The Pro Photo Business Forum

Have Fun! (whether you like it or not…)
by: Bryan Lindsey
Visit us on the web: Houston Wedding Photographer
Fan us on Facebook!

Ah, the roller coaster ride that is professional photography. One day you are on top of the world, taking the best images you ever have – the next you are buried under a pile of editing, phone calls, and general business un-fun-ness.

It’s a common business goal to make as much money/profit as possible. Allow me to propose another goal: To have as much fun as possible. Now, these two goals are sometimes opposed to each other, and our “have as much fun as possible” goal cannot exist in a vacuum. So how do we maximize our fun while staying within the bounds of profitability?

The answer will be different for each person since we are each turned on by different aspects of photography. So take a moment of self-introspection and ask yourself – what do I enjoy doing? What do I love about photography? If I were independently wealthy, what would I be doing simply for the love of doing it? I’ll go first: I love (1) the interaction with people as I photograph them, and (2) the personal gratification of viewing a picture that I took, that I love, and that the client loves. So, knowing this, how do I maximize my fun?

1. Interaction: I need to be more confident in my interactions with people. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a person who lacks confidence, but I think I often come across as very go-with-the-flow as opposed to someone capable of directing the creation of fine art. So I believe that I can have more fun if I bring more “focused enthusiasm” to my shoots. That is, I want to set the tone of the shoot regardless of the initial enthusiasm of the subject(s). You know the rapport that’s there by the end of the shoot? I want to get to there as soon as possible. Maximize fun time.

2. Take great pictures: My strategy for this is to lean more toward KISS (keep it simple, stupid). Lately I’ve been hung up on creating stuff that is cool and different to me (sometimes it works, sometimes not). I need to get back to basics and create images that the clients love. Sure, I’VE seen the wedding-party-jump pose a million times, I’M not a fan of the “shoes” shot, etc. But it’s not about me trying new stuff all the time. I’ve got to keep in mind that some of these standard images have great value to the client, and making them happy makes me happy – it’s fun. However, I need to stay balanced and fresh because, as Scott brought out earlier, you don’t want to get stale either. Fresh also equals fun.

There will be plenty of boring stuff to do later. Remind yourself of why you enjoy photography and HAVE FUN!

Bryan Lindsey: Houston Wedding Photographer

Join The Pro Photo Business Forum.

Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography
Houston Wedding and Portrait Photographer