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Two Photographer Clichés Which Bother Me

1. Watching action instead of creating it. 

"It's hard to be successful today because everybody and their brother can afford a 18MP DSLR and set up a website on the cheap."

I used to agree with this statement, but it's completely false. Sure, cameras are getting better and cheaper by the month, but is the value of being a good photographer also getting cheaper? 

It's never been more easy to get lost in the mix, but it's also never been easier to stand out. If a photog knows how to create a real-life, face-to-face social connection with a client and can actually give a crap about that client's needs, the rest will fall in place.

With more affordable, more powerful cameras, there's a lot of great photography happening out there, but there's also more crap. Instead of throwing disdain and negativity at the struggling beginners, I throw celebration and appreciation at the good. Instead of telling my friends why somebody shouldn't hire my competition, show them why they should hire me. It's a much more worth-wile activity. 

Besides, is that new camera going to make sales calls, answer e-mails, pay bills, send proofs, design albums, order prints, drive to the post office, post to a blog, hand out business cards or edit photos until 3 a.m.? You need much more than a camera to be a photographer.

My advice: Instead of trolling your competition's websites and feeling threatened, go take some freaking amazing photos somewhere and then post them wherever you can. That's why you bought your camera in the first place.

2. Claiming passion instead of demonstrating it. 

"About me: I have a passion for photography."

Good for you. Join the club. If you were really put here on God's green earth to take photos, then why hasn't your portfolio been updated in 4 years? Actions speak louder than words, and your customers will be able to read between the lines. One needs vision and motivation to be a good photographer. Great photographers create ideas and then fulfill them with photos. As Chase Jarvis put it: Good photographers need to "Create. Share. Sustain." 

My advice: If you're telling your potential clients that you have a "passion for photography" you might as well tell them that you have a "passion" for taking their money. Here's how to de-grease your sales pitch: Instead of saying "I have a passion for photography." you should be more specific. Tell them that you have (for example) "a passion for helping people preserve and appreciate the important things in their lives." You do, right? 

Satisfying a passion is powerful. It built my portfolio, it serves my clients and it makes me feel pretty darn good. Because of this, I firmly believe that real passion leads us to new places - physically and emotionally. Stop being a grease ball. Be real to yourself and go feed your passion.