I have been pretty much a do-it-yourself’er when it comes to my photography, website, and my photo business I did the website from the ground up, make my own prints up to a reasonable size, do matting, mounting, and framing if needed, and make feeble attempts at all the accounting, marketing, submissions and tracking and ordering supplies for the business end I am the shipping and receiving department Last year I also invested in a printer profiling setup so I added making my own custom profiles to the mix (not sure that was a wise decision!) Throw on top of that trying to learn new techniques in Photoshop or Lightroom, improve on your old ones (which no doubt results in wanting to reprocess some older shots), processing images, keeping up with technology, etc, etc Oh yeah, keeping up the blog also 🙂
The end result is how all of this side stuff can quickly rob you away from all the time you have to do what you actually enjoy – making images When large orders come in, everything else comes to a grinding halt because there simply isn’t enough time in the day to do anything else.
I have started evaluating some of the more labor intensive aspects of all these things I have wanted to control in the past There is no question that cutting mats and mounting using bulk materials is more economical, but I’ll tell ya, my arm is getting awfully tired of dragging across the blade on the ol’ mat cutter Anyone that cuts their own mats manually knows the feeling here It is a time consuming, labor intensive task that although important for presentation, there is little creative energy needed I completely understand why it costs so much to have a picture custom matted and framed There are places with $20,000 computerized mat cutters that can do this faster, and with more precision, albeit at a higher cost than buying 32×40 sheets Mat cutting be gone!
I am also considering perhaps an accountant Not that keeping track of receipts and invoices is that big of a deal, but tax time can be a bear And who is the wiseguy that made taxes due in prime wildflower season? Photographers should have taxes due a few weeks after fall color ends So if anyone has a suggestion for a good artists’ accountant – please shoot me an email In the meantime, I need a lobbyist for moving that tax date.
I know some photographers who have also gone to the extent of outsourcing all of their printing It certainly has some very appealing aspects to it – not dealing with ink clogs, scrap prints, stocking rolls of paper, and of course packaging and shipping them But I think there is still some artistry that goes into making a print, and for that reason, I am going to keep that to myself I still enjoy seeing an image become complete as a print.
Now all I need is a sherpa to carry my gear and a secretary to schedule in the good light days and I will be sittin’ on easy street 🙂
Ellen – sorry for the delay in responding – thank you!
Chris – will do, I am sure this will be a constant re-evaluation! 🙂
Jim – I have a feeling it will only become more challenging!
“Photographer” is now a catch phrase for someone that fills many roles. I have to admit I get quite frustrated with some forms of technical issues so if its possible to bypass them by outsourcing I’ll gladly do it. Hopefully you’ll find the right balance… it usually requires quite a bit of adjustment over time to find it.
Hi Mark,
Sorry I’ve been absent lately … it was a rough couple of weeks. Your post is something I often think about. All the really big name photographs seem to have offices and assistants and all that. I don’t do nearly enough business to warrant anything like that, but would like to think I will some day – let me know how it’s going in some follow up posts if you don’t mind.
You have a terrific site Mark that I really enjoy. I have been a photographer for awhile now, and just recently have been trying to turn pro. I don’t care to mess with the web stuff either, but have been trying to get a site going on WordPress.
Making your own printer profiles — yeah, I have that debate with myself every 6 months or so. I’d love the freedom it would give me, the control. But oy, the work and the expense!
Thank you all for the comments. I have to admit that my do-it-yourself attitude has led me to question some of my purchase decisions. I mentioned printer profiling briefly in my original post, and it is still a decision I am torn about.
On the plus side, it provided me with more accurate profiles with some of the papers I use. It also provided me with a much better monitor profiling device. It is also interesting to me to learn a bit more how printer profiles are made.
On the minus side, I could have had the custom profiles made for me for much less expense. However, I wouldn’t have gained the benefit of the better monitor profile device or some of the knowledge that comes from making your own.
Sometimes it is a tough decision.
It’s always a hard decision to make–I was even considering such things just last night (regarding my art.) To buy my own print making equipment or to have prints made elsewhere? Either way’s pricey enough. I don’t think there’s any easy answer to that question, either (right now I’m so broke the answer is; no prints anytime soon. *L*)
Even my digital camera–as much as I love the freedom it allows me, I end up spending hours after some shoots sharpening, saving & filing the images, y’know?
Sorry I’ve been absent lately, btw, but the mundania monster has had me fully in its grasp. Hopefully that will let up soon!
Hi Mark,
Don’t know how you find the time for all that, but surely you have taken the first step in the right direction. Maybe you will find there are other things you can outsource too down the road.
In the meantime like Carl said, this is what technology offers us these days, to be able to do so many things ourselves, from our own little control rooms. It’s a stark reminder, though, that we have to remember to also live life and do what we enjoy to do. You’re onto something…
Thanks also for sharing your mac experience. I don’t think I will migrate though. My old Dell is just about giving up – making me very nervous – and I’m going to call a company tomorrow who are custom building PC’s which have received good reviews
Cheers,
Thomas
It’s all priorities. And the first step is thinking about them. I say be gone mat cutters and tax days. Well, I CAN dream about NO tax days, can’t I? 🙂
Yeah, the work does pile up, doesn’t it. One thing I definitely seek help on is the professional level stuff. I have a CPA do my taxes, and contacted a lawyer when doing some copyright applications. Stuff that I probably could’ve figured out on my own, but would’ve taken so long to do.
But printing, that’s something I keep in-house. I think that at least a third of the artistry of a print is from the actually printing itself. The quality of the print really impacts a person’s impression of my work, and I don’t like the idea of handing that responsibility off to someone else.
Carl – you are so right. Part of the reason I got a Mac – I wanted to stop being a PC repair technician! 🙂
It is very easy to get so caught up in all the other stuff. I’ll join you for that hike and food.
Hey Mark,
I think you’re hitting on the downside of technology. Photographers are now photographers, web designers, graphic artists, computer tech specialists, sherpas, accountants, marketers, ad infinitum. Increased control equals increased workloads. I’d rather do a little hiking, eat some good food, enjoy the view, and occasionally snap a coupla pictures along the way. The rest of it I have little interest in.
Cheers
Carl