Happy Holidays!

Welcome back from any holiday adventures you might have gone on! I know it has been a busy time of the year, but it's back to crunch time for anyone that wants to make money in photography!

Just the other day, a friend of mine, who has been having some trouble getting started in photography, asked if I would go get some coffee with him. He needed some pointers on how to get paying gigs because his bills are coming due, and he's broke! Naturally, I can't pass up a steaming, black and white hot chocolate from the local Starbucks, so I obliged.

After chatting for a while about what he was currently doing to get business I could see the problem. Jeff (fake name) was making the same mistakes almost all new photographers do. The same mistakes I made when I was new. He was posting a few classified ads on craigslist and waiting for the gigs to come rolling in! Only, they weren't...

We talked for close to 2 hours and at the end of the day he left with 6 pages of college rule notepad chalked full of ideas for him to try and a to-do list 14 items long.

That might not sound exciting to you... but it got me thinking about how many other photographers might be in the same situation.

The bottom line is that until Jeff carves out a niche for himself, he's going to have to make some coin doing whatever kinds of gigs he can find.

I encourage this for a few reasons:

1. It offers Jeff some actual, real life experience as to what it's like shooting under different conditions. I know personally, I hate shooting weddings. Weddings are GREAT money if you're good... but they also have a way of giving me ulcers.

2. It builds Jeff's referral list. What photographer in their right mind is going to turn down work, just because it's not their niche?

3. It builds Jeff's portfolio. Do I need to say more on this subject?

4. It pays the bills...

Just what he needs!

The Biggest Mistake Struggling Photographers Make Is NOT Being A Proactive Marketer

Many photographers take for granted the power of sales and marketing. They jump into the game thinking that they can get by on talent alone. The sad reality, though, is that talent is actually second best to marketing and sales when it comes to making a living at photography. If a photographer can't sell his service, how will he make any money with it?

If your goal is to MAKE PHOTOGRAPHY YOUR LIVING, you'll need to know a few of the basics. Wrap your mind around that concept, and I'll be back next time with a run down of easy to follow marketing ideas to get (or improve) your photography business.

Make $200 a day taking simple photos

Recently, I've been looking into simple ways to make a little extra change as a photographer. I figure, the simple fact of the matter is, that I probably won't have a cult following as a photographer for quite some time. I'll need to build rapport with clients in specific niches in order to gain that kind of following and residual work flow.

So, In the mean time, I will have to make due with making little bits of change from various places. This isn't to say that lots of money can't be made, however.

In the guide Taking simple photos for $200 a day! John Carroll walks you through a simple step by step program on how to be in high demand as a photographer for national companies on a local level. He includes contacts to make getting started much more simple, and compounds that with a wealth of information to guide even the newest photographer to the hidden money pot within this realm of photography.

The best part about this system is that almost anyone can do it, even if you don't have spectacular photography technique, or expensive equipment. The whole system revolves around documentary style photos. As you can see from the examples on his site, nearly anyone could expose a car or home or bus or tractor well enough for an insurance company!

If you have basic computer skills (which if you're reading this, you do), have a camera, and a few other really low tech tools (like a tape measure), you can get started Taking simple photos for $200 a day!

The Money Cam Official Launch!

The Money Cam is a blog dedicated to teaching amature photographers (and professionals) how to use their skills to supplement their income. Whether to move forward as a professional in the industry, or just simply offset some of the money spent on their hobby, The Money Cam is chalk full of great ideas and resources.

In the upcoming days, I will be filling this site with several ideas and tips for how you can turn your cam into a money machine and make back some of those shiny little pennies that you've spent on your gear!

Stay tuned!