“By ‘poverty consciousness’ I mean the set of attitudes and beliefs and feelings and values associated with material lack or fear of material lack. Poverty consciousness equals a belief in limitation, and almost always includes fear.

Poverty consciousness is not directly related to the amount of money you have. Rather, it’s the relationship to that money or to material possessions. If you worry about not having enough money, you’re in poverty consciousness. If you believe there is not enough for everyone in the world, you operate from poverty consciousness.

You can live in conditions of poverty without necessarily living in poverty consciousness, which is a state of mind and heart. The amount of money or other material possessions is a matter of fact. Your relationship to that amount is a matter of thoughts and feelings.”

Your attitude and your staff’s attitude about money will affect your sales. If you are uncomfortable with the prices you charge or don’t feel worthy, you will not be able to charge what you are truly worth.

I have been in many situations where people put their poverty consciousness onto me and it is a big turn off. I have been ready and willing to spend money on something important to me only to have the salesperson say something like, “oh, that one is so much, maybe you would prefer this one.” Talking themselves right out of a sale.

As a photographer, you will be selling your photographs. You must find ways to not to let your preferences or assumptions get in the way. We will talk about that next week.

(Credit information for the above quoted paragraphs: © 1995, 2007 Marshall House, http://www.mhmail.com. Jeanie Marshall, a Personal Development Coach specializing in deep transformation and personal success, writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment. She assists professional coaches and consultants to write their knowledge, wisdom, and experiences.)

Whether it is a script as an answer to a question I usually didn’t handle very well or a script for setting up expectations of a client, they serve me well. Whether it is a one sentence answer to a series of fact finding questions, I have become more efficient and profitable.

More importantly as the title suggests, I feel in control of my business. Join us!

A fun fact is that I have subscribers in 52 countries now. That is so amazing. No one from Greenland is on the mailing list yet. Maybe in 2012 someone from there will find me!

I don’t use a mobile device myself but I discovered that 64 visits were from mobiles with the iPhone as number one.

The information I am gathering will also help me put some new things into my plan for this year and where to concentrate my efforts.

Using Google analytics is easy and free. Start here: http://www.google.com/analytics/

If you have yet to purchase domain names, set up website hosting, or need email I highly recommend Domains Made Simple at http://domainsmadesimple.com/

Until lately I was simply happy with my service, things were going fine. I purchased this service upon recommendation and I was familiar with the owner, as he is a local. There was little risk, only a one year commitment, and the price was fair.

Then things changed. I have gone from simply happy to a raving fan!

I was asked to set up a couple of fast and easy WordPress sites for some local businesses. It was pretty easy but I did run into a couple of snags that required some customer service. Every time I have called I have gotten a different rep and each one of them was helpful, smart, and patient. They were genuine and not just pretending to be nice, they are nice. They did not read from a script and did not apologize all the time. They do not hide behind email support tickets; they actually have a phone number based out of Arizona.

(And no, I am not an affiliate of Domains Made Simple, just a fan!)

For example, yesterday I was telling a friend who is about to start horseback riding lessons that my recent experience has been one frustration after another and then, bam, one day, it all came together. Last night’s ride was the best ever! Every side pass, every counter bend, every leg yield and each gait I asked for all were performed well. For so long, it seemed like we were not getting any where. The exercises we have been working on felt clumsy. And then it all came together, it felt terrific.

I have only been riding myself for two years; it is more involved than I thought! I had to quit wondering if I was going to be good at it, or how many mistakes I make and enjoy myself. I just keep practicing. It helps that horses are wonderfully forgiving.

This story might sound similar those of you who are learning how to use f-stops, shutter speeds and ISO combinations. I remember how overwhelming it was for me learning to put that all together. That is why I wrote a manual to help you called Beyond the Photography Instruction Manual . It will help you understand the manual settings on your camera so you can capture the images you want, how you want them.

Enjoy the process in your pursuit of a hobby, business, or passion. And don’t ever give up.

