Putting the YOU in Unique

Posted July 8th, 2009 / By Ryan Swigert in Beginners, Business, Tips

In 1820, Charles Caleb Colton wrote, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” While you may admire a few photographers, it is extremely important to remember who you are and what makes you unique. In this post I will share a few ideas on how to stand-out from other photographers by simply being you.

I. The Experience

People can hire a wide-variety of photographers for their wedding, portraits, or senior photos. However, nobody can provide them with the exact same experience as you. The “Experience” starts the moment a potential client contacts you. This ranges from how you answer the phone, how comfortable you make them feel at the shoot, how timely you reply back to them, to how you follow-up with them after the shoot. Every interaction you have with your client influences their perception of you and your brand. To some degree, the “Experience” for a potential clients starts before they contact you. Your website, Twitter account, Facebook Page, and branding can all influence a potential client to contact you or choose another photographer.

A great way to give potential clients a sneak peek into your “Experience” is to have someone shoot video or take photos of you while you’re at a shoot. This will allow potential clients to see how you interact with everyone at the shoot, how much fun everyone is having, and what to expect for when they hire you. Think of it as a Behind The Scenes clip starring you!

II. The Style

Many photographers are going after the same style in the marketplace these days. However, there is only one Victor Sizemore, and one Mike Colón. Feel free to use another photographer’s style as inspiration, but put your own unique twist on it. This can range from the angles you use, the emotions you capture, the actions you used in the digital darkroom, to the type of film you use. Yes, I said film…

An example of this is Steve Zugelter of Studio Z Films . The majority of his competitors were only using digital cameras for their shoots. He took a risk and started offering to shoot weddings in Super 8 film. By doing this, Steve stood out from his competitors and provided his clients with a creative way to capture their wedding. Who knows, one could take this to the extreme and shoot an entire wedding with Polaroid! The main point is: Don’t be afraid to put your own unique touches on your photography, even if it goes against what may be the popular fad today.

III. The You

There is only one you, and that is ultimately what you are selling. However, before you can sell yourself, you need to be sold on yourself. Be confident in your abilities, be proud of your work, and most importantly – Have fun out there!

I’ll be touching upon “The You” in future blog posts on Fuel Your Photography. In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment below and get shooting!

About the Author:

For the past five years, darkroomRYAN has worked with Fortune 500 clients. As the owner of Darkroom Branding, he now provides marketing and branding strategies for photographers. Feel free to follow him on Twitter at: @darkroomRYAN