Customer Reviews

Big Bucks Selling Your Photography

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book by Cliff Hollenbeck is a real "find " for anyone desiring to make money with a camera. Most of us who go into the photography business sort of slide into it without much of an idea how to go about it. Most of us, when we reach a point where people are willing to pay for our photos, have some pretty abysmal business practices and stagger from crisis to crisis until we learn all lessons the hard way. We arrive at that point just before the evil eye of bankruptcy fixes on us.

Hollenbeck's book covers all bases from writing a business plan to negotiating prices for use of photos. I suspect that anyone who follows his advice from day one "in the business," will achieve far more success than they would by just winging it. Fortunately, all the business advice is served up with a wit and brevity that make learning it an enjoyable exercise. Knowing that he has been exceptionally successful in his own professional life lends weight to his suggestions. Hollenbeck and his wife are one of the most successful teams working in the area of Travel and Editorial photography. Their book "Great Travel Photography" is a great companion volume.

Not to try covering the whole universe of making money with a camera, but there are two additional books I would recommend. Rohn Engh has a couple of books that would, with the Hollenbeck pair, form a great basic library for anyone interested in a photographic career. They are, "How to Sell and Resell Your Photos" and "Sell Photos.Com."

Thanks,

Bill Halley

An absolute necessity for the serious photographer considering the prospect of photography as a financial reward in addition to creative expression. Within the pages of this book, I found an inspiration as well as a reality check. Past the "Glamour & Glitter" visions most associate with the title of "Photographer" lies the realization of the need for good sense business practices & procedures. Too be a success at any business one must learn what it takes to conduct that profession & do it well. That is just what this book will provide you. An arsenol of information from the basic requirements of technical knowlege to sales & marketing yourself & your images. Up-to-Date resources & techniques. This is one of the most practical books on the business of photography I have purchased & studied and recommend anyone interested in starting a career as a professional photographer should include this book within their reference library. Do yourself a favor, READ THIS BOOK IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SUCCEED! Mr. Hollenbeck...THANK YOU for OPENING MY EYES !

..."Big Bucks Selling Your Photography" was not at all what I expected from the title. However don't get hung up on that! The subtitle on this fourth edition nails the book contents. "A Complete Photo Business Package for all Photographers" is a more apt title and this book does deliver that.

This book is geared towards anyone who is thinking of getting into photography as a full-time business but knows nothing about this business. If you have been researching photography as a business for some time a lot of this material will be familiar. If you are successful in the photography business you are already applying the contents of this book. For the rest of you contemplating photography as a business this book may change your mind. However, if you seriously want to consider this field of business then read the book.

If you want to go to the meat of "Big Bucks", marketing and selling your photos, start at chapter 9 and finish the book out. More importantly though not as exciting to read (Lawyers, IRS and CPAs! Oh my!), the first part of the book covers the back-end of the business. Cliff Hollenbeck, like most photographers, is not a CPA nor a Lawyer. He's not a Marketing Agent nor a Stock Agent. He's a successful photographer! Therefore you're not going to find much depth on these subjects, but the subjects are covered and Cliff tells you where to find the expertise.

If I were to summarize "Big Bucks" in one line it would be - Familiarize yourself with the whole business, concentrate on producing images and your creativity, and leave the business side to the experts.

We'll have to wait and see if the recession of 2008-2009 changes all the paradigms of marketing and selling photography. None of us know that yet. But this book, published in 2007 delivers straightforward advice that can be useful to professional photographers at every level.

Here's the deal: This is the first book I've seen from Amherst Media that isn't chocked full of color photographs. In fact there's not a photo in the entire book and that's quite okay with me. It leaves more space for a full set of business forms in the back and pages crammed full of advice on how to undertake doing the business side of photography.

With this book and a few solid books on technique you should be able to test the waters of the photography industry.

Cliff is from the advertising and editorial side so much of the book's content is aimed at these markets. The book is less useful to senior shooters and wedding shooters.

All in all, a good reference guide for people running photo businesses for advertising clients.

I found "Big Bucks..." to be a practical and straight forward lesson in how to maximize your opportunities as a photographer. The key theme that I was left with was as a photographer, I am not taking pictures as much as selling pictures. This and the fact that basic business skills are what make or break a photographer is hammered into the reader. I loved Cliff's way of proving a point through a real life example or story.

All photographers should read this book!

I'm a professional photographer and "Big Bucks" has helped me stay in the game. I keep it on my desk as a reference tool, a reminder of what I must do to make money in an industry that is constantly changing. Cliff Hollenbeck's experiences are an inspiration to me and I strive to capture his success.

A must read for anyone serious about a photography career.

As a professional photographer Cliff Hollenbeck"s Big Bucks book was instrumental in refocusing my career. While so many people focus on the photographs, Cliff's book was about an even more critical aspect of successful photography, the business of photography. He gives you a step by step outline if you want to sell your photographs for a PROFIT. He covers Business administration, the all important business plan, covering your butt in regards to liability and copyright and provides the forms that photo buyers expect i.e. model releases and delivery memos. His latest version covers the important aspects of using a computer in a modern photography business. As marketing is critical if you want customers, he covers all the options available today. If you have someone who has expressed they want to work as a professional photographer give them this book first and they may have a chance in this highly competitive field.

I'm sure this title sounded good, as he sat at a bar with his photo-buddies, but it really does a dis-service to the content of the book. Once past the title the book contains many valuable truths about the photography world and well worth the price for would-be, arm chair, and current professional photographers.

This book is an excellent tool for photographers looking for an edge to accelerate there business. Strategies for a business plan along with legal aspects of their business and tax filing are all covered. When you start out on your own, this is a book to have.

The author has presented a comprehensive guide to everything a photographer needs to consider when selling and marketing their work. As an expert in the area of travel photography, the author's inside experience provides valuable insight to the novice.

As other reviewers have pointed out, this book is practical and straight-forward. It is an invaluable resource for all photographers