Ask any pro photographer these days if photography is a luxury or a necessity, and I’m quite sure you’ll get a barrage of different answers. Many could argue, quite successfully mind you, that photography is in fact a necessity. Newsprint, websites, magazines, and all other forms of visual media would all suffer greatly without the services we provide. However, shrinking corporate budgets and an economy that’s under water, have effectively for many, put photography firmly into the luxury category. Ouch! I won’t tell you how many events have been scaled down/cut back or worse, cancelled because of budget short falls. Of course, I understand the economics of this, but understanding the problem certainly doesn’t make it any easier on the bottom line. As flood waters continue to rise, many areas of our industry are under water.
My advice? First and foremost learn to swim. Those adept at treading water can survive by offering clients more cost effective products and services that save them money and keep us working. Second, at the risk of stating the obvious, investigate new and different (for you) revenue streams. This is may mean entering unpopular( for you) areas of the market and/or repositioning yourself to remain competitive. There is no question that these are difficult times, and this is all much easier said than done.
Drop me a line jeff@jeffpricephotography.com and tell me what you’re doing to tread water.