Pro Photo Business Forum

Downtime? Shoot something!
by Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography – Houston Wedding Photographer

On our desk is a list of ten principles that we adhere to in the operation of our business. Number 8 is “Downtime? Shoot something!” When starting a business and building a portfolio, it means not taking your foot off the gas. There are two benefits to this.

First, by keeping our blog current we show potential clients that we are active photographers. Many modern clients want to see blogs and, more specifically, CURRENT blogs. By continually showing fresh images, potential clients see that we are moving forward (well, hopefully forward…) and passionate about our work. Think about it – if we come across, say, two car dealerships selling the exact same cars at the exact same prices. One dealership is devoid of customers, with salespeople hanging out at the entrance. The second dealership is buzzing with chatter and full of people moving here and there. Whose front door are we more likely to walk through?

Second, we build your skills and body of work. Our potential clients don’t know which shoots we were paid for and which were TFC. And if our quality is good enough, they’ll assume we are booking. It’s all part of “paying our dues” to build a portfolio that will attract people to our business and make them want us to take their picture (and pay us for it!).

So, do you have some downtime? Instead of flipping on the TV, consider finding a halfway attractive person and GO SHOOT!

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Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography
Houston Wedding and Portrait Photographer