Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/01/05

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Seeking advice on photo career
From: Donal Philby <donalphilby@earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 1998 07:59:44 -0800

Stephen wrote:

> Aspiring professionals are usually weak in four areas.   If they don't
> learn quickly, it's inevitably back to their day jobs:
> 
>     1) Salesmanship so your clients will have the confidence to hire you
> 
>      2) Business skills so you don't under price your work or mis-manage
> your assets
>      3) Contacts to make it all easier to pull the loose ends together
>      4) Enough savings or continuing income to support yourself while
> establishing yourself.

One other important thing, Stephen.  That is doing the kind of work that
a client wants to buy.  All the salesman ship in the world won't let you
show pretty sunsets to almost any client and get a job.  Whether for ad
agencies or corporations, you need to show a portfolio of the kind of
images they need.  The old bromide about an art director looking through
a portfolio and saying, "Okay, I see you can shoot apples, but can you
shoot oranges??" still rings with truth.

donal
- -- 
Donal Philby
San Diego
http://www.donalphilby.com