When an image has only one specific use that is all you are going to get out of it.

For example, a family needs Christmas holiday portraits for their Christmas card. If your family group arrives in all red sweaters, or you have very Christmassy props, what do you think the chances are for this to become a wall portrait above the fireplace in their very neutral family room? No, it will only be purchased as a Christmas card.

What about spring specials using little chicks? You may find that the chicks are quite popular and book a lot of sessions but is this wall image possibilities? Will this client hang a very seasonal image on the wall? Yes, a few might but my advice is to take a few images with the chicks and a few images without. Show both to your client and see what happens. You may find your sales are actually better without the chicks even though the original draw was the chicks. It certainly won’t hurt to give that a try.

If it is possible to create a more neutral, timeless image you will find you will get more sales from that image.

PS – Be sure to check into your local laws, licenses, or guidelines about working with animals before you bring them into your studio. You might be surprised to find out there are restrictions and what they are.

What kind of photographer do you want to be?

Knowing what style of photography you like best is probably the first choice you will make. Different types of photography require different kinds of equipment and knowledge. A few areas of emphasis are landscape, portrait, wildlife, commercial, industrial, photojournalism, wedding, fashion, sports, documentary, events, architectural, and stock photography, just to name a few.

What kind of photography education will you choose?

Education in the area of your interest can be found in a variety of magazines, schools, and associations.

Dig into print and digital magazines.

You will find many magazines at your local bookstore. The magazines geared toward professionals will probably not be found on the magazine rack.

The Professional Photographer by Professional Photographers of America www.PPA.com is a terrific magazine included in a PPA membership.

Rangefinder, The Magazine for Professional Photographers has a free subscription for applications meeting the qualification criteria for the magazine.  AfterCapture is also part of the family of magazines and I am just guessing it is automatically available with signing up for RangeFinder, mine is.

Photoshop User http://www.photoshopuser.com/ is a magazine that comes with a membership to NAPP, National Association of Photoshop Professionals.

Schools. Many local community colleges offer credited photography classes or adult education as part of their curriculum.

If you are interested in a photography degree or certificate, there are accredited professional photography schools. Although there are many, I am personally aware of three.

Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa (where I went) is accredited with Professional Photographers of America. This is a two year Associate of Applied Arts degree. http://www.hawkeyecollege.edu/academics/programs/arts/professional-photography/default.aspx

Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, Massachusetts has a ten month program.  http://hallmark.edu

Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California http://www.brooks.edu/

Mid-America Institute of Professional Photography http://maipp.com/ is also an affiliated school of the Professional Photographers of America held on theUniversity ofNorthern Iowa campus inCedar Falls,Iowa for one week each year. I have attended this program a number of times.

Before spending your money, I would suggest asking a working professional in the field of emphasis you are interested in for their recommendations.

Join professional photography associations that have conventions, seminars, and trade shows.

The educational opportunities as well as the networking opportunities are endless at a seminar, convention, or a trade show. This is a great way to jump start a career. I remember I got my first job leads from a well connected photography supply salesman. Start by asking around. Be prepared with a resume and/or business cards.

Professional Photographers of America www.PPA.com is the industry’s leading international organization. They have a yearly convention, trade show, a monthly printed and digital magazine, as well as other educational opportunities.

Each state also has an affiliate state organization of PPA as well. Contact PPA.com to locate your state association or Google “[your state] state photography association”.

Photo Marketing Association International, http://www.pmai.org

Wedding Photographers International at http://www.wppionline.com/

Photoshop User http://www.photoshopuser.com/ is the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) also has a print or digital magazine.

Join a Camera Club.  

There are hundreds of camera clubs of all kinds. Many large companies host their own clubs. Camera clubs often hold contests, bring in speakers, and go on field trips. This is a very affordable option.

Watch tutorials.

You Tube has become a source for all kinds of informational videos.

Get on-line.

There is a multitude of on-line and home study courses, forums, and groups.

