride yourself on trying. Marketing is a grind at first. The photographers who can dive right in despite every frightened feeling their brain gives them will be the most successful.

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