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[Gavin Seim]

Lots of random musings and thoughts today. Not the normal show format but it was relaxing for me and I need that now and then. Discussion welcome. Enjoy 

http://www.prophotoshow.net/blog/2010/01/15/pro-photo-podcast-65-just-talking/

[Tim A]

Hey Gavin,

I just got finished listening to show #65.  I would like to start by saying thank you for all of your transparency and honesty with how you run your photography business and what works/doesn't work for you.  I have been obsessively listening to photography podcasts since I started throwing around the idea of being a vocational photographer.  I have read stacks of books and spent countless hours listening to the top shows on iTunes and your show stands at the fore front in the way of usefulness.  I genuinely feel at the end of an hour of listening that I have gotten great ideas, some of which I have shared with professional photographers, whose response is typically "huh" in a sort of, "that's great, I think I'll try that" manner. 

I don't typically post on forums but I heard you mention a few times in this episode that you wanted feedback to know if this was useful and I just felt inspired to try and express just how useful I found this episode in specific and your show in general.  A lot of my favorite shows tend to barely crack the surface on the nuts and bolts like you do.  In fact, I am sort of treating your show like a mentorship in that I am actually hearing how the business works.  Actually, I think a neat article/set of individual podcasts for you to consider might be taking the listeners through the different parts of the business and how you approach them all such as Ep. 1 marketing, getting the first clients and building a client base, Ep. 2 biding and pricing for your services, Ep. 3...etc all the way to how one schedules and organizes their time and the delivery of services. 

Anyway, sorry this is so long, just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU for all that you do, please keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Tim

[weeks82]

Great show as always Gavin!

You mentioned letterpress business cards. I was wondering if you have a place in mind to use ? I'm definitely interested in these and I didn't come up with many results doing a search.


Thanks


-Brian

[Gavin Seim]

Thanks for your thoughts Tim. I appreciate it. You too Brian.

As for letterpress. I'm still doing research, but Dolce press is a popular one these days. Don't expect cheap though. I think you'll end up paying around $2 a card.

G

[LUIS COLON]

  i just new in the forum .. hi GAVIN ...KEEP UP GOOD ORK

[D-S Photography]

Gavin,
     I enjoyed this podcast a lot. Your musing puts a personality to your face. I am a christian as well and a lot of your thoughts are ones I share. I don't shoot weddings a lot at all. I am more an outdoor nature/wildlife photographer, as many on the forums may know. One point on the nature photography side I'd like to bring to mind is a lot of people give up because they have more so so images than "epic" ones. Yes it is a hard field you often have little to no control over your subject matter. It forces you to work outside of a comfort zone crawling around in grass, mud, water, you name it to get that one great shot.

 When I'm done shooting I walk back to my car and look at the grass stains on my jeans, the scrapes, cuts, mudcaked in places that leave me wondering "how the heck did that get there", and then drive home. I import my images waiting for them to load like a child waiting in line for Disney World. They start loading one by one yeah there are some "what heck was I thinking" shots but then an amazing image appears on screen. I ask myself, was it worth all the filth, cuts, thorns stuck in my arms and legs? Heck yes it was, I wonder what I would have gotten with a little more dirt, a few more scrapes, and thorns.

On the marketing side of outdoor photography bigger is better. A 8x10 isn't going to show the incredible detail of the snake you almost stepped on or the glory of a soring Bald Eagal. Only pick your best of the best prints for limited edition. When it comes to pricing some factors I take into mind are how hard was the shot, how rare is the animal, is it a common shot, what is it worth to me (if you wouldn't pay the price for the image why would anyone else), and is it a limited print. The more limited the higher the price, if there are 100people wanting a print with a 25 limit the value is higher, simple supply and demand. When doing limited prints make it special. Don't go with cheap framing, prints, canvas, and so on. Make it big, bold and impressive.

As for venues showing your work. Not all will like your work but think bigger it helps seperate you from just any photographer. For example there is a gallery in town that will be showcasing some of my work in the early spring. I plan on bringing 5 canvases ranging from 30" to 50". The lowest price is 500$, will there be less expensive prints from other photographers there? You better believe it but there work will help my sales. How you ask? People will see the differance between on par prints and what I show, justifying my prices in the customers mind. Not to say there won't be better images than my own, there probibly will be, but presentation is everything. 

I am in no way the best this is just how I do things. It may or may not work for you.

[Gavin Seim]

Welcome Luis. And thanks DS. Glad you enjoyed it. Right on with your thoughts and those large expensive nature prints. I'm taking the same approach. AT this point not even so much about selling them as getting them seen (with the nature that is)

It's not easy, but those shoots you get into can be the most rewarding. As for venues, I have yet to find one that does not like a big well done print. If you're making good stuff they'll be probably happy because most of what they get is bad.

[Bob Harbison]

I just listened yesterday, and I liked the podcast. You had some good info in there. Sure, it bounced around from subject to subject a bit, but that's fine too. It was an interesting and useful show.

I also thought it was good you explained what you were doing and why. It is nice to get a bit of a "behind the scenes" feel for the show and what you're thinking. However, by the end of the show I felt like you were dwelling on it a bit too much, almost apologizing for not having guests and for just doing a show where you mused on things you wanted to talk about.

It's your show, you're the director! You can do anything you want. The show was fine, the concept was good, plenty of useful info, and as you said, if folks don't like the rambling muse concept, then come back and listen to the next one. So do a short explanation, and then do the show, no looking back!

I think a bit less explaining would make it sound like you have more confidence in the final product.

[Gavin Seim]

Thanks Bob. And you;re right. I tend to apologize when I'm uncertain about something which is not the way to handle. Go forward and see how the reaction is is a better way to handle it.

[scorpio_e]

Long time listner

Great show as always Gavin !!! Thanks for taking time out to produce it.

I have your old one all saved on my Zune so I can go back and review old pod casts. It is interesting how technology changes rapidly and business principles remain the same:)

[Bob Harbison]

As for letterpress... I think you'll end up paying around $2 a card.

G

$2 per card? Wow... That could add up to a serious investment if you hand them out with much frequency. So you really feel that they'll make a significantly better impression than the traditional cards?

You and I both know that the business cards with photos on them are old news now, and no longer cutting edge, but do your clients know that? If it was me, I think I'd be more impressed with a card that had a knock-out photo on it, than a card with a letterpress design on it.

Maybe you're dealing with some pretty high end clients who will appreciate details like letterpress cards and they'll make you stand out from the crowd. I guess you'll have to try it and find out.

I realize that small details like that can sometimes make a big difference and an impression. On the other hand, I'd really like to think that folks pick a photographer based on their portfolio, not the quality of their business card...

[Gavin Seim]

Thanks Scorpi and Bob.

Bob as for the cards. Yes they are spendy, but I've seen worse. Not sure it matters that much, but I do love a nice card so I like experimenting. If I try something ultra high end I'll let people know how the reaction is.

[moonraker5]

Hi Gavin,

I have been listening to your show since the beginning and i have to say you have come a long way in the past 12 months. It shows that you have been woeking really hard. well done.

I feel that i wanted to respond to show 65. I really enjoyed it and its great to hear that Kiddies certainly do change your aspect on life, for the better of course!

I look forward to all your future podcast and listening on my way to work here in the UK.

Cheers Gavin