Best Advice Ever Given

This week, we asked some of our Photographer friends from our favorite groups - What is the best advice you were given about photography/business?

"I was told this by my father who started his own biz 30 years ago: dont let anyone tell you how to run your own business....he told me to take peoples unwanted advice with a grain of salt, if they know so much about it, they need to do it themselves. "--  Ramos Ohana

"I saw this Steve Jobs quote floating around FB yesterday and I think it's really applicable to our businesses -- I identified with his advice, anyway :) "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on." The last part is super encouraging to me, as right now times are tough (I'm opening a studio and some of the unexpected expenses are killing me)." – Kara Reese Photography 

"I'm not sure if it's necessarily advice, but the feedback I get from my clients is that they are emotionally touched when they see their images. This helps me understand the meaning of what I'm doing. I'm here to help others live, and relive those moments that are truly special to them. Another piece of business/selling advice I found was on the illustrating the value of photo albums. If the event was a wedding, the value of a photo album isn't that great right after the wedding. The value is when the bride has a 10 year old boy sitting on her lap and they ask her who that lady is in the photos. She then replies that it was her when Mom and Dad got married. Then the album has even greater value when that same bride has another 10 year old boy sitting on her lap again and they ask her who that lady is in the photos. And she replies, "That's Grandma and Grandpa" on our wedding day... I'll guarantee you that the tears will start to flow..." – Chris Holt

"Learn when to say "no" and its ok to do so!" – Greta Starbuck

"Create a price list of where you want to be and then give discounts for portfolio building...rather than start out with cut rate pricing and try to increase."  – Debbie Schwab Photography

"Charge what you are worth!" –  Images by Jason & Tonja  

"Don't compare yourself to other photographers and second guess what you're doing, be who YOU are and create your own style, not what everyone else is doing!" – Catherine Lewis Photography 

"You can't sell what you don't show....(more samples are needed for me!); And we are all at a different point in our path; don't compare yourself to others." – Debbie Ellis Photos  

"No one gave me this advice, but I wish they had. HAVE A MINIMUM ORDER AMOUNT. If you are just starting it doesn't need to be huge...I don't care if it's a $50 session with a $100 product order...but it needs to be an amount that makes you feel good about giving up your time to shoot and post process. Then when you get REALLY busy (because you are obviously priced too low), you KNOW it's time to raise it. Every season if it makes sense." – Meadowland Photography 

"To know the type of client/demographic and then structure the business around what it takes at attract and market to them." – Steph Kimball Photography 

"Do not listen to the nay-sayers - be your own cheering squad and never take anything personally... Be nice to your competitor - never bad talk anyone." – Debbie Alborough

"Sometimes saying no is the best thing you can do." -- Mitchelldyer Photography  

"The best EVER advise I was given by Katharine Kimball Photographer : When you give your work away free, you are not only diminishing your own worth, but the whole photography communities!" -- Ilona LaRue

"One of the most important things I learned was to never give up. My first boss was named Ilse and she had a studio called Photographs by Ilse. I started working for her in 1969 part time while I was in college. She was German and survived the war there and came to the U.S. She had been trained in photography. A woman having a photography studio in the 60's wasn't common. I don't know exactly when she started the studio but it was successful when I came on board. She always had a positive attitude, treated her staff of 6or 7 really well and encouraged us to do our best and lead by example. She never said to me" never give up" but in our talks over time she mentioned some of the terror she went through with Allied bombing etc. and other hardships she had to over come . Her example was a model for me to follow in my own business. Be positive and don't say it can't happen. I never gave up . Thank you Ilse."  –  Contemporary Images 

‎"Don't be too hard on yourself" – Kim Nodine Photography 

"Head in a clean spot, head in a clean spot" -Zac Arias – sent in by Alkini Baldwin

"Don't do or offer something just because everyone else does....do what YOU want to do." – Haley Walls Photography 

"Be yourself. Don't try to copy someone else's style, etc. Don't try to do it all by yourself. Ask for help when you need it. Your business will define itself as it grows and you gain more experience." – A Life of Passion Photography 

