D. Brian Nelson wrote:
My experience is old, but with a standard Yellow Pages listing for the five or so years I was shooting for a living, I got zero business from it.  None.  Everything was word of mouth, or hustle.

Things may have changed, and YP listings may bring in some portrait or wedding business, but it isn't likely to bring in any advertising or other commercial work.

-Don

P.S.  This was the standard one-liner, not a large ad.

When I started my business, I tried going the commercial rout. Portraits, head shots, wedddings, I got a quarter page yellow and black, $300/mo

I guess it averaged out maybe even to $100/month to the good-

I just wonder when you say hustle, does that mean direct mail, does that mean standing in line at the dry cleaners or grocery line next to some attractive woman, handing her your card and saying, give me a call?

or by hustle you mean (looking at the yellow pages) calling up businesses and introducing yourself and what you do, cold calling?

Master Image Photograph wrote:
I just wonder when you say hustle...?

The hustling that worked best for me was walking with a portfolio full of advertising and advertising-like prints and stopping in at the smaller boutiques by the beach or in Hillcrest or North Park.  I did mail off quartos and such but didn't get bread-and-butter business that way. 

When I was shooting there was a boom in "modeling schools" in the area.  When I heard of a new one starting up, I was there with another portfolio talking to the owner (who was often someone I knew from one of the old-line schools who'd gone off on her own).  My biggest single day ever was net $3500 shooting a headshot mill for for one of these of kids whose mommies thought they should be in show business.  This was back in the '80's remember, and that was real money.

I dropped a dozen 5x7 mini-portfolios off at a dozen area modeling agencies (with the permission of a bookers, of course), making sure that the inside pocket was full of business cards.  Those mini-ports got stolen frequently, so I used color laser copies (the kind that eventually turn magenta) for the prints.  I'd check in to "refill the business card pockets" and smooze the bookers as well.

And I tried cold-calling advertising agencies, but as I recall I only got two jobs that way and mostly didn't even get to talk to a principal.

I also sent images that I thought would be of interest to local papers.  Was ignored by the big one (for whom I later shot a weekly nightlife feature), but a few smaller ones bought them and eventually I became a stringer for an East County daily, shooting close to home every couple of days for decent money.

And I knew enough people that I covered car shows, street fairs, neighborhood parades and such for the organizers.  Plus a few bands and so on. 

Word of mouth was the best thing though.  Getting known by folks who a few years later remember you is very worthwhile.  When I eventually started shooting advertising, mostly in L.A. my entre was a friend who'd started a talent agency in SD and moved up north.  She was gregarious and knew everyone on Melrose within a week it seems.

-Don

D. Brian Nelson wrote:

The hustling that worked best for me was....
-Don

This hustling of which you speak, it sounds an awful lot like work!

Lapis wrote:
This hustling of which you speak, it sounds an awful lot like work!

Fucking awful lot of work!  I had to support a family and pay a mortgage in SoCal, and had only one shot at it.  Desperation opens new paths.

-Don

A picture from back in those days.  Shot for a modeling school, but later sold as a paperback cover.

D. Brian Nelson wrote:

The hustling that worked best for me was walking with a portfolio full of advertising and advertising-like prints and stopping in at the smaller boutiques by the beach or in Hillcrest or North Park.  I did mail off quartos and such but didn't get bread-and-butter business that way. 

When I was shooting there was a boom in "modeling schools" in the area.  When I heard of a new one starting up, I was there with another portfolio talking to the owner (who was often someone I knew from one of the old-line schools who'd gone off on her own).  My biggest single day ever was net $3500 shooting a headshot mill for for one of these of kids whose mommies thought they should be in show business.  This was back in the '80's remember, and that was real money.

I dropped a dozen 5x7 mini-portfolios off at a dozen area modeling agencies (with the permission of a bookers, of course), making sure that the inside pocket was full of business cards.  Those mini-ports got stolen frequently, so I used color laser copies (the kind that eventually turn magenta) for the prints.  I'd check in to "refill the business card pockets" and smooze the bookers as well.

And I tried cold-calling advertising agencies, but as I recall I only got two jobs that way and mostly didn't even get to talk to a principal.

I also sent images that I thought would be of interest to local papers.  Was ignored by the big one (for whom I later shot a weekly nightlife feature), but a few smaller ones bought them and eventually I became a stringer for an East County daily, shooting close to home every couple of days for decent money.

And I knew enough people that I covered car shows, street fairs, neighborhood parades and such for the organizers.  Plus a few bands and so on. 

Word of mouth was the best thing though.  Getting known by folks who a few years later remember you is very worthwhile.  When I eventually started shooting advertising, mostly in L.A. my entre was a friend who'd started a talent agency in SD and moved up north.  She was gregarious and knew everyone on Melrose within a week it seems.

-Don

Hey DOn,

Thanks for all that info- 

I find it hard when you move to a new place, don't have much $$ and have challeges in the form of child care in afternnons.
WIfe works full time-
Don't know anyone really-
Split between spending money on more equip...advertisments, or saving for " murphys law" which seems to sleep on my front door waiting for me. 

When I first began, I was in a differant market up in the valley, (Fresno) and just was around differant people, then took the thump and took out a YP adv.

Do you think not having a studio really kills the chance for a good photog to make great money?

Store front says, you intend on sticking around
Don't you think it lagitamizes your business?
Walk in traffic, depending where your at other store businesses may seek you out.
but then, when things are thin...you still have rent, elect. phone, dsl etc.


What is a guy to do? lol

Master Image Photograph wrote:
Do you think not having a studio really kills the chance for a good photog to make great money?

Good question.  Depends on what you are going to shoot.  For me, I did have a studio but mostly used it for product stuff and at first (when I still did it), personal work.  I used the darkroom there every night until 2AM, if my old memory can be trusted.  My studio was in the double garage of an apartment we owned and was not a storefront.  Come to think of it, my studio now is in an industrial warehouse and isn't a storefront either. 

As with equipment, you should probably avoid investing any money until you know that you need to.  Probably best to think functionally at first.  Do I need it to do business?

You should have at least a designated "office" however.  A place where nothing happens that isn't business related.  It gives you a place to see clients and lets you cleanly write it off as an expense.  Where is up to you.

-Don