RICHARD BRADBURY
RICHARD BRADBURY
T H E S C I E N C E O F S U CC E S S
I M P R O V I N G YO U R B U S I N E S S
THE SCIENCE OF SUCCESS – IMPROVING YOUR BUSINESS
Photography first?
Words by Richard Bradbury FBIPP
I have launched and run many different photographic businesses in my time and I have been lucky enough to work with some of the best creative talents in the world on many different projects. I have also dealt with thousands of members of the public and employed many different photographers and assistants. Over that period I have noticed that there definitely is a correlation between the quality of your work and the sales it produces. But that correlation pales into insignificance when compared to the power of marketing and selling. When it comes to getting the job and getting a good price for your photography, good marketing is the most important factor. Over the years we have photographed many portraits sessions and it is inevitable that not every shoot is as perfect and creatively ground- breaking as I would want it to be. We all know that bad weather and bad subjects can sometimes result in a shoot that is not necessarily award winning. In my viewings I have noticed that there is very little correlation between the best photographs and the most images sold. The same set of rules apply to my commercial shoots. Whether I am shooting for huge international advertising agencies or small to medium sized businesses. The correlation between getting the contract and being the very best technical and creative photographer for that job is not at all consistent.
M
ost photographers understand that developing their creative and technical skills will make them a better photographer. There is an undeniable truth to the fact that constant development in all fields of photography is a vital ingredient for your long term survival. However, if you want to ensure that you stay on top of the game from a business perspective, creative and technical skills are just one small part of the plan. In fact I would go further than that:
Being a better photographer is not as important as being a better marketer when it comes to the long-term health of your photographic business! There you go I’ve said it...and if you don’t yet believe me then please read it again until you do believe it because I can assure you with every ounce of my thirty five years experience in the photography business that it is true!
Just to be clear, I am not saying that you can be an awful photographer and still have a successful long term career. Striving to be the best photographer you can possibly be is at the heart of every photographic business. I can assure you that the millions of other professional photographers in the world are not going to lie down and let you take their work. You need to stay fit and sharp and be the best you can possibly be. I am just saying that photographic ability is not the most important factor when it comes to landing the job. There are many myths that surround this concept and they apply to just about every business type there is. Photography, in that respect, is no different from any other business and the same rules apply albeit with slightly different shades. So what is it that distinguishes the successful businessman from the unsuccessful?
52 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Two
Image © Richard Bradbury
Is it Luck?
“You are so lucky, you have such a great studio and you always get the best jobs.”
I have never believed in luck as a significant factor when it comes to success. I think that deep down we all know this is the case but it is the most convenient excuse in the world to convince yourself that you are just not lucky enough in life. Yes there are occasions when we are lucky and occasions when we are unlucky but over your lifetime you will come to understand that it is up to you to make your own luck. It’s a cliché isn’t it? Yes but it’s a cliché for a reason! Despite my many years of running photographic businesses I like to sign up for random seminars especially when I have heard there is someone that’s worth listening to. I recently attended the ‘Super Stylist’ seminar by Antony Whitaker. Antony was two times Australian Hairdresser Of The Year and works with Vidal Sassoon, Schwarzkopf and many other huge international brands. Antony now travels the world teaching hairdressers and salon owners how to make their businesses more efficient and more profitable. During his seminar he told a story which I could not get out of my head.
Issue Two / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 53
