Sorry, someone had to say it.
Your photos are predictable. Your insights are recycled. You don’t bring surprise with you when you come back from working on location.
That’s why people are ignoring you.
Which used to be fine, because people used to not be able to find other photographers. You could just sit back on your past work, or your agent, or your portfolio. But that half-price sale on attention is now over.
The only path left is to lean out of the edge and become interesting, noteworthy and yes, remarkable.
If the above words don’t sound like mine, it’s because…[click the ‘continue reading’ link below]—
…they’re not. They’re the words of marketing guru Seth Godin remixed with a couple of choice photography terms here and there. But they got your attention I bet. They certainly got mine. I took them to heart. This sort of brutal honest point keeps me on my toes. Reminds me to innovate, create, differentiate. There are a million photo gigs out there and, more often than not, getting that phone call requires that we first suck it up and do some remarkable work.
So true, innovation is the key as you manage to demonstrate so clearly.
It's just after 7 AM, coffee in hand on Friday and the sod of creativity, so easily trampled flat, it about to be turned over yet again. Sometimes I despair (there are only so many ways that one can shoot product – in fact shooting that stuff makes me want to slit my wrists some days!)
How to be creative…how to be creative…mumbles inaudible things!
Thanks for another great blog. Btw Chase, I do quote you on my blog (johnclassenphotography.blogspot.com), but always put a link back to the full text on your site, if that is ok.
great thing to think about when im out on assignment. thanks.
I do this everytime i go on a job, I am my worst self critic.
However the problem is keeping it alive when its a boring shoot and you are doing the same composition again.
Thats when you have to tell yourself that mantra.
Rich
Good stuff!