Best Business Practices for Photographers [242]
Know What You Don't Know (Revisited)
Another point about this. If all you read was your community newspaper, you might not know about the war (regardless of when you read this, there's always a war somewhere) and how it's going. You might not know about the politician or big businessman who's the subject of a federal probe or just how the economy is doing right now. These things become points of idle conversation during meetings while a projector is being set up or you're awaiting a meeting participant. Although it's not smart to take a side about politics or religion, you can, by reading, engage the client and come across as knowledgeable. And always know what book you're reading, even if you've had it on your nightstand for the last three years.
If you're doing a lot of work with biotech companies, subscribe to their magazines. Try to learn about what's in their news and what photos they are used to seeing from a style standpoint. Use this to engage CEOs, engineers, and others during photo shoots or meetings. This holds true for any industry: Know what they know, which in the beginning is what you don't know…but you will know, and you will benefit from knowing in the long term by growing your bonds with the client and conveying to them that you care enough about their field to learn and be conversant about it.
If you find yourself being asked your opinion about, say, the drop in grain production in the Midwest and how it will affect food prices, and you know nothing about the subject, do not try to fake it. Ask an intelligent question (and anyone who tells you there are no stupid questions is just being nice), such as, "I'm not familiar with that situation. What was the basis for the report, and what do the analysts think about this long term?" Something like this will make it sound like you are interested in what the client is, and you're asking a question that puts the client in the position of power, where they can show off their understanding of the subject. You've allowed for the conversation to be opened up and continue, rather than just saying, "Oh, I've not heard about that."
Seminars, Seminars, Seminars: Go, Learn, and Be Smarter
One of the best opportunities to learn is from seminars. They are given at photo tradeshows by professional organizations annually or semi-annually. They are given monthly by some, such as APA, ASMP, and others. They are given as traveling road shows by software, film, and camera manufacturers, and they are given online as distance learning or podcasts. Almost always, they are well worth the nominal per-seminar fees that are charged. Although I feel fairly proficient in Photoshop, for example, I welcome the opportunity to watch someone else demonstrate how he or she uses it. Learning masking tricks, channel sharpening, and noise reduction, as well as how to optimize images through high-dynamic-range (HDR) capabilities are among the more recent takeaways from seminars I have gone to. Seminars become especially useful when new versions of various software applications come out, and you can watch as these new features are demonstrated. It's much more engrossing to be shown than to read the manuals!
Understand going in that a program by a film manufacturer will probably include pitches for the product, and there are a number of other seminars at which speakers hock items they are paid to endorse or demonstrate. Although you will take away a lot of knowledge about those products or services, it should be abundantly clear what the presenter's relationship is with the sponsor. Sometimes a sponsor is covering the expense of the meeting; other times, there is more involved.
I learn best by observing. Others learn best by reading or listening and taking notes. If you are the type who best learns by observing an actual shoot, then attending a seminar that does