Commercial Photographer: Your Guide to Marketing, Creativity and Growth

Marcus and Sam are taking a look at the advantages and disadvantages of niching. How it looks to the client and how it helps in your own marketing.   We discuss the fear factor of possibly losing out on clients outside your niche, and how social media has opened up the market to a global one. However, being a generalist does have its advantages, especially when starting out  - it is a great way of broadening your skills. Learn product photography, location photography and studio photography. Sam and Marcus go on to discuss the equipment required and how specialists can buy specialised equipment. Niching doesn’t mean you have to turn down work - you may just not publicise it.

AI- Friend or Foe   On this weeks podcast Sam Hollis and Marcus Ahmad talk about AI. How long has it really been with us? How has it been utilised by photographers in the past and how much are you really using it already? Almost certainly since the onset of digital photography. Then we move onto the AI of today, ChatGPT and other tools. Are they a friend or foe and how could we make the best use of them to our advantage as photographers?   What surprises Marcus is the speed at which current AI technologies have improved so rapidly. And Sam is finding out how AI can help photographers transition from technicians to directors. Along the way we chat about The Yamaha DX7 keyboard What’s an art director? ChatGPT The James Web Space Telescope   And you can always find us at the Shoot to the Top website.

On this week's show Sam discusses the case for photography case studies. He tells us how they can attract more visitors to your website and help attract your ideal client. He also talks about how they are best showcased for maximising a website’s SEO. And then there are the regular features - News and Stat of the day!

This week Sam and Marcus discuss the hotly debated topic of “Do you need a photography degree/qualification to be a commercial photographer” And what’s the alternative? Marcus, no surprise, being an ex Senior Lecturer in photography comes down in favour! But for reasons that may not be obvious. Sam asks probing questions and has an alarming Stat of the Day. This show is just perfect if you are trying to decide whether to spend your hard earned cash on going to university. You can find more out about the show at https://website4photographers.co.uk/podcast/

Shoot to the top is a new Podcast for commercial photographers. With Sam Hollis, Web Designer and Marketer and Marcus Ahmad, Professional Photographer with over 20 years of experience in the industry. The first episode goes live on Thursday the 30th of March 2023