Having a profitable photography business may seem especially difficult right now, but there is hope out there. By following this quick guide, you can give yourself the best possible chance of success in 2024.
Being a photographer for hire can be a daunting task even for seasoned professionals. That's why now, more than ever, it's vital to have a plan of action in place to increase your chances of success. The good news for us is that photographer and educator Justin Mott has distilled down his 20+ years of experience in the industry to talk to us about the best way to stay afloat in the coming years.
The video starts with Mott talking about being mentally prepared for having a successful photography business and how important it is to understand the challenges ahead and how best to strategize for them. This one point alone is worth its weight in gold and is often missed when it comes to talking about building a photography business. Without a clear view of the landscape, it's impossible to navigate the choppy waters that we find ourselves in.
Mott also talks about the biggest elephant in the room right now, and that is how AI is likely to impact the industry going forward. He suggests selecting areas of photography that are more likely to be resilient to AI and offers some examples such as wedding and portraiture which may fare better than the likes of stock and product photography. Seeking new opportunities and being open to change has always been the best way for photographers to stay ahead of the competition and is a valuable approach for any creative to have.
While this video is aimed at photographers starting in 2024, I do think Mott's thoughts and insights are valuable to photographers at any stage of their career. His video goes through everything from selecting genres, and important skills to learn as a photographer, to the mundane business tasks we all must get used to doing. For just under fifteen minutes of your time, this video is the kind of clear-headed motivational talk we all need to hear from time to time.
What are your thoughts on the photo industry in 2024? What's your plan of action to stay afloat? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Thanks for this video, reinforces what I am going through as a startup. My plan is for portraiture & corporate event photography.