Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/04/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]You nailed it shut Henning. In the late 70's to late 80's I regularly received 1K plus expenses for a commercial advertising illustration of my own design. I also received 1.5K per page designing the type and content to surround the illustration. Now the person that answers the phone lays out the adverts and collateral sales literature. Corporate ID design was always 1.5K to 3K gig - now you can order a logo on line for $75.00. It's pathetic. And the stuff looks like it's value. Fond regards, George george@imagist.com www.imagist.com http://www.imagist.com/blog Picture A Week - www.imagist.com/paw_07 On Apr 9, 2008, at 5:37 PM, Henning Wulff wrote: > When I started getting serious about making money at photography in > the early 70's, as opposed to the rather amateurish approach I had > to stuff I sold in the 60's (which was stage and portraiture), I > set out to find out what competition I had in my field. > > As I intended to do mainly editorial, corporate and architectural > photography at that time, I quickly realized that while there was a > fair bit of competition at all quality and price points for > editorial and corporate photography, there was very little in some > areas of architectural and construction photography, especially at > the higher end. I never did do reportage. I also abandoned > editorial photography and only did occasional corporate photography > when it dovetailed well with the architectural/construction > photography. > > In any case, when I started there was only one really good > architectural photographer living in Vancouver, and there were > certain things he wasn't interested in. I started by doing some of > the things he didn't care for, and also got some equipment he > didn't have, and was able to set my prices as I saw fit right from > the start. This worked very well, and within a couple of years I > was able to compete with him on anything, but preferred those areas > where there wasn't any competition as those paid better :-). In the > next 20-25 years I was able to continue in the field and earn good > money mostly by being the first in the area to offer new services > as they evolved, and do things that others didn't want to. > > For instance, I have no particular fear of heights and love > climbing around on large construction projects, and that is a great > asset for construction photography. For over 20 years, until the > safety standards largely prevented such photography, I was the only > one in Vancouver who would haul medium and large format gear around > slip forms 500 feet off the ground or work from the end of tower > crane booms when they were working. I set my own prices. > > When Photoshop came out, I was the only one who could do a good job > of composites of architectural models and aerial photos, with > correct perspective and lighting. > > Whenever something became impossible, impractical or the technology > made it superfluous, I tried to find another niche. When, after > about 5 years, some other people learned enough about perspective, > Photoshop and could take decent aerial photos and charge 20% or > less of what I did, I started doing other things. > > In the mid to late 90's things started changing rapidly, and almost > all my advantages went away, so now I only do certain special jobs, > and concentrate on my architectural business. I just couldn't make > the sort of income I made from photography in the 80's anymore. Not > anywhere close. The respect I used to get is also no longer there. > The product has become devalued. > > I couldn't recommend that anyone now enter the areas of photography > I've done. > > -- > * Henning J. Wulff > /|\ Wulff Photography & Design > /###\ mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com > |[ ]| http://www.archiphoto.com > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information