Jim Pickerell, the leading pundit of the stock photo industry (Jim Pickerell Interview), has put together an e-book that I believe is a must read for anyone attempting, or thinking about becoming, a professional photographer. Jim has a reputation as someone who has, shall we say, ”negative” leanings? But perhaps that is an asset when it comes to putting together a book to help would-be pros take a good hard look at the profession that is calling to them.
Jim does a very thorough job of laying out the current scene in professional photography, particularly the stock photo industry. If you are going to make it in this career you have to be aware of the realities…and have the determination to overcome all of the challenges. I think it is far better to be aware of the potential pit falls and to be prepared, than to underestimate the difficulties that lay ahead. Few people are as qualified to prepare a photographer for the worst as Jim!
Jim’s book, Secrets To Building A Successful Photography Career, is a compilation of articles he has written for his stock photo news letter Selling Stock. If you subscribe to his newsletter you probably don’t need to buy the book…but nonetheless I enjoyed being able to read it again in book form. We seasoned pros may not agree with all of Jim’s conclusions but his research is extensive, organized and great food for thought.
At the end of the book is a section that pulls from comments left on his site by photographers who share a brief bit each about their experiences of life as a freelance photographer. All in all, the book is a fun and informative read. You can get the book for a 20% discount (full price is $25.00) if you order by December 1st and use the discount code “S98TO43CK” when you submit your order.
A disclaimer here…I make nothing off the book.
For more information about the book go to http://tinyurl.com/397yfyd.
