Inspiration, finding your style, and kissing cousins

I sometimes say that the portrait world is an incestuous business.  We all look at each other's work, and when we see something we like, we file that away for future reference.  So you'll see these big trends (the giant teacup, the baby in a bowl, that terrifying-to-moms "baby dangling in fabric" newborn shot, etc) that suddenly EVERYONE is doing because we're all watching each other for the next good idea.  There is a lot of inspiration and borrowing that goes on, and that is one of the things that makes friendships with other photographers and involvement on photography boards so great.  If you're in need of a new promotion or a new set, there are so many options to choose from and you're sure to find something that will inspire you once you start looking around. 

But after awhile, you start to see problems.  Constantly finding inspiration in other photographers, particularly those in your own area, can be like marrying your cousin.  It might seem like a good idea at the time, but somewhere down the road you realize that maybe the ties were too close and things are going wrong.  (How's THAT for a terrible analogy?)  To put it back into photography terms: if everything you're offering is a copy of someone else, where is your style?  And what would make a client choose you over them?  You'd have to do far superior work, or you'd have to charge much less to make it seem like a deal.

That leads us to the lesson behind this post.  If you want to not just survive, but to succeed in the portrait world, you have to create your own look, products and brand.  If you are doing custom portrait work, and "The 98 Portraits for $9.99 Chain Studio" at the mall starts offering what you do for a price that no small business could compete with and survive, you have to change what you do to stay ahead of the game. 

Differentiate or die.

Now that's not a personal threat to anyone in particular, LOL.  But here's the deal: we all offer the same types of promotions, because so many are seasonal or holiday based.  We all offer some of the same products (although now that places like Costco and Best Buy are offering them at less than OUR cost at the pro labs and the high quality vendors, maybe it's time to rethink some of those).   When I talk about pricing, I hear from so many of you who say, "but ShelbyLane [no one calls me by just my first name anymore] you don't know my area... there are at least 12 other 'location only' photographers who offer exactly what I do in my small town, and if I charge what I need to charge to stay in business, everyone will go to them cause they're cheaper."  And those of you who have been to a workshop or a conference or have talked to me by email or in the line at Starbucks all know what I say to that: "Well what else do you do to set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd?" 

For instance, if there are 20 other photographers in your area who have an "About Me" section on their site that says "My love for photography began with the birth of my first child, and as a mom myself I know the beauty of the everyday moments and am more sensitive to your needs as a parent" or whatever, does yours say the same thing?  While it may be the truth, that is no longer setting you apart as THE choice for their portraits -- it's the exact same thing that everyone else is telling them.  Maybe yours needs to change, just to set you apart from the crowd.

What inspires you in regular life?  What makes your heart sing?  If you had to describe your style, how would you do it?  One of the best exercises I ever did was for a graphic designer.  She asked a lot of questions about what moved me, what inspired me outside of photography, and what I loved.  Those were surprisingly difficult questions to answer at the time.  I had been describing my style, as many of you do, as "artistic and candid black and white natural light outdoor portraits of kids being kids."  And after I typed that out, I realized that really didn't describe what I did anymore.  Once I sat down and really thought about it, I realized that my style is heavily inspired by classic children's book illustrations from books I loved as a child.  I just didn't really do the candid b&w look as much anymore.  But I had never sat down to think about the images that I truly loved and what I truly wanted to shoot every day and offer to my clients as heirlooms. 

So my challenge to you for 2008 is this: Learn to be the trendsetter.  Look for inspiration in places OTHER than children's portrait photography, and definitely outside of your geographical area.  Movies.  Magazines.  TV commercials.  Books.  Music Videos.  Museums.  Other types of portrait photography.  Look at how people use light, color and texture in their senior or bridal portraits -- some might be too trendy and edgy for you, or two "old school" for your taste, but that doesn't mean you can't learn something from the beautiful lighting or posing or set design they use.

Or, take the inspiration from other children's photographers and make it your own.  Don't  rebuild their set in your studio.  Take the parts you like, and change some others around to make it YOURS.  I hear a lot of people say, "I love that set you did, but my studio's too small for it."  Well think about what it is that you loved about that set, and then figure out how you can get a similar feeling in your own space.  Will it be exactly the same?  Nope.  But it will be all yours.  You don't want to live your professional life as someone else's shadow.

So, since we're all revamping our pricing and websites and marketing pieces for the new year, take some time to look at your overall presentation.  The quality of your work.  How you're presenting it to your clients.  The language and information you're using on your website and your blog.  Your personal style.  If you say "what personal style" then maybe it's time to start looking at those inspiration questions.  What moves you?  What do you LOVE?  What is it about the images that melt your heart that makes them so special?  If you can answer these questions and incorporate them into your own business, you'll be closer to finding your own unique look.