regulars know that i paste my photo's and drawings left right and centre all over this board.

lots of people like 'em and i've had exhibitions over the years.

my situation is this:

how do i change from mr nice guy local picture man to shrewd, independent, rags-to-riches successful entrepreneur/ artist?!

any suggestions very gratefully received!

:thumbsup:

Maybe try SENTA?

http://www.senta.co.uk/

Worry about your conscience rather than your reputation. Your conscience is who you are. Your reputation is what others think of you. And in relation to what others think...well, who really cares what others think?

:)

Stagey x

'It doesn’t matter what you do in life, whether you make sausages, or daisy chains, just make the best ones'
(Patricia Routledge)

I think you have to be very pushy or very lucky to get on. Its often not what you know, but who you know. Good luck.

My biggest tips are:

Believe in your end product. If you don't, why should anyone else?

Be consistent

Be genuine - people hate a fake!

Marketing, marketing, marketing!

And remember, a leopard can't change it's spots, but it can learn to live like a tiger!

:)

I think you have to be very pushy or very lucky to get on. Its often not what you know, but who you know. Good luck.

As one CEO recently commented during a conversation with me and another colleague: It's not who YOU know but WHO knows YOU and what they have to say about YOU that counts.

how do i change from mr nice guy local picture man to shrewd, independent, rags-to-riches successful entrepreneur/ artist?!
I wrote something on another thread before about photography.

You said it yourself, I think the keyword is 'local'. So how do something small becomes something big ? You go global. International. Go public. I'm not really sure how u make it big in the photography business. Cos it's a little bit unconventional, but people I've met who are in graphic designs, and various artistic industries network and mingle within the arts area. Most base themselves in London. Get published or known for their skills within the right circles. The Tate Modern. The Photographer's Gallery etc etc...

People may then pay commission for u to do work thereafter. I reckon u should go freelance if you want your skills to sell.

Worry about your conscience rather than your reputation. Your conscience is who you are. Your reputation is what others think of you. And in relation to what others think...well, who really cares what others think?

:)

Stagey x

'It doesn’t matter what you do in life, whether you make sausages, or daisy chains, just make the best ones'
(Patricia Routledge)

thanks for that stagey...

do you fancy coming over to wreck my home? :thumbsup:

I think you have to be very pushy or very lucky to get on. Its often not what you know, but who you know. Good luck.

thanks sultana; true, but i think who you know is defined by what you know and not by chance or luck!

:)

........

People may then pay commission for u to do work thereafter. I reckon u should go freelance if you want your skills to sell.

thanks

i think from this and from stuff's advice, freelance might be the way to go.

i know a couple of well-paid freelancers....i best ask 'em for some advice too!

:)

thanks

i think from this and from stuff's advice, freelance might be the way to go.

i know a couple of well-paid freelancers....i best ask 'em for some advice too! :)

I have not gathered very much about what you really want to do to make money, so I have to assume you have — as we have here in our office — a very good camera. I also have to assume that you know how to use it in a variety of situations; indoor, outdoor, rain, snow, night etc.

I’m taking for granted that you can do all that because if you couldn’t you wouldn’t want to be promoting yourself. So, assuming you can, you need to promote yourself and you might need premises for a studio.

Don’t know how you’re fixed financially, but most pro photographers have a website from which they offer pix of anything and everything, at a variety of prices. If it was me, I think I’d try to specialise. It’s what a lot of pro photographers don’t do. Weddings are a waste of time. Heaven alone knows how many couples order a photographer then don’t pay because suddenyl they’ve parted!

Anyway, looking at specialising. Good subjects are heavy haulage (road or rail), industry and civil engineering. In London, a specialist photographer is can demand around £800 a day. I know one who works exclusively for British Gas and travels extensively, often by helicopter to rigs.

The going rate in Manchester is around £400 but you could make more money selling commercially from a website. But don’t forget to consult someone over safeguarding your copyright. Some pix on the internet can be quite easily lifted off and used without you knowing about it. Not everyone in honest!

Finally, you’ll need every available lens. We’ve only got three, which isn’t really enough. But if necessary we’ve a 600 mill and a unipod, so football matches are not beyond us.

All I can say now is, if you’re confident that you have all the necessary skills, go for it. A job that you enjoy doing is better than a job you don’t like doing — regardless of the money aspect. Initially, you could promote youself by finding a small business to which a lot of people are attracted, and asking the owner if he’d allow you to put up some prints that you have for sale. A small café isn’t a bad idea. Lots of people going in and out, some sitting there eating and possibly looking at four walls when they could be looking at your prints! Offer the owner a decent cut and who knows, you could be on your way to success. Make sure all your details are with your prints. If they don’t buy anything, they may very well take your number for future reference.

thanks for all that, peterw, all very interesting and helpful, and sorry for the delay in replying!

you have just reminded me that one of my uncles specialised in photographing rocks for a living! so i can ask him!

good stuff about the cafes etc...i am just getting to the point this week where i will be able to tout my stuff round places like that. just getting my opening remarks together....i'm sure there's a right way and a wrong way to approach people!

as for the different lenses, i must admit i'm a stick in the mud and up to now i've taken the same 35mm camera everywhere i go and it might be time to go for a medium format etc.

:)

I think in the short term, you have to consider your most cost effective and most effective route to market. Points to consider:

1. Branding (Design of your product/the way its marketed)
2. Advertising - short term: a domain name, website, google registering - later: industry press
3. Shopfront - ebay and possibly an ecommerce bolt on to website

The rest is down to the usual prerequisites of running a business:

1. Networking
2. Profesionalism
3. Further advertising to attract new (and wider) interest
4. Cashflow - apportioned to cost of living/further business investment & development.

Maybe worth considering that your product/service needs to be compelling... (as I am sure it is). Always consider your target market first and have a look at what your soon to be competitors are currently doing. Additionally, a compelling event such as Christmas or the World Cup ( example gifts or flags) could help to push sales at launch, so timing is also a key factor, hence a general understanding of the world around you will help aid any 'business' creativity you have.

Once you get up and running and have client examples - use them to sell more/secure new contracts, hence, the case studies section on a website is always a great sales aid and supplement word of mouth (which will probably count towards 70% of new business, based on my limited understanding of your field of proposed business).

My bills in the post.

thanks bigflesh!

i am reading these replies with great interest.

your suggestions are permeating my slowly-becoming-business-like mind..:)

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=112624

thanks Bago for that link!

especially interesting to see a nice photography website: much better than mine is at the moment.

i am currently designing a new improved version!

:)