How to Succeed in Commercial Photography : Insights From a Leading Consultant

PART1 / VALUES

from the next. You need to give them the description that will set

you apart. You need to show your visual value.

CREATING YOUR POSITIONING

STATEMENT

When you are done playing client, you may find that your

portfolio does not contain a consistent message. Get to work!

Begin to craft your positioning statement by doing an exercise

to help you determine the types of images that you are drawn

to and the tools that you often use.

Go through magazines, annual reports, Web sites, award

journals, and sourcebooks. Tear out images that represent

photography that you would have killed to create. I call these

your “wish-list tears.” This is not about selecting work that you

like; rather, it is about identifying the work that you not only

like but also truly want to do. When you have about ten exam-

ples, start to analyze them. Use words to describe what each

photo is about. Put the words on Post-it notes and go onto the

next example. When you have completed the defining process,

spread them out and start to look for similarities in your

descriptions. The descriptive words you use repeatedly become

the beginning of the howof what you are drawn to.

Look at how color is used, how selective focus is used. Are

the images you chose about people? How are they photo-

graphed? Are they props? Or are they relating to the camera?

Are we peeking in on their world or are they very present,

connecting to the photographer?

Now, do the same thing with your portfolio.

Choose seven to ten images that are your favorites.

What are the consistent words you use on your Post-it notes

to describe your imagery? What are the messages you are giving

to clients? Do the descriptive words on the notes from your wish-

list tears match those from your current portfolio? Check to

make sure that the messages you are currently sending out are

the ones you are looking to deliver. If you find that the messages

are indeed different, don’t worry, you have lots of company.

When you feel that you are ready to move on and craft your

statement, begin by describing what you do and for whom.

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