My Two Most Valuable Business Lessons

Many years ago, I attended a seminar given by a professional photographer who said something like this: “Every decision I make is a business decision.”

I took his comment quite seriously, making many decisions over the past 20 years based on the final and potential financial outcome of the project - be it a book, assignment, speaking engagement, workshop, seminar and so on.

Sure! I still shoot for fun, and I travel to great locations based on the rewarding photographs (and experiences) that I’ll get. And I love, love, love writing, giving presentations and leading workshops. But the business side of photography is always on the front burner of my mind.

I have learned many business lessons in the past two decades, all of which have helped me to survive in this highly competitive field. Many are covered in my class, The Business Side of Photography, at Kelby Training.

For now, I’d like to share with you two my favorite lessons. Here goes.

Lesson #1
Get Your Work Out There

Several years ago, a local arts council here in Croton-on-Hudson, New York was organizing a photo exhibit. My wife, Susan, and the organizers of the exhibit wanted me to include one of my photographs, a picture of a butterfly that’s on the cover of my butterfly book, Flying Flowers.

At the time, I was very busy, working on “more important” projects. I said I did not have time to make an archival print, cut a custom matt (because the image was not a standard size) and mount the image in a nice frame.

They asked again, and I finally submitted, not one, but two framed prints.

The exhibit was reviewed in our town’s paper, where the Croton Police Blotter and Croton Sports are favorite weekly features. Here is what a neighbor, who I did not know at the time, wrote about my photographs: “For their incisive vision, sumptuous textures and colors, and the sheer wonder these finely detailed descriptions of butterflies awaken in us, I think Rick Sammon’s photographs are marvels.”

Wow! What a nice thing to say!

I called the reviewer to say thank you. I made a date to give her the prints that she liked so much.

Turns out, she is rather famous. The reviewer was none other than Maria Morris Hambourge, Curator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

What a surprise! How cool! What photographer could ask for a more enthusiastic review of his or her pictures? That quote helped me to get the book contract. I used that quote, with Maria’s permission, on the back cover of the book and in all the PR materials for the book.

Those few words sure did help sales. Like most coffee-table books, however, it was not a huge seller compared to the sales of how-to books.

There is more to my butterfly story. An editor from Sellers Productions saw my book at a trade show and shortly thereafter signed me up for two butterfly calendars and a set butterfly note cards called, Butterfly Wings.

All this stuff may not have happened if I had not participated in that little local exhibit.
Although I have preached the message of “getting one’s work out there” for many years, this valuable lesson reminded me of its importance.

My mother was correct: There is always someone watching!

Lesson #2
Never Give Up

Ten years ago I had an idea for a series of 3-D children’s animal books, the kind where the kids would wear red/green 3-D glasses so that the pictures would pop off the page. I thought it was my best idea to date.

My wife, Susan, and I drove down to Washington, D.C. to meet with the head of the book division of National Geographic. Man o man was I excited!

Ten minutes into the meeting we were told that 3-D was an old idea, that the technology had been popular in the 1950s, and that no one would buy the books.

Man o man was I dejected - until we got back on the New Jersey Turnpike and headed north.

Well, I never give up. To make a long story short, two weeks later I signed a contract for six 3-D books with the Nature Company (now called the Discovery Channel stores).
It was one of my best business deals to date. The Nature Company sent the two of us to Kenya (Wild Safari in 3-D), Costa Rica (Rainforest in 3-D), and Bonaire and Tahiti (Under the Sea in 3-D) - covering all of our expenses. In addition, they paid us a royalty on each book, and they bought 20,000 books each. We produced the three other books in the series with a great 3-D photographer in England, David Burder.

Those 3-D books led to two more 3-D books: Washington DC in 3-D and Wings in 3-D (a book on antique airplanes). Wings in 3-D led to another children’s book, Hide and See Under the Sea, with the same publisher.

Man o man. I sure am happy that I never gave up!

Summing up, always remember that photography is a business. Much like the Web, everything is connected. Today, the main idea is to drive people to your site - which is your store, your portfolio and your resume.

Make good business decisions, and you’ll be able to live the following philosophy: If you love what you do, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.

That said, I still work my butt off, following another philosophy: You have to do what you don’t want to do to do the things you want to do. I tell my son that every time he does not want to do something.

P.S. As some of you know, I have many books, including my latest, Face to Face.
It is one of my favorite how-to books. However, if you want to make big bucks in books, write children’s books - the audience is much, much larger than the audience for how-to books.

Here is one final tip: If you have great photographs of a subject but are not an expert on that subject, team with an expert - which is exactly what I did for Flying Flowers. The expert will give your book credibility, and credibility helps with sales.