There's No Room for Compromise on Quality in Photography

Three years ago I shared the post below, but it's obvious too many photographers still don't get the point!

I visit dozens of websites every day and I don't understand why as business owners so many of you continue to share images Uncle Harry could get. 

Think about Starbucks for just a second. My wife Sheila loves their Iced Cafe Mocha. No matter where we are, she knows it's going to be made exactly the way she likes it. But, just suppose Starbucks lost their consistency and suddenly every Iced Cafe Mocha was different - no two ever being the same. What if one Starbucks had that homey cafe feeling while another was a bug infested filthy dive?

I don't need to waste more blog space on the analogy - I know you get it, but here's what some consumers might think. They're looking through your galleries and they see some images that are stunning and reflect the skill set of an artist. However, other images are poor to mediocre at best. Don't you think they wonder which photographer they're going to hire?

Stop compromising on the quality of your images - it's that simple. Only show your very best work. You don't need to show any more than 8-10 images in a category, unless you're showing full albums and even then, make sure it's your most stunning book!

Take a look at your galleries right now. As you look at each image, ask yourself one question, "If this was the only picture I could show, is it good enough, all by itself, to get hired?"  Everyone's goal is to create "wow" prints. And to Scott's point below, if you can create that one image that stops people in their tracks - it truly becomes the great equalizer! 

Quality in business isn't hit or miss whenever you feel like putting in the effort - it's a way of life, dedication and commitment!

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First Byte:  First Bytes are 1-2 minute summaries and suggestions that tie directly to a specific blog post. I'm hoping they're helpful in expanding the topic of the post itself. 

We used Scott's image as a double page spread in GoingPro, published by Random House in 2011. Scott wrote, "I worked at capturing this image for thirteen years. While that's an extreme, no one can question the passion it took to get the shot."

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by Scott Bourne

No shocker here – I love photography. But why? There are 100 reasons.  But one stands out above the rest. Surprisingly, it’s not something I  hear many people talking about. Ready? Photography is the great equalizer. 

If you have a moving, shocking, thought-provoking, arresting,  important, serious photograph that causes people to react, think, feel, etc., it doesn’t matter whether you are old or young, female or male, what race you are, what religion you are, what your history is or what  your future holds, what country you live in, how much money you have,  how pretty you are, how strong you are, how powerful you are, how important you are, how cool you are – all that matters and I do mean ALL that matters – is the picture.

If people are honestly moved by your work – not by your fame or your  position or your status – but simply by your work, in today’s culture  that is a marvelous and rare thing.

In a world where young people want to be famous for being famous, to find something as meaningful as a photographic image and to know that it doesn’t matter who made it – just that it was made – well, that is a terrific thing.

Photography is the great equalizer. When I see an arresting image the maker, no matter who they are or their station in life – the maker has the ability to rise with their image. Photos hang on the wall of the  gallery or the museum or in the pages of a book or magazine or on the  screen of a computer or television, not because the person who made the images was important – but because the image itself was important.

Imagine that.