"Set boundaries on your business hours. I use to guarantee wedding images 2 weeks after the wedding. It was way too much pressure and took up all my time to meet that demand. I'm now at 4-6 wks. Don't let the business become your life." – Orange Peel Photography 

"Find your niche and own it!" – Shannon Brooks Photography 

"Learn how to price right from the beginning. It's an uphill struggle if you don't." – Sara Desjardins Photography 

"When I was at WPPI-U in February, Dane Sanders said to not be afraid to fail early and fail often. Get your mistakes out of the way to learn from them and build your business from there by learning what doesn't work quickly" :) – Freeze Frame  

"Think of where you want your business to be in five years and do everything as if that was already true." – Five Castles Portaits 

"Most photographers don't last through the first couple years, if you don't want to be a statistic, be willing to learn, set yourself apart from others, don't undervalue your work and connect with your clients, even if you think you have nothing in common." – Allison Photography  

"Know yourself and your style, and don't try to do other people's art. Have your OWN art. Don't do what everyone else is doing just because everyone else is doing it." – Up and Away Photography 

"I think the biggest for me was Facebook marketing. When you create a page on FB and add photos, tag everyone. Link your site to everything and most importantly get to know your clients!" – Strawberry Jude Studio 

"Know your camera inside and out." – Jessica Barker Photography   

"I was feeling really lame at a conference years ago and approached a seasoned pro about the fact that I felt like there was always SO much I didn't know and needed to learn. His reply was the kindest ever. He basically said that no matter how much you learn about photography there is always more to learn. And that he still had tons to learn. Meant the world to me. The other piece of advice is to always be improving and believe that you're worth your pricing (because if you don't... your clients won't either!)" – Stacee Taft Photography

"The great Duane Michals said "Just do your work, and if your work is true, it will become art." While he was addressing us as fine art/exhibition photographers at the time, that advice always stuck with me. We can sometimes get so caught up in what everyone else is doing that we loose our own muse. While I love education, and being a part of the photography community, much of my time is spent just working and creating without the influences of others. I believe that we all have so much creative potential that we don't tap into because we are not introspective or concentrated enough to tap into it. Sometimes I just like to see where I can find myself all on my own." – PhotoUmbra 

"No matter what happens, you have to try. The worst thing you can do is give up." - Patrick Duffield I tried to go to other photographers for help and they are so afraid someone is going to steal their ideas/business that they act like they can't help or have no idea. The best advice I ever got was from a friend who had nothing to gain by helping except know that he was inspiring someone who was about to forsake the whole idea.” – Lucky Bee Photography

"Don't rely on editing to "fix" a bad photo. Shoot mindfully, with the goal of not needing photoshop. (I haven't achieved this, but it's improved my efforts!)" – Jennifer Staggs

"Work with a business consultant, write a business plan and learn how to handle a business. This advice has allowed me to net around $35,000 my startup year in business." – Images by Courtnee Bebe

"If you are not proud of it, do not put your name on it (in other words...pick the best of the best to put into your portfolio/show your clients, etc)" – Capturing Fireflies Photography

The best advice I have received was not to compare myself and my style to others but instead to work hard at improving what I can do. – Simplicity by Megan Wright

The best advice I've received has been to believe in myself and not rely on anyone else to determine my value. – Rachael Wolfe

"I'd have to say the best advice I've received was: educate yourself about your camera and the fundamentals of getting a well exposed image, practice practice practice, and do NOT get overly caught up in having the BEST camera body or the BEST lenses. You can have fantastic images from even a "basic" DSLR. And also: just because one owns a high end camera doesn't mean s/he's a professional photographer or even a legal business." – ZV Image Creations

"Don't base your pricing on what others are charging, you are assuming they are happily operating at a profit when they may be miserable and barely staying afloat. You can only price yourself based on your situation, and as long as you have clients willing to pay you, that's all that matters!" - Lindsay Horn Photography

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What about your own words of wisdom? Have anything you'd add to the list?