What kind of equipment do you need?

Purchase the best photography equipment you can afford. At the bare minimum you need a camera, a computer to down load your image files to, and software to manage those files. Adobe Photoshop is the industry’s leading software.

I can get you a started with some information about choosing cameras with my article “What Camera do I Buy” which is also free on my website at http://barbgordonphotocoach.com/blog/free-articles.

Getting to know a local camera equipment sales person you can trust for advice is a great idea since most of us can’t possibly keep up on all of the latest technology and brands.

Do you want to start a photography business?

Download my free report where I discuss nineteen important steps of starting a photography business. It is called “Making Photography More than a Hobby, planning for success before you take the leap”. You can get if for free on my website at http://barbgordonphotocoach.com/blog/free-articles. Sign up in the box on the right, you will also get my e-newsletter.

A professional photographer produces consistent results that people are happy to pay them for. Generally they make their living strictly from photography.

 A professional would also purse excellence in lighting, exposure, color management, posing, composition, and presentation.

 Run a profitable business then you are a professional photographer.

Of course experience and on the job training is the best teacher.

Get a job in any area of photography you can. That can be a stepping stone to where you want to go. You never know who you will meet that might have a job opening or know someone who does. Everyone in any profession learns new things at their job and experience is the best teacher. 

Being an intern can lead to bigger things. It is an opportunity to learn more about a future possible employer and get a stong foot in the door. Internships do not always pay but the education is valuable and your dedication will be impressive.

Show your work to people.

If you put any work on-line, like Facebook, be sure to use small, low resolution file sizes. The images are less likely to be enjoyed in print if the print quality is poor. Be sure to put your name or studio name on the front of the image rather boldly as well.

Start building a portfolio.

Print your best images no smaller than 8×10 and mat them neatly with a neutral color.  If you are going for a job interview, it is best to find out what that studio is looking for so you can tweak your portfolio to their preferences. Some may prefer to see prints and others want a DVD.

So get out there, take photographs and network!

Remember to sign up in the upper right corner for my free reports and weekly e-newsletter!

Even when I photograph just the parents, I don’t always photograph just the children. It might seem like the same good idea but sometimes it might not be.

First of all, they came for a family photograph and I am going to use all of my energy and theirs getting a great family portrait. Taking a couple of fast and easy images of two adults who probably never get their picture taken is one thing; dealing with kids is entirely different.

So whether or not I photograph the kids alone does depend a little bit on how much time we have, the age of the kids, how they are behaving, and if I have been photographing the children on other occasions or not.

Once I am sure I have a wonderful family image, I might revisit the idea of photographing the children. By then I know if the kids have any more energy left. After all, they are already dressed to coordinate and that is good stuff for a potential nice looking wall grouping.

I prefer a few quick images of each child alone than all the kids together. The posing will look a lot different from doing another group. Also when children are different ages, they respond to humor differently. It is often easier to get great expressions individually than as a group.

Here is a big tip! If the children are eight years old and up, this is your time to lay the foundation for those kids to want you for their senior portraits. So make it fun. I might use the fan to blow their hair “just like I do for high school senior gals.”

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So many couples are used to putting the kids first all the time. They typically do not think of getting their own portrait made unless it is a monumental anniversary. So this is a great time to do something nice for them whether they know they will want to order one or not. Again, I don’t make a big deal of this, I just shoot a few frames and move on. 

It takes me about two minutes to capture this pose and the children like it too. I have them help me get their parents to smile.

I used to have a session that included breakdowns for a higher price. Very few people wanted that session; they went with the one family pose session. You see, they don’t know how much they will really like a portrait of the two of them until they see a nice one. And if they don’t order one, I am not out anything at all.

I actually have more sales this way than when I had an actual session for break down groups and it is fast, easy and fun for them. If you become good at selling large images and framing, this can be a dramatic sale for you.

© 2011 Barb Gordon Photo Coach & Gordon Photography & Gallery, Inc.