I attended the ASMP-Minneapolis chapter meeting last night to partake in The Photographer’s Survival Guide program. It was probably the best $45 I ever spent! Here’s an excerpt about the presentation from the ASMP website:
Today’s photography assignment world is changing dramatically. With so much world devastation, the dot-com market going bust, stock vs. assignment, etc. … how is a photographer to keep up?
Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa Stone are presenting a solution: The Photographer’s Survival Guide (for Today’s Market). This program is for all levels of photographers — those who are just starting and those who have been in the business for years and want to take it to the next level. The program is a 2-hour presentation and each participant will receive a “Survivor’s Guide.” The Guide covers everyday photography business basics to those uncomfortable “what do I do” moments in our industry.
The basics include information on:
* who to market to
* how to present it
* copies of estimates expected by clients
* copies of invoices that are expected when the project is finished
* and everything in between! (like crew expectation to making the client feel like, well, the client.)
The “what do I do” moments include real-life situations that arise in the industry. The Survivor’s Guide is also a resource guide with helpful information including:
* correct usage terms
* portfolio makers
* website builders
* printers & fulfillment houses
* deadlines for important award shows (crucial to enter for greater success)
The bottom line… this is the photographer’s guide on how to survive in this industry.
The program was very well attended, well over one-hundred people. The book that we received is chock full of current industry information from sources that you can’t easily find all together in one place. I’m told that this guidebook is the precursor to a more elaborate and detailed publication due out in 2009. The presenter’s, Amanda Sosa Stone and Suzanne Sease are industry professionals, starting their careers at top agencies in the US as art buyers and photo editors. Today, they are primarily working as consultants in the photo industry.
The presentation was fast-paced and full of so much useful information, I can’t begin to describe how worthwhile this was for everyone. Just the other photographer’s names that were being dropped will serve you by perusing their websites and images, which will help you see the caliber of things being done that are being noted by people who really matter. Amanda and Suzanne gave so much insider info into their past dealings with clients, bosses, photographers, and producers. They talked about why you should do this, or don’t do that. They cited tools we can use to market ourselves better and make positive impressions on our clients with our portfolios, estimates, and invoices. They talked about why they like this email marketing approach or why this photographer pissed them off. Stuff you can only get in-person!
There are a few more presentations scheduled in the US for The Photographer’s Survival Guide, and you can find out about them at the ASMP-National website. I highly recommend attending,
