How To Actually Improve Your Self-Worth

[@TheNewMexicoMan]

Mentors have helped me immensely! I see too many budding photographers who have taken a few lucky snapshots and think they are pro photographers. They figure they will learn as they go with no idea how to run a small business or grow their skills. I second shot weddings every weekend with a wedding photographer for zero pay. My pay was the experience I got. I never missed a weekend. When he thought I was good enough, he booked me on easy short weddings to shoot solo. As I gained more experience and more confidence, he booked me on more elaborate, elegant weddings. He taught me the Art, Science & Business of Photography.

[@VanessaJoy]

It sounds like you had a great mentor!

[@NiniRockX]

It's easy to believe that professionals who have spent years in the industry would have mastered every aspect of their photography. However, they, too, make mistakes, demonstrating that photography is a deeply human process. We are not machines; even the most well-oiled machines require maintenance and upkeep. Similarly, photographers must constantly evolve and adapt to new challenges to keep their creative engines running. Ultimately, if my clients can experience a rush of emotions and have their memories come alive through my photographs, I can confidently say that I have achieved my goal. The little mistakes I might make along the way serve as reminders of my humanity and as opportunities for growth.

[@VanessaJoy]

Preach 👏

[@IsaacCamposPhotoVideo]

Hi! I'm Isaac. I saw you speak at my school, OCC in SoCal. Got lots of good tips that I'm beginning to implement like delegating and spending more time on marketing.. I just charged the most I have ever at 4K for a day of shooting,. That's what I have trouble with. Pricing. It's hard for me.

[@VanessaJoy]

Congrats! Yes pricing is a big one for most creatives. I have a quick tutorial on it here: bit.ly/joypricing. Hope it helps!

[@reverton77]

Thank you... I will keep everything in my mind, hopefully. I will share with a colleague....

[@VanessaJoy]

Please do!

[@corykphotography]

Doubt is definitely always there. I just keep pushing on through. This year I've set a goal to try something new. I am building a mobile studio set up and bringing the studio straight to peoples homes in my area. I plan to be the Lincoln Lawyer of photography and work out of the back of my Subaru lol that said, I also need to practice more studio lighting set-ups. 😅

[@adg8269]

I adopted the same plan! Last week, my first shoot went exceptionally well. We shot in my client’s garage, making them feel more comfortable than a studio. It was a huge relief from time constraints and rental costs.

[@corykphotography]

@adg8269 it's so good to hear that it is possible! I live in the Midwest of the U.S.(Indiana) and it has been extremely cold. I normally shoot outdoor location shoots and missed out on some clients that were just wonderful people. So currently I am figuring out a set up for the results I want to deliver. What does your backdrop kit consist of?

[@adg8269]

@ I used V-Flats. They’re pricey for what they’re but there are good videos to DIY.

[@corykphotography]

@adg8269 that was definitely a route I came across over just buying a stand and backdrops. I looked at all the pop up portable backdrops and they seem to be too small. I may attempt the diy path.

[@adg8269]

@ this diy video is good kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqLIh2aFjrCKnLcsi=JuZBjdC3GH0KUNa8

[@MrChip1217]

Great video, a topic for consideration for a future video might be imposter syndrome. That’s when you’ve developed your skill and can’t believe that it might be as easy as it feels.

[@AGoogleUser-h2r]

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” - Winston Churchill.

[@VanessaJoy]

Love that ❤️

[@VinceBrown-u8f]

Loved this, need this! Where is the video with Joe located, would love to see it

[@VanessaJoy]

kzbin.info8d5x0G8nH_4 ☺️

[@FamousPixs]

Can you mentor a photographer with Pentax & Leica gear?

[@VanessaJoy]

Why not?

[@mikerossvisuals]

shoutout to Vanessa!!!

[@VanessaJoy]

Thx 😊

[@menchsito32]

Vanessa u the best

[@VanessaJoy]

Thanks ☺️

[@KavehSaidi]

😊

[@stevemadrid6522]

I had a setback a couple of months ago and it completely shattered my confidence. It wasn't even about the quality of my work. It had more to do with someone I had cultivated a relationship with. This individual had been allowing me to farm leads from their business, but all of a sudden they started going with another photographer. It turns out this new photographer was in a romantic relationship with someone in the organization/ So there's that. Since then I have been in a funk.

[@TheNewMexicoMan]

Shake it off. Rely on what you have learned. Maybe this was needed for you to go out on your own to bigger and better things. Them going with someone else has nothing to do you, your skills or creativity. Sit down an write out a business plan. They're youtube videos on how to do them. In that business plan, write out your approach to create the business you want and the steps you need to take to make it happen. Create a timeline and goals. Formulate an action plan and execute those plans. Be flexible because when it's written, it's real and sometimes when you open yourself to creating your business, things start to happen for you, opportunities present themselves and that's when you need to embrace them and follow through with actions to make things happen. Don't give up. When you do your part and have faith, blessings come.

[@VanessaJoy]

I'm so sorry, that's terrible. :(

[@FamousPixs]

Can you mentor a photographer that wears an "I Shoot RAW" T-Shirt every Day?

[@DB-gj1ig]

Nice🎉

[@VanessaJoy]

Thanks 😊

[@mvp_kryptonite]

Nice

[@corykphotography]

🍎

[@DAVE_WHITE]

Right off the bat I fully disagree with 1, you are promoting people to go out and RIP people off buy charging for work that is sub par if not junk.. there are so many on all of the social media platforms that just went and got a few pieces of gear have no clue about anything even lighting and are charging and producing total garbage... You encourage this? and yet want them to get paid to learn?? NO not acceptable if you want to keep the standards up..

[@VanessaJoy]

Yeah no that’s not what I said at all dude

[@jeffreyhill4705]

I completely disagree, it is only the judgment of the client that counts. I have constantly produced photos, that are technically excellent, artistically excellent, decisive moment excellent, only for the client to love a photo lacking in all three. It is most likely an important decisive moment to them. The best photos from my own wedding were from the disposable cameras. Some of my other most appreciated photos are the stealth ones, taken with very little effort. Let us not forget one of the most famous photographs is a poorly framed out of focus bicycle rushing past a set of stairs.

[@blackflagimages5436]

How is anybody supposed to learn if they don't mess up in the beginning? We all sucked and we're nervous during our first few sessions! Vanessa is saying you just have to start! You learn more by doing it. Far too many people get stuck in the details and try to learn everything before just doing it and they never become successful because they were too scared to just book that first session.

[@DAVE_WHITE]

@ learning and charging for junk work in the beginning like she is promoting are 2 different things. I shot for free for 5 years before I charged a penny. I had to learn everything like anyone else lighting what lights to use where to use them how to use high speed sync how to set it all up in seconds as not to waste the models time learn to not machine gun the camera but take your time look at the model and background look at the clothing. Have the model or her escort make adjustments to clothing and hair before taking the shot. Angles times of day there is so much to learn to produce a decent shot why would you even think of charging for the first few years while you are learning and building the portfolio. She never talks about that.

[@shelley7147]

I don’t think this is what she was saying at All. I have zero confidence and have never charged for taking photos but my time should be worth something. Photography is expensive and you should be making something even if it’s just for your time and effort. If you don’t put some kind of “worth” on what you do, no one else